¡¶Xinshun Steel Century¡·


 The words written at the top of Chapter 1 related to the first volume of works

    "Xinshun: The Steel Age" is my second book and the first one I started writing as a novel.  Many old readers know that "Tianxia Jiedu" was just a short fragment of about 2,000 words published on Longkong at the beginning. It was with the support and encouragement of Lielahu and many friends that it became a 200-word novel.  A multi-thousand-word historical novel.  When I was chatting with an editor before, I once mentioned a phenomenon: many authors¡¯ first books were very good, but their second and third books fell into obscurity. They got worse and worse, and there was no such thing as the first book.  The kind of characteristics that make people shine finally disappeared in the online literary world.  The reason is simply that before writing the first book, the author has often considered the materials and emotions for many years, and has sufficient savings, and then bursts out, which is naturally very exciting.  However, although the writing in the second and third books became more proficient, the savings in the belly were much shallower, and the level dropped suddenly.  Therefore, the most difficult thing for newcomers is the second book. Just as the NBA has a rookie wall, the Internet literary world also has a "newcomer wall". If you can't get over it, you will be eliminated. If you can't get over it, you will be in a different world.  After I heard this, I was quite trepidatious at the time, but also a little eager to try. I wanted to see if I could disappear into the crowd, or if I could emerge from the chrysalis like a cicada, and be in a different world.  When deciding on the topic for the second book, I also hesitated for a while.  Frankly speaking, online writing is a highly marketed form of leisure and entertainment, and authors are often greatly affected by the preferences of readers.  I am sure that this theme is definitely not as good as the Three Kingdoms, the late Ming Dynasty, and Jingkang. After all, these historical stages have been pioneered by many ancestors. Readers are generally familiar with the historical figures at that time, and it is easier to form a sense of substitution.  , naturally it is easier to become red.  As for the fictional theme of "Xinshun", it is relatively difficult for readers to read it, and it may cause confusion.  But I think that if a historical novel wants to be really well-received and able to capture the readers' hearts and make them remember it, it must do the following two things: 1. It raises a question; 2. It answers the question convincingly.  .  Some of the most popular historical novels in recent years are all like this, such as "Stealing the Ming", "Usurping the Qing", "1911 New China", etc.  Almost all of these novels hold the view that one of the reasons why China suffered so much in modernization is that the last feudal dynasty was established by a minority group. Since the interests of this minority ruling group are often not the same as those of the dominant nation,  overlap, so when encountering powerful foreign enemies, rulers often choose to betray the interests of the entire country and preserve the interests of their own small group.  Moreover, in order to maintain its dominance, this group, which only accounts for a very small minority of the country's population, has adopted various means to dumb down and weaken the Han people as the dominant ethnic group, and has also massacred and destroyed its prophetic elites. Therefore,  China's modernization process was so difficult and the price paid was so heavy that the Chinese people today are still feeling the consequences.  So the plot of the novel is very simple. An omniscient and omnipotent time traveler from modern times goes back to the past, reverses the wheel of history, and overthrows the rule of aliens. Then the Chinese nation can smoothly embark on the road to modernization, blabla  .  Even more exaggerated is the saying, "Leave Shi Yanran and expand the territory thousands of miles!"  But is this really the case?  If we look at the entire global scope, the success of modernization is an extremely "rare" and difficult phenomenon. Except for the great powers located in Western Europe and North America, which were the birthplaces of the capitalist industrial revolution, almost all the remaining  The modern history of all late-developing countries is extremely tragic and dark, full of humiliation and bullying, and China is not alone.  In these countries, massacre and plunder are commonplace, and national subjugation and genocide are not uncommon.  In these late-developing countries, many rulers belong to the country's dominant ethnic group, but most of them have failed. Even to this day, many less developed countries have only formal rule, and the entire country is still in the process of modernization.  China, let alone modernization.  Even for those few who succeeded in modernization, were their lives bright at that time?  The Irish potato blight caused nearly a million people to starve to death in the 1840s; after the Crimean War, Russia adopted the so-called "liberation of serfs" in order to export large amounts of grain abroad in exchange for industrial capital, allowing serfs to work for  He paid a large amount of money to redeem himself and deprived the village community of public land and handed it over to farmers who were good at management. As a result, while grain exports increased significantly, there was an alarming famine in the countryside, and serfs who lost the protection of the village community gathered in droves.  starved to death; Japanese rural girls who were sold to Southeast Asia as prostitutes during the Meiji Restoration and farmers who worked all year round but could not eat a bite of the rice they grew.  These are all successful people in modernization, but their lives are no better than those who failed.  Could it be that in 1644, when a certain Han hero rose up and defeated the Manchu invasion, and the last dynasty was Han, China's modernization reform would be successful?  Can those sufferings be alleviated?  Can the people live a better life?  I don¡¯t think so.??? Modernization is an extremely complex process. It is not simply a matter of using advanced technology and then removing the emperor and replacing it with a president.  In the ancient world, political and social life was actually only a matter for a small number of people. The vast majority of the rest of the people lived in extremely narrow and closed small communities all their lives. For them, as long as the rulers left them  As long as they can produce some fruits of labor that can sustain their survival, they will accept the rule, at least without active resistance.  Until the oppression becomes so heavy that these simple people can no longer survive, they will rise up and wait for the next acceptable ruler.  Life goes on and on like this, as if it will never change.  Therefore, whether ancient society was a democracy or a dictatorship, it was actually only a matter for a small group of people and had nothing to do with the vast majority of people. Therefore, the structure and functions of ancient countries were much simpler than those of modern countries. People and people  The connections between people and between regions are also much simpler and more obvious.  But modernization is different. The commodity economy occupies the dominant position in the economy. For the first time, the entire region, country, and even the world are connected into an organic whole in a true sense.  A large number of cheap goods poured out of factories destroyed the self-sufficient natural economy and the small handicraft industries attached to it. People who lost their land had to go to big cities to make a living. For the first time, a huge proletarian class appeared in the city.  They have nothing but their own hands, and the characteristics of their work make them closely connected and well organized. The city has given them widespread knowledge. Politics is no longer just a matter for a small group of people.  This is a phenomenon that has never happened before in human history.  However, some members of the original ruling class lost their old privileged status in the process of change. They were often dissatisfied with the change and even became initiators and leaders of the revolution. The simple state apparatus of the old world faced this complex phenomenon.  Very weak and powerless.  The New Army Revolution in China after the abolition of the imperial examination system; the failure of Shah Pahlavi¡¯s white reforms in Iran and the resurgence of fundamentalism are all due to this reason.  This is not difficult to explain why modernizing countries are always accompanied by great instability regardless of their success or failure. The only country that maintains a relatively stable government is the United Kingdom, which is because it is the first country to industrialize and has vast colonies, which can resolve contradictions.  Moving away, the modern history of other countries is filled with revolutions, coups, foreign wars and civil wars.  To put it simply, the factors that determine the success of modernization are extremely complex and cannot be explained simply by the national attributes of the dynasty rulers. A traditional Han dynasty can lead the Chinese nation out of this quagmire and break this "three thousand years"  "Unprecedented major changes" and embarking on the bright road?  I'm very skeptical.  The above are my questions, but if I ask for the answer, I can¡¯t come up with it now, or the answer now may not be the answer in the future book.  Human thinking is very strange. For a problem, they often think it is A at first. As the understanding deepens, they will think it is B, and then return to A. However, the "A" at this time is not the "A" at the beginning.  "A" is much deeper and richer.  Maybe this is what we said in the politics class in junior high school, "The understanding of things always rises in a spiral and deepens!" Writing a book is also such a process. As the plot of the book develops, the historical background of the time will also be understood.  As the understanding deepens, the author's ideas will not remain unchanged, but will continue to deepen, so you should go and see for yourself. After all, there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's hearts. Maybe I am writing A, but some readers can see it.  It¡¯s B. Isn¡¯t this a very good thing?  Finally, I wish everyone good health and all the best!  I also hope that everyone will continue to support Weber and write an extraordinary and good book!  The following is a short poem written by Weber, which can be regarded as the prelude to this book.  The slaves made heavy groans and dug out black coal and iron from the ground to create boilers and machines. The black coal was ignited to heat the boilers and drive the machines to run. They created guns and commodities, and the guns blasted open the majestic gates of the empire.  , A flood of goods poured into it, smashing the idyllic and beautiful rural life to pieces, the extremely poor people were driven into factories, the newborn giant babies treated the whole world as a toy, everything was turned upside down, this is a new century  , This is the century of black, This is the century of steel.

 Related Works in Volume 1 Chapter 2 Southward and Northward Advances¡ªFollowing the Border Situation at the End of the 19th Century

    Since 1661, Sejong Gao Yigong's army broke through the half-hearted resistance of the remaining Qing troops, entered Beijing for the first time since 1644, and established resistance against the nomads along the Great Wall.  Then, by the way, a quarter-century-long war with the Manchus began.  The Shun Dynasty army, which received advanced Western firearms technology and abundant manpower and material support in the pass, finally regained the vast land centered on the Liao River Basin and established the Liaoning Province on this basis.  As for the countless fishing, hunting and nomadic peoples living in the large land north of the Liao River, the Shun Dynasty did not adopt the direct rule of provinces. Instead, it established the Manchurian Protectorate, a half-military, half-civilian institution, to control  management of this vast area.  North Korea continued to maintain its status as a vassal state.  After defeating the Manchu enemy, new enemies arose on the Mongolian plateau. The Jungar people filled the power vacuum created on the grasslands after the fall of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, completing the Khalkha Mongolian and Oirat Mongolian alliances, and  Attempting to forcibly annex the Inner Mongolia region that was already under the control of Shun Dynasty, Shun Ze immediately sent troops to prevent new threats from emerging on the grasslands.  As a result, during the periods of Xuanzong, Zhezong, and Wuzong, China was involved in a 70-year war with the rising Junggar tribe on the Mongolian grassland. It was not until the mid-18th century that Shuncai defeated the Junggar attempt and advanced his power.  Today's Xinjiang and Outer Mongolia regions, and on this basis, the four protective prefectures of Anxi, Beiting, Shuofang, and Zhangbei were established to govern this large area of ??land and achieve peace for a long time.  This peace lasted until the mid-19th century - after the Crimean War.  Tsarist Russia, which suffered a setback in the Crimean War, began to turn eastward and reinvested a large amount of financial and material resources to penetrate and expand into Central Asia, Mongolia, Manchuria and other regions, and attempted to establish an "freeze-free port" in the East.  This action led to new conflicts with Shun, which broke this peaceful situation. In order to eliminate the threat from the north and obtain new farmland for a large number of bankrupt farmers in the country, in the second half of the 19th century, the internal rebellion of Shun arose.  "The upsurge of northward expansion".  Relative to the north, Shun has conducted far fewer military operations in the south.  The largest military operation was the "Battle of Prosecution" against Myanmar in 1742. In 1740, the king of Myanmar launched a long-term war of conquest against Siam (now Thailand), which consumed a large amount of people's power and aroused various domestic conflicts.  The ethnic people resisted.  Emperor Shun Hengzong took the opportunity to send General Gao Chenggong to lead an army to invade and occupy Ava (just outside Mandalay now), the capital of the Toungoo Dynasty in Myanmar at that time.  The Annan Protectorate was set up, and it was declared that the entire territory of Myanmar would be included in Dashun territory.  However, as the war continued, the situation gradually became unfavorable to Dashun. Facing the harsh climate and the increasingly powerful Mon rebel army, the Shun army suffered consecutive defeats. By 1752, the company occupied the old territory of the Toungoo Dynasty.  Duava was also surrounded by rebel forces.  Gao Chenggong finally had to negotiate with the Burmese army with the Mon army as the core.  After negotiations, Myanmar finally recognized Dashun as its suzerainty and recognized its nominal affiliation to the Annan Protectorate.  The Shun army withdrew from Myanmar and recognized the Gonbang dynasty established by the rebel army as Zhengshuo of Myanmar.  This time Dashun sent out an army of 100,000 people. After the epidemic and several years of war, only more than 10,000 people were able to enter the border. Just over 40,000 people died of illness on the way from Awa in Burma to the border of Shun.  , the loss of ordnance is countless.  Emperor Hengzong was very angry about this, and he died just after a few years. Therefore, Dashun history called it "Xuancheng's shame" (Emperor Hengzong's reign was Xuancheng).  But as time went on, a large number of Chinese entered Myanmar as traders and made a lot of profits. Shun also gave up the policy of territorial expansion, and the relationship between the two countries eased.  And in 1874, as a suzerain, Shun provided considerable military and diplomatic support to Myanmar. It not only defeated the British invading army, but also forced the British to give up the Lower Burma area obtained in the second Sino-Burmese War in 1852, retaining only  However, the situation in Vietnam was much worse. Taking advantage of Shun's weak state in the 1860s, the French gained freedom of movement in southern Indochina and forced Vietnam to cede three provinces.  and forced Cambodia to accept French protection.  Historically, Indochina and Southeast Asia have been the traditional areas of interest for Shun's southern merchants. The colonial expansion of these two areas by Western countries, represented by Britain and France, has harmed the traditional interests of Shun's southern merchants. This has also become a  This was an important incentive for following the domestic ¡°southern policy¡± in the late 19th century.  The two policies of "going south" and advancing north may appear to be different choices for the expansion of the north and south of the Shun Dynasty, but in fact there are far-reaching social and economic reasons behind these two contradictory policies.  Since the unification of the country by Shun in 1661, there has been continuous peace for nearly 150 years. The domestic commodity economy has achieved considerable development, and a fairly wealthy merchant class has emerged.  These merchants who had accumulated a large amount of capital, especially the southern merchants represented by merchants from Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan and other places, gave the imperial government huge economic support when the empire put down the civil strife in the 1860s and the subsequent "Westernization Movement"  , also gained abundantWith generous returns, they gradually became the first bourgeoisie of the empire.  However, with the deepening of the "Westernization Movement", these well-capitalized businessmen gradually felt that the market within the empire was too narrow. The ordinary class could not afford to buy products produced by factories due to heavy taxes and meager income. However, the traditional  The Southeast Asian market was usurped by Western countries, a large number of factories went bankrupt, and tens of thousands of impoverished workers were driven to the streets and became beggars.  This triggered the empire's first economic crisis from 1881 to 1884.  It hopes to go south and annex Indochina and Southeast Asia, which have a mild climate, dense population, and a large amount of resources for exploitation, and use them as new raw material origins and commodity markets to obtain huge profits.  The peasants and small and medium-sized landowners hope to occupy large areas of land in Manchuria, Mongolia and Central Asia by marching north, and become self-sufficient farmers through the state's land distribution. Shanxi and Youzhou merchants who made their fortunes by supplying the huge northern border defense army  also supports this plan.  And Shun's center also hopes to use this method to colonize a large number of bankrupt farmers in the country to the new northern frontier to eliminate domestic instability.  The main soldiers and middle and lower-level officers of Shun's army are from farmers and small and medium-sized landowners, so the army naturally supports the northward policy; going south cannot do without the support of a powerful navy, so the navy's natural support will bring them more military expenditures.  The policy of going south, so the "North-South War" was actually a "Sea and Land War" and a war between the emerging bourgeoisie and small and medium-sized landowners and farmers.  This huge contradiction tore the entire empire apart for nearly forty years from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, and had a profound impact on the entire East Asia region and even the world. All of this started from a small country in Southeast Asia.  It started in the capital.

 Preface to Volume 2 Chapter 1 Preface

    This book is an fictional historical work based on the setting "Xinshun" of the famous setting party member and the pit king Zao Manxiong. I hope everyone will like it.  It was already midnight on May 16, 1645, and the streets in Xiangyang City were already quiet. The deserted streets looked particularly gloomy and desolate.  Soldiers in iron armor stood at important street entrances, checking the occasional passers-by.  Red or white paper lanterns are hung outside the door of every house, dimly lit, swaying under the eaves.  Under the dim light, you can see large woodblock-printed martial law notices posted on the walls at each street intersection.  In the narrow and long streets and alleys, there are often watchmen carrying small lanterns and banging broken gongs or clappers. The shrinking shadows appear for a while and then disappear into the darkness; the slow and listless sound of the gongs or clappers  The sound also gradually faded away in the wind.  On the city wall, Li Guo looked at the northern sky. Bursts of gunfire came from that direction. It was Dengzhou's Shun army that was resisting the pursuit of the Tatars.  There was a frown on his upright forehead, which almost formed a "chuan" shape, and his expression looked worried and solemn.  Even the most favored general beside him was holding his breath at this time, lest he make any strange noise and disturb the contemplative general.  A messenger quickly rushed up from under the city wall, knelt down on one leg in front of Li Guo, and said in a low voice: "Captain, there is an urgent edict from the imperial court, your Majesty has summoned you!" "Well, I'll be there right away!" Li Guo frowned.  He jumped slightly. Since the Battle of Tongguan in the first month of this year, the Dashun Army has been defeated in consecutive battles. They retreated all the way from Xi'an to Hubei. The Emperor of Dashun, Li Zicheng, was also wounded by an arrow. The injury was not serious. Compared with last year's eastern expedition, the Dashun Army was defeated.  The situation in Beijing and the situation across the country are completely different.  "Captain, the palace is ahead, let's dismount!" The general on the side reminded him in a low voice when he saw the bright yellow lantern at the corner in front - it was the sign of Emperor Dashun's presence.  "Well, so fast!" Li Guo seemed to have just woken up from his sleep, his eyes widened in surprise, and he looked at the lantern not far away.  After a while, he jumped off his horse, adjusted his military uniform a little, and walked quickly not far away.  A short man came up to him. This man was Song Xiance, the founding military advisor of Dashun. He grabbed Li Guo's forearm and whispered: "Haohou! Your Majesty has been waiting for you for a long time. Come in quickly!"  "How is your Majesty doing now?" Li Guo asked in a low voice, his worry evident in his words.  Song Xiance did not answer his question directly, but pulled his sleeve hard and quickened his pace.  Seeing the other party's performance, Li Guo's heart immediately became heavy. He walked quickly through the two courtyards and saw more than ten people standing or sitting in the inner courtyard. They were all the core figures of Dashun at this time.  An anxious look.  Li Guo saw Li Guo and was about to come forward to salute him, but Song Xiance grabbed him and made a group salute to everyone: "I'm sorry, Your Majesty is summoned!" As he spoke, he pulled Li Guo forward.  inside the house.  "Your Majesty!" When Li Guo saw Dashun Emperor Li Zicheng reclining on the couch, he couldn't help but feel a sore nose and knelt down.  This uncle who raised him up, taught him how to bend a bow, shoot an arrow, and march and fight in wars is now haggard, with sunken cheeks, sunken eyes, and has lost his shape.  "Get up, get up quickly, we are all members of our family!" Li Zicheng struggled to sit up, but his injuries had seriously weakened his already strong physical strength. If Mrs. Gao hadn't supported him, he would have almost fallen.  He was about to fall off the bed, and Li Guo, who was kneeling on the ground in fright, rushed forward to hold him up.  Li Zicheng finally lay down on the couch again with the help of Li Guo and Mrs. Gao. After a while, his rapid breathing gradually calmed down, and he asked in a low voice: "What are Donglu's movements?" Li Guo's  His face immediately became solemn, he pondered for a moment, and replied in a low voice: "The Donglu soldiers are very sharp, and they fought with our army in Dengzhou, Chengtian, and De'an several times. Our divisions were defeated and many soldiers were lost!"  " The room suddenly became silent. The places mentioned by Li Guo were all important strongholds near Xiangyang. The closest ones to Xiangyang were only more than a hundred miles away. If a cavalry raid could cover them up in less than a night, you can imagine the current situation of the Shun army.  And know.  "Then how do you think we should defend ourselves against the enemy?" Li Zicheng asked in a low voice.  "Your Majesty!" Li Guo took a deep breath and said: "The four prefectures of Xiangyang, Chengtian, De'an, and Jingzhou have been in business for more than a year and have a solid foundation. The Tatars have traveled thousands of miles, which is conducive to a quick battle but not a long-lasting one.  Your Majesty currently has 130,000 troops in camp, and 70,000 troops in the four prefectures of Xiangyang, Chengtian, De'an, and Jingzhou. It is not necessary that there are not many troops. It is just that the battle has been unfavorable. The soldiers are afraid of the Eastern invaders and are angry to capture them.  In my humble opinion, General Mo and Governor Bai will stick to Xiangyang and transfer the camp and supplies to Jingzhou. Your Majesty will lead the elite troops to guerrilla outside and fight against the thieves. Although the Donglu troops are sharp, they will not last long. As long as they persist for more than a month, the battle will be inevitable.  There is a turning point!" Li Zicheng frowned and said nothing after listening to Li Guo's suggestion.Only then did he reply in a low voice: "The Donglu soldiers are extremely sharp and have red cannons, so they are really difficult to defeat. Now that the northwest has been lost, the southeast cannot be lost again. There are tens of thousands of ships in Wuchang. It is better to unite the army together and move along the Yangtze River."  What do you think about going down to the southeast and fighting with the Tatars?" "Absolutely not!" Li Guo was shocked when he heard this: "Your Majesty, the four prefectures of Xiangyang, Chengtian, De'an, and Jingzhou are in the southeast.  How can we lose Jingzhou and have Jiangnan as a barrier? Besides, most of the soldiers under my command are from Jingzhou. If your Majesty abandons the land of the Four Prefectures, they will inevitably be disintegrated. Then they will be enemies everywhere. I'm afraid you will regret it!"  Li Zicheng couldn't help but feel angry when he saw that his nephew and most trusted general also objected. Just as he was about to have an attack, he felt dizzy and almost fainted. Others were shocked when they saw this, and they shouted in surprise and called out.  The doctor came over and dealt with it for a long time before he revived Li Zicheng.  Li Zicheng woke up leisurely and smiled bitterly: "Look at me like this, I don't know how long it will be. I recruited you today not for anything else, but for someone to continue to carry the flag after I fall!"  "Your Majesty!" Li Guo was shocked when he heard this and hurriedly knelt down on the ground and said anxiously: "Your Majesty has been in great prosperity in the Spring and Autumn Period, but he is occasionally ill. He will be well for a while. After thousands of years, he will pass on this chaos to his descendants.  I will not dare to obey you even if I die!" "Haihou, how can I take charge of the country at a young age in such troubled times? You are my nephew. In terms of blood, no one in the army is closer to you. In terms of prestige,  You are no less than others. If I am gone, who else can inherit the great cause of expelling the Hulu?" At this point, Li Zicheng's eyes suddenly darkened, and his body leaning on the brocade cushion slowly slid down.  .  Li Guo hurriedly stepped forward to support him, and Lian Sheng shouted, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Several people in the room were busy for a long time, and Li Zicheng just woke up leisurely. Li Guo smiled bitterly and said: "Haohou, look at how I look like this, how can you still do it?"  Don't you obey the order? Li Guo looked at Li Zicheng's dejected face, took a step back, lifted up the front of his robe, knelt down on his knees, kowtowed three times, and said in a deep voice: "I obey the order!  " Li Zicheng nodded with satisfaction. Seeing this, Song Xiance walked quietly out of the house. A moment later, a dozen core civil and military ministers of the Shun Dynasty who were waiting outside came into the house. Li Zicheng summoned Li Guo to him.  Next to him, he whispered: "I am seriously injured and unable to deal with state affairs. I should deal with military affairs without any delay.  If anything happens, I will succeed you as Emperor Dashun!  " There was silence in the room. After a while, Gao Yigong was the first to kneel down to Li Zicheng and Li Guo. Everyone also followed suit and bowed down, saying in unison: "I obey the order!  ¡± Early the next morning, Emperor Taizu of Dashun, Li Zicheng, died, and his nephew Li Guo came to the throne, and later generations called him Taizong. On the day Li Guo ascended the throne, he immediately sent 6,000 elite troops to counterattack Dengzhou and defeated the Donglu forward  , won three hundred soldiers, and one hundred and twenty war horses, burned his warehouses and walls, and returned, known in history as the first battle of the ZTE! Looking at the pouring rain outside the tent, Azig was in a bad mood. As the first emperor of Taizu Emperor Nurhachi!  Twelve sons, after the Qing army entered the Pass and pacified Beizhili, he led Wu Sangui, Shang Kexi and others as General Jingyuan, leading the army from Shanxi to Shaanxi, chasing the Shun army, and won consecutive battles along the way.  Xiangyang City actually suffered some losses. First, the forwards who broke through Deng City were counterattacked by the Shun Army. Not only did they lose Dengzhou, but they also suffered many casualties.  Instead of fleeing before, they resisted very resolutely. They pursued the march too fast and the red artillery fell behind. After capturing many key points outside Xiangyang City, they could only do nothing in the face of the high and thick walls of Xiangyang City.  , Dun soldiers have been here under Xiangyang City for more than a month. The continuous rain has made the elite soldiers of the Eight Banners who are accustomed to the dry and cold climate outside the Great Wall have developed diseases, because many horses have eaten a lot of weeds and cannot be taken care of, and many of them have died of illness.  This made him, who was always known for his toughness and irritability, feel like the two veins on his forehead were throbbing and his temples were about to explode. ¡°General, the red cannon has arrived in Dengzhou!  We can reach Xiangyang in three days." A Geshiha walked quickly behind Azig and whispered. "Okay!  "Azig roared excitedly. This sudden good news made him pace back and forth in the tent. Geshiha, whom he liked very much, saw that his master was in a good mood and cautiously advised him: "Then  The slave went back and asked the artillery team to hurry up and transport the red cannon to the camp as soon as possible!  "    "No!  "Although Azig has a very bad temper, he went on an expedition with his father Nurhaci at the age of twelve and has rich military experience. "It has been raining for days now and the roads are slippery. It is not suitable for my cavalry to move around. If the artillery team is brought here, I am afraid that it will be difficult for me to do so.  The intruder found out and escaped, but was unable to catch up.  It's better to let the artillery team stay in Dengzhou first. When the rain stops and the road is dry and hard, which is convenient for riding, then the artillery team can be brought here. It will be just in time to catch all the intruders and save trouble!  " "Cha!  ¡± Xiangyang City, Dashun HuguangIn the Jiedushi Mansion, Li Guo was sitting at the table with various memorials piled up in front of him. Except for the bright yellow robe on his body, the Dashun Emperor who had just ascended the throne was dressed like him.  It is no different in the military affairs of Xiangzhu.  Judging from his frown, it was obvious that the battle situation in front of him was not so favorable to Dashun.  "Your Majesty, please let me know if there is an emergency in the work ahead!" Song Xiance walked in from outside, his steps very hurried.  He walked to Li Guo, took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Li Guo.  Li Guo took it and opened it, and his expression suddenly changed.  "The red cannons of Donglu arrived in Dengzhou seven days ago!" Even if Li Guo didn't look in the mirror, he knew that his face at this moment must be the same as that of a dead person.  Originally, although the Donglu soldiers were good at field battles, they were not good at attacking cities.  But after obtaining the red cannon from the returning border troops, this shortcoming was made up for.  In the recent Battle of Tongguan, the Shun army dug trenches and stood up walls. They suffered heavy casualties under the bombardment of red cannons. Li Zicheng had to flee back to Xi'an, and then abandoned Xi'an and fled to Jingxiang.  "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" Song Xiance looked at Li Guo's slumped face and said repeatedly: "The red cannon has arrived, but the Donglu did not transport it to the front line, but just left it in Dengzhou. Obviously to wait.  The weather is clear and the ground is dry and hard for the cavalry to gallop. Then use the red cannon to attack the city and wipe out our army! Now the only option is to take risks!" Li Guo was stunned when he heard this and then asked.  "Your Majesty," he said, "please come to the military advisor!" "Your Majesty, the Donglu have been besieged for many days. Their troops have been exhausted, and their elite soldiers are all outside the city. If your Majesty orders the army commanders outside the city to attack Dengzhou directly, they will not be prepared to attack. Dengzhou month ago  It was even attacked by our army and its walls were completely burned. Even if it has been repaired, it must not be difficult to destroy!" Hearing Song Xiance's words, Li Guo's pale face suddenly turned red.  He stood up in a hurry and paced back and forth in front of several cases. Song Xiance stared at Li Guo eagerly, his eyes never blinking.  Suddenly, Li Guo pulled out the saber hanging on the wall, cut off a corner of the desk with one blow, and shouted sternly: "The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit, in one fell swoop! Pass the order, choose three thousand cavalry, and three men and three horses. Set off tonight for a surprise attack."  "Dengzhou!" "According to the decree!" "The Chronicles of Taizong Shunshi" records: In June of the first year of the Xingguo period, the Donglu army besieged Xiangyang.  It's coming, the situation is very urgent.  On Ding Chou day, the emperor used three thousand fine cavalry to attack Dengzhou and beheaded 400 captives. He gained no military resources and the artillery team among the captives was among them.  On Xinsi day, Wang's army went out from the north gate of Xiangyang to fight the Donglu army. The two armies were locked in a stalemate, which happened more than ten times. At noon, the commander of the Zhaozi camp of the Donglu army, Zhao Manxiong, with his troops, took action.  There was a huge defeat, and more than a hundred of the generals surrendered before the battle. Azige, the leader of the army, only escaped with his life. After this battle, the heroes of Henan and Hanzhong rose up one after another and obeyed the orders of the dynasty.  " In October of the fourth year of Xingguo's reign, I returned to Germany and the Dashun Army marched to the camp. The night wind blew on the armor of the guards, making crisp collision sounds from time to time. The moist air exhaled by the soldiers when they breathed was blown by the cold wind, and soon  It was condensed on their beards and hair, and looked like translucent crystals under the moonlight. From a distance, these soldiers standing outside the palace of Emperor Dashun did not look like living people, but more like stone sculptures of Weng Zhong.  A burst of rapid horse hoofbeats broke the silence of the night. After a while, a group of people was walking towards the gate of the camp. "Who is it?"  "Following a sharp shout, there was a clash of armor and weapons in front of the gate. Before the shout ended, a deep reply came from the other side: "It's a certain family!  " At this time, the visitor was already approaching. The leader of the guards had already seen the leader clearly and hurriedly shouted: "If you don't get out of the way, you will see Pingzhang!  " Gao Yigong nodded and asked in a low voice: "Is Your Majesty inside?  "The leader of the guards nodded, stretched out his hand and said in invitation: "Your Majesty has ordered that as soon as you arrive, you will come to see him immediately without any communication!  " Gao Yigong nodded, with a solemn expression. Five days ago, he who stayed in Hanking received an urgent order from the front line and hurriedly galloped here. He was thinking about it along the way, but he didn't know the reason. He was very uneasy in his heart. Look.  There was no one around, so he asked in a low voice: "Have there been any changes in the Japanese army in the past few days?  "The leader of the guard froze, and lowered his voice and said: "I'm telling Pingzhang, I don't know, but I haven't seen His Majesty riding a horse for more than ten days!  "    "Um!  "Gao Yigong nodded. He was born in the army, and he is especially good at riding and shooting. He is an emperor on horseback. No matter how busy he is with government affairs these years, he will take some time to go out riding every two or three days. If the words of the guard leader are  Combined with the urgency of the edict, it meant something unusual. Gao Yigong suddenly felt that his steps became heavier.  "When Gao Yigong entered the room, he saw Li Guo lying on the bed, and Niu Jinxing, the political minister of Pingzhang, standing beside him with a look of disbelief.Relatives.  Li Guo raised his head slightly and glanced at Niu Jinxing. Niu Jinxing coughed.  He unfolded the edict in his hand and said in a low voice: "I am not hesitant now. I will go on a great journey. I will have no children. I will pass on the power to the general and Pingzhang's military and state affairs. Pingzhang's political affairs will be assisted by Niu Jinxing." Like a thunderbolt.  On top of Gao Yigong's head, his knees weakened and he knelt down on the ground, saying repeatedly: "I dare not obey the imperial edict even if I die!" "Yigong, come here!" Li Guo lifted it up with the help of Niu Jinxing  He started to kneel to Gao Yigong, who was standing next to him, and said in a weak voice: "I have no children. The Li family conquered from Taizu, so they have many things. Although they have adopted sons to prosper, they are still young and cannot run the country. And  The Shu tribe is causing trouble today, so don¡¯t do anything serious to a child, please encourage him!" Gao Yigong looked at Li Guo's angry appearance, and Niu Jinxing on the side also tried to persuade him again, gritted his teeth and nodded.  Seeing that Gao Yigong agreed to his request, a self-deprecating smile flashed across Li Guo's sallow face, and he whispered: "In the past, the Gao family gave Li a military gift, but now the Li family has given the world to the Gao family, and merchants have borrowed money."  , please refer to it for details!" When Gao Yigong heard this, he didn't know how to respond. He could only kowtow to the ground. Suddenly he heard Niu Jinxing scream: "Your Majesty!" When he looked up, he saw Li Guo's head.  He had sunk into the pillow and died, with that self-deprecating smile still on his lips.  In October of the fourth year of Xingguo's reign, the emperor died at the age of forty-one. His temple name was Taizong. Gao Yigong succeeded to the throne and was known as Shizu in history.  "The Chronicles of Emperor Taizong of Shun Shi" commented: Since ancient times, no one has had as much trouble as the great Shun people in the world. Sixteen years after Taizu started his army, countless people were in danger. When Jiashen entered Yanjing, the world thought that the great cause was settled, but then Dongdong  If the enemy invades, the overall situation will be ruined.  At that time, the power of the captives was expanding, and they were taking the south of the Yangtze River. Taizong used the land of Jingxiang and several mansions to fight back and forth, but finally turned around.  Cherishing Heaven and not taking holidays, but calmly settling down, how can we add to the false prescriptions of Yao and Shun?  In the next few years, the great cause was determined, and the talents followed the destiny of the ancestors and were also the plans of Taizong!

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Coup

    Time flies, and the story begins in Mandalay, the capital of Myanmar, in 1885. Don¡¯t report my death or mourn my death. Don¡¯t bury me in a cemetery for human sacrifices. There is no need for a priest to ring the funeral bell.  If anyone sees my body, please do not attend my funeral.  Don¡¯t plant flowers and grass on my grave. My lifelong wish is to let the world forget me.  ¡ª¡ª Thomas Hardy It was a night in the dry season. There were no stars in the sky in Mandalay (the second largest city in Myanmar, located in the north-north inland of central Myanmar, where the old capitals of several ancient dynasties were located), and there was not even a trace of moonlight.  No, there is only the dry hot air of the subtropics, which is like invisible sand wrapping around the Burmese soldiers wearing ill-fitting khaki military uniforms, turning the moisture in their bodies into sweat, and then sucking the sweat dry.  The low clouds almost reached the tops of the trees on the bank of the Irrawaddy River, but the waiting soldiers prayed that the clouds would stay longer to prevent their movements from being discovered by the Guards sentries guarding the palace hundreds of meters away.  Duncan hunched his back and carefully walked through the ranks of Burmese soldiers to count their numbers.  These short, dark-skinned soldiers looked at the burly 6-foot-2-inch white man with their slanted eyes, and their eyes could not help but show fear. Duncan noticed the shrinking and timidity of the soldiers, which made him feel  to some frustration.  "God, are these the "tigers" sent by that prince? I wish I had a group of good Scottish boys now, even if there is only one-tenth of the number here!" Duncan complained in a low voice.  He was holding a Mauser automatic pistol in his hand. Although as a second lieutenant of the Scottish Fusiliers Battalion, he should be more accustomed to using his country's Webley revolver, he still chose the automatic pistol in his hand tonight.  Compared to the Webley's poor range and firepower, this German cousin's Mauser automatic pistol was much more suitable for tonight's operation.  Soon, Duncan finished counting the number of Burmese soldiers under his command. After confirming that they were correct, he returned to the front of the team and began to wait for the predetermined signal.  As time went by, the scheduled signal did not appear. The hot weather made Duncan sweat in layers. He had to take off his hat to feel cooler. The sweat soaked his red hair and made him feel uncomfortable.  A handful of it stuck to his forehead, looking as if he was injured.  At this time, a muffled thunder came from the clouds on the top of Mandalay Mountain in the distance. This was a signal that the dry season was about to end and the rainy season was coming. The delayed signal and thunder made the Burmese soldiers become agitated. These superstitious  The guys begin to suspect that their upcoming action has aroused the wrath of gods and Buddhas, and the thunder is proof.  Duncan turned around angrily.  "These cowardly dogs!" he cursed in his heart, but his many years of experience in colonial operations told him that he must calm down at this time, otherwise these cowardly natives will not have enough respect for their officers like good Scottish boys.  .  Duncan gritted his teeth. Just as he was thinking about how to say something using the little Burmese he knew, a burst of fire suddenly flashed in the corner of his eyes. He turned around quickly and saw a ball of fire not far away from the palace.  It was drawing circles - the signal that had been awaited for so long.  "Boys, mount your bayonets and advance in two columns. The target is the east gate of the palace!" Duncan instinctively used the language he was most familiar with - English to give the order to his Burmese soldiers. Fortunately, several Burmese missionary schools who served as officers  The students knew some English, and they quickly relayed Duncan's orders to the soldiers in Burmese.  Soon, the Burmese soldiers fixed the bayonets on their Lee-Enfield rifles and rushed towards the east gate of the palace.  Duncan himself was the last one to walk towards the east gate.  The east gate of the palace was wide open. Inside the city gate, Duncan smelled a strong smell of blood in the air. Two corpses were lying on the ground. Judging from the bright red blood stains on the ground, they died just a few minutes ago. With the help of  In the light of the fire, Duncan could see that there was a slender bamboo stick on the neck of one of them. The tail of the bamboo stick had fluff to maintain flight balance. He recognized it as a blow dart - a weapon commonly used by Southeast Asian natives. It must be this  People were raided and then killed.  "Sir, this person is the spy. He said that the king is in the palace, along with his three sons and two daughters." A student from a missionary school reported to Duncan in English with a very strange tone, followed by a  The dark-skinned man wearing the uniform of the Imperial Guard was looking at Duncan with great expectation. This man was holding a long bamboo pole in his right hand. This must have been the tool he used to launch the blow darts. "Very good."  "Duncan looked with disdain at the man who had just betrayed his king and his companions for money, and whispered: "You tell him that only after catching the king will he??You can get the remaining half of the bounty!  " After hearing the officer's translation, the traitor opened his eyes angrily and spat out a series of fierce words from his mouth. Without waiting for his men to translate, Duncan walked up to the traitor and said in unskilled Burmese: "Either go,  Or not!  "The traitor quickly lowered his head helplessly and began to complain in a low voice, but Duncan had already turned around and began to command the soldiers who had entered the palace to occupy the remaining gates. At this time, the soldiers' original fear had been overturned.  Driven away by the generous promises in advance and the large amounts of gold and silver inlaid on the surrounding buildings, driven by the officers, they rushed fiercely towards the palace in the distance. The king of Myanmar suddenly woke up from his dream and stretched out his arms.  He reached out with his right hand, trying to find a piece of cloth to wipe off the cold sweat on his forehead, but what he touched was smooth skin - this was his twenty-fifth and youngest and most beautiful wife, Sova, who was only sixteen years old.  The girl said something in her sleep, turned over and fell asleep again. Xipao smiled slightly and was about to get out of bed to take a shower. Suddenly there was a gunshot outside the room. Xipao immediately sat up. Before he could get out of bed,  Several more gunshots were heard outside the house, and now he was sure that these were not accidentally fired by the guardsmen who were keeping watch. He hurriedly pushed his sleeping wife up, jumped out of bed, and walked through the room.  clothes, while shouting loudly to the guard outside: "Maung Ok, Maung Ok!"  What's going on outside?  ¡± Soon, there was a reaction from outside. A middle-aged man with an embarrassed look pushed open the door and rushed in. Suowa, who had not yet put on his clothes, screamed in surprise and instinctively grabbed the blanket on the bed to cover his vagina.  Body. Maung Oke hurriedly saluted King Burmese Xipao. Xipao waved his hand impatiently and said, "Quickly, what's going on?  " "Your Majesty, it was Meng Ji who rebelled. The traitors have already invaded the palace and are rushing here!  " "What, Meng Ji?  It's him!  "Xipao's expression suddenly changed. It turned out that Meng was the brother of the former Burmese king, and he was also Xipao's uncle. He usually hid in his palace and enjoyed himself, rarely leaving the house. Unexpectedly, he suddenly launched a rebellion.  At this time, there was a burst of intense gunfire outside, which was almost inaudible. It was obvious that the Imperial Guards and the rebels were at war. "Order the Imperial Guards to hold on until dawn.  At dawn, the number of rebels will not be very large. As soon as it dawns and the troops outside the city enter the city, they will be able to wipe out all the rebels!  " Xipao ordered categorically. As a king, he does not lack courage and talent, otherwise he would not be able to stand out in the fierce battle for the throne. "Yes, Your Majesty!  "The guard Maung Aok knelt down and saluted respectfully, and was about to exit the door when another violent explosion suddenly came from outside. Suowa on the side let out a scream and ducked under the bed. "Is it a cannon?  "Xipao's face turned pale all of a sudden. If the rebels had a small number of rifles, it was reasonable, but if they even had artillery, there were too many things behind it. Thinking of this, King Burmese's legs softened and his butt dropped.  Sit on the ground. "Let it go!"  "Duncan pulled the match rope fiercely, and the muzzle of a six-pound cannon on the side jumped back sharply. The muzzle sprayed a ball of fire. Almost at the same time, a violent explosion occurred in a Buddhist temple more than a hundred meters away.  Dozens of Guards soldiers were hiding in the Buddhist temple, using it as a barrier to repel several attacks by the rebels. Of course, their resistance ended here. Under the bombardment of incendiary bombs and grenades, a building made of wood was destroyed.  The building, made mostly of bamboo, would soon become the tomb of the defenders. Duncan prepared a secret weapon for the night operation - a six-pounder gun commonly used by the navy, which was nicknamed "Bulldog" by the navy soldiers.  The little guy weighs less than 400 kilograms in total. It only takes two mules to take away the artillery that has been dismantled into parts. Four people can pull this artillery and run away. It can use solid bombs, grenades and incendiary bombs.  Bombard any target within 1,500 meters. As soon as Duncan enters the palace city, he will choose the east gate tower as his artillery firing position. The view here is very good, and the entire palace city is within the range of his artillery.  The Buddhist temple burned violently, and the yellow phosphorus in the incendiary bomb ignited the flammable building materials and decorative items. Several unlucky guys who were on fire rushed out of the house, rolling on the ground in vain, trying to save themselves.  The flames on their bodies were extinguished, and their screams could be heard clearly even by Duncan who was on the tower more than a hundred meters away. The rebel soldiers shouted and chased after them, ending their pain with bayonets, and then stabbed them with their waists.  Cut off the head of the deceased with his dagger as proof of reward. ¡°Barbaric custom!  Duncan shook his head in disgust and stepped aside - there was no need to continue the bombardment now - the building itself was a huge treasure. The obedient servant presented him with his favorite drink - Scotch whiskey  , he took a full sip, and while the hot liquid flowed into his throat, it seemed to seep into every detail of his body.??, expel the discomfort just now from the body.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 2 Chapter 2: Protecting the Burmese Captain¡¯s Mansion

    "It's so comfortable!" Duncan closed his eyes happily.  "Her Majesty's warrior, Meng Ji thanks you for your help!" A strange English accent woke Duncan up from this comfortable feeling. He turned around and saw a Burmese man in his thirties standing in front of him.  A man with gorgeous clothes, this man is the mastermind of the coup - Meng Ji.  "Your Majesty!" Duncan suppressed the unhappiness in his heart and bowed to Meng Ji.  "No need to be polite! Warrior, what reward do you need? Gemstones, gold, or women, the generous Meng Ji can meet your requirements!" "This cowardly mouse has been hiding in his mouse hole until he wins.  Here, prepare to go into exile if it fails." Duncan cursed secretly, but on the surface, he still tried his best to pretend to be respectful and said: "As a humble servant of the empire, I will obey the queen's orders and serve you.  Serving is my duty." At this point, Duncan's voice became firm: "As long as you act in accordance with the pre-agreed agreement, that's fine!" "That's natural, that's natural!" Meng Ji said with a smile.  , but his eyes flickered, and he whispered: "Just Xipao and his child?" Duncan immediately replied: "This is an internal matter of your country. In accordance with the ambassador's instructions, I will only provide corresponding technical support, and the rest will be provided by  You decide for yourself!" "That's good, that's good!" After receiving a satisfactory answer, Meng Ji smiled happily. He made a self-contained gesture to Duncan and walked quickly to the city gate.  Staring at the other person's retreating back, his eyes were filled with contempt.  "The despicable traitor used artillery to bombard the Buddhist temple! Your warriors can no longer hold on. Your Majesty, please leave here quickly!" In the palace of King Burma, Maung Ook knelt on the ground. At this time, he was very  He was in a state of embarrassment, and his right shoulder was bright red. It was just when he went out to investigate the situation that he was hit by a stray bullet.  "These demons actually fired cannons in the sacred palace and bombarded the Buddha's hall. After death, they will definitely be cast into the animal realm and will never be reincarnated!" King Xipao of Burma cursed angrily, and his face had swollen into purple-black color.  , all ethnic groups in Myanmar believe in Buddhism, and there are many statues of gods and Buddhas in the palace city, which are considered sacred temples.  Although there were frequent attacks and killings among various clans, it was unprecedented for them to openly bombard the Buddhist hall with artillery fire in the palace. No wonder Xipao was so angry.  "Holy Majesty, let's go quickly!" Maung Ok urged. At this time, the shouts of killing outside the palace were clearly audible. It was obvious that the rebels were not far away from here.  Xipao shook his head, picked up the saber hanging on the wall, put the pistol in his belt, and said loudly: "No, the king's robe is the best shroud. I will die as a king. This time the traitor is behind  There must be some influence from the British. If you take the children to the Shun people, you may be able to find a way out with them. "Shi Zhao Youting, the head of the Hu Burian Xiaowei Mansion, has been awakened by the sound of gunfire coming from the palace.  Wearing only a pair of wooden clogs, they ran to the balcony of the embassy. The sound of gunfire from the palace a few miles away was so dense that they could no longer be heard, and the fighting was already in full swing.  He is a Guangxi native. He was a Jinshi for three years in Jiafeng, but his official career has not been smooth. He is nearly fifty years old, but he was sent to a foreign land like Myanmar to serve as a governor who is not worthy of the name.  Zhao Youting himself also gave up the idea of ??making progress, and just collected all kinds of treasures here in Myanmar, preparing to wait until his term expired in another year. After returning to China, he made a fortune and returned to his hometown to retire. However, he did not expect that at this juncture,  But when things like this happened, Zhao Youting felt a splitting headache when he thought about losing the vassal state of Burma during his tenure and the impeachment scandals raining down in Han Dynasty.  "Sir, Lord Marching Sima is here, right outside!" The clerk on the side whispered.  When Zhao Youting was at a loss what to do, he seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw and said urgently: "Quick, please come in!" "Sir, it's the rebels who are plotting rebellion! They have already invaded the palace. It seems that the situation is not right.  The king of Burma is in a bad situation!" The marching Sima Batu of the captain's house was still outside the door, and his loud voice came in. He was a black-faced man in his mid-twenties, wearing a large military uniform on his burly  His body was almost bursting, and his face was covered in dust under the light, but he couldn't hide the worry on his face.  "Ah? It's not good for the King of Burma? What, what can we do!" When Zhao Youting heard this, he suddenly panicked. Although the current King of Burma only superficially recognized Dashun's status as the suzerainty, he, as the Protector of Burma, sounded like a captain.  It's majestic, but in reality it's just empty airs.  The king of Myanmar, Xi Jin, secretly swayed between the British and Dashun, seeking profits from it. However, on the surface, he still recognized it as a vassal state of Dashun. If there was a new king of Myanmar, judging from the aggressive momentum of the British and barbarians, it is very likely that he would not even be able to do so.  I lost all my skin and went directly to the British side.  At that time, he was charged with losing his vassal state, and he dared not say anything else. There was definitely no hope of him returning to his hometown to retire in his normal career.  When he thought of this, Zhao Youting couldn't help butHe burst into tears: "Why is my life so miserable!" "Sir!" Seeing Zhao Youting's appearance, Batu knew that he could no longer count on him, so he hurriedly suggested: "When there is a coup in Myanmar, there will be bandits everywhere.  Looting, there are many overseas Chinese from our country in Mandalay City, seeing this as a humble duty, we should first distribute the firearms and put the soldiers on guard. If the overseas Chinese come to seek refuge, it will be easy to cover them up. " "What Sima said is true," he said.  Just do as you say!" Zhao Youting nodded. He was not incompetent. It was just that after staying here for many years, his ambition was worn away, and he became a lot more lazy. When he encountered big changes, he couldn't react for a while.  "Yes!" Batu saw that Zhao Youting accepted his suggestion, and he couldn't help but feel energetic. He turned around and hurried downstairs. Soon, a powerful order was heard in the embassy, ??and the soldiers of the embassy guard quickly lined up to accept the order.  Take action.  Zhao Youting looked at Batu who was energetically giving orders downstairs. He couldn't help but sigh and turned back to the house.  Zhao Youting went back to the house and lay down. After about twenty or thirty minutes, when he was falling into a deep sleep, Batu's urgent voice came from outside the door again: "Sir, sir, I have something urgent to report to you!" Zhao Youting was helpless.  He got up from the bed, opened the door and asked, "Captain, what's going on?" "Sir, the Prince of Burma is here to surrender. He's down there!" Batu said in a low voice, but his face turned red with excitement.  Almost radiating light.  "What?" Zhao Youting immediately recovered from the half-asleep state. As an experienced diplomat, he naturally knew what this meant - whether it was Dashun's future interference or a deal with the new Burmese king.  , this prince is a good excuse and bargaining chip. No matter how you say it, "the teacher comes from nowhere" is not a good adjective.  "Are you sure you are the real Prince of Burma?" Zhao Youting asked in a low voice.  "It should be good. The one who escorted the two princes was Maung Aok himself, the bodyguard of the Burmese king. I had dealt with him not long ago when I accompanied you to the palace to meet the Burmese king. They also brought seals and letters.  ! Na Maung Oke said that the rebels should have the support of the British, and the weapons they used were all made in the UK. "That's true, those damn barbarians!" Zhao Youting said with hatred, he walked back and forth a few steps, and then did it quickly.  He made a decision: "It is not safe for them to stay in the Protectorate. After the rebels are successful, they will surely search the whole city and eventually find them here. They should take advantage of the fact that the rebels have not yet completely controlled the whole city and send them to them quickly."  Let them get out of the city and go to a safe place!" At this point, Zhao Youting's eyes turned to Batu's face.  As a young military attache stationed in the vassal state, Batu's mind was full of thoughts of showing off his power in foreign lands and slaying Shi Yanran. When he saw that Shangguan had grasped the key points of the matter, he couldn't help but feel very happy, and he quickly replied in a deep voice:  "My lord said, it's best to send it to Dashun." Zhao Youting nodded, he looked up at the starless sky, a trace of worry appeared on his face, and whispered: "It's just that the rainy season is about to begin.  I¡¯m here, I¡¯m just afraid of¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, I¡¯m willing to go there myself. Most of the caravans in the city are Chinese. They often travel between Myanmar and China, and they are familiar with the roads. As long as they promise a huge profit, it¡¯s not difficult to ask them to come out.¡±  People help each other. Besides, this rainy season is also a good thing. Firstly, it is difficult for the rebels to pursue. Secondly, it is difficult for the army to move during the rainy season, and the British barbarians cannot invade in large numbers. This also gives us time to react. "It turns out that Myanmar is located in the western part of the Indochina Peninsula!  , has a tropical monsoon climate, which is very different from mainland China. The rainy season is from April to September every year, and the rest of the time is the dry season. Most of the rainfall is concentrated in the rainy season. During this season, a large amount of rain causes flooding, and the roads are often blocked by it.  It was damaged or submerged, and transportation was very difficult, so Zhao Youting just felt very embarrassed about escorting the two princes from Mandalay to Dashun.  And Batu looked confident. Apparently he had considered the difficulty of the matter clearly before meeting Zhao Youting and made up his mind to escort him personally.  Seeing Batu like this, Zhao Youting immediately made a decision: "Well, you immediately contact the caravan to prepare for the trip. I will go see the prince of the Burmese king. We will meet at Ximenwai in half an hour!"  On a hammock with a canvas wooden frame under a mosquito net, Chen Zaixing turned over a large pile of mineral samples, the result of his labor over the past few days.  He saw a bolt of lightning break through the dark clouds over the trees to the east.  There was a vague fence that outlined the woods that shaded the clearing.  He smoked a cigarette and cursed the virgin forest around him and the horrible insects.  Like all those who came to the primeval forests of Indochina, he asked himself why he came back to this disgusting place.  If he analyzed it carefully, he would have to admit that he was no longer adaptable to the affluent life in Hankingli.  Needless to say, he could not live in Hanking, and even in Dashun, there was no place he could live.  He can no longer live like that year after year, day after day?A simple and repetitive life, because the rules and intrigues there made him unhappy. Most importantly, only in the inaccessible forests of Indochina could he avoid seeing the name of the woman he loved deeply.  Like all those who have lived in Indochina for a long time, he sometimes loved and sometimes hated the place.  But he admits that after five years, he has come to like it. Over the years, he has become inseparable from cigarettes, malaria and countless insect bites.  Chen Zaixing came to Myanmar in 1875. At the age of 20, he had already entered the Hongwen Hall as the second best student. For a scholar from the Dashun Dynasty, this meant that the door to the top political elite of Dashun had been opened to him.  .  If nothing unexpected happens, he will cultivate his talents here, compile history, write books, and draft edicts. If he is lucky, he will also be able to read for members of the royal family, form a friendship with the future emperor, and lay the foundation for becoming the future prime minister.  .  When you are about forty years old, you can become the Minister of the Sixth Ministry or be promoted to a high official. Next, you can get the national title of Gapyeong Zhangjun, reach the pinnacle of power, and become the Prime Minister of the empire.  But Chen Zaixing was not such a rule-abiding person. He was known in Hongwen Hall for his fondness for Western learning and his suave unruliness. Of course, the imperial court was very tolerant of these elites of the empire and the reserve team of central system bureaucrats. Even the emperor was very tolerant of Chen Zaixing.  Some outrageous behaviors were just laughed off and let off lightly.  But all this happened until he met the woman in his destiny, that is Jiang Qingyue - a "Weixian" in the palace, the current emperor of Dashun Xianqing, Bingbi Chengzhi, also commonly known as  One of the "Internal Ministers" - one of the few women who stood at the pinnacle of power in the Dashun Empire.  There is no doubt that Jiang Qingyue is a very beautiful woman, and more importantly, she has more than just beauty.  Due to the vicious expansion of the imperial power of the previous dynasty, which even eroded the power of the prime minister to a considerable extent, as part of the reaction of the successors, Shun restored the prime minister system, and even the leader of the prime ministers even used the term "Pingzhang Military and State Affairs" in history.  It is also an extremely exaggerated title.  But in actual political life, the emperors of the Shun Dynasty still monitored the actions of the prime ministers very vigilantly.  Now, the Ming Dynasty's once-powerful Si Li Jian and eunuch systems have been abolished, and part of its authority has been transferred to Pingzhang, Congzheng, and those who have been promoted to participate in politics in Tianyou Pavilion. However, some of the power has been retained by the emperor.  In his own hands - or in the hands of the closest secretarial team around him.  As time goes on, this team of secretaries, just like the predecessors of the previous dynasty's ceremonial supervisors, has become more and more powerful.  As a reserve member of this secretarial team, Jiang Qingyue's level of education can be imagined. Even though girls' schools were no longer uncommon in the empire at that time, the knowledge and abilities of the ladies who attended them were comparable to Jiang Qing's.  Compared with the moon, it is one in the sky and one on the earth.  When such a woman appears in front of the always conceited Chen Zaixing, one can imagine her attraction.  The gap between the two was not as insurmountable as outsiders imagined.  According to the imperial system, Jiang Qingyue can leave the palace to marry at the age of 25 (originally she was 30 years old. She wanted to be five years later than other palace maids to repay the excellent education she received, but Chen Zaixing, who came from a noble family, had  (She has the ability and willingness to compensate her with money.) But all this must have a premise. Jiang Qingyue must give up becoming a Chengzhi, because once he becomes a Chengzhi, his departure from the palace will be delayed until the age of 40.  Not to mention having access to the core secrets of the empire.  Faced with the choice between love and power, Jiang Qingyue chose to become a Chengzhi after hesitation.  Suffering a huge blow, Chen Zaixing gave up his status as a bachelor of Hongwen Museum, left Hanking, and came to Indochina. Over the years, he traveled through the jungle, wrote travel notes, and surveyed and mapped. Being proficient in Western learning, he was extremely talented in surveying, mapping, and mineral exploration.  Insightful.  Over the years, he has discovered several tin and silver mines in Myanmar, from which he has made huge profits, and his family fortune has exceeded one million.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 3 Chapter 3: Chance Encounter

    His latest job is certainly satisfactory.  For three months, he has been exploring for mineral deposits in a foothill nearby. The mountain range is called "Baoshan" and is located near a tributary of the Irrawaddy. The local natives say that there are gold mines in the mountains. Around January, Chen Zaixing  After arriving here, he walked around the entire hill and asked the recruited native workers to dig holes one after another in the mountain to obtain a large number of mineral samples. Then he brought these mineral samples back to the place where he lived and collected them with his portable  He brought chemicals and a Bunsen burner to test the ores. In the end, he found that there was no gold mine on this hill as the local natives said. Instead, he found a rather large copper mine. From the analysis of the ore, there were  Chen Zaixing was very excited about this unexpected harvest of a considerable amount of associated gold deposits.  Today's mineral samples are his last part. After checking these, he can leave here, or raise funds for mining by himself, or sell the location and mineral sample materials to his business partners, and obtain a large amount of wealth or shares from it.  Suddenly, a light flashed in front of Chen Zaixing's eyes. He rubbed his eyes and turned over the ore in his hand to take a closer look. His movements froze. There was a translucent crystal embedded in the ore in his hand.  Under the illumination of the lamp, it emits blood-red light.  "Oh my god, it's a ruby!" Chen Zaixing opened his eyes wide. As a child of a noble family, he naturally knew how precious the crystal in his hand was. A ruby ??the size of an index finger would be worth no less than thousands of taels of silver in Hanking. Rao  Chen Zaixing had seen the world, and he couldn't help but hold his breath for a moment.  He carefully put the ore aside, and then carefully inspected the remaining ores to see if there were any other rubies.  After 30 minutes of inspection, Chen Zaixing found three more smaller rubies. Now he was almost certain that he had found a ruby ??vein. Chen Zaixing carefully wrote down the sample numbers and prepared to do so early tomorrow morning.  Just go to the prospecting point and write down the detailed location on the map for future development.  As soon as Chen Zaixing finished all this, he heard a dog barking outside, and then came the shouts of his native guide. He quickly stood up, picked up the loaded rifle beside him, and walked out of the tent quickly.  .  "We don't mean any harm, we just lost our way and want to ask where is this place?" Batu looked angrily at Maung Ok and loudly explained to the two naked natives in front of him, with a black dog next to him.  As he was barking at him, more natives were coming towards him from behind.  He instinctively held down the pistol at his waist.  It turned out that the group of them left Mandalay and headed northeast along the Irrawaddy River. However, just a few days after walking, floods came upstream, destroying the dams and roads, and forming a quite large swamp.  They had to turn west to bypass the swamp, but they didn't expect to get lost. Seeing that they were about to finish the food they carried, they happened to encounter these tents, so they came to ask for directions and replenish some food.  But the two natives ignored Maung Ook's explanation. Instead, they shouted loudly in a dialect they couldn't understand. One of them even raised the bamboo tube in his hand. Batu, who had been in Myanmar for more than a year,  I know this is a weapon used by the local natives.  He quickly pulled out his pistol, fired a shot into the air, and shouted loudly: "Kneel down and bring out food and guides, or I will kill you all!" Seeing that the leader had given the order, he accompanied the escort.  The guards also raised their spears from their horses and pointed them at the natives who came out of the tents later.  Obviously this threat transcended language barriers. The natives looked at these uninvited guests angrily, but they still put down their weapons one by one and raised their hands.  Batu inserted his pistol into his holster, and smiled proudly at Maung Ook: "Officer Maung, it's better for me to support you. I can't reason with these barbarians, so I have to use the barrel of my gun!" Maung Ook was dissatisfied.  He opened his mouth, obviously he was not happy with the escort's arrogance, but he still held it back.  At this moment, a gunshot suddenly sounded, and at the same time, the hat on Batu's head disappeared. Then a voice came from the grass opposite and shouted in Chinese: "Put down your guns, or I will  Just shoot this idiot!" Batu was startled at first, and then a ball of anger rose in his chest and rushed towards the door. He looked at his hesitant men and shouted: "You donkey, you can't put down your weapon.  There is only one enemy. Everyone gathers around. If I am killed, the captain will be the substitute. If the captain is killed, the deputy captain will be the substitute! " "Oops, it should be Dashun's regular army! But why are they here? "  After Chen Zaixing saw the guards yelling at the leader, he ignored the threat he had just made and trotted towards him. These people were skilled in riding and had no one to direct them, so they spread out into sparse rows to expand the search area.  range, and is not afraid of cold gun attacks. He is obviously not a caravan guard, but a regular soldier.  Maung Ok stepped forward and grabbed Batu¡¯s arm and said urgently: "Bazhang Brigade, don't cause conflicts on other people's land. If you hurt His Highness, you will be in trouble! Let's just give you more money!" Batu looked around, it was full of dense woods and bushes  , as Maung Aok said, if there is a conflict with the shooter just now, at least a few lives will be lost here. If the prince is injured, his previous efforts will be in vain.  He snorted, whistled, recalled the searching soldiers, and shouted loudly: "We are also Dashun people, and we are a lost caravan. As long as you provide food and guide, we are willing to pay!" After that, he pulled out the gun.  They all made gestures to indicate to the men who were armed to monitor the natives in front of them to withdraw their rifles as a sign of goodwill.  In the bushes, Chen Zaixing observed this strange caravan carefully. He naturally did not believe what Batu said just now, not to mention that there would be no caravans this season, and this group of people vaguely protected the people in the middle.  A very ornately decorated white elephant with a tent on its back, obviously containing distinguished guests.  Chen Zaixing knew that this kind of white elephant was very rare and was a common means of transportation for the Burmese royal family. Moreover, if it was really a caravan as the visitor said, the goods they carried would be too little.  The cost of the escort cannot be earned back.  Not to mention that these guards are obviously Dashun's regular troops. Isn't this combination too strange?  Could it be that something happened in Mandalay, the capital of Myanmar, and these are the fleeing royal family members?  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing suddenly shouted loudly: "Did something happen over there in Mandalay?" The string in Batu's mind had been stretched to the extreme when he was suddenly asked, and he instinctively replied: "Exactly!"  He immediately reacted and said angrily: "Tell me, who are you? How do you know that something happened in Mandalay?" Chen Zaixing thought for a moment, weighed the pros and cons, gritted his teeth, stood up, walked out of the bush, and  Throwing the rifle aside, he raised his hands to show that he had no ill intentions, and replied loudly: "I don't know what happened in Mandalay. I just tried to test it out and got confirmation from you. Don't you want a guide?  ? I can be your guide. As for the food, I¡¯m familiar with the natives here. Just tell me and I¡¯ll bring it to you right away!¡± Batu stared at the man walking towards him, his skin had been covered in subtropical  He was tanned by the sun, but judging from the outline of his face and eyebrows, he must be Chinese.  Hearing the other party's answer, Batu breathed a sigh of relief, and then remembered the other party's shooting at him to provoke him, and asked angrily: "Who are you and why are you here?" Chen Zaixing smiled slightly and pointed over there.  The tent said: "I am an engineer, prospecting here, these are the workers I hired. If you don't believe it, you can go to the tent and have a look." Batu snorted coldly, made a gesture, and a guard  He quickly jumped off his horse and ran towards the tent over there. After a while, he returned and whispered a few words in Batu's ear.  Batu's pupils shrank slightly and asked in a low voice: "Why did you test me just now and say something happened in Mandalay?" Chen Zaixing pointed to the white elephant not far away and replied: "It's very simple. In Myanmar  Only the royal family or extremely distinguished people can ride this kind of white elephant, and you are the regular army of Dashun. The regular army of Dashun escorted the Burmese royal family and got lost. Why don't you think that something happened in Mandalay?" "Why don't you think of it?  Did you see that we are Dashun's regular army?" Batu asked angrily.  "It's very simple. I just shot your hat off. If you were an ordinary guard, you would have retreated. Only the army would impose such prohibitions." Chen Zaixing replied calmly.  Batu glared at Chen Zaixing, suddenly pulled out a pistol and pointed it at his head, threatening: "You are very smart, but I can kill you with one shot now!" Chen Zaixing smiled slightly and replied: "Yes, but if you  Kill me, and these natives will flee immediately, and you don¡¯t understand the language with them, so you will have neither a guide nor food!¡± At this point, Chen Zaixing pointed at Maung Ok behind Batu and said with a smile.  "I don't think this noble man will like it!" Maung Oke tugged on Batu's sleeves and whispered: "Ba Zhang Brigade, he is right, don't forget Master Zhao's instructions before leaving!  "Batu stared at Chen Zaixing fiercely, as if he wanted to swallow it in one gulp. After a while, he suddenly turned around and shouted: "Okay, prepare the food quickly, we will be on our way after eating!" Chen Zaixing smiled slightly,  He turned around and said a few words to the natives behind him. Their attitudes immediately softened a lot and they all retreated. After a while, they brought a lot of fruits, cassava, rice, and some chicken and fish.  Batu and his party were hungry for a long time, but after all, the hierarchy in the army was strict. After Maung Ok was presented to the two princes on the white elephant, Batu signaled his men to start eating.  When Chen Zaixing saw that everyone had finished eating, he asked the natives to bring more rice and salt, and went back to the tent to pack up. He moved very quickly.?Except for a few necessary medicines and tools in the jungle, he only took the three rough rubies with him, and distributed all the other property and tools to the natives. It took only half a cup of tea to pack them up, and Batu watched Chen Zaixing clean them up coldly.  After finishing, he suddenly asked: "How far is it from here to the nearest Dashun post?" Chen Zaixing smiled and said: "If it is the dry season, it will take 12 days to walk, but now it is the rainy season, then it depends on luck!" Batu Wrinkle  He frowned, and the other party's answer confirmed his ominous premonition. As time went by, the rebels' control over the whole of Myanmar became stronger, and it was easier for the British and foreigners to win support from various countries to maintain the status quo, while Dashun  Military intervention will become more and more difficult, and may even become impossible.  Now every minute and every second is very precious. Thinking of this, Batu suppressed the disgust in his heart and said to Chen Zaixing in a deep voice: "You will send us to Wanding (an important town in northern Myanmar, which was Shun at that time) within ten days."  (an important military border defense town), I will report to the government and give you a large reward, five thousand taels of silver." At this point, Batu took out his waistband from his arms and waved it in front of Chen Zaixing.  Chen Zaixing's eyesight was very sharp, and he could clearly see his waist badge in a flash, and said with a smile: "Yihui Xiaowei, a martial official from the seventh rank, you are considered to have reached the age early, but no matter how much money you have,  If you have more luck, you have to be lucky enough to get there. With the weather like this, it will take twenty days to get to Wanding. " "No, it will take up to fifteen days. If you can bring me there, the reward will be doubled!"  Du's voice was decisive, and Maung Oke on the side said: "It's empty talk. If this strong man brings us to Wanding within fifteen days, this will be yours!" At this point, Maung Oke raised his wrist.  He took off a pair of bracelets and threw them into Chen Zaixing's arms.  When Chen Zaixing took a look, he saw that the pair of bracelets were made of gold, studded with various gemstones, and had various Buddha statues on them. They were very exquisitely made and valuable.  Chen Zaixing couldn't help being secretly surprised: This person seemed to be just a guard leader, and he had such a precious bracelet, so he probably underestimated the identity of the person on the white elephant.  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing put the bracelet in his arms and replied: "There is a shortcut. If you are lucky if you take that road, you can reach Wanding within fifteen days, but -" Batu stopped talking when he saw Chen Zaixing.  He said, and hurriedly urged: "It's just what, tell me quickly!" "It's just that this shortcut has to pass through a Savage Valley more than forty miles long. The miasma is very heavy there, and it's the rainy season now. If you take that road, you'll just have to go through it."  I'm afraid that 70% of the people here will die there!" Batu couldn't help but trembled when he heard this. He saw Maung Oke nodded slightly, then turned to Chen Zaixing and said, "Just go to Savage Valley!"

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 4 Chapter 4: Night Attack

    Mandalay, in the palace of the Burmese King, Meng Ji, wearing the robe and crown of the Burmese King, was arranging his appearance in front of the mirror held by two slaves.  After Meng took two steps, he suddenly asked a close acquaintance on the side: "Diok, do you think this robe or that one looks more regal?" "The beloved son of the Buddha, the incomparable Supreme,  Son of the sun and moon, your light covers the vast land from the Andaman Sea to the Tanggula Mountains. Your majesty is so outstanding that no matter what kind of robe you wear, it can only set off your majesty.  With your unparalleled appearance, your humble subjects can only look at your toes occasionally, otherwise their eyes will be hurt by your dazzling light" Diok knelt on the ground and recited a long paragraph of flattery.  .  Obviously Meng Ji felt good. He listened with great interest as the other party recited a long paragraph of the flattery he had previously said to the former King of Burma.  "Your Majesty!" A voice interrupted Diok's long flattery. Meng turned around and saw two white men walking in. The man in front had a pale face and a pair of dark blue eyes.  With a hooked nose and a false smile on his thin lips, he was dressed neatly in a tuxedo and a black top hat, playing with an ivory cane in his hand. It was Gillings, the Consul General of the British Empire in Yangon, followed by Duncan.  Gillings took off his hat, bowed gracefully to Meng Ji, smiled and said in proficient Burmese: "Your Majesty, I think you have more important things to do now than choosing robes and crowns.  Deal with it!" "Oh, my friends!" Meng Ji took off his crown and smiled at Gillins: "Meng Ji will never forget your generous help. Tell me, what do you want, gold?  A gem? A woman? Or a title? Don¡¯t worry, the king¡¯s generosity will always exceed your most arrogant requests!¡± ¡°Your Majesty, your humble servant would like to remind you that the help given to you by the British Empire is not for gain.  What gold, gems, women?" Gillings raised his head arrogantly and said loudly: "The only purpose of my colleague bringing weapons to help you train the army is to free Burma from the yoke of the old empire (referring to Dashun).  Free them to become equal members of the free world; sign an equal trade treaty with the British Empire; recognize each other's most favored nation status; and grant citizens of both sides the freedom to travel, live, do business, and preach in each other's territory. I think your Majesty,  You won¡¯t forget, right?¡± ¡°Oh! Look at what you said, how could I forget?¡± Meng Ji spread his hands with a smile and made a helpless gesture: ¡°But my friends, this is Myanmar.  , understand? In Myanmar, the big empire is very close to us, but you friends are too far away from us, so you have to take your time, understand? Just like my ancestors did, take your time!"  The vein on his forehead jumped. People familiar with his temper knew that this was a precursor to his rage.  He tried his best to suppress his emotions and asked: "Your Majesty, I can understand your concerns. This is a sign of wisdom. But how long will it take to take this slowly?" "When I can resist the north.  My friends!" Meng Ji smiled and replied: "To put it simply, I need 60 battalions, 60 standing troops trained in Western style, as long as I have these 60 battalions.  Immediately expel Dashun¡¯s Burmese Guard House from Mandalay and fulfill our previous agreement!¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Even though Gillings has the excellent quality of patience, which is unique to the British Empire, he feels that he has already exploded.  On the edge, he lowered his voice and said: "Sixty infantry battalions, this number is too large, not to mention equipment, you don't even have a basic number of officers now. Even if the British Empire sends officers to you, we don't have that many now."  Officers, as well as ordnance depots and gunpowder factories, even the Almighty God can't do it! " "I know this is difficult, dear friends, but I don't intend to trouble your country's officers. Myanmar's army must be led by Myanmar's troops!  Officer command, as well as an ordnance station and gunpowder. I hope to open a military school here to train officers, as well as a national ordnance station, gunpowder factory, etc. I hope to use rice, wood, jade or other materials.  It would be better if the British Empire is willing to provide loans. Of course, I hope the annual interest rate will not be higher than five percent!" Meng Ji replied with a smile, as if he didn't notice Gillings at all!  Trembling body.  "This yellow monkey, this cross-eyed bitch, the son of a slave. He dares to play with me, the representative of the British Empire. I will hang this liar from the mast of the warship, after he has tasted the nine-tailed whip of course."  After that, I swear to God!" Almost as soon as he walked out of the palace gate, Gillings cursed angrily.  He had been thoroughly angered by the treachery of the new Burmese king.  This bastard ascended to the throne solely with the support of the British Empire, but abandoned his promise before his butt was even hot.  It seems that this liar will be like the previous one who was just overthrown.Like the King of Myanmar, he continued to play the dangerous game of sitting on the fence between Shun and the British Empire.  He asked like a gangster: Sixty Western-trained battalions, for God's sake!  If he really has such a large army, it will immediately break the fragile balance of the entire Indochina Peninsula and pose a huge threat to the existence of the entire civilized world in Southeast Asia. The resistance of the Afghans has proved that the British Empire faced an army  An enemy armed with firearms was vulnerable, and the Afghans had fewer than sixty battalions.  If he relayed this liar's request to London, I'm afraid the Foreign Secretary would immediately recall him and kick him to a mental hospital.  Gillings forced himself to calm down and began to think: "The British Empire must not gain anything after working hard for such a long time and paying such a high price, and Mandalay's geographical location makes it impossible for the British Empire to exert its full potential."  With strong naval strength and limited marines, launching an expedition in this season is destined to be futile. Damn mud and dysentery are enough to wipe out the good boys of England. This cunning guy must have considered these things.  How arrogant. Oh God! Are you going to let this liar escape punishment?" Gillings clenched his fists angrily, and Duncan looked at him sympathetically. He had never seen him before.  It is a disgrace to an Englishman to be so disgraceful on the part of an honorable gentleman, the superior.  Duncan patted Gillings' arm carefully and reminded in a low voice: "Mr. Ambassador, I got a message from my channel. That guy did not capture all the children of the former King of Burma, and two children escaped.  , According to Burmese customs, as long as there are direct blood relatives of the previous Burmese king alive, the war for the throne will not end! " "Oh, what a barbaric custom, just like the Turks, I suspect they usually have it at home!  Those who walk on four legs only stand upright when they meet civilized people like us!" Gillings cursed and asked casually: "Then where are these two children now?" "I heard that they were killed by a man named Maung Ok.  The guards escorted me to the Shunguo Lieutenant's Mansion? "Oh! God! Duncan, you are such an angel!" Gillins suddenly turned around and hugged him.  Duncan kissed the other party's cheeks excitedly: "Now I have a way to deal with this despicable liar, aha! The cunning fox has fallen into the trap, and the hunter will have a beautiful scarf soon!" Gillings hit a  Snap your fingers.  Duncan looked at his boss at a loss. He was confused by the sudden behavior of the other party just now.  Seeing Duncan's confusion, Gillings whispered a few words to him with a smile, and finally smiled at his men who suddenly realized: "Dear Duncan, divide and conquer has been the way for the empire to survive for hundreds of years!" Dashun Hu Burma School  Wei Mansion, the style of this mansion is completely different from the surrounding buildings. The long eaves corridor and the stone lion and red doors are completely Chinese style.  Zhao Youting stood on the corridor, looking quietly at the courtyard outside. The heavy rain was pouring on the open space outside the corridor, hitting the bluestone ground, making a gurgling sound.  "Sir, please go in and rest! It's already deep, and it's raining heavily outside. Take care of yourself!" Liu Zhixing, the judge of the Protectorate Palace, stood behind Zhao Youting and advised in a low voice.  "Let me stand here for a while. I don't know what's wrong these past two days. I've been upset and can't sleep!" Liu Zhixing smiled and said, "It just so happens that Xiaguan can't sleep either. Why don't you let Xiaguan stay here to watch with you?  Look at the rain at night!" Zhao Youting turned around and the two of them looked at each other and smiled. The relationship between the two was normal in the past. Liu Zhixing was quite disdainful of Zhao Youting's behavior of doing nothing on weekdays and only focusing on making money for retirement, but after experience  After this incident, Zhao Youting's decisiveness greatly changed the judge's perception of him. He felt that this person had a great talent, but he had not been able to realize it in the past and had no chance to display it.  Zhao Youting is also very shrewd, so he can naturally feel the change in the other person's attitude towards him. In addition, now that the two of them are in crisis, they feel that they share the same hatred. Invisibly, the relationship between the two has improved a lot.  "Okay, let's have a long talk with him tonight!" Zhao Youting said with a smile, stretched out his hand to hold the other person's left arm, sat down cross-legged on the corridor, and said with a smile: "You and I are now in a world of tigers and wolves.  How should we act without any troops? "Liu Zhixing smiled and said: "My lord, in my opinion, this is a great opportunity. If God protects me, it will be shameful for me to protect you."  He can also move his position as a historian and become an ambassador to protect Burma!  " Zhao Youting's eyes flashed with excitement, and then extinguished again. He cupped his hands in the direction of Hanjing in the northwest and said: "I hope that with the power of Emperor Hengzong, Batu will have a smooth journey and send the son of the Burmese king to  After returning to Dashun and marching south with the army, the "Xuan Cheng Shame" can be achieved, and this Burma-protecting school captain's mansion can be worthy of its name.  Zhao is already over fifty years old, but his personal honor and disgrace are not enough.Light or heavy.  ¡± It turns out that the mansion where Zhao Youting is located was built in the fifth year of Dashun Xuancheng (1744). It was the last year of the Toungoo Dynasty in Myanmar. Because its king launched a long-term conquest war against Siam (now Thailand), it consumed a lot of money.  The large number of people in the country aroused resistance from the people of all ethnic groups in the country. The then Emperor Dashun Hengzong took the opportunity to send his general Gao Chenggong to lead an army to invade and occupy the then capital of the Toungoo Dynasty in Myanmar, Ava (just outside Mandalay now).  , and established a puppet as the king of Burma, and set up a Burmese guard palace in Mandalay, preparing to incorporate the entire territory of Burma into the territory of Dashun. However, as the war continued, the situation gradually became unfavorable to Dashun.  The Mon uprising centered on Baigu that broke out in 1740 spread to an increasingly larger area. It continuously defeated the Toungoo dynasty's puppet army and Dashun's army, controlled most of Myanmar's territory, and surrounded it in 1752.  In Ava, the old capital of the Taungoo Dynasty, the Shun army, which had been away all year round, suffered from low morale and lost consecutive battles. Finally, they had to negotiate with the Burmese army with the Mon army as the core, and finally Myanmar recognized Dashun.  As a suzerain, the Shun army withdrew from Burma and recognized the Gonbang dynasty established by the rebel army as Zhengshuo of Myanmar, and the number of soldiers stationed in the Burmese commander's palace could not exceed 100. In fact,  It was nothing more than an envoy station and had lost its original significance as a military dispatching institution. This time Dashun sent out an army of 100,000 people. After the epidemic and several years of war, only a few thousand people were able to enter the border, and only their corpses were left there.  There were no less than 40,000 people killed on the way from the capital of Myanmar to the border of Shun, and countless weapons were lost. Emperor Hengzong was very angry about this, and he died in less than a year. This is the history of Dashun.  Calling it "the shame of Xuancheng", while the two were talking, there was a sound of voices outside, and it seemed that the veteran guarding the gate was yelling at someone. Zhao and Liu looked at each other, and they looked at each other.  Seeing the vigilance, they stood up one after another. Since King Xin Burma won the throne, order in Mandalay City was quickly restored. The few thugs who wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to rob were beheaded in accordance with local laws.  and limbs were hung in the square for public display. The Chinese merchants who had taken refuge in the Protectorate also returned to their residences. Excluding the elite soldiers that Batu had taken away to escort the Burmese prince, there were only about twenty people left in the Protectorate.  Very empty. "My lord, please rest assured. Judging from what King Xin Burma has done these days, he is not a reckless person and would not do such an unwise thing to attack the envoys of the foreign country!"  "Liu Zhixing whispered to Zhao Youting. Zhao Youting nodded. At this time, as if to refute Liu Zhixing's judgment, a shrill scream came from the other side of the gate, which was vaguely the voice of the gatekeeper. "Duncan pushed a corpse hard  Turned over, the Shunguo soldier's neck was twisted unnaturally, and it was obviously broken by someone. There was a corpse lying on the ground beside him. Blood was pouring out from the wound on his back, but he was immediately cut off.  The rain washed away "After rushing in, kill people first, then set fire, don't let any Shun country people go!"  Each of you can get one hundred pounds, and you can get another five hundred pounds for killing Shun Guo's protector. Do you understand?  "Duncan whispered to the group of people behind him with different skin colors and nationalities - in Southeast Asia, a paradise for adventurers, as long as you are willing to pay enough money, you can always find enough scum willing to betray them.  The lives and souls of everyone's eyes flashed with greed. Without Duncan saying a word, these desperadoes poured into the gate, waving various weapons in their hands, and soon there was a burst of noise in the Protectorate.  There were screams and shouts, but the heavy rain weakened most of the screams to the point where they could not be heard clearly from dozens of meters away. Duncan looked at the Protectorate that was already in the midst of a massacre with satisfaction. ¡°My lord, my lord!  A group of thieves broke into the house and started killing them. Many of them also had pistols and rifles. The brothers were caught off guard!  Heavy casualties!  Sir, please retreat quickly!  "The officer who stayed behind to guard the Duhu Mansion panted and reported to Zhao Youting and Liu Zhixing. The shouts of death, screams and gunshots came from twenty or thirty meters away. The gangsters attacked the guards of the Duhu Mansion.  Caught off guard, Zhao Youting stared blankly at the scene in front of him, as if he was stunned by what happened suddenly. Not far away, the gangsters began to throw dry bamboo tubes filled with gunpowder and grease at the house guarded by Shunguo soldiers, which soon became irritating.  The sexual smoke and flames began to spread, forcing the soldiers to retreat from the house. "My lord, the captain is right, let's go!"  "Liu Zhixing grabbed Zhao Youting's sleeve and ran backwards. Just after running two steps, he suddenly felt a heavy weight on his hand. When he looked back, he saw Zhao Youting kneeling down behind him, covering his chest. Liu Zhixing  He quickly helped him up, only to find that there was a bullet hole in the other person's back. He quickly reached out to cover Zhao Youting's wound, and shouted loudly: "Sir, grit your teeth again, and we will escape. As long as we get to the palace  , so that the Burmese king can cut these damn thieves into pieces and avenge the soldiers!  "    "useless!  "Zhao Youting's eyes were clear.?, smiled bitterly and said: "Run quickly, don't stay here to die." After Zhao Youting said this, he saw that Liu Zhixing was still hesitant, and he didn't know where to burst out the last bit of strength. He grabbed Liu Zhixing's right hand and said loudly:  "It was the Yingyi who took action. They are forcing the new Burmese king to break with Dashun! You run, you must live, and watch the Chinese army crush Mandalay for me, and the dead soldiers for me.  Let's take revenge!" At this point, a dying convulsion passed through Zhao Youting's body, and his head hung down weakly.  Liu Zhixing brushed Zhao Youting's face with his right hand, closed his wide eyes, laid the body flat on the muddy ground, stood up, and shouted to the remaining Shunguo soldiers around him: "Let's go, go quickly!"

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South, Chapter 5, Chapter 5: Intrigue and Fraud

    Early the next morning, the palace of the King of Burma.  Meng Ji paced quickly in the room, and the servants knelt on the ground with their faces close to the ground to avoid becoming the target of the king's anger.  "Ambassador Gillings of the British Empire has arrived!" Following the loud announcement, Gillings walked in quickly. Today, his face was full of smiles, and he seemed to be in a particularly good mood.  When he was still six or seven meters away from Meng Ji, he took off his top hat, gave an elegant bow, and said in unskilled Burmese, "Your Majesty, the humble servant of the Queen salutes you!" Meng Ji ruthless  He glared at Gillins fiercely and said nothing for a while, but Gillins also maintained his elegant demeanor and smile, and looked at him quietly.  Suddenly, Meng Ji asked loudly: "Tell me, who attacked the Burmese Protector's Mansion in Dashun last night and killed Zhao Youting?" Gillings listened carefully to the translator beside him, smiled slightly and replied:  "Your Majesty, I just came to your beautiful capital as a guest. I am very grateful for your generous and attentive hospitality. As for the unfortunate incident that happened last night, the only thing I can say is to express my gratitude to the unfortunate fellow traveler from Shunguo.  I feel very sorry for what happened!" Meng Ji's black face turned dark purple for an instant, but he gradually controlled his emotions. Finally, Meng Ji sat back on the throne slumped and whispered: "Okay, let's be honest.  " Gillings blinked, spread his hands and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, I very much agree with this. Sincerity is a Christian virtue! " "Although I have no evidence to prove that you and the Shunguo Protector School last night.  It is related to the attack on the Wei Mansion, but there is no doubt that if our country and Shun country are at odds with each other, there is no doubt that the British Empire will be the biggest beneficiary, isn't it? "The smile on Gillings's face disappeared, and he raised his head, arrogantly.  replied: "Your Majesty, as a humble servant of Her Majesty the Queen, I would like to remind you that the British Empire has nothing to do with you or the Kingdom of Burma. We are here just to hope for equal trade and gain  The power to spread the faith of God. The British Empire has no intention of occupying your territory, nor does it seek to reduce your country to a vassal state. On the contrary, it is not without the strength of the warriors of the empire that you are now able to occupy the supreme position.  You know, the Burmese Colonel is not an equal envoy between the two countries, but a governor sent by the occupier. It is a yoke placed on your neck, not to mention that the other party has protected the son of your enemy. Who is the enemy and who is the friend?  Don¡¯t you understand? I think it¡¯s not difficult for your wise Majesty to make the right decision!¡± At this point, Gillins lowered his head humbly and waited for Meng Ji¡¯s answer.  There was silence in the room for a long time, and finally King Meng Ji whispered: "I am willing to implement the previous agreement immediately!" Gillins suppressed the ecstasy in his heart, made a standard bow to Meng Ji, and replied in a low voice  Said: "The British Empire will never abandon its allies!" The rain was hitting people's faces. In the gray sky, dark clouds full of rain were moving slowly, as if they could be caught with a hand.  People were struggling step by step in the mud, and fine rain fell on their heads, making them soaked. From time to time, someone fell down, splashing mud flowers all over the sky, and their companions on the side silently helped them up, and continued  Forward.  The white elephant was the only livestock left in the entire team. All the horses had died one after another due to the hardships of the past few days - overwork and not enough hay knocked down these poor animals, and there were fewer accompanying soldiers.  several.  Batu had to throw away most of his luggage, leaving only the necessary food and drinking water.  "Guide Chen, it's getting late. Is there a dry place ahead? Get ready to camp!" Batu wiped the rain off his face and shouted to Chen Zaixing. At this time, he had his trouser legs rolled up, bare feet and leather shoes.  He was tied with shoelaces and hung around his neck. He was covered in mud, and he was holding a cane that was used as a branch in his hand. He was in a miserable state.  "Compared to Batu, Chen Zaixing's situation is better. He is accustomed to the local climate and wears a raincoat.  Chen Zaixing looked up at the sky, then at the surrounding environment, and nodded: "If you walk half a mile further, there will be a cave in the valley. You can rest there at night!" "Cave? That's good, you don't have to lie in the mud after all.  It's been raining in the ground, and after these days, I've almost turned into a puddle of mud." A smile appeared on Batu's gray face. He turned around and shouted to his men behind him: "Everyone, please work harder.  , we can camp and rest after walking half a mile. Guide Chen said that we can stay in the cave tonight without getting wet!¡± Batu¡¯s encouragement worked a little, and the exhausted people squeezed out the last bit of energy from their bodies.  , quickened the pace.  Batu turned around and smiled broadly at Chen Zaixing. Just as he was about to say something, a scream suddenly came from behind him: "Attendant Mao! Attendant Maang! What's wrong with you? Wake up!"  They all hurriedly pushed away the crowd of onlookers and saw Maung Oke lying on the ground with gray cheeks, eyes closed and teeth clenched, and they helped him up.?I reached out and touched his forehead. Although his forehead was covered with rainwater, you could still feel his hot forehead. It was obviously very severe.  Batu hurriedly shouted: "Hurry and put him on the back of the white elephant, and we will talk about it at the camp!" The cave was filled with thick smoke.  Since it was the rainy season, people could not get enough dry firewood, so they had to pour precious kerosene on the wet firewood and then reluctantly lit it. Even so, the fire was still very small and the smoke emitted was very heavy.  The soldiers were shirtless, sitting around the fire, baking their leather shoes and clothes.  The thick smoke from burning wood mixed with the smell of burnt leather shoes, filling the entire cave.  Next to a fire inside the cave, Maung Oke was lying on the ground, his eyes closed, his jaw clenched, and his cheeks were gray.  Two handsomely dressed teenagers were kneeling aside. They were the two escaped princes. Judging from their appearance, they inherited more of their mother's genetic characteristics. They were born with fair skin and handsome appearance.  At this time, the two people were looking worriedly at Maung Oke lying on the ground - this is the person they are closest to now.  Batu stretched out his fingers and probed under Maung Oke's nose. The man's breathing was rapid and uneven - this was a sign of a serious illness. He stretched out his hand to unbutton Maung Oke's shirt, and a strong fishy smell immediately hit him.  It spread out - Maung Oke's shoulder was hastily wrapped tightly with white cloth, and it was already covered with oozing blood.  "It seems that the wound is inflamed and needs to be treated again." Batu whispered. He pulled out the dagger from his waist and carefully cut open the white cloth. The white cloth spread out to reveal the wound.  The two princes quickly turned their heads and exclaimed softly.  Maung Oke's wound has turned white with rain soaked, and yellow-white pus is emerging from the inside from time to time. Black sores have appeared on the skin at the edge. It is obvious that the injury is quite serious. I don't know how many days he has been there.  How did you survive the day?  "What should I do?" Batu was also shocked by Maung Oke's wound. Although he was an excellent officer, he was not a professional doctor after all. Seeing such a wound, he instinctively turned his head and looked at Chen Zaixing.  come over.  Chen Zaixing avoided his gaze and whispered: "His wound is severely suppurated and he has bad sores. He may not be able to be cured even in the hospital, let alone now!" Although the two princes are not good at Chinese,  Very skilled, but seeing the embarrassed expressions on the faces of Batu and Chen Zaixing, they both understood the current situation. They knelt down in front of Batu together, crying and shouting something?  Although Batu's Burmese was average, he understood without listening that the other party must be pleading with him to save Maung Ouk's life. He knew that the two princes were of high status and did not dare to accept their kneeling, so he hurriedly gave way.  On the side, he whispered comfort.  While there was a commotion here, Maung Aok had already woken up. His wounds were inflamed and his mouth was thirsty. He instinctively shouted "water!" When the two little princes saw him waking up, they hurriedly cheered and fetched water.  Then he lifted his upper body up and gave Maung Oke a few mouthfuls of hot water. Only then did Maung Oke feel much better and wake up completely.  "Guide Chen, where are we?" "You fainted just now, so we found a cave to rest!" A worried look appeared on Maung Oke's face immediately, and he whispered: "What? That doesn't delay the trip.  ?" He struggled to get up as he spoke.  Batu on the side quickly pressed him down and whispered: "Don't move around. You were originally going to rest, and you didn't delay your trip." There was a doubtful look on Maung Oke's face, but in the end he lay down again helplessly.  Go down.  Batu poured him another bowl of hot water and whispered: "Servant, you have such a serious gunshot wound on your body, why do you want to go on the road? Isn't this looking for death?" A bitter smile appeared on Maung Oke's face:  "Your Majesty only has this little flesh and blood, and you entrusted it to me, how can I abandon it? Even if you die, you can't delay your trip!" Batu heard Maung Oke's resolute tone, and knew that no matter how much he tried to persuade him, he would not be able to do anything.  After using it, he could only whisper: "It's okay, the prince is still young, and it's inconvenient to be without you. I'll have a day off tomorrow, and when you feel better, I can stay on the back of the white elephant and walk!" Maung Aok wanted to say something.  , but Batu had already turned around and left.  Chen Zaixing sat aside and quietly observed all this.  After these days of observation, he already had a fairly good understanding of the situation of this small escape team.  As a former scholar and a bachelor of Xuanyu Academy, he originally studied in the Eastern Zhejiang School, which focused on the theory of "economic management of the world".  The prospectors, engineers, and mine owners who have been traveling between Myanmar and China for many years have already combined their years of experience with their original knowledge.  He keenly felt that this was an extremely important opportunity for him. Not only could he change his own destiny, he could even realize his long-cherished wish and change the destiny of the entire empire.  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing stood up, walked to Batu, and whispered: "Master Ba!"  When Batu heard the sound, he turned around and saw that it was Chen Zaixing. His expression softened a little. In the past few days, the two of them had gone through hardships together, and Chen Zaixing also played a big role. Unknowingly, Batu had a better impression of him.  A lot.  "Guide Chen? What do you have to say?" Chen Zaixing did not answer, but glanced at a deserted area. Batu understood the other party's hint, nodded knowingly, and walked over there. Chen Zaixing  He also followed them, and when they reached a quiet place, Batu asked in a low voice: "Guide Chen, what do you have to say?" "Master Ba, why are you escorting this group of people back to Dashun?  "Batu frowned, suppressed the anger in his heart, and lowered his voice: "Guide Chen, you are just a commoner, you can lead the way, other things are not your responsibility!" "From what I can see, sir!  I want to follow the example of the sages, Yang Wei and Shi Yanran, and do something great. I wonder if I guessed it right?" Batu shouted: "Who are you? "What is the purpose of following us?"  On the handle of the gun at the waist.  Chen Zaixing didn't seem to feel the threat in the other person's tone and said with a smile: "It doesn't matter who I am, but if you really want to make a career, Chen can help!" At this point, Chen Zaixing said to him  Batu bowed his hand.  Batu had calmed down at this time. Since there were only two of them now, he was not afraid of what the other party would do. He snorted coldly and made a gesture to indicate to the other party to speak.  "This time there have been changes in Burma. The Lord of Burma has changed his position. Your Excellency escorted the two princes to Shun. He must have used this as a call to lure the army into Burma." When Chen Zaixing said this, Batu's face was expressionless.  There was a thump in his heart, and he gritted his teeth and continued: "It's just that if your master's plan is to be realized, there must be two prerequisites: first, Dashun is willing to send troops; second, he can help the two princes succeed in succeeding to the throne, and use this to control  Myanmar!" When Batu heard this, he nodded slightly and motioned for Chen Zaixing to continue. In fact, compared to his own considerations, the plan Chen Zaixing said was much grander.  What Batu is thinking about right now is to send the two princes back to Dashun as quickly as possible in order to gain the attention and promotion of his superiors. As for the rest, it is not something he can consider. After all, he is just a mid- to low-level officer now.  It is also too far away from the central decision-making level of the empire.  "Actually, the two premises mentioned below are actually one premise. More than ten years ago, the British used the excuse of the killing of missionaries to send troops to Burma, forcing the King of Burma to open Yangon as a port and have the right to garrison troops to protect expatriates.  The revolution in Pan-Burma capital also involved the British, which shows that they are greedy. If we don't send troops today, Burma will definitely fall into the hands of the British. How can we have peace in the southwest of Dashun in the future? It is obvious that we can defend the enemy from outside the country.  This is the best policy. The princes in the court are worried about the strength of the Yingyi navy, and there are other powerful forces eyeing them. They are afraid that if the war starts, it will continue, waste military pay, and cause the disaster of overthrow, so they use the strategy of restraining the troops to deal with it!  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 6 Chapter 6: Intrigue and Deceiver

    When Batu heard this, he became more and more suspicious of Chen Zaixing's origins. How could this person with such knowledge be just a technician prospecting in the jungle? He couldn't help but ask: "Where are you from, and you know so much?"  Chen Zaixing smiled slightly, straightened his clothes, and said to Batu proudly: "My surname is Chen Zaixing, and my courtesy name is Fusheng. I am a native of Hanjing. I was a Jinshi in the eighth year of Jiafeng. The emperor thought that Hongwen Hall  "Bachelor's degree?" Batu could hardly believe his ears. Everyone in Dashun knew what these two terms meant, even though Niu Jinxing, the founding prime minister of this dynasty, was only a civil servant.  Therefore, when the People's Republic of China was founded, even those who passed the imperial examination had to go to the prefectures and counties to be appointed officials, instead of just staying in the capital directly as the first few in the imperial examination did in the previous dynasty. However, those who passed the imperial examination had the right of priority.  However, as time went on, the difference between Jinshi and Juren became wider and wider. After the middle period, those who passed the Jinshi simply took a vacant post in a state or county, and they still stayed in the Hongwen Hall and Wenyu Academy in Beijing.  This is the place where the emperor's secretary is.  The speed of promotion is also astonishingly fast. In their thirties or early forties, they either become a minister of the six departments and enter the central government, or they go out and become a high official in the border areas.  Even if such people did not enter the highest level of the Dashun Kingdom due to illness or other reasons, they are still the leader of a local squire based on their relationship with the same age and their own aristocratic status. How could they appear in this miasma?  Become a prospector?  This is incredible!  Chen Zaixing smiled: "It doesn't matter if you don't believe me, sir. Wu Hanmin, the military governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, is my master. We all found out as soon as we sent a telegram to Wanding. I guess my identity is still of great significance to you.  "Badu didn't answer, but looked at Chen Zaixing quietly. After a moment, he suddenly asked: "You are so noble, why don't you serve as an official in the court?" Chen Zaixing smiled slightly and replied: "  Do you know that there are some things that cannot be done even if Pingzhangjun is in charge? "Pingzhangjun's state affairs? You are so loud!" Batu was shocked by Chen Zaixing's words.  It is an official rank in the Song Dynasty. It was established during the Yuanyou period and was specially used for senior officials. Their status was higher than that of the prime minister to show respect.  This dynasty changed from the old system of the previous dynasty and had extremely powerful powers. It added this official title to the prime minister. However, since the founding of the country, there are only about 20 people with this title, excluding several founders and clan members.  , all the remaining ministers were first-class ministers. Although Chen Zaixing was a Jinshi, his tone was too loud.  "Sir, when a man is born in this world, how can he spend dozens of mediocre springs and autumns with the grass and trees? It is fate that you and I meet each other this time. We should seize the opportunity to start a big career, and we will be able to do it more than a hundred years later.  Leave your name in history!" Chen Zaixing spoke in a low voice, but his eyes were bright, and there was a power in his words that convinced Batu, who nodded subconsciously.  At this moment, a burst of crying suddenly came from the cave, which was exactly the direction where Maung Ook was lying. Batu was about to turn around, but was caught by Chen Zaixing, who heard him whisper: "Zhang Brigade, with Zaixing's advice  See, it¡¯s better not to worry about this Burmese servant!¡± Batu heard the meaning in the other party¡¯s words and turned around and asked: ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°That servant is a shrewd person, if you let him follow you,  These two princes must have him as their confidant, and it will be much more troublesome to deal with him if he dies halfway. These two princes are still very young, so they will naturally have to be Dashun's tools.  Fang, if you want them to do it, do it; even if they return to Myanmar in the future and there is no one they can trust, they can only rely on me, Dashun." Batu couldn't help but shuddered, but he didn't expect that Chen Zaixing had already made up his mind.  From his companion, Chen Zaixing saw Batu's hesitation and said in a low voice: "Master Batu, you must know that deceit comes first among countries. His predecessor, the King of Burma, was also a double-headed man towards me, Dashun, and often held the British and foreigners hostage.  And respect yourself. The barbarians are like dogs and sheep, and they are afraid of power and have no morals. Today, if the situation changes, how can we know that they will not switch to the British if the situation changes?  You must be benevolent!" Hearing this, Batu's face turned blue and white. It was obvious that he was having a fierce ideological struggle deep in his heart. When Chen Zaixing saw this, he whispered: "If you don't dare to take action, let me  You can do it now!" "No need!" Batu said sternly: "It's true what you said, it's better to leave this matter to a warrior like me!" After that, he turned and walked towards where Maung Ook was.  Maung Aoke was lying on several felts, breathing weakly, and the muscles on his face were twitching. He was obviously suffering from inhuman pain.  The older prince was feeding him a bowl of light black concoction, but Maung Oke's teeth were so tight that he couldn't feed him in. Even if he pried open his teeth with a medicine spoon, the concoction could not enter his throat and flowed out from the corner of his mouth.  , the clothes on his chest were soaked, and the anxious prince burst into tears. ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡He looked like this, and with a thought in his heart, he reached out to take the medicine bowl and said: "Your Highness, let me do it!"  "The prince also understood part of the Chinese language. He understood Batu's actions and stood up and sat aside. Batu smelled the concoction in the bowl and felt a pungent smell, and he couldn't help but frown.  Knowing that this bowl should be opium juice, it must be used to relieve Maung Oke's pain. At this time, Batu suddenly had a plan in his mind and said to the two princes here: "How does he look like now?"  You can take the medicine, you two go and rest first, I will feed him the medicine later when he feels better!  "The two princes were really tired, so they no longer insisted on retreating to the side to rest. Seeing that there was no one around, Batu carefully picked up a marching blanket from the side, folded it in several layers, and carefully covered it up.  Oak's face was pressed hard, and then he felt a fierce struggle under his body, but as time went on, the struggle became weaker and weaker after about half a cup of tea.  , Batu lifted the blanket off Maung Oke¡¯s head, only to see that Maung Oke¡¯s eyes were protruding, his face was purple, and he was suffocated. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me, just blame me for appearing in a place where you shouldn¡¯t be!  "Batu whispered. He stretched out his hand to close the eyes of the deceased, poured the remaining opium juice on him, and returned to his resting place. The rainwater hit the roof of the cowhide tent, making a dull sound.  Luo Lin sat blankly on the brocade cushion, her heart rising and falling like a white elephant beneath her body. Since that night, the fate of her and her brother had undergone tremendous changes, from a country to a golden branch.  Because of the hunted prisoners, now even the last familiar person around her - the escort who escorted her was dead. She suddenly felt like a kite with its string broken, completely separated from the real world.  "Sister, sister, Uncle Maung Aok is dead, what should we do next?  "Luo Qin timidly pulled Luo Lin's sleeve. He was only thirteen years old. Compared with Luo Lin, he was more confused about the future. Luo Lin looked at his confused brother, couldn't help feeling sad, and stretched out his hand.  He held his brother in his arms and whispered: "Sister, I don't know either, but we have to be together wherever we go.  " Batu lowered his head and walked at the front of the team. Although the rain did not decrease, as the terrain rose, patches of mud under everyone's feet had turned into more solid ground, and everyone's walking became easier.  Much lighter. The soldiers felt this change, and their mood was much higher than in the previous days. Rude jokes were heard from time to time in the team, but Batu, who was usually cheerful, seemed to be a different person.  He just kept his head on the road without saying a word. ¡°Sir, after passing the big tree in front of you, walk six or seven miles down the mountain and you will be out of Savage Valley!  "Chen Zaixing pointed forward and whispered in a low voice. Batu looked in the direction of the other person's finger and saw a big tree six or seven feet higher than the others, standing out like a flock of chickens. He took out his pocket watch from his arms and looked at the time, then turned back  He said loudly: "Everyone, work harder. We will rest and eat at the big tree. We will leave the Savage Valley after walking for another six or seven miles!"  " The soldiers cheered, and the marching speed suddenly increased. Batu suddenly whispered: "Mr. Chen, what are you going to do after arriving at Wanding?  " Chen Zaixing seemed to have been waiting for this question from Batu for a long time. He answered without thinking: "After arriving in Wanding, I want to meet a few people first, and then go to Hanking!  " "Han Jing?  "    "good!  Chen Zaixing replied, with a confident smile on his face: "That's the battlefield where everything will be decided. Brigadier Zhang, wait for my good news in Kunming!"  " In the fifteenth year of Chongzhen's reign in Hanjing, the imperial capital, the great ancestor of this dynasty defeated Zuo Liangyu in Zhuxian Town. He then moved westward and met the Shaanxi Ming army commanded by Sun Chuanting in Jiaxian County and wiped it out in one fell swoop. From then on, the Central Plains of China  The main force of the Ming army had been basically wiped out. The following year, Taizu led the army into the pass and occupied the whole territory of Shaanxi. With Taizong as the military commander of Jingxiang, he led a partial division to station in Xiangyang and monitor the remnants of Zuo Liangyu and the Ming army in the south of the Yangtze River in Wuchang.  In August of the 16th year of Chongzhen, Taizong led his troops down the Han River. Zuo Liangyu did not dare to fight with him, so he sent his troops to raid all directions, gathered tens of thousands of large and small ships and sailed eastward, abandoning an empty city to Taizong. Taizong ordered him to go into exile.  He encouraged farmers to plant mulberry trees, but within two years, the Jingxiang area was prosperous and the treasury was sufficient. In the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, Emperor Taizu first entered Youzhou. Wu Sangui surrendered to Donglu. Taizu attacked him and fought with him on a piece of stone.  , Unbeatable. The Donglu took advantage of the situation and drove into the pass. They were about to conquer the territories of Northern Zhili, Shanxi, Shandong, and Shaanxi. Taizu was also seriously injured, and the situation was critical. However, Taizong defeated him first in Xiangyang, and later.  Hanyang was established as the capital, and it was used as the base to manage the four directions. After hundreds of battles, the dynasty finally established its capital here.  Fei, Lienxiang and Han on the right are actually a place of great beauty. Dashun has five capitals, namely Yanshan Prefecture in Beijing, Jiangning Prefecture in Tokyo, Chang'an Prefecture in Xijing, Yan'an Prefecture in Shangjing, and Hanjing in Zhongjing, where the emperor lives.  , the place where the world converges, is also called the God.??.  In Wenyuan Pavilion, several middle-aged women in brocade robes were sitting in front of several desks, reading memorials sent from various places. They were the internal ministers of the Shun Dynasty, who were about to submit the memorials.  Documents to the emperor are divided into two categories - for ordinary documents, it is necessary to review whether the introduction of pornography (referring to the summary attached to the front of the memorial) by the magistrate's secretary is consistent with the actual content of the document; for documents written by high-ranking officials, it is necessary to write a quotation for them, and  Write suggestions for treatment after it.  Since the emperor was only six years old at the time, he was unable to make decisions on his own. The actual decision was made by the Empress Dowager Deng who listened behind the curtain.  However, due to Deng's weak temperament and lack of sufficient experience in handling political affairs, generally speaking, she would agree with the suggestions put forward by these few people. In other words, the 400 million subjects of the Dashun Empire, thousands of miles away  The final decision on territory actually lies in the hands of several women in this small room.  "Chen Chengzhi, there is an urgent message from the outer court!" A woman in her early thirties came in from the outside, presented a document with both hands, and placed it in front of the man who was closest to the outside, Bingbi Chengzhi, before bowing.  Xiaobu stepped back.  The man surnamed Chen, Bingbi Chengzhi, opened the document and looked at it. His face suddenly changed. He stood up and walked quickly to the man above, Bingbi Chengzhi, and presented the document with both hands.  The person on duty today, who was on duty today, opened the door and took a look, then stood up and said in a deep voice: "Please come quickly, Mrs. Lin Taifei, something happened over there in Myanmar!" Lin Wanqing sat in front of the case,  The document just now was placed in front of her. As one of the nine concubines of the late emperor, she also had a more important identity - the true leader who upheld the decree and controlled the promotion and demotion of these internal ministers of the empire.  Although she did not have the power to give birth to a prince, even the current emperor's biological mother, Her Majesty the Queen Mother, would call her "sister" when she saw her.  "There was a mutiny in Mandalay, Myanmar. The former king of Myanmar is dead. The palace of the school captain protecting Burma was attacked by rebels. The school captain Shi Shen died!" Lin Wanqing put the document back in the case and asked coldly: "Foreigners  How should the imperial court deal with it?" The man Chen Chengzhi replied respectfully: "I'm telling you, the imperial court said that if there is an ordinary coup in Burma, the new successor must send elite troops to protect the Burmese captain's house in order to win the kingdom.  Admit it. I'm afraid that the attack on our school's mansion is not that simple. We have ordered to step up the investigation and make a decision! " "Yes!" Lin Wanqing nodded and asked casually: "Then where did this news come from?  From which channel?" "It took the liner from Yangon to Guangzhou, and then telegraphed to Hanking!" "Yangon?" Lin Wanqing snorted: "Needless to say, there must be someone behind this matter.  Black hands, maybe these barbarians are also involved. Send a report to Wu Hanmin, the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, and ask him to send someone to find out the detailed information and send it to Han Jing as soon as possible. " "Yes!"  Lin Wanqing's decree was quickly written down with his pen. A female official in her thirties stood aside and said, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, we should mobilize troops from surrounding provinces to enter Yunnan to do this."  The worst plan!" Lin Wanqing pondered for a moment and nodded: "Li Bingbi is right, the Yingyi are greedy and greedy, and they must not let Burma fall into their hands. Let them negotiate with Tianyou Pavilion.  At once, two pacesetters from Hunan, Sichuan, and Guangxi will be sent to Yunnan and Guizhou; also, the British and French naval forces are strong, and they will strengthen their vigilance to prevent attacks from the other side!  Lin Wanqing's order was recorded and presented to her. After she read it carefully and confirmed that it was correct, she took out the private seal from her arms and stamped it.  Then Bingbi on the side copied the document and kept it, and then sent it to the Empress Dowager, who could use it as a treasure and turn it into a decree, which was sent to the outer court and spread to all along the coast for execution.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Virtue and Benevolence

    Twenty days later.  Hanking Weaving Workshop.  At the beginning of the founding of Dashun, the founder Gao Yigong and Taizong Li Jin both came from rough backgrounds and experienced hardships to achieve great achievements. They were well aware of the suffering of the people and had very little self-reliance.  In particular, Emperor Gao Yigong ordered the abolition of the eunuch system in view of the serious castration disasters in the previous dynasty, and established an ancestral precept to limit the number of maids in the harem to less than one hundred for future generations.  Although this restriction was gradually broken later, the size of Dashun Palace was much smaller than that of previous dynasties. The reason is simple: in the earliest planning, only the size of the harem at that time was considered. When later emperors wanted to expand it,  , but found that the surrounding land had already been occupied by residential buildings. If large-scale construction was to be carried out, the impact would be too great. As a result, we had to adopt the method of purchasing and expanding small plots, which was very costly.  Therefore, the Imperial City of Hanjing is not only much smaller in scale than the imperial cities of previous dynasties, but its shape is not symmetrical and regular along a central axis like the imperial cities of other dynasties in history. Instead, it is an irregular polygon. If  Viewed from the air, the entire imperial city looks like an enlarged paramecium.  The Weaving Factory is named after the Weaving Factory City of Hanking, which is a city near the expanded imperial city. Since the residences of many middle- and high-level female officials are located nearby, it has become the best silk, satin, and silk fabrics in Hanking and even the country.  Where clothing, makeup and jewelry stores are located.  A light two-seater carriage passed through the street, immediately arousing the admiration of the people on both sides of the road!  The carriage's exquisite structure, beautiful decoration, the driver's agility, and the four majestic horses all prove that this carriage is worth at least fifteen thousand taels of silver!  Which palace Bingbi or some other noble person is inside?  This itching feeling almost takes out the hearts of those idle people.  "Mother, look at that bridle, reins, and saddle. They are all top-notch goods. These alone are worth hundreds of taels of silver!" An idle man leaning on a stone pillar outside Rongbaozhai looked at the stop.  The carriage beside the road couldn't help but exclaimed, no wonder he was like this. The harness of the four horses was not only exquisitely made, but also mixed with gold and silver threads. Together with the white manes of the four horses, they looked extremely gorgeous.  .  Another idle man on the side sneered after hearing this, and said: "Bah! Hua Wu, your eyes are really white. The real value is the four horses. If my tricks are not broken, all four horses will be lost."  It's a first-rate horse, and you can't even buy it without a thousand taels of silver. It's really useless to use it to pull a cart! I don't know what kind of wealthy people are sitting in it!"  While he was talking, a man in a brocade robe jumped out of the carriage. He was about thirty-four or five years old, with slightly dark skin and an impressive appearance. Behind him was a servant in green clothes. It was Chen Zaiqi.  The waiter outside Rongbaozhai hurriedly greeted him, reached out to take Chen Zaixing's cane, and said with a smile: "Master, please come this way!" He rushed ahead and opened the door curtain for Chen Zaixing.  When Chen Zaixing came in, a waiter had already brought him a hot towel. After Chen Zaixing scrubbed it, he drank two more sips of hot tea. Then a shopkeeper standing beside him smiled and said, "I dare you to ask this gentleman, why did you come to the small room today?"  , I wonder what the trumpet can do? " Chen Zaixing glanced at the hall and saw that the hall of Rongbaozhai was not big, but the decoration was very elegant. It didn't have the splendid feeling of an ordinary jewelry store. He couldn't help but feel secretly.  He nodded and smiled at the shopkeeper: "I heard that Rongbaozhai is a first-class shop in Hanking. It claims that as long as you can afford the price, there is nothing you can't buy. It's really extraordinary when you see it today.  "I don't dare, it's all because of you, the trumpet is just a way to make a living!" The shopkeeper smiled slightly, and then his tone became louder: "But since it was opened in the Wanli period of the previous dynasty, there were four hundred trumpets in my account.  I dare not say that there is nothing that cannot be bought, but if there is something that I can¡¯t buy in Han Dynasty, I am afraid that only the palace can buy it. To put it bluntly, it is the empress in the palace,  Bingbi also frequents our shop! " "Okay, okay!" Chen Zaixing clapped his hands and smiled. He took a green cloth package from the attendant behind him and handed it to the shopkeeper. He said with a smile: "I have a few rough stones here.  I want to make a few playthings, but I don¡¯t have the right craftsman, so I have to worry about your craftsman. As long as the work is done well, you can ask for the price, and I will never bargain!¡± The shopkeeper took the cloth bag and put it away carefully!  On the tables on the side, as soon as he opened the cloth bag, the shopkeeper's movements stopped. He froze there with a fanatical look in his eyes. More than ten rubies of different sizes were revealed in the opened cloth bag.  and emerald.  Chen Zaixing looked at the shopkeeper's expression with a satisfied smile on his face.  "How?" Chen Zaixing's words woke up the shopkeeper. He hurriedly smiled at Chen Zaixing and said, "I'm sorry, sir, these gems are too precious. I'm afraid I won't be able to make the decision. I dare you to come to the inner room and wait for me."  Would you like the big shopkeeper to take care of it? " "Then please lead the way!" Chen Zaixing stood up, and the shopkeeper hurriedly led the way. Chen Zaixing looked around and sawThere are many courtyards in Rongbaozhai. It doesn't look like a jewelry shop, but more like a family of officials who have been passed down for hundreds of years. I can't help but be secretly surprised.  The shopkeeper took Chen Zaixing and his party to a private room, asked the servants to bring tea, and said with a smile: "Sir, please wait a moment, our boss will be here soon!" "Wait a minute!" Chen Zaixing took a sip of tea and pointed.  He pointed to the tea in the cup and asked with a smile: "Is this Longjing in Hangzhou before the rain?" "Your Majesty, you have good eyesight!" Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper's eyes lit up, he raised his thumb and smiled: "Yes, this is the year.  The first new tea is Yuqian Longjing. Today, Empress Zhaorong Lin is from Zhejiang. She likes this tea best and it is also the most popular in the palace. This kind of Yuqian Longjing is available in the market for a tael of silver.  There¡¯s no need to sell it!¡± Chen Zaixing smiled slightly and said, ¡°Forget it, give me some black tea. I¡¯ve lived in a foreign land for many years and I¡¯m not used to drinking this anymore!¡± The shopkeeper was slightly startled when he heard this, and was about to give an order.  He asked his subordinates to change the tea as instructed, but heard someone outside laughing: "I see, but I don't know where the guest officer is from? It's better for me to prepare some tea that suits your taste!" While speaking, a person  Ying walked in from the door and saw that she was wearing green clothes, with fair skin, handsome appearance and petite figure. If she looked closely, she turned out to be a woman dressed in men's clothing.  "I come from a rough background, but I don't have much requirements in this regard. I don't dare to work for you!" Chen Zaixing stood up and bowed to salute the woman.  When the woman saw Chen Zaixing's face, her expression suddenly changed, and she asked in surprise: "It's you! Bachelor Chen, it's you!" "Yes, it's you! We haven't seen you for many years, and Zhou Weixian's style is even better than before!" Chen Zaixing stood  He straightened his body and smiled at the owner of Rongbaozhai in front of him.  Chen Zaixing and the proprietor were the only two people left in the elegant room. The dozen or so dazzling red and sapphires were scattered on several cases, but they seemed not to have seen them.  "Scholar Chen, when you resigned and returned to your hometown, I thought it was just a temporary mood, and it would come back after a few years at most. Unexpectedly, unexpectedly!" When the woman surnamed Zhou said this, she couldn't help but lower her head.  , with a slightly sad look on her face. It turned out that this person's surname was Zhou Mingjin. She was also a female official in the palace back then. She and Jiang Qingyue were close friends in the boudoir. She also knew that Chen Zaiqi failed to pursue Jiang Qingyue and abandoned his official position to return to his hometown.  Now that I see that the handsome and handsome Hongwenguan bachelor now has dark and rough skin, he has obviously suffered a lot, I can't help but feel a little sad.  Seeing this, Chen Zaixing hurriedly smiled and said: "Zhou Weixian, I didn't expect that after all these years, you have become a wealthy businessman and have such a big family business! It's really amazing. Why didn't I see that you had such ability back then!"  "Bah!" Zhou Jin spat and said with a smile: "Why is Wei Xian not Wei Xian? I am no longer in the palace. I was not selected for the selection of pens, so I became a small weaving official."  , thanks to the love of the sisters in the palace, this Rongbaozhai was opened. Why did Academician Chen come to my small room today?" Chen Zaixing did not answer Zhou Jin's question and casually took the dozen coins.  The rough gemstone was pushed in front of Zhou Jin and said with a smile: "What do you think of these goods?" Zhou Jin glanced at Chen Zaixing, then picked up a rough gemstone from a table, looked at it carefully for a while, put it down, and then picked it up again.  After looking at four or five gems, he raised his head and said, "These are all first-class goods, but you don't really come here for these gems today, right?" Chen Zaixing smiled slightly and put the dozen or so rough gems on the table.  Wrapping it up again, he pushed it in front of Zhou Jin and said, "If you like it, just take it!" Zhou Jin was slightly startled, but did not take the small cloth bag. Su Rong asked, "What are you doing here this time?"  "For what?" "I have some properties in Myanmar over the years. Where do these gems come from?" Chen Zaixing said in a low voice, "You should know what happened in Myanmar recently, right?"  Jin shook his head blankly and said in a deep voice: "The British took action and launched a coup. If possible, can you help me go to the palace and find out if Dashun will send troops, so that I can make plans in advance!  "Then why don't you ask her directly?" Zhou Jin realized that he had said the wrong thing as soon as he said it, and quickly smiled and said, "What's the problem? I'll send someone to send a message to the palace later for you."  Ask. Where do you live in Hanking? I asked for news and sent a message for you!" Chen Zaixing pushed the cloth bag with the gems over and whispered: "You can take these first and return them to the palace later.  It¡¯s useful. I lived in Luming Pavilion when I was in Han Jing, and your people will know it as soon as I ask!¡± Luming Pavilion is located on the bank of East Lake in Han Jing, across the lake from the imperial palace, and only six meters away from the central location of the imperial court.  Seven miles away, there are no residential buildings around, so it is a quiet place.  Because the transportation here is convenient, the scenery is beautiful, the food is quite good, and it is not far from the North and South Yamen,Young officials from the imperial court often came here to gather and dine. Over time, this place became a gathering place for the upper class in Han Dynasty. Even many wealthy businessmen and businessmen often came here to be arty when they had important business.  This Luming Pavilion is different from ordinary restaurants. Because the people who come and go are either wealthy businessmen or dignitaries in the court, many people go in and out secretly and do not want others to see their whereabouts. Therefore, this Luming Pavilion is composed of dozens of rooms facing each other.  It is composed of multiple courtyards, each with its own different entrance and exit paths. These noble people will not be bumped into by others when going in and out. As for the increased expenses, they are not concerned about it.  Each courtyard is named after a phrase from the Book of Songs, and is very elegant. Fatan Courtyard is one of them.  Chen Zaixing stood at the courtyard gate, as if waiting for someone. It was getting dark and it was already dinner time, but Chen Zaixing still stood at the courtyard gate, motionless, with no look of worry or boredom on his face. He seemed to be watching the distance.  The beautiful scenery of East Lake is average.  Finally, with the sound of horse hooves, two carriages appeared in the distance. The two carriages were painted black and similar in shape. From a distance, they looked like they were poured out of the same mold, coming in a row.  In the blink of an eye, the two cars arrived in front of Chen Zaixing, and after stopping, one person from each got out.  Chen Zaixing hurriedly greeted him, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Today we have two distinguished guests who have taken the trouble to come here. This humble face is really impressive!" The two people got off the carriage and replied in unison: "The second-ranked gentleman has seen the trick, how dare you, the villain?  No!" As soon as they finished speaking, the two noticed each other's presence. After looking at each other in disgust, they snorted at the same time and turned their heads to look at the lawn on one side.  .  The two of them are tall and short, one is thin and the other is fat, one is white and the other is black, as if they were born to be enemies, but the clothes they wear are all brown silk gowns, which are exactly the same.  Seeing the performance of the two people, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but laugh secretly in his heart, but with a smile on his face, he walked between the two people, grabbed their arms respectively, and said with a smile: "Brother Kong, Brother Liu, I'm going to invite you today."  The two of you came here for a business deal, so you two bought me some face. How about you put aside your previous grudges?" The short and fat man turned around, snorted coldly, and cupped his hands to the tall and thin man.  "Forget it, for the sake of the second best man today, I will not deal with this kind of cotton, human flesh dealer, scum of the saint's disciples, hypocrite." "You!" The tall and thin man was furious when he heard this, with a black face.  Suddenly it swelled to purple, and he pointed his halberd finger at his opponent and cursed: "A certain family is the Kong family of Qufu, a direct descendant of a saint. You dare to slander my family's clear voice. I swear today that I will never break up with you!"  The two of them came forward to fight, and Chen Zaixing hurriedly grabbed him and said repeatedly: "You two stay here, you two stay here." Fortunately, he had been mining in Myanmar over the years, and his muscles and bones were as strong as steel, otherwise he would have been dead now.  I can't hold it any longer

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Virtue and Benevolence

    It turns out that this tall and thin man's surname is Kong Mingzhang, and he is a descendant of the sage Kong from Qufu, Shandong. At the beginning of this dynasty, the north experienced many years of war, and there were not even one household registration in ten, and there was a lot of open land.  However, Jiangnan and other places were not damaged by the war, and the economy was very prosperous. Especially the textile industry in Songjiang (near today's Shanghai) was very prosperous. There is a saying that "Songjiang cloth and quilts are half the world."  Since the textile industry in Jiangnan requires a large amount of cotton, and cotton is a crop that likes dryness and hates wetness, it is not very suitable for Jiangnan because of its abundant rainfall. More importantly, Jiangnan is densely populated, and large tracts of land are used to grow higher value-added crops.  For cash crops such as silkworms and tea, there is not a large amount of open land to grow cotton on a large scale.  After this dynasty defeated the Manchus, the large open land in the north became an important place for growing cotton. Due to the large demand for raw materials in the south, the price of cotton rose to an astonishing level, so that for the same acre of land, the income from growing cotton was  Four to five times the amount of food grown.  In this case, despite repeated orders from the imperial court, it was of no avail to ban the abandonment of grain to plant cotton. In the open land in the north, large cotton estates emerged that exported cotton to Jiangnan cotton textile mills. Due to the lack of population in the north after the war, cotton cultivation  Compared with food, which requires more labor force, in order to ensure sufficient labor force, a forced servitude system with strong personal dependence between serfdom and slavery emerged in these cotton estates. Later historians used the term  A very vivid vocabulary name - "Mianke" system.  In the beginning, the main source of cotton customers was prisoners of war or their families. However, as more and more manors appeared, the labor gap continued to expand. Those greedy manor owners began to buy or even directly force their neighbors to become cotton customers, and  Incorporate those small plots of land into your own estate.  The Kong family in Qufu is one of the best.  As time went on, a large number of large cotton estates with an area of ??tens or even hundreds of hectares appeared in the north. However, as the cotton estates expanded, new problems emerged: the impact of cotton, a single cash crop, on the land.  The consumption is very alarming. Often, after a few years of cultivation, a piece of land will become too barren to grow cotton. The manor owner often discards it or rents it to cotton farmers to grow corn, sweet potatoes and other crops that are not very demanding on the soil. Even so,  Its yield is also pitifully low.  By the end of the seventeenth century, the population in the north had greatly increased, and the expansion of cotton estates became extremely difficult.  More importantly, as cotton production continues to increase, the demand for cotton in the South has not grown rapidly. The unit price of cotton has gradually declined, and cotton estates have gradually become less profitable.  In 1693, there was a bumper cotton harvest in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. The output was 25% higher than in normal years. The nineteen largest textile giants and cotton merchants in the south united to release previous years' stockpiles and announced that  The purchase price of new cotton that year was only 50% of previous years. Under this heavy blow, countless small and medium-sized cotton estates and small cotton households in the north went bankrupt. Because the income from the sale of cotton was not enough to pay for freight and the wages of picking workers, many fields  The cotton was simply left unpicked and left to rot in the fields.  On both sides of the Yellow River, looking from a distance, the fields are white, full of cotton pods that have cracked after maturity. Later history books call it "the white terror of 1993!" In this case, the cotton manor in the north was  The owner had only two choices, either to leave the business of growing cotton, divide most of the land into small plots, rent it out to tenants, and grow food instead; or to expand the size of the manor, lower the unit price, and improve the relationship with southern cotton merchants and textile mills.  The power to game prices.  At this time, the war between Shun and the Khalkha Mongolian and Oirat Mongolian alliances broke out. It turned out that after the fall of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, a temporary power vacuum appeared on the Mongolian plateau. The Jungar people who emerged at this time completed the Khalkha Mongolian alliance.  The Kamongol and Oirat Mongols allied and tried to forcibly annex the Inner Mongolia area that was already under the control of Shun Dynasty, while Shun Dynasty immediately sent troops to prevent new threats from emerging on the grasslands.  As a result, during the periods of Xuanzong, Zhezong, and Wuzong, China was involved in a 70-year war with the rising Junggar tribe on the Mongolian grassland. It was not until the mid-18th century that Shuncai defeated the Junggar attempt and advanced his power.  to today's Xinjiang and Outer Mongolia regions, and on this basis the four protective offices of Anxi, Beiting, Shuofang and Zhangbei were established.  The new expansion war resulted in the acquisition of large tracts of open land, and the climate and soil conditions in a considerable part of these lands were very suitable for growing cotton. For these cotton plantation owners, it was like a life-saving straw falling from the sky.  These cotton estate owners, who had strong economic and political power, strongly supported the war and quickly established larger and more cotton estates on the occupied land.  For this reason, some historians in later generations simply claimed that the war with the Jungar people was instigated by the cotton plantation owners behind the scenes, and called it the "Cotton War".  The new manor requires a lot of labor, because local people and Mongolians who are familiar with the local conditions are not suitableYi, mainly bankrupt farmers from the Central Plains, became a very profitable trade. Thousands of men and women tied into strings with hemp ropes were escorted by human traffickers riding horses and camels.  The densely populated Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, and Henan went to the border areas to establish cotton estates one after another.  In this cruel journey, the loss rate of "cargo" is very alarming. About one-third to half of the people will die on the way, but the profit is still very amazing.  Human traffickers transport people and various tools, and return cotton, fur and other raw materials. The profits from one round trip are as high as 150% or even 200%, and the Kong family obtains huge profits from this dirty trade.  gold, and used it to establish Renyi Bank, one of the largest private banks in the Shun Empire.  Kong Zhang was grabbed by Chen Zaixing's arm and couldn't walk. He flung open his sleeves, pointed at the short and fat man opposite him, and shouted: "Fat Liu, you don't have to talk nonsense in front of the second-ranked man. No matter how black the Kong family is, how can we still do it?"  Are they worse than you Southern barbarians? Those cotton travelers are poor men with no roof over their heads and no ground under their feet. They will starve to death if they stay in their hometown. It is better to go to the border and at least have enough food and clothing. Our Kong family  Sending them there is also a matter of doing good deeds. Compared to the workshop and mine run by your Liu family, it's really hard work. A strong man in his early twenties will become a decrepit old man in as little as three years or as long as five years.  Then you kicked me out to beg for food on the street. You are not running a workshop here, you are clearly the flesh and blood grinding mill of the King of Hell. You, the Liu family, have earned all the dirty money, and you still have the nerve to criticize us. At least you are old enough to be in your own business.  You will live your whole life in your house, and you will not be exposed like your workers on the street!" "Bah!" The fat man named Liu scolded: "To do good deeds, there is a large area of ??land in the border area where we can't open up wasteland for farming, so why go to the cotton farm to work for others?  Work? Those cotton merchants who go to the frontier are tied tightly by you and only untie their hands when they need to relieve themselves. Are there any people in the world who are so virtuous and do good deeds? No matter how hard it is for our Liu family to recruit workers?  It¡¯s fair to say that one is willing to fight and the other is willing to suffer. You, the Kong family¡¯s sage family, are really good at facial skills passed down through direct lineage for thousands of years. It turns out that the fat man named Liu can say this.  , whose surname is Liu Mingqing, is from Songjiang, and comes from a prominent family in the south of the Yangtze River. It has been one of the few weaving workshops in the south of the Yangtze River since the Chongzhen period of the previous dynasty. Its workshop is famous for its efficient management and mean treatment of the craftsmen. After more than two hundred years of operation, it has established a good reputation.  bank.  Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, these two families have been hating each other for a long time because of the cotton price issue. Later, the two families became richer and became richer, and they both entered the bank business. They were colleagues and enemies. They can be said to have been enemies for more than two hundred years.  When they met today, they were even more jealous. If Chen Zaixing hadn't been standing in the middle, the two of them would probably have fisted and started fighting.  "You two, you two, stay here, stay here!" Chen Zaixing was caught in the middle, pulling the two of them, and said with a smile: "I'm looking for you two today, but it's for a big business. If you two continue to act like this  Go down, then I have no choice but to give up today!" Kong and Liu were scolding vigorously, but when they heard the words "big business", they immediately stopped.  The two of them have been in contact with Chen Zaixing for many years, and they know that this second-ranked man is not only good at the imperial examination, but also very good at doing business. He has created a large business in Myanmar in a few years, and his wealth is probably not less than one million. He said that he is "big".  I'm afraid it's not a lie.  Both of them are businessmen. As long as they make money, even if the enemy who killed their father is in front of them, they can still greet them with smiles, not to mention a little bit of lip service.  Thinking of this, Kong Zhang was the first to let go of his hand and snorted coldly: "Today, for the sake of the second best man, Kong will not be as familiar with you as a southern barbarian!" "Hmph!" Liu Qingyang snorted coldly.  , said: "If it weren't for the sake of the second place, I would definitely look good with you, a hypocrite!" Chen Zaixing hurriedly smoothed things over and said with a smile: "You two have been here for so long, I'm afraid you are a little hungry. I'm in the house.  We have some wine, why don't we go in and have a few drinks together before we talk about business?" After saying that, he extended his hand to invite me.  Liu and Kong followed Chen Zaixing into the house. Chen Zaixing ordered the maid in Luming Pavilion to present wine and food, and the three of them drank for three rounds.  Chen Zaixing saw that the faces of Liu and Kong were getting softer. He knew that it was time to speak, so he made a gesture first. The maid on the side understood the meaning and quietly retreated. Only Chen, Liu and Kong were left in the room.  Three people.  Chen Zaixing poured himself a glass of wine, stood up and paid respect.  Liu and Kong stood up quickly, but Chen Zaixing motioned them to sit down and said: "You two, I'm inviting you today. It's not for anything else, but I have a business to do, but I'm short of money. I want to ask you two."  I'd like to lend you some." After saying that, he drank a full glass of wine and said with a smile, "Chen, please do it first!" Kong Zhang was impatient and wanted to overpower his old rival, so he quickly raised his head.  Then he drank all the wine in the glass and said with a smile: "The second place is serious. If it is a matter of money circulation, why bother? Send a servant to my shop with your famous thorn, which is one hundred thousand taels."  Silver, alsoIt was only a matter of five or six days.  "As he spoke, Kong Zhang's face was full of pride. At that time, a middle-class family could only earn a hundred years of silver in one year. He could take out one hundred thousand taels of silver with just one mouthful. No wonder he was so proud. Liu Qingyang thought but  Much more deeply, he also knew about Chen Zaixing's reputation in Hanjing. He was a bachelor of Hongwen Hall in his early twenties, and his teacher was a famous official in the court. He was almost certain of his bright future, but this man could give it up.  Just like me, I ran to Burma and built a million-dollar fortune in just five years. This kind of person actually served me a drink and even greeted me personally outside the courtyard. Is it just for a mere hundred thousand taels of silver?  Thinking of this, Liu Qingyang carefully took a sip of the wine in the glass, put it back on the table, and said with a smile: "Why don't you tell me the business you want to do and the amount required, and let me listen to see if it is within the reach of a small man?"  Talk again!  " Chen Zaixing glanced at the fat man in front of him with admiring eyes. People who have dealt with Houde Bank said that this manager of the Liu family really has an abacus hidden in his hair. He is always scheming people and is determined not to suffer any losses. Chen Zaixing  Putting the wine glass back on the table, he smiled and said, "You all know where I earned this family business, right?  Liu and Kong thought to themselves: Everyone knows that although Chen Bangyan comes from a prominent family in Nanyang, he prides himself on farming and studying. His family is not wealthy. Most of the current family wealth is earned by mining in Myanmar.  Come. The two looked at each other and replied in unison: "The second-ranking man made his fortune in Myanmar.  "    "good!  Chen Zaixing nodded and asked, "Let me ask you a question, how has your business been in the past few years?"  " Kong Zhang was stunned when he heard this, and after a moment's hesitation he replied: "To be honest, domestic business has not been easy to do in the past few years. The cotton, wool and other products in the west have been exhausted, and there is not much free time.  The Russians were secretly supporting the Tatars to cause trouble. The freight was so expensive that many cotton farmers and herders simply stopped growing cotton or raising sheep.  Although our bank is not directly engaged in these businesses, it is difficult for them and we will not be able to survive sooner or later.  "Speaking of this, Kong Zhang sighed, glared at Liu Qingyang across from him, and cursed: "It's all the fault of those barbarians who opened factories in the south for keeping the price down!  When the time comes, we people in the north will no longer raise sheep or grow cotton, and we will see how you open factories.  " Liu Qingyang sneered and said, "If you don't raise sheep or grow cotton, of course someone else will. Even if you don't grow it, there will naturally be ships of wool and cotton shipped to the dock.  Are you worried that you won't be able to buy anything when you spend your free money?  joke!  " "Calm down your anger, calm down!  Seeing that Kong Zhang was about to jump up, Chen Zaixing hurriedly reached out to stop him. When he calmed down a little, he turned to Liu Qingyang and asked, "Brother Liu, how is your business over there?"  " Hearing Chen Zaixing ask himself, Liu Qingyang's face became bitter, and sighed: "Hey, my business is getting harder and harder every year. The poor people in the north of the country weave their own cloth, and the cloth they produce is  It is rare to sell, but foreign goods from outside are flooding in. A few years ago, the foreign devils in Nanyang imposed heavy taxes on my Dashun goods, and the market there lost a large part of the workers' wages.  But it has increased by a dollar in a few years.  Alas, this business is out of business!  Kong Zhang sneered and said, "It's strange that you still give workers extra wages. It's going to snow in June!"  " Liu Qingyang glared at Kong Zhang fiercely, wanting to say something, but then sighed and said: "Who is willing to give those poor guys money for processing? It's just that the price of rice has been rising in recent years. This spring, Hanking  A bushel of brown rice has already cost two to five cents.  No matter what, the wages paid out must be enough to keep the workers fed and strong enough to work!  Alas, this is all the fault of the imperial court. The Thai rice that arrives in the port is only one or two or seven dollars, but the princes in the imperial court say, "If we import foreign rice, we are afraid that the grain will be cheap, hurt the farmers, and harm the country's foundation!"  ¡¯, a full 50% tariff was added to achieve such high food prices.  How can small farmers have so much surplus grain to sell? As a result, they end up being cheaper than those big grain farmers. All this money comes from us!  " Speaking of this, the fat on Liu Qingyang's face trembled. It was obvious that he was in extreme pain at this time.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 9 Chapter 9: Virtue and Benevolence

    When Liu and Kong said this, they had already forgotten the grudge between them. They cursed the foreigners and the court in unison, completely forgetting the main purpose of their visit. Chen Zaixing looked at the two of them and stood in front of them.  He filled his wine glass with wine and said with a smile: "Both of you are businessmen. You should have heard of the saying, 'The benefits of farming are only ten times, the benefits of jewelry are only a hundred times, and the benefits of establishing a country are incalculable.'  "Okay!" Liu Qingyang nodded blankly. Kong Zhang, who was a descendant of the saint after all, had not yet lost all the articles in his heart, and quickly replied: "This statement must have come from Lu Buwei!" "Yes, it is Lu Buwei!"  Chen Zaixing smiled and said: "Growing cotton and weaving are only ten times more profitable. I discovered treasure mines in Myanmar and the profit is only a hundred times. But these are not as good as Lu Buwei. The biggest business is to establish the master of a country."  "Ah!" It turns out that Lu Buwei was a great businessman of Wei State. By supporting Qin State's prince Yiren who was a hostage in Zhao State, he helped him return to Qin State and become the king of Qin. He became the prime minister of Qin State and made hundreds of millions of profits.  He published the famous "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals".  There are more than hundreds of millions of businessmen in Chinese history, but in terms of status and achievements, no one can compare with them.  Liu and Kong were not fools. After hearing this, they had already heard what Chen Zaixing meant. Liu Qingyang glanced at Kong Zhang and said with a smile: "The second-ranking gentleman invited us two here. There must be a big deal that wants to give us an advantage."  Well, thank you in advance!" As he said this, Liu Qingyang stood up and greeted Chen Zaixing, and Kong Zhang hurriedly followed suit and saluted.  "That's it! There is endless business in the world. The right way is to make money by everyone!" Chen Zaixing stood up, returned the gift to the two, and then a coup occurred in Myanmar. The king of Myanmar died, and his two sons fled to Dashun. Now,  After recounting what happened under the protection of Wanding Shunjun, Chen Zaixing finally said with a smile: "You two, I have accumulated a fortune of no less than one million in less than five years in Myanmar. It's not that my business methods are better than those of the two."  But the land in Burma is rich, and the treasures are like mountains and hills. It is not difficult to make money by doing anything. Now that the country is in turmoil, it is a great opportunity. If we return the prince to the throne of Burma, we will break the earth and seal it.  Needless to say, Sir, if you want to gain one or two benefits, Myanmar's four thousand miles radius is all fertile soil, and its land is hardly one-tenth of our Dashun. With a little improvement, and with the talents of the two of you, how can the benefits be counted?  " Liu and Kong couldn't help but feel excited when they heard this.  It turns out that since the war in the late Ming Dynasty, the capitalist component of the Chinese economy has been increasing. A number of large and small factories engaged in textile, oil extraction, steel and other industries have appeared in the economic center areas of Jiangnan, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Hanking, and Zhejiang.  Compared with their predecessors in the late Ming Dynasty, the technical level and scale of these workshops have made considerable progress, and they have also brought huge wealth to their owners. They are engaged in trade, currency exchange, large-scale cash crop planting, etc.  Colleagues in traditional industries formed an industrial and commercial class that far surpassed the previous dynasty in terms of social influence and capital. This class also gained considerable influence on the Dashun country by allowing their children to become officials through the imperial examination and purchasing national bonds.  Influence.  But when history entered the 1880s, this class found that their environment had undergone subtle changes.  Originally, the main trading targets of Dashun merchants were Japan, Southeast Asia, northern nomads, and foreign devils with red hair and green eyes. However, as the British experimented with growing tea in India, Ceylon and other places, and planted sugar cane in the West Indies and Brazil,  With the gradual success, the traditional profitable tea and sugar trade of southern merchants gradually became sluggish, and the traditional export market Southeast Asia also saw competitors from far away, as well as harsh restrictions; after Japan's reform,  A high-tariff barrier policy was adopted to protect weak domestic emerging companies.  With the loss of these traditional markets, the situation in Dashun is not optimistic. After all, most people in Dashun are still under the natural economic state of "men farm and women weave". Except for a few of them, they cannot produce by themselves.  For daily necessities, there was neither the ability nor the need to purchase other products; and the tax system in the form of grain and cloth established by the Dashun government when it was founded to prevent farmers from being exploited by merchants also strengthened this economic situation.  The result of this series of internal and external factors is that for the first time since the 1880s, Dashun has experienced a situation of "overproduction": more advanced technology and larger-scale factories have been used to produce accumulated  There are mountains of goods, but they cannot be sold - except for a few wealthy people, the vast majority of impoverished workers and urban poor cannot afford to buy those goods, and the rich, no matter how extravagant they are, can only consume a very small portion of these goods.  Less part.  As a result, many factory owners had to go bankrupt and live on the streets.  Kong and Liu, as financial professionals who are most sensitive to the current economic situation, cannot use scientific theories to explain this situation, but they still instinctively realize that the only way to break this situation is to expand outward and obtain greater  market, cheaper sources of raw materials, so that everything can work again and get out of sight.?'s embarrassment.  And Chen Zaixing's suggestion coincided with their wishes, so how could they refuse?  Kong and Liu looked at each other, and said in unison to Chen Zaixing: "Second Master, if there is anything you need us to do, please speak up. As long as we can do it, we will obey!" "Okay!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "  I invite you two to come here today because I want you to raise a round amount of money for me. Just six million taels of silver!" As soon as Chen Zaixing finished speaking, two crisp sounds were heard in the room.  Kong Zhang and Liu Qingyang fell into their seats dumbfounded, and the wine glasses in their hands fell to the ground and shattered.  "This, this!" Kong Zhang replied stammering: "Secretary, can we discuss this matter in the long run? From what I can see, six million taels of silver is really a little too much!" "Yes!  Ah!" Liu Qingyang stood aside from Kong Zhang uncharacteristically: "As far as I know, Shanghai's annual customs tax this year is only 7 million taels of official silver. With such a large number, can the second-ranked gentleman consider it a little more?"  "Both of you." Chen Zaixing had a smile on his face, but he didn't give in. "Xianggong Wu, the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, was the master of the Beijing Examination that year. The son of the Burmese King is currently in the Jiedu Mansion in Kunming.  Chengzhi and the ministers in the court have also made a decision that the issue of Burma is inevitable, and the imperial army from Hunan has been mobilized to Yunnan. You can go and find out whether it is true that the son of the Burmese king came from Mandeb, Burma.  When Le fled back, I was on the way. If I asked Master Wu to go into the plot to plot this matter, do you think Master Wu would agree?" Kong and Liu had a wry smile on their faces: "Of course they would agree.  " "You two are also old businessmen! You should know that everything in the world, except death, must be done early. If the imperial army goes south, the situation is determined. I'm afraid you will have to queue up if you come with money.  Right? " When Chen Zaixing said this, he had already said it. Indeed, as he just said, with his identity, connections, and knowledge, he could play an extremely important, even important, role in sending troops to Myanmar.  Decisive role.  The two of them can see what Chen Zaixing just said, and others can naturally see it. Now that the overall situation has not been decided, they are still qualified to talk here. If the overall situation has been decided, they will only go to Chen Zaixing with money.  There was a long queue of people, and there was no room for the two of them to sit in front of Chen Zaixing, drinking and talking.  Kong and Liu had a thin layer of sweat on their foreheads, with exposed veins on their faces and trembling muscles, as if they were doing hard work.  Chen Zaixing was not in a hurry now. Shi Shiran sat back on the chair, poured himself a glass of wine, and sipped slowly.  After a while, Liu Qingyang stood up, saluted Chen Zaixing, and said with a wry smile: "Second Master, please forgive me, this matter is too risky. Houde Bank is the legacy of our ancestors for more than ten generations. I really don't dare."  Take this risk. But I can mobilize some positions privately, and with my own net worth, it will be delivered to you in five days. It is not a big deal!" Chen Zaixing was slightly disappointed, but on the surface  The superior stood up and returned the courtesy: "No, no, this is business, I'd like to thank you in advance." "Don't dare, don't dare!" Liu Qingyang responded hurriedly.  Chen Zaixing smiled slightly and turned his eyes to Kong Zhang, who was still sitting there. He saw that Kong Zhang was in trance, his head was covered in cold sweat, his hands and feet were shaking slightly, and low roars came from his throat from time to time, as if he was going crazy.  Liu Qingyang looked a little scared, and was about to reach out and pat him on the shoulder to wake him up, but Kong Zhang suddenly jumped up from his seat, startling the others.  "That's it, I've just gambled away my family!" The muscles on Kong Zhang's face were twisted and he looked very frightened: "Mr. No. 2, I will use all the money that Jingdong and the shops in the south can allocate.  , and then sell all the national debts and some of the industries on hand, the total should be four million, and borrow the rest from various places, which should be close to the number required by the second-ranked man!"  Here, Kong Zhang's eyes suspiciously glanced at Liu Qingyang beside him. Liu Qingyang, who knew it, hurriedly swore loudly: "If anything about what happened in the house today is leaked out, it will all fall on me. I, Liu Qingyang, will die of sores."  , the men are thieves and the women are prostitutes, you can rest assured now!" Kong Zhang snorted and turned his head.  It turns out that if Kong Zhang had just misappropriated the remaining funds that could be deployed in various accounts, and if it was spread by people with ulterior motives and depositors started to run on him, he would immediately be in danger of bankruptcy. That's why Liu Qingyang made such a poisonous oath.  Come.  When Chen Zaixing saw Kong Zhang acting like this, he couldn't help but feel grateful. He suppressed his emotions, filled his and Kong Zhang's glasses with wine, raised their glasses to each other and said, "Brother Kong, I will never do anything about what happened today."  I'll make you regret it." It was already four quarters before Chen Zaixing said goodbye to Kong and Liu and returned to the house.??, just as he stretched his waist and moved his sore neck, a servant came in from outside and reported: "Sir, a guest named Shen came to visit and is waiting outside!" "Surnamed Shen?"  Chen Zaixing was stunned when he heard this, and then there was a surprise on his face. He stood up and asked anxiously: "Where is he and how long has he been here?"  , are having tea outside!" Chen Zaixing asked anxiously: "What? It's been so long, why didn't you tell me?" "This!" The servant looked embarrassed and replied, "It's not a villain's business.  When Mr. Shen heard that your guest, Sir, was having a banquet, he told him not to disturb him. He would inform the guest after everything was over" The servant continued to argue, but Chen Zaixing could no longer listen and asked anxiously: "  Stop talking nonsense and take me to see him!" "Is it Brother Hongmao?" Chen Zaixing opened the door and saw a man turning around. He was as handsome as a crown jewel.  , Rong Zhixianya, about thirty-six or seventeen years old, wearing a sapphire blue robe and a small melon-skin hat with a square piece of beautiful jade sewn in the middle of the hat.  When this man saw Chen Zaixing, he trembled, with a look of excitement on his face, but he still bowed his hands and said with a smile, "We haven't seen each other for several years. We meet again today. Brother Nian is even more elegant than before. I am really happy!"  "Brother Hongmao, you are joking again. I am hanging out in the old forests over there in Myanmar, how can I compare to you raising my head in the Jade Hall in Hanjing!" Chen Zaixing stepped forward and grabbed the visitor's arm, laughing.  : "Brother Hongmao, since you have arrived early, why don't you let the guy call me and wait here!" It turns out that this person is the same year as Chen Zaixing. Now he has been promoted to Shen Hongmao, the doctor of the Ministry of Industry and Yu, and is in charge of the world's mines.  After Chen Zaixing returned to Han Dynasty, he wrote a letter to him and left his address in Lumingting, preparing to discuss a major matter with him.  Shen Hongmao smiled and said: "When I came here, I saw the carriages of two banks, Houde and Renyi, parked in the courtyard. When I asked the clerk, I found out that it was you who invited the stewards of these two banks. I didn't want to be bumped into by them, and I didn't want to get in the way.  "I know your business, so I told my clerk not to tell you." "That's it!" Chen Zaixing nodded slightly, knowing that he was an extremely upright person of the same age, and he made a fortune by lending money to Renyi Bank and Houde Bank.  At that time, there was a lot of contempt for the rich and unkind behavior, and the official position he held was somewhat related to him. If he saw some requests, he would not be able to refuse because of his own face, so he simply avoided them.  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing sighed and said: "I haven't seen you for several years, brother Nian, you are still so honest!" "I don't dare!" Shen Hongmao said solemnly: "It's just that I have been taught by the court since I was young, not to take any wealth that is not part of it.  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 11 Prelude to Chapter 11

    Chen Zaixing stood in the courtyard, the moon was sparse and the night wind was blowing, which made people feel chilly and shivered.  He recalled what he had said just now and felt that there was nothing wrong with it. They were all directed at Shen Hongmao's likes and dislikes. However, everything in this world depends on people, but the success of things depends on God. Whether it succeeds or not depends on God's will.  After about half a cup of tea, Chen Zaixing heard the sound of the door opening behind him. He turned around and saw that it was Shen Hongmao who came out. With a very serious face, he asked Chen Zaixing: "Brother Zaixing, is it true that Dashun will send troops to Burma?"  "Yes!" Chen Zaixing said solemnly: "If the princes in the court were not clay sculptures and wood carvings, they would definitely send troops as soon as possible to expel the British barbarians and retake Myanmar!" "Okay!" Shen Hongmao whispered: "If the court really sends troops to retake Myanmar  , I will try my best to help Brother Zaixing with the government-owned iron factory!" "That's great!" Chen Zaixing couldn't help but beam with joy when he heard this. He stepped forward and grabbed the opponent's right hand and said with a smile: "Brothers working together can break gold!  , you and I will work together to create a great cause that will create a new world!" Kunming, Yunnan, the Yunnan-Guizhou Envoy's Office.  Chen Zaixing took a sip of the tea in the cup, looked at the old man sitting above him who was tasting the fragrant tea in the cup, and then carefully put the teacup in his hand back on the table.  At this time, he behaved as if he were a distinguished guest, which was very different from usual. He was the official of the Honglu Temple in Chaozhong. I'm afraid there was nothing wrong with him at this time.  "So, you really want to go to Burma again and send those two barbarian princes away?" A voice suddenly broke the silence in the room, but the old man still closed his eyes slightly, intoxicated by the fragrance of tea.  , as if the words just now did not come from his mouth.  "Yes, Master, this is exactly why this disciple came here. I also asked Master to let the disciple join in the planning and participate in this matter!" "Absurd!" The old man suddenly stood up and slammed the tea cup in his hand on the coffee table.  On the table, the Jun kiln tea set worth thousands of gold immediately split into two halves, and the hot tea splashed into his hand, but he didn't realize it.  "Back then, you didn't want to be a good bachelor of Hongwenguan, saying that you were heartbroken and had no intention of pursuing an official career, so you must abandon your official position and return to your hometown. Well, I said that you can come to my tent and stay for a while to relax.  Let you experience some worldly things and temper yourself; but you say that you hate strangers and go to the old forests of Myanmar to mine and make money. Now you come to me and say that you want to become an official and lead troops into Myanmar. Don't even think about it.  ? Aren¡¯t you Chen Zaixing very capable? If you have the ability, I, Wu Shengsan, can speak up. Even if the imperial edict is issued, you still have to pass this test!" The old man just looked like a rich man.  Weng, but in the blink of an eye, his eyebrows tensed up, his eyes widened, and his whole figure seemed to have grown a bit bigger, making Chen Zaixing, who was opposite him, a little breathless.  It turned out that this person was Chen Zaixing's mentor when he was a Jinshi scholar, Wu Hanmin and Wu Shengsan, the military governor of Yunnan and Guizhou.  This person had lived through three dynasties. The previous emperor had served as a high-ranking official such as Beijing Liushou, Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and Pingzhang State Affairs. If Ding You had not returned to his hometown to maintain the system one year before the death of the late emperor and was no longer in the court, he would have been one of those few lonely and important ministers.  His official position and status are really powerful when he gets angry.  Wu Hanmin got angry. When he saw Chen Zaixing lowering his head and eyebrows, as if he was bowing his head and listening to his instructions, he felt a little better, but his face didn't show it at all. He snorted coldly and said: "If you are doing it for those industries,  , It doesn¡¯t matter, if I write a letter, no matter who is in power in Myanmar, they will buy my thin noodles!¡± It turns out that although Wu Hanmin is tough in words, he still has the heart to protect the shortcomings of his disciples.  Chen Zaixing lowered his head and said: "Teacher, although the disciple is incompetent, he is not the kind of unscrupulous person who troubles the teacher just to make some aduwu. In fact, there were disciples who escorted the two Burmese princes and girls to escape from Mandalay this time.  ! "So, Chen Zaixing told Wu Hanmin everything about his chance encounter with Batu and his group, their journey through the Barbarian Valley, and their arrival at Wanding, and Wu Hanmin's expression gradually softened.  At the end, Chen Zaixing said loudly: "Although my disciple is ignorant and ignorant, he also knows that Myanmar is our southwest border with Dashun. If it falls into the hands of the British, all the southwestern provinces will have no peace. I have been in Myanmar for many years and am familiar with the direction of its mountains and rivers.  , Human feelings are similar and different, I am afraid that no one in the mentor's house can match him. The sage said: "Do your duty without giving in", and also said, "Ability is listed, and those who are unable are stopped." It is precisely at this time that the country is in decline and foreign barbarians are plundering.  When we make great achievements, even though our disciples are humble, we dare not fall behind others!¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡± When Wu Hanmin heard this, his face was full of smiles: ¡°This is what you do!  I, the disciple of Wu Shengsan, deserved my ranking of you as the second choice. Okay, okay, I made the mistake of blaming you!" At this point, Wu Hanmin subconsciously gave a high-five, and then he felt a sharp pain and couldn't help but exhale.  When he heard the sound, he lowered his head and saw that his right hand was already red and swollen. It was because he had been burned by the tea in the cup.  "Teacher, be careful. If someone comes, call the doctor!" Chen Zai said.?He hurried forward and washed the wound with cold water, but Wu Hanmin smiled and said: "That's it. Although my hand hurts, I see you have made progress, but I am very happy in my heart. Come here, get some wine, I want it tonight  Let¡¯s talk to Zaixing Zhiye and talk about it!¡± At this point, Wu Hanmin couldn¡¯t help laughing.  Wanding, this is the southwestmost garrison of Dashun. Unlike the surrounding locals whose houses are mainly made of bamboo and wood structures, the buildings in the city are basically made of earth and stone. The reason is very simple. The residents in this fortress are basically stationed soldiers.  Or the descendants of garrison soldiers, even with a few exceptions, they are all businessmen and craftsmen serving the army.  Such a garrison established for military reasons naturally has to consider more defensive factors.  As soon as you enter the city gate, you will see rough civil structure houses, arranged very neatly. In order to improve defense, all the doors and windows of the houses are not open to the street, like an inner city.  The houses that have not been repaired for many years are quite dilapidated. Even the house where the commander of the local garrison is located is not much better. The four walls are made of red clay sandwiched with straw, and the surface was originally painted  The white lime has peeled off a lot under the erosion of wind and rain, revealing the black-red soil inside. The wooden doors and windows also show a disgusting gray-black color, and the gaps between the black tiles on the roof are covered with thatch that is half a person tall.  The whole house was like an old man suffering from leprosy, decayed and tattered, as if it might fall down at any time. If it weren't for the Zhuque flag hanging in front of the door, who would have known that it was the yamen of the local garrison's brigade.  "Three days and three days! Three days and three days! I have been here for more than two months, but not even the slightest news has been sent down from above. How long will it take to wait?" Batu shouted, he  The sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, exposing his muscular forearms. The heavy military leather shoes trampled on the old wooden floor, making a terrible creaking sound, as if he was about to make a hole under his feet.  "Ba Zhang Brigade, please be patient. Whether it is war or peace, the princes in the court will decide. You and I are just humble officials, so just relax and wait here!" The speaker was a man sitting at the table.  A man in his forties, judging from the military rank on his shoulder, he should be the general of the guard. He slowly took a piece of betel nut from the plate on the table, put it into his mouth, and said in a vague voice while refusing.  Batu smiled and said: "Bazhang Brigade, you want some too? This stuff is good. After chewing it for a few times, you won't be bothered at all!" "No need! I won't get used to this stuff!" Batu looked at the other party.  With his mouth full of scarlet juice, he suppressed the feeling of nausea, snorted coldly, opened the door and went out without saluting the other party.  Batu returned to his room, untied the belt around his waist, and without taking off his coat, he threw himself on his shabby bed.  After a while, he turned over violently and cursed: "Asshole, if I had known that all the princes in the court were so eggless, I might as well have stayed in the Duhu Mansion and fought to death! Chang Zhao  Shi, you really died in vain!" It turned out that after Batu returned to Wanding, Shunjun did not react immediately as he imagined, but only took the two Burmese princes and princesses to Kunming for protection, and  He personally blamed the order to stay in Wanding.  On the other hand, Batu stayed in Wanding and was gearing up all day, always preparing to lead his army back to Mandalay to avenge Chief Zhao Youting. However, almost two months had passed, and there was no news of sending troops. Sometimes, Batu  I couldn't help but wonder if I might have been forgotten here.  "Master!" There was a knock on the door. Batu suddenly raised his head and shouted: "What's the matter?" "Master, please invite me to discuss important matters!" The timid voice of a soldier came from outside the door.  "Is it important?" Batu immediately became excited after hearing this, and thought to himself: "Could it be a matter of sending troops!" He jumped up, grabbed the belt on the side and tied it on, and shouted loudly: "You  Go back and let me know, I'll be there soon!  "Batu pushed open the door fiercely and bowed to the general sitting at the head. The general smiled and said: "Get up, Commander, come and see the Shangguan from Kunming, disciple of Xianggong Wu, preparations before sending troops to Burma.  This matter was presided over by Director Chen!  " Batu looked in the direction of the camp leader's finger, and a familiar figure came into his eyes. He was tall, with a straight back, wearing a green robe of a seventh-grade officer, and a black gauze hat on his head. The man turned around.  After coming to his senses, he bowed his hands to Batu and said with a smile: "Bazhang Brigade, we meet again!  Batu opened his mouth in surprise, pointed at Chen Zaixing and asked loudly: "Why is it you, Chen Zaixing, why are you here?"  " Chen Zaixing's face showed a smile like sunshine: "How can I not come to such interesting things?  " There were only two people left in the room, Batu and Chen Zaixing. The palm leader had already moved out of the way. Although he could compete with Chen Zaixing in terms of rank, or even be above him, he was the envoy in charge of Yunnan and Guizhou.  My disciples can¡¯t be any tougher.How could he be compared with a border guard like himself if he was born as a Jinshi?  Since Shangguan's letter stated that this person would handle all the preliminary matters before sending troops to Burma, why should he join in to cause trouble?  "Chen, Mr. Chen!" Batu hesitated for a moment, but still addressed Chen Zaixing as Mr. He pointed to the official robe on Chen Zaixing and asked: "I remember when you were in Myanmar, you were -, how come you are now -  " Chen Zaixing looked at the official robe on his body and said with a smile: "Oh, you are talking about my official position? Of course I just resigned because of illness, not because of a crime.  Quan, I am a scholar in the imperial court, and I am serving as his staff. I only need to report to the Ministry of Civil Affairs and get approval!" He looked very relaxed.  Batu¡¯s face was a little ugly. The drastic change in the identity relationship between the two made him unable to adapt for a while. For a while, he didn¡¯t know whether he should pay homage to the other party with the etiquette of treating a superior.  Chen Zaixing seemed to have guessed what he was thinking. He smiled slightly, pointed to the chair in front of him, and said with a smile: "Brother Ba, you and I are friends in need, so there is no need to adhere to these false courtesy. Time is running out now, so let's do it first  Let¡¯s talk about Myanmar!¡± Batu felt a little better after hearing this. After sitting down, he whispered: ¡°Brother Chen also knows about the death of Zhao Changshi in Mandalay! The Burmese barbarians dared to kill the envoys of the country.  , If the imperial court does not send troops to attack, wouldn't it chill the hearts of the people with lofty ideals?" "Brother Ba, please have some tea!" Chen Zaixing did not respond directly. He waited until the soldiers who brought the tea withdrew and then spoke in a solemn voice.  Said: "Brother Ba, I have been back and forth to Han and Beijing these days. Don't worry, the imperial court will never let Zhao Changshi die in vain. The imperial court has secretly ordered two model soldiers from Hunan, Sichuan, and Guangxi to be sent to Yunnan!" "  Great!" Batu was overjoyed when he heard this. It turns out that according to the Dashun military system, there are teams of hundreds, and the officers are called flag-bearers; there are brigades on the team, and the leader of the brigade is the flag-bearer;  There is a camp on the mark, and holding the camp is to control the general.  The battalion was the largest establishment in Shun. It was equivalent to the divisions in the West at that time and the Zhentai and divisions in Japan after the Meiji Restoration. Six pacesetters were mobilized into Yunnan at once, which was not a small move. When Batu heard this, he couldn't help but stand up.  He stood up and bowed to the northwest where Han Jing was, saying: "The Holy Emperor is in the court, and all the small towns in the southwest should be wiped out in one fell swoop!" When Chen Zaixing saw Batu's pious performance, a slightly sarcastic smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He naturally knew  These were not decisions made by the six-year-old in the palace.  After Batu saluted, he turned around excitedly and asked eagerly: "Brother Chen, please advise Mr. Wu and let me be the vanguard of the army." "It's too early to say this now!" Chen Zaixing replied: "Before coming.  Mr. Wu has already made a strategy. This time when entering Myanmar, we must move forward slowly and fight quickly!" Batu was stunned when he heard this. Chen Zaixing saw him and asked, "You are in Mandalay.  After many years, what do you think the Burmese army's combat strength is?" Batu thought for a moment, and then carefully replied: "The Burmese people have been at peace for many years, and their military equipment has been weakened, and they are not as brave as they were when the country was founded.  It is vulnerable to a single blow. But its people believe in gods and Buddhas and are simple and brave. There must be heroes among the wilderness. If someone takes advantage of my army's entry, we should not underestimate it!" He has been in Mandalay for many years and naturally knows Myanmar!  The current state of the army, but when Emperor Hengzong sent out troops, it was overwhelming at first and easily occupied the Burmese capital of Awa. However, later on, facing the new army of the Gonbang Dynasty, they suffered consecutive defeats and had to withdraw from Burma in embarrassment.  .  This period of history is remembered by many cis** people.  "Not bad!" Chen Zaixing nodded: "So this time, Xianggong Wu decided on the strategy of 'slowly advance and fight quickly'. Slowly advance will require less military supplies, and the Burmese will not react violently and will not give any  The heroes in the wilderness have the opportunity to make trouble; a quick battle will pacify the land with lightning speed!" At this point, Chen Zaixing paused for a moment and said with a smile: "Before coming, I once spoke to my mentor.  There are not many troops entering Burma, just two to three bids!" Batu nodded repeatedly at first, and then said anxiously: "Two to three bids? This is too little!" "At most!  That's all!" Chen Zaixing replied: "You also know the road from here to Mandalay this season. Each soldier needs at least three captains to transport food and military supplies. One standard is two thousand for five brigades.  Five hundred soldiers, even if six thousand soldiers are transferred to the civilians, it will be almost 20,000. If we include animals and so on, it will be more if we send out four or five standard troops. " "Well, that's fine.  "Brother Ba, the Burmese people are not like the Chinese. Their land is fertile and the climate is mild. They don't engage in farming and have very little savings. What if we can't rely on expropriation to solve this gap?"  , the Burmese people along the way will inevitably flee into the mountains and forests and become bandits. At that time, there will be a lot of troops escorting them along the way!" Speaking of this, Batu couldn't help but be speechless, as Chen Zaixing said, "??The area to Mandalay is not a highly developed rice planting area in southeastern Myanmar. Many people are still in the slash-and-burn production stage. In addition, the nearby vegetation is rich and there are many food sources. Many villages are not as dense as those in Dashun.  There are considerable food reserves, and there are no grassroots political organizations in the local area.  The Shun army, who were unfamiliar with the place, would not be able to collect enough food even if they were recruited. Instead, they would drive the Burmese in these villages into the mountains and forests, becoming a huge threat to the supply convoys.  "Actually, besides guns and cannons, other weapons can be used!" "Other weapons?" "Yes, gold and silver!" Chen Zaixing showed a meaningful smile on his face: "I came here this time to bring some weapons from Mr. Wu.  Three hundred thousand taels of silver came, and I raised some myself, as well as six thousand taels of well salt. I am going to use these silver to build a road to Mandalay!" Chen Zaixing walked to the map and pointed at it!  The road to Mandalay on the map said: "It's only a few hundred miles from here to Mandalay. The road is not good, so I will pay for salt and ask the local Burmese to repair it. If I don't have enough food, I will buy it from them."  "If there are guards, I will pay the generals and try to enter Mandalay without firing a single shot!"

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom, Chapter 12, Chapter 12: Ascension to the Throne

    Hearing this, Batu couldn't help but be stunned. After a while, he asked: "Is this okay?" "Why not? Don't forget that the orphan of the King of Burma is in our hands, and the righteous name is in our hands. According to Burmese customs, unless  He cut off the bloodline of the old king, and the person who usurped the throne was nothing more than a traitor. It has been more than a hundred years since the founding of Myanmar, and its rule has long been weakened. There are many ambitious people who want to rebel below, and many of the guards are just ceremonial guards to suppress the power of the central government.  If the local powerful factions below do not accept our request, someone below will use their heads as a pledge of honor. On the one hand, there is free money and promotion, and on the other hand, there are guns and the danger of losing their heads. This is a multiple-choice question.  It's not difficult to do!" At this point, Chen Zaixing took out a stack of scrolls from his arms and said with a smile: "This is the official seal. The prince's seal was hidden by his side. I prepared one before leaving.  More than a hundred, I can give you as many generals or prime minister positions as you want. It doesn¡¯t cost anything anyway.¡± ¡°What about these ambitious people? How do you know they will fall to our side and not to the new king?¡±  "On the other side?" Chen Zaixing replied calmly: "The prince is just a boy of thirteen or fourteen, and there are no Burmese around him. After all, we are outsiders and it is difficult to live in Myanmar for a long time; but the new king is a middle-aged man in his forties.  There are many people around you; if it were you, which side would you choose?" After hearing this, Batu lowered his head and said nothing. After a while, he raised his head, looked at the other party with a strange look, and whispered: "You  Why are you so keen on this matter?" Chen Zaixing smiled slightly: "You know that my wealth is in Myanmar, and I have a million taels of silver, so I am naturally very keen!" "No!" Batu shook his head: "  I always feel that you are not a person who cares about money. Otherwise, according to your status, you would have been at least a prefect in the court and a doctor of the six departments. You abandoned it like a pair of shoes and didn't value it. How could you care about those things now?  So enthusiastic, not to mention that even if the new king of Burma succeeds to the throne, it won't be difficult to get your mines back." Chen Zaixing said calmly: "Now and then, I was young and energetic, and as I got older, I knew some things.  Seriously, if I were at this age, I wouldn¡¯t have given up my official position and returned home so easily!¡± Batu stared at Chen Zaixing¡¯s face, but he still couldn¡¯t tell what was hidden behind the other¡¯s pale expression, and finally he looked down in despair.  He nodded and said: "Okay, I'll do as you say!" Mandalay Duncan stood in the corridor, looking at the sky full of rain clouds.  The southwest monsoon coming from the Indian Ocean has taken over the sky here. The continuous rain has lasted for nearly two months. The abundant rainfall has not only turned the ground into a swamp, but the Irrawaddy River outside the city has also swelled a lot, and the rumbling river water is impacting  Standing against the dike, it seems that it will break through this restraint at any time and swallow Mandalay together with everything.  "Duncan! Do you feel very friendly?" Gillings walked out of the house and looked at the raindrops outside: "The weather here at this time is very much like London, very much like the Highlands, very much like our lovely island!"  Duncan nodded silently. His red hair had been wetted by some splashing raindrops and stuck tightly to his skin, like a red hat.  Duncan shook his head nonchalantly, took a deep breath, with a rare expression of joy on his face, and whispered: "It is indeed very similar, the air is so fresh and moist!" But his expression soon changed.  He showed a disgusted expression: "But in September, the rainy days will end, and the air will become dry and hot. When you breathe, it will be like a ball of fire being sucked into your lungs, and the sun in the sky will bake your whole body."  And the terrible yellow fever, which will chew up the whole company of young men, not even a bone will be left "Oh! Come on, my dear Duncan!"  Interrupting Duncan's complaint: "You are talking about the Deccan Plateau in India, not the beautiful Mandalay. The climate here is much better than in South India. Besides, I will not throw the entire company of English boys to  The only people here are you and thirty instructors. The new Burmese king promised me that you will live as comfortably as kings here, and you will be as rich as kings when you leave - of course.  At that time, he must still be wearing that beautiful crown on his head. ""Cowardly and cunning yellow-skinned monkey!" Duncan snorted disdainfully: "It's like you have honey on your mouth, but you are holding it in your hands.  Poison Dagger, you can't believe what he said. And he said that we should train the army, but so far, there are only less than 400 people sent to us. I think he is obviously stalling for time, maybe as an envoy to China.  The minister has already set off secretly. ""Patience, patience!" Gillins patted Duncan's thick shoulder confidently: "In this ancient country, we must be patient. You wrongly blamed the noble man on this issue.  countryWell, this place is different from our motherland. Here, cities, temples, governments and everything are built on one thing, that is, thousands of farmers planting rice, and planting rice is inseparable from  Irrigation, so it was the king's sacred duty to build dikes and ensure that the rice fields were well irrigated.  If the current king doesn't put enough manpower into the dike, the raging river will wash away everything. Even if the Chinese don't come, he will be torn to pieces by the hungry farmers!  More importantly, the embassy of Shun State here was burned down, the ambassador was killed, and the children of the old Burmese king were in their hands. What a great opportunity this was for them! Those smart women in the palace would definitely  I won't let such a good opportunity pass by. I know this, and that cunning Meng Ji doesn't know it either.  " "Barbaric country!  "Duncan was persuaded by Gillings and murmured in a low voice. "In the ancient country, there were traces of civilization here BC. At that time, our ancestors were still chasing deer in the forest!  "Gillis on the side corrected with a smile. This graduate of Bailey College, Oxford, was in a good mood at the moment. Everything was going smoothly. Burma and Shunguo were beating like puppets under his wrist, while he was silent on the side.  Watching their performance quietly, when everything is over, the British Empire will win, and he will be richly rewarded. This young and promising gentleman gently tapped the exquisite reliefs on the wall with his fingers.  It was a little expression of the excitement deep in his heart. At this time, a person rushed over in the rain outside. Duncan recognized that it was one of the students from the missionary school under his command. Since they knew some English, they wanted to be there.  A British instructor in the newly established Burmese army acted as a translator: ¡°General, ambassador, the king has summoned you urgently!  "The soaked man ran up the corridor, knelt on the ground, and shouted loudly to Duncan and Gillings. Duncan and Gillings looked at each other with a look of surprise on their faces. Duncan stepped forward and grabbed the student's arm.  With his arm, he pulled him up from the ground and shouted loudly in the other person's face: "What happened?  " "I'm not sure, but I heard from the guards around His Majesty that it seems that the Shan people in Lashio have rebelled, and they have the support of the Shun people!  " "What, Lashio?  Shunguo people!  "Duncan and Gillings looked at each other, and saw surprise and anger on each other's faces. Lashio is an important military, political, economic, and transportation town in northern Myanmar. Most of the local residents are Shan ethnic groups. It is far away from the capital of Myanmar.  It is about 289 kilometers northeast of Mandalay and 185 kilometers away from Wanding, Yunnan, China. It is located on a small ridge in the upper reaches of the Nanma River. It is an important gateway to northern Myanmar. After the establishment of the Myanmar Konbaung Dynasty, heavy troops were stationed here.  To resist possible attacks by Shun Kingdom, at the beginning of the 19th century, the pressure from Western colonists invading from the south and west continued to increase. The Burmese king's attention gradually turned to these two directions, and naturally the guards here gradually relaxed.  As the economic exchanges between the two countries continue to deepen, this place has gradually transformed from a military fortress into a center for people and logistics. The population, wealth, and city size have all expanded rapidly. Although it cannot be compared with the opposite cities such as Tengchong and Mengzi, it has already  It has gradually transformed into an ordinary city. Many of the forts and walls with distinctive military characteristics have been damaged. The flat land that was deliberately vacated in the past to clear the shooting range is also covered with houses and provides livestock rest for passing caravans.  Only the dilapidated military flags on the fortress towers and the rusty cannons on them can remind people of the city's history. But at this time, Lashio has regained some of its former military color.  The streets of the market outside were filled with Dashun soldiers in black military uniforms. The mules and horses pulling the artillery were not neighing, but made the place seem more and more silent. In the houses and shops, local residents and businessmen used  Looking at these strange people with horrified eyes, the rain hit the blades of the weapons in their hands, reflecting dark gray light. These strong men stood upright, motionless, as if they were waiting for something. It was about 10 noon.  At about one o'clock, dozens of cavalrymen walked slowly along the road down the mountain, accompanied by a very ornately decorated white elephant. In the camel sedan on the back of the white elephant, two young men with gorgeous clothes and golden crowns sat upright.  Among them, a group of people walked slowly towards the gate of Lashio City. The local Burmese guard Qiwu stood in front of the door. The two sides were full of Burmese people holding rifles and swords, and Chen Zaiqi saw that.  The pedestrian was already approaching, and Chen Zaixing whispered: "Master Qiwu, the new king of your country has arrived, please go out to greet him personally.  " Qiwu glanced at Chen Zaixing, and saw this Shunguo man looking at him quietly, with a faint smile on his face, but his eyes were full of calmness. He couldn't help but recall what this man said not long ago: "On one side is eighty  For ten thousand taels of silver, the Dashun Kingdom was willing to pay it in the form of arms, and to be promoted to the position of Governor of Burma; on the other hand, the Dashun Kingdom wasArmy, don¡¯t you think that the new king of Burma will send troops to support Lashio? It¡¯s your choice!  "After all, the new king of Burma has just ascended the throne, and it is impossible for him to devote too many troops to support him. If he chooses to resist, maybe Shunguo's invasion will end in failure, but his failure is inevitable. In the end, he did a very utilitarian job.  The choice was just that this man had dealt with him before and didn't think there was anything special about it. However, he didn't expect that he was such a powerful person. He grasped the interests in a few words and forced himself to make a decision in a short time.  A choice that is beneficial to him. ¡°My lord!  "Chen Zaixing coughed, and Qiwu smiled bitterly to himself, knowing that the other party was urging him. He walked up to the white elephant, knelt down in the mud, and kissed the soil in front of the white elephant's feet as a sign of gratitude.  With the king's obedience on his back, Batu saw the guard kneeling down, and the stone in his heart fell to the ground. He pulled out the sword from his waist, pointed it to the sky, and shouted: "Thousand years old!"  "The cavalry behind them and the infantrymen guarding both sides also raised their weapons and shouted. After the three chants, the artillery that had been prepared began to fire salutes. The sudden sound of artillery and cheers made the onlookers and residents happy.  The merchants were startled and hurriedly knelt down and cheered. When the cheers were over, Batu jumped off his horse, walked to Qiwu, took out a bright yellow silk book from his arms, opened it and read loudly, "  It is destined to be carried by heaven, the emperor decreed.  Meng Ji, a thief in the vassal country of Burma, initiated rebellion, usurped the old master, attacked the country's envoys, and acted perversely. His crime is unforgivable.  Fortunately, God's way has returned, and the orphan of the late king is still alive.  The survival of a country depends on the continuation of the peerless world, and the great righteousness of the Spring and Autumn Period. Now I rise up and serve the young master, and I will obey and attack against the rebels. Why worry about being victorious?  Only the first evil ones will be punished, and no threats will be asked. If there is a counter-attack, and those who lead the crowd to surrender, they should be rewarded without hesitation.  If you are stubborn and unrepentant, as soon as the army arrives, everything will be burned, and it will be too late to regret!  Don¡¯t make the mistake of yourself!  Batu read this in a stern voice, and his own translator read the Burmese version again. Batu helped Qiwu up from the ground, and said with a pleasant smile: "Master Qiwu, this time you abandon the darkness and turn to the light, it is really true."  The credit is not small. Not only does the new king have to rely on him deeply, but also Kunming Wu Xianggong and Han Jing also appreciate it very much. New rewards will come soon.  I will trouble you more about marching to Mandalay!  " "Don't dare!  Please give me some advice from the envoy." Qi Wu bowed deeply. He knew that since he got on this ship, he had to live with his tail between his legs. After all, the two orphans of the late king were only half-grown children of fourteen or fifteen years old.  , your wealth and destiny are still in the hands of the Dashun Kingdom, that is, these two envoys who have cheap jobs. It is better for you to be careful about this kind of etiquette. Anyway, it is just harder on the waist and legs, but there is no real loss.  Eat. "Actually, there is nothing wrong. There are just food and civilians. It is the rainy season and the roads are not good. It is impossible for the army's food to be transported from the country. Please order us to provide as much food and civilians as possible along the way. We are willing to pay and buy them.  !  "Batu said according to the prior plan. The result of his discussion with Chen Zaixing was that the most important thing at the moment is time. As long as there is a place to provide food and accommodation along the way, Shunjun can abandon his husband and baggage, go straight to Mandalay, and defeat the enemy.  It¡¯s too late to give the British any room to intervene. For this purpose, it¡¯s acceptable to pay more. ¡°This!  Qi Wu pondered for a moment and said: "I want the envoy to know that some places in our country are still very remote, and the local people have no money."  " "It doesn't matter!  Batu smiled and said: "We have prepared six thousand salt for this trip. We can exchange it for salt. If we don't even want salt, we can also exchange it for swords. I would like to ask you to prepare more guides and translators who are familiar with the situation along the way."  To avoid causing trouble!  ", "That's good, that's good!  "Hearing that Shun Jun was so fully prepared, Qi Wu couldn't help but be surprised, and immediately secretly felt happy that he had made the right choice. After all, the more fully prepared Shun Jun was, the greater the possibility of cashing out those rewards. He hurriedly smiled and said: "  There are many guides to and from Mandalay in the hotels outside the city. How much it costs to go to the country's army, all will be sent to your army before tomorrow morning!  " "Three hundred people are enough!  "    "yes!  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 13 Chapter 13: Night Talk

    Lashio City, the city guard's mansion, was originally the residence of the city guard Qiwu. At this time, it was naturally vacated for the two princes of the Burmese king. In order to ensure the safety of the two people, three steps have been taken inside and outside the city guard's mansion.  There are five posts and one sentry post, full of soldiers standing with guns. For political reasons, these soldiers who are closely guarding the prince are dressed as Burmese soldiers. Their heads are wrapped in black cloth, which is no different from other Burmese soldiers in the city. However,  As soon as the servants came closer, they saw the wolf-like guards taking off the rifles from their shoulders and pointing them with black muzzles and bayonets, which immediately made people frightened.  "Sister, how long do you think it will take for us to return to Mandalay to avenge our father?" Luo Lin turned around in the small building. His younger brother Luo Qin, who was sitting on the table, had not yet accepted the news from sitting on the back of an elephant in the afternoon.  The city guard and the people recovered from the excitement of cheering. Their fair faces were already flushed red, and their bright eyes were staring at themselves for a moment, as if they were expecting something.  "Okay, it's getting late. You've worked hard on the road these days. Go wash up and get some rest early!" Luo Lin did not answer his brother's question. She is two years older than him, and as a woman,  Her sense of the surrounding situation is much more acute than that of men.  Although she still doesn¡¯t know how to discover the true reality beneath the surface, since that night in Mandalay three months ago, she has been like a beautiful baby bird that was suddenly thrown out of its warm nest and lost.  The care of the mother bird wanders alone in the world.  The sudden death of Maung Aok, the life under house arrest in Kunming, the sudden edict from Han Dynasty and the sudden cheers all made her understand how dangerous this world is: seductive wine often contains poison that can penetrate the intestines,  The cheers of loyalty may turn into the swords of rebels at any time. There is nothing to rely on and nothing to trust.  "No, sister, I'm not sleepy yet, I don't want to sleep." Luo Qin jumped down from the table excitedly: "It's strange, why are you so calm? So many people cheered for you and me today, don't you think it's very impressive?  , Is it great? I have never found that being a king is such a great thing!" Luo Lin looked at his brother waving his arms excitedly in front of her, venting his excitement, and a slightly sad smile appeared on her pretty face.  There is a beauty in her face that transcends her current age.  For a moment, Luo Lin couldn't help but envy his brother. Why couldn't he be as innocent and ignorant as him? Anyway, he couldn't do anything now and could only let fate play with him. This would at least be much happier than this futile effort.  The fear is much better.  Finally Luo Qin finished venting his excitement and discovered something was wrong with his sister. He reached out to hold Luo Lin's hand and asked, "Sister, why don't you speak? I am the only one who is talking." "Because you want your sister.  It's all said and done, sister just needs to listen to Luo Qin!" Luo Lin smiled and grabbed her brother's hands and put them on her chest. She lowered her head and kissed Luo Qin's smooth forehead gently!  , whispered: "But Luo Qin, since you are going to be the king, go and rest first, otherwise you will not be a good king!" Luo Qin rubbed his eyes, and after a period of venting his emotions,  He also felt a little tired.  Luo Qin said good night to his sister, turned around and walked towards the door. When he arrived at the door, Luo Qin turned to Luo Lin and said with a smile: "Emperor Dashun sent troops to send us back to Mandalay. He is such a good man!" "Yes, Dashun."  His Majesty Emperor Shun is naturally a good person!" Luo Lin laughed at her brother's innocent words. Looking at his leaving figure, the smile on her face quickly disappeared. She turned around and walked to the window, looking at the man standing downstairs.  Standing straight, the raindrops flying in from the window fell on Luo Lin's cheek. She suddenly felt that a string that had been tight deep in her heart was suddenly broken, and she fell on the window sill and cried bitterly.  "Your Highness!" A voice suddenly came from outside the door. Luo Lin hurriedly turned around and saw Chen Zaixing standing at the door, looking at him quietly, his deep eyes seemed to penetrate into his heart, and he couldn't help but blush.  The top is slightly red.  Chen Zaixing stood at the door. In front of him, Luo Lin's eyes were slightly open, with tears on his cheeks, like a narcissus covered with morning dew. His green body was leaning on the window sill, as if he was frightened by his sudden appearance.  Jump.  For the first time in many years, there was such a strange conflict in his heart: to protect the girl in front of him and prevent her from being in danger like this again.  "I'm so confused!" Chen Zaixing thought to himself, forcing himself to wipe away the strange feeling in his heart, and said with a smile: "Your Highness, the foreign minister just passed by and saw that the door was not closed, so he came to take a look. I don't want to conflict. Please forgive me.  The foreign minister will resign immediately." At this point, Chen Zaixing paused and said with a smile, "But it's late at night, so please rest early!" Luo Lin realized his embarrassing behavior and turned around quickly.  Go, and when she turned back, the tears on her face had been wiped away. Apart from a slight blush, her face had also returned to its usual reserve: "Chen Zanhua, you andThe Brigade escorted my sister and brother out of the hands of the traitors, and then led the troops to send us back to our homeland. It was a great achievement.  As long as my brother can ascend the throne of the King of Myanmar, he will definitely split the earth and divide the grass and never break his promise.  " "Actually, these are the duties of foreign ministers!  Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness!  "Chen Zaixing bowed down, and couldn't help but sigh: When he was in Myanmar, he heard that Princess Luo Lin was not only as beautiful as a fairy, but also extremely intelligent since she was a child. She had received a good education in Buddhism and Confucianism. She thought she was just a phantom from the outside world.  It's just a pretense of praise. Now let's not talk about all the education he has received. It's just a pity that after so many changes, he can still maintain his heavenly demeanor at a young age and speak without losing his identity.  In the future plan, the two of them are just pawns of Shun Guo. It is really sad that such a golden person will end up in the future. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel pity in his heart.  Yiyi, couldn't help but said: "Your Highness, there are 100 people who are not happy with things in this world. Life is more important than anything else. It is better not to force some things!  " Luo Lin's eyes lit up. She was so smart. How could she not hear the hidden meaning of Chen Zaixing's words? When she looked at the man in front of her, her eyes immediately changed. She whispered: "Chen Zan's words of gold and jade, Luo Lin wrote them down.  It's just that the leaves fall into the stream. Wherever they float, you can only see where the stream flows, not the leaves themselves!  " Chen Zaixing secretly regretted his words as soon as he spoke them. But after hearing Luo Lin's answer, he couldn't help but secretly praise this woman's orchid heart. She was indeed an extraordinary woman. He replied in a low voice: "Although the leaves can't control where they float, as long as they follow the flow,  And if you move, you won't hurt yourself.  " When Luo Lin heard this, he already understood what Chen Zaixing meant. His eyes couldn't help but light up. He took two steps forward, bowed to Chen Zaixing Yingying, and said, "If Luo Lin and my little brother can save their lives, they all owe it to Mr. Chen for his great virtue.  If there is a chance in the future, I will repay you generously!  " Chen Zaixing hurriedly returned the gift and said with a smile: "How dare a foreign minister accept such a great gift? Please have your Highness have a rest early. I will leave first!  "After that, he exited and carefully closed the door. Inside the room, Luo Lin was lying on the bed, looking at the patterns on the ceiling with his eyes wide open. Maybe he cried for a while and vented a lot of the depression in his heart these days.  , he felt much better, and after about half an hour, he fell asleep. Meng Ji walked back and forth quickly in the gorgeous palace, like a sleepy man in a cage.  The lions, slaves and courtiers knelt on the ground, their faces pressed against the ground, not even daring to speak loudly, for fear of attracting the attention of the Burmese king and becoming the target of venting his anger. "Why haven't the British come yet?  Didn't you send a messenger to inform them?  "Meng Ji suddenly stopped in front of a minister and asked loudly. "No, you are the darling of gods and Buddhas!  The unlucky guy trembled and shouted: "When the sun shines on the third rafter, I will send an envoy to the British residence. If any of my words are false, may the gods and Buddhas let my tongue tell the truth."  Rotting, the tombs of my ancestors were leveled and crocodiles built their nests on them!  " Meng Ji stared at the minister fiercely. His nostrils became thicker, like an angry bull. Finally, he decided to let this man go for the time being. He took a step back and said loudly: "Okay, I will trust you again.  Once, listen, if the British haven't come in another quarter of an hour, I guarantee that the oath you just made will be fulfilled to the letter - on you and your ancestors' tombs!  " Meng Ji's threats had an effect. The unlucky guy was trembling all over, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't dare to speak. Diok, who was kneeling beside him, gave him a sympathetic glance, and finally carefully  He kept his body close to the ground so as not to attract the attention of his tyrannical master. "Mr. Gillings, the Consul of the British Empire, has arrived!  "With a prolonged communication sound, Meng Ji turned around suddenly. The unlucky guy who was still struggling in front of the fearful future was so excited that he fainted from the sudden good news. Diok hurriedly  Let the servant help the unfortunate guy down, carefully get up, walk to Meng Ji's side with an hunched waist, and whisper: "Your Majesty, in front of the British, you'd better be a almsgiver, and  Not a supplicant!  "    "you're right!  Meng Ji immediately understood what his men meant. He patted Diok on the shoulder with satisfaction and whispered: "Thanks to my ancestors and gods and Buddhas for allowing me to have such a capable friend and minister as you."  At this time, his expression suddenly turned gloomy: "It's a pity that there is only one!"  " "Your Majesty, you raise me too high!  "Diok lowered his head deeply so that Meng Ji would not see the pride on his face. As a minister, it is not a good thing for the Lord to find out that he is proud. Gillings walked into the lobby, as his entourage and  The instructor of the New Army of the Kingdom of Burma, Duncan followed closely behind him. Gillings took off his black top hat and said gracefully.? He bowed to Meng Ji and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty's servants salute you!" Meng Ji did not speak immediately. He knew very well that the white man in front of him was just like his other compatriots.  A greedy and cruel guy, if possible, he would not even leave the land under his feet to himself. If there is any difference between him and other bandits and businessmen, it is that Gillings is more cunning and insidious.  Before the time comes, he knows how to use tricks and traps to achieve his goals, which makes him even more dangerous.  Thinking of this, Meng Ji decided to use the same method to deal with him. Isn't there an idiom in the country of Shun that "repay the other person with his own way."  "My dear friends!" Meng Ji tried his best to pretend to be affectionate and smiled at Gillings and Duncan: "You helped me ascend the throne my father left me. Now, I will give you  Generous reward, share everything with you. Come on, make a request! Meng Ji will show you his generosity!" Gillings and Duncan looked at each other, seeing doubt in each other's eyes.  The king was a born Machiavellian. Although he may not have read the works of the Italian who had mixed reputations, his natural cunning and the practice in the court allowed him to learn without a teacher.  The fact that he suddenly acted so generous and friendly in front of him only meant that this bastard was using the fox side of his soul again, trying to obtain benefits from himself that he could not obtain through deception.  "Your Majesty, my colleagues and I have already expressed our attitude!" Gillings replied carefully: "We are all loyal servants of Her Majesty the Queen. As long as your Majesty faithfully fulfills the previous agreement signed with the British Empire, we will  We are already extremely grateful for your majesty¡¯s generosity and kindness! As for us personally, as your two majesty¡¯s loyal servants, we don¡¯t need any additional rewards!¡± ¡°Oh! I am really moved by your loyalty and integrity, and I hope my ministers will too.  I can be like you!" Meng Ji had a touched expression on his face, and he made a gesture, and two beautiful maids presented Duncan and Gillings with two cups of wine. The cups were made of gold and were painted on the outer wall.  There are beautiful reliefs inlaid with small gems and emeralds, and a huge ruby ??and sapphire are inlaid on the lugs of the cup. Even if you don't take into account its exquisite craftsmanship, just considering the value of the gems and precious metals themselves, it is amazing.  Both Gillings and Duncan were attracted by this precious vessel. They forgot to drink for a while and concentrated on observing the gold cup.  "You two, please drink!" Meng Ji raised the wine glass in his hand and made a toast gesture to the two of them. Seeing Duncan and Gillins hurriedly finished the wine in the glass, he smiled and said: "Please accept the glass,  This is my gift, and the girls around you, please accept it. They are all daughters of nobles and have their own territories and slaves. If you are willing, I can give you the corresponding title!"

 Volume 3 The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Agreement

    At this time, Gillings's breathing became rapid. No matter how much he despised Meng Ji before coming, and how well prepared he was, in the face of such a generous bribe, his previous plan was somewhat shaken.  He stood up, bowed slightly to Meng Ji, and replied dryly: "Your Majesty, your kindness is so!" "It's nothing! Isn't it?" Meng Ji interrupted Gillings's refusal.  : "I am a king. According to you Europeans, what I do must be in line with the status of a king. It is inappropriate to refuse a gift from a king. If there are some things I did before that did not satisfy you  , please remember that I was not a king at that time, at least not a king worthy of the name. You can't ask me as a king!" "Then thank you, Your Majesty!" Gillings changed his mind.  After accepting this precious gift, although he did not believe Meng Ji's excuse, he had to admit that a considerable part of it was true, and the interests of the British Empire were now inseparable from this cunning king. Today he suddenly called himself  , why not just accept the gift and watch it get better.  "Very good!" Seeing Gillings and Duncan accepting his gifts, Meng Ji showed a smile on his face: "Then we can talk about business now, Mr. Duncan, how is the training of the new army going now?" "  It's terrible!" Duncan replied: "It rains every day, there is no dry place, there are too few people sent to train, and the quality is too poor, and the weapons that should be shipped have not arrived as scheduled. I am still training those students.  The basic skills of becoming non-commissioned officers and officers will not be put into use for at least three to four months. "Three days ago, the Shun army occupied Lashio, which is less than 300 kilometers away from Mandalay. The former king of Burma.  Both of his children are in the army. They have claimed that they have been canonized by Emperor Dashun and serve as the new king of Burma. But now you tell me that it will take three to four months for the army to be used. Do you want to use those?  The trustworthy old army will protect my throne? Dear friends, do you think that the two princes will abide by the agreements between me and Her Majesty the Queen after they return to Mandalay? " Meng Ji said hurriedly.  The warmth in the room was dispersed, and both parties took off their velvet gloves, revealing the hard and cold iron gloves underneath.  The two noble girls widened their beautiful eyes in confusion.  Gillings smiled gently at them, turned around and said to Meng Ji: "Your Majesty, I don't think things are as bad as you think. It is the rainy season, water transportation through the Irrawaddy River is impossible, and the land route is even more difficult.  , it was very difficult for the large army to march. I think the Shun people used bribery and bribery to occupy Lashio. If I remember correctly, it was the territory of the Shan people, who had a strong influence on the Central Dynasty of Myanmar.  Tendency, as long as enough benefits are given, it is not difficult for the Shun people to do this. Large-scale military operations cannot begin until after the rainy season. By then, you will have enough time to consolidate your rule, of course, as long as you are willing to fulfill it.  As agreed before, the British Empire will stand firmly behind you!" At the end of his words, Gillings calmly increased his tone to emphasize the key points in his words.  "You're right, Mr. Consul!" Meng Ji replied with a smile, but deep down he was very shocked. The British consul's analysis of the situation in Lashio was very consistent with the intelligence just sent back there. It was obvious that the other party had concerns about Myanmar.  There is a deep understanding of the internal geography, people, and climate conditions, which is not good news.  Since Meng is not afraid of the Shun Army, at least not before the end of the rainy season, his real purpose in summoning Gillings this time is to take this opportunity to obtain more arms from his opponents in order to build his own army.  This is the real guarantee for his throne, but from now on, his plan has failed, and it seems that he must change his approach.  "But time is precious! The rainy season will always pass. By then, the Irrawaddy River will calm down, and the Shun people can flow down the river. I need rifles and cannons to resist their invasion. So far, luck  How many weapons are there in Mandalay? Let's take a look." At this point, Meng Ji picked up a piece of white paper that had been prepared and read softly: "Li Enfield rifle six hundred and seven.  Ten guns with 250,000 rounds of ammunition; eight eight-pound mountain cannons with 120 rounds of ammunition each; four Green cannons with 60,000 rounds of ammunition." After reading this, Meng Ji raised his head and asked:  "Mr. Consul, is it possible to repel Shunguo's invading army with these weapons?" Gillings did not answer immediately. He looked back at Duncan with a smile. Duncan stood up and gave Meng Ji a military salute.  He replied: "Your Majesty, please allow me to speak frankly. As an instructor, I think the biggest problem now is the lack of qualified officers and non-commissioned officers, rather than the lack of ordnance. Without qualified officers and non-commissioned officers, your new army is just a piece of loose sand. Frankly speaking,  Said that in just a few months,It is impossible to turn the students you sent me into qualified officers and non-commissioned officers. I only have twenty men. Although they are all good officers, the number is too small.  " "Then your suggestion is!  "Meng Ji's face turned gloomy. "My suggestion is to hire more foreign officers, at least at the platoon level. Your trainees can serve as reserve officers and now serve as interns in the army;  Hire three to four battalions from the army as the core of your new army. These Indian troops are well-trained, have rich combat experience, and are adapted to the climate here in Myanmar. I believe that under the command of the British Imperial Officer  Your Majesty, I will become a loyal guard of His Majesty's throne.  "    "no!  "Meng Ji flatly rejected Duncan's suggestion. He knew very well what kind of evil intentions were hidden in the other party's suggestion. If he agreed to the other party's request, his fate would not be the same as that of countless chiefs and kings in India, Vietnam, and Southeast Asia.  What's the difference? Sooner or later, he will become a puppet in the hands of the British. Meng Ji softened his tone a little and replied: "Indians are a group of evil people who do not believe in Buddha. I am the king of Myanmar who believes in Buddha. I will never allow this."  An army came to protect.  As for foreign officers, it is impossible to deploy them at the platoon level. They can only be deployed at the company level at most. We also hope that weapons will be shipped as soon as possible.  " Gillings did not expect Meng Ji to agree to the request to hire the Indian army. The purpose of his trip was achieved by adding foreign officers to the company level. He suppressed the pride in his heart and replied: "Your Majesty, your Majesty.  Your wish is an order, so I will do as you say, but I hope you will allow our country to send engineers to explore the road from Yangon to Mandalay. After all, to transport a large amount of weapons to Mandalay, good transportation is necessary.  " "Okay, I will issue a decree to the officials along the way. Within one and a half months, you must transport 3,000 of the best rifles and bullets, as well as the corresponding artillery to Mandalay!  "Meng Ji stood up from the throne, which meant that the conversation was over and he was about to see off the guests. "As you wish, Your Majesty!  "Gillings and Duncan stood up together and bowed to Meng Ji. After Gillings stood up, he pointed at the wine glass and the beautiful girl beside him, smiled at Meng Ji on the throne and said, "Also, thank you for your generosity.  A gift, Your Majesty!  ¡± The road from Lashio to Mandalay is a rammed earth road parallel to the Miai River. This river will merge into the Irrawaddy River in Mandalay. Under the erosion of the heavy rain that has lasted for three months, this road  Many parts of the road have been washed away and flooded, turning into a series of shallow bays and semi-swamps, and the turbulent water has made shipping impossible. On the other side of the road is a large stretch of forest.  In the distant mountains, you can occasionally see a few villages, in which residents make a living by hunting, catching fish, or cultivating small pieces of wasteland in the forest. Compared with the forests here, the forests around Lashio can only be regarded as suburban.  The woods by the river are like a huge green rock, and all the space in the woods is filled with plants, which is daunting. In order to cross the washed-out road, Shunjun had to use a machete to open a road in the forest.  , otherwise people would never be able to pass through the woods, let alone the livestock and elephant trains. The woods were very quiet, with only the sound of the soldiers' shoes squelching in the rotten leaves and mud puddles, and the occasional heavy shouting of people.  Breathing sounds, big trees hugging two or three people can be seen everywhere, up to thirty or forty meters high. If you want to see the top of the tree, your neck will be raised to the point of soreness. In order to get sunlight, even climbing plants and woody vines must  As thick as wine barrels, they either wrapped themselves around or grabbed hold of tall trees with tendrils and hooks. The forest was damp and opaque. Although it was noon, it was like dusk. The soldiers of the Shun Army looked at the strangers around them with awe.  Chen Zaixing and Batu both rode on a Yunnan horse and marched side by side. There were many such animals in the Shun army. Before setting off, Chen Zaixing took most of the Yunnan horses in Lashio.  They bought all the horses, but left all the Mongolian horses and Sanhe horses in the Shun army there. The reason is simple: these short, hard-working livestock are more powerful than their taller and burly northern compatriots.  Adapt to the environment here, otherwise the humid environment and continuous marching will be enough to kill more than half of the horses. "Zhang Brigade, the barbarians in the village in front had a quarrel, and they were unwilling to collect money.  "An officer quickly rushed to Batu, saluted and reported.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Before the War

    "What?" Batu frowned. It turned out that in order to reduce the logistical burden, the Shun army reduced the number of pack animals and carts carrying food, and the shortcomings were solved by purchasing from local residents.  In order to adapt to the relatively backward economic level of the residents along the way, Shunjun not only brought enough money with him on this trip, but also brought some commodities that the residents along the way liked, such as salt and swords, and the prices were also relatively favorable.  Coupled with the communication from the guide sent by Lashio, the whole journey went smoothly.  "What about salt and swords?" Chen Zaixing on the side interjected: "As long as they are willing to provide civilians and food, it doesn't matter if the price is lower!" "I tell you, sir, they don't want salt and swords. These barbarians want to use food in exchange for soldiers."  The generals don¡¯t dare to make any decisions about the firearms in our hands. Please make your decision!¡± ¡°What, how is this possible?¡± Batu was furious when he heard this, and Chen Zaixing on the side gently tugged on Batu¡¯s sleeves.  , whispered: "A little impatience will mess up a big plan. Now we are fighting against every second and can't waste time here. At most, we can give them a few rifles. We only need to let the chiefs and the best hunters in their villages serve as guides in the army."  That¡¯s it.¡± Batu immediately understood that the firearms exchanged by the barbarians naturally belonged to the chiefs and the best hunters. As long as they were in the army, there was no harm in giving them a few guns.  He nodded, turned to the officer and said loudly: "Just do as Mr. Chen said. As long as they are willing to serve as guides in the army, they will be allowed to exchange guns for food, but no more than ten guns at most!" "  "Yes!" Looking at the backs of his men leaving, Batu whispered: "Brother Chen, we are only a third of the way through the forest. It will take at least fifteen days to get out of the forest, and two more days to go out of the forest."  It takes a genius to reach Mandalay. We are now three to four hundred men short. Calculating this, we will probably only have a little over 2,000 soldiers left in Mandalay. If we want to conquer a country with just this amount of troops  "Brother Ba!" Chen Zaixing kept Batu's words "Isn't it a little short" in his stomach and whispered: "If we want to conquer Burma, not to mention two thousand people, even if we have all the six battalions of the imperial army to defend Hanjing,  It is not enough to go out. Myanmar is thousands of miles away and has a household registration of millions. How can it be regarded as a small country?" "Then why do you insist on going out?" "Brother Ba, think about it, why did Meng Ji choose to start the uprising in April?  "This must be a coincidence!" As soon as Batu said this, he felt something was wrong. He had been in Myanmar for a long time and knew the local situation very well. After thinking about it for a while, he suddenly had an idea and said, "Could it be the weather?"  "That's right, Brother Ba, think about it. When the rebels rebel and lure the British as foreign aid, they will definitely think of my Dashun army for conquest. April is the junction between Myanmar's dry season and the rainy season.  The rain is heavy all day long and the roads are damaged, so our army cannot move forward. By the time the rainy season ends in September, his power has been stabilized, and the British troops have arrived and their wings are full. " Batu heard this.  , couldn't help but nodded and said: "This guy is really cunning!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "Since ancient times, the great evildoers must have something extraordinary, otherwise why would they do evil? The reason why I strongly advocate the rainy season march and start as soon as possible is that  In order to catch him off guard, this rainy season is not only good for him, but also good for us." "Is it also good for me?" Batu was stunned when he heard this and asked, "I would like to hear the details!  My brother has been in Myanmar for a long time, and I must know that the Burmese people depend on rice. During the rainy season, if they don¡¯t build the Pitang dam, it will not be completed. Now that Meng has ascended the throne, he will definitely use a lot of people to build the dam to prevent floods.  Otherwise, as soon as a flood breaks out, civil unrest will break out in the country before Dashun can send troops. If I advance quickly with light troops, even if I cannot win, I only need to occupy the high ground first, blow up a section of the dike, and use the water as an army to defeat the thieves.  !" When Batu heard this, a layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Chen Zaixing's plan was really vicious. Mandalay is on the bank of the Irrawaddy River. If the dam is blown up by the Shun army, even if Mandalay is not flooded, the surrounding areas will be destroyed.  The crops in the villages and the criss-crossing canals and irrigation canals are definitely not guaranteed. In this way, even if Meng can repel the Shun army, he cannot stay in Mandalay and has to move the capital.  Meng Ji was originally just a usurper, and his name was unfair and unfair. Mandalay was the ancient capital of Myanmar for hundreds of years. It has a large number of temples and holy places and has high prestige in the hearts of the Burmese people. If Meng Ji loses  Naturally, he can no longer sit firmly on this throne.  Chen Zaixing's move was indeed very effective as the final move to break the game.  Seeing Batu's appearance, Chen Zaixing knew that the other party could not bear it, so he smiled and said: "Brother Badu, in fact, this is just the last resort. From what I can see, I'm afraid it's useless. The Yingyi and the false king seem to be inseparable. I'm afraid  "Brother Chen, why do you say that?" "Think about it, the British barbarians support the puppet king's rebellion, just to establish a new treaty, gain the right to trade and build roads, and get generous gifts.  Thieves join forces,?There should be a contract released.  But so far, not only has no treaty been announced, but the false king has also secretly sent an envoy to Kunming to beg for canonization. From this point of view, the false king is quite good at being between the two powerful powers. He can rely on it to stand on his own. He may not be willing to be a slave of the British barbarians. Since  In this case, how could the Yingyi give their weapons to them in vain?  " "What Brother Chen said is true!  "When Batu heard this, he couldn't help but clapped his hands and said: "Although we have few soldiers, if we attack the enemy unprepared, we have a chance of victory. Even if we lose, we only need to use water as a soldier to force the puppet king to abandon the city, and our army has not yet  Even if the damage is done slowly, it can also help the new king to ascend the throne. It is indeed a winning strategy.  "At this time, he fully understood the source of Chen Zaixing's confidence. He couldn't help but cheer up and shouted loudly to his soldiers: "Send the order, speed up the march, and we must get out of the forest area within fifteen days.  "Fourteen days later, the Shun army finally walked out of the dense forest. What they saw in front of the soldiers was no longer a dense forest that blocked the sky, but a much sparser bamboo forest and subtropical fruit trees such as mango trees and jackfruit. Between these woods.  In the fine rain and fog, the soldiers could vaguely see Burmese farmers and cattle working in the fields, and they could also see them farther away in the vast fields that were already planted with rice.  When we arrived at the golden dome of the Burmese pagoda, when the farmers saw this unfamiliar army, they dropped their farm tools in panic and drove their cattle towards the village. This familiar sight made most farmers who were farmers before joining the army feel comfortable.  The soldiers of the army felt very friendly, especially after the arduous march just ended. In that terrifying dense forest, the army lost more than a quarter of its personnel and half of its livestock, which was quite a lot.  Shocking loss. Under a temporary bamboo shed, Batu and a dozen staff officers were surrounding a very crude map, marking the location of his army and the next march route they had just captured.  Several Burmese farmers learned that this place is less than an hour away from a small town called Xingai. Batu, who is very familiar with the geography around Mandalay, knew that Xingai is only two kilometers southwest of Mandalay.  About ten kilometers. This news made all the officers very excited. They unanimously requested to capture Xingai immediately and let their soldiers rest for two days to recover from fatigue, and then launch the attack on Mandalay.  , how do you think Mandalay should be attacked?  "Chen Zaixing asked. Like the civil and military officials in traditional Chinese politics, his relationship with Batu in this task force is very delicate. He has been authorized by Wu Hanmin, the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, and has the authority to control everything here.  However, Batu, as the temporarily appointed commander, is the highest military commander of this detachment and has full authority over military operations. The powers of the two people have a vague overlap, but they are escorting the two princes of the Burmese king back to Shun.  A tacit understanding has been formed through our experience, and instead of constraining each other, we complement each other. "First we occupy Xingai and use it as our old camp, and the prince also stays there. Then we want to march north and pretend to attack."  Mandalay look.  At this season, most of the puppet king's troops must be preparing for river defense near the embankment. When he gets the news, he will definitely concentrate his troops as much as possible to attack us. At this time, we only need to turn around and defeat this rabble.  "Batu drew on the map with his finger, with a relaxed smile on his face. "Is it that simple?  You must know that we only have two understaffed brigades, about 2,000 soldiers, and very few artillery. The puppet king can easily mobilize an army four or five times more than ours.  "Chen Zaixing looked at Batu with some worry. "It's that simple!  Batu saw Chen Zaixing's worries, and he said with a smile: "Chen Zanhua, a war is not won by whichever side has more people. When I was a captain in the Burmese Colonel's Mansion, I knew us very well."  opponent.  This is an army at the end of the seventeenth century, with front-loaded muskets, obsolete muskets, linear infantry tactics, ignorant aristocratic officers and equally ignorant illiterate peasant soldiers. How do many soldiers use them correctly?  Not even the rifle in hand.  With the right command, a few volleys and a bayonet charge are enough to defeat them!  " "What if the false king doesn't attack and can't hold on?  So can you capture Mandalay?  This is a walled city!  "Chen Zaixing asked. "Chen Zanhua, that is just a city wall from the cold weapon era. There are no well-built forts, and there are no multi-faceted forts and tunnels for soldiers to defend. Soldiers will just get beaten in vain on it.  As long as we occupy the artillery position on Mandalay Hill outside the city, the entire Mandalay City will be within the direct fire range of my eight 75mm guns. It only takes a few rounds of grenades to make the defenders in the city aware.  Being stubborn is just a waste of time and life!  If it doesn't work, we can blow up the river embankments and use floods to solve everything.  Batu explained patiently. At the end, he explained with a smile: "Military science has made great progress in the past ten years."  ¡± A trace of embarrassment flashed across Chen Zaixing¡¯s face, and he said to himself??Ashamed of military ignorance, as a layman, he lowered his head and shut his mouth.  The Shun army moved very quickly. After twenty minutes of fighting, Xingai fell into the hands of the attacking party. This place was more like a market than a fortified city. There were rows of rude buildings around the market.  The bamboo fence was planted with thorny shrubs next to the fence. Soon these shrubs filled the gaps in the bamboo fence, and the local residents used it to replace the city wall.  But this could not withstand the bayonets and rifles of the Shun army. Batu was surprised to find that there was a large amount of new rice in the warehouse. These were part of the taxes from nearby villages that were about to be sent to Mandalay. With these, the Shun army did not have to disperse their troops to the surrounding areas.  The familiar countryside is collecting military rations.  Chen Zaixing immediately ordered the flags of the old Burmese king and Shun army to be erected on the top of the tallest house in Xingai, announcing the arrival of the orthodox royal family to Mandalay.  At the same time, an outpost force was sent to Mandalay to collect intelligence and launch a tentative attack.  Mandalay, Royal Palace.  Diok knelt on the ground, his face close to the ground, and reported in a trembling voice: "Your Majesty, the Chinese are here, and they have occupied Xingai!"

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 16 Chapter 16: The First Battle

    "So fast!" Meng stood up from the throne, and then he felt that he had lost his composure. He sat back on the throne and asked in a calm voice: "How many people do they have? How many artillery pieces do they have? Do they have any cavalry? Are they still there?"  Yes, are my two dear grandnephews and grandnephews among them? " "Your Majesty, the Chinese have about two thousand to three thousand people, with a small number of artillery, but no cavalry. According to reports from the farmers who escaped,  These Chinese looked quite tired and had almost no vehicles. They must have traveled through the dense forest in the rainy season. The spies we sent also saw the royal flag raised on the roof of the Xingai Warehouse. Those two people must be there too!  Among them! "Diok is a very shrewd and capable official. He analyzed a large amount of contradictory information from the refugees who fled from Xingai and immediately came up with information that was quite close to the truth.  "Two thousand to three thousand people? A small amount of artillery? No cavalry? Very good!" Meng Ji showed a satisfied smile on his face. Although the arrival of the Shun army was much faster than he thought, judging from the number, it should be  It's just a vanguard of the army. Although the British transported very few weapons, there are many old troops near Mandalay. There are no less than 70,000 or 80,000 farmers building river embankments nearby. As long as they are recruited, they can be launched.  Give them weapons and you will immediately become an army.  More importantly, the two children of the former King of Myanmar are also among them. As long as they can be solved, future troubles can be solved.  Thinking of this, Meng Ji stood up and said loudly: "Give an order to distribute the weapons. Also, send an order to confiscate the property of all Chinese businessmen, declare them to be spies, and people who are not protected by gods and Buddhas, and issue an order to the farmers."  My decree is that every man in the village between the ages of fifteen and fifty will serve as a soldier. As long as the Chinese invasion is defeated, I will waive all taxes for the next three years! " "Yes!" "Soon!"  The sound of drums and horns echoed in the sky above Le, and the whole city was like a huge beehive, making a huge noise.  Drunk men roared excitedly on the street, waving their weapons, and some even fired muskets into the air. The merchants closed their shop doors and watched the parade on the street with worry.  Team.  In the open space outside the city gate, groups of farmers gathered in groups according to their villages, wolfing down the white rice that had just been distributed. The weapons in their hands were mainly spears and machetes, and more  People are simply newly made bamboo guns and farm tools.  The monks walked through the crowd, chanting scriptures whose meanings were unknown. Whenever the monks passed by, the nearby farmers quickly put down their weapons and food, and knelt on the ground in fear to worship them.  "Mr. Consul, it seems that the king is about to start a war with the Chinese!" Duncan carefully moved his body. The person sitting on the back of the elephant was not used to the huge animal under his body.  This ornately decorated Asian elephant was one of many gifts given to Gillings by the king of Burma.  On both sides and in front of the elephant were soldiers of the New Burmese Army carrying Lee-Enfield rifles with bayonets on their backs. When the Burmese people on the road saw this team, they gave way to it and knelt down on both sides of the road, letting out low shouts of awe.  "Duncan, when we are alone, just call me Arkansas." Gillings winked at Duncan affectionately, handed Duncan a glass of whiskey, and said with a smile: "In this terrible place, I think we can let go  Putting aside the little prejudice between the English and the Scots, how do you like this gift from the king? In fact, becoming a duke here is also a good choice for this cunning king, except for the bad weather.  "Yes, Consul - no, Mr. Arkansas!" Duncan was obviously a little unaccustomed to Gillings's intimacy. After all, the gap between a Scottish veteran and an Eton graduate was too huge. He drank.  A swig of whiskey made him feel better. Suddenly there was a burst of gunshots and shouts from the corner of the street ahead. Duncan quickly pulled out the Mauser pistol from his waist and reached out from the cage chair on the elephant's back.  Turning around, I saw a large group of thugs brandishing weapons at the corner of the street in front of me, shouting and cursing, and throwing torches and stones at the house they surrounded.  "What are you doing?" Duncan opened his mouth in surprise: "Is that king crazy? The war with the Chinese has not started yet, but the war has started in his own city? Have the Chinese already invaded?"  "Relax, dear Duncan, here, have some more whiskey, it will make you feel better!" Gillings refilled Duncan's glass and replied with a smile: "This is the king's reward for him.  "Reward the army?" Duncan was stunned and asked instinctively.  Gillings took a sip of wine and said with a smile: "Yes, Duncan, you have also seen the soldiers in this country. They are poor and dirty. They are simply beggars with weapons. Do you think such people can??Defeat the enemy on the battlefield?  So before going to the battlefield, the king would give them a large sum of money to satisfy them so that they would not break up or even turn against each other before going to the battlefield.  But our clever king was unwilling to empty his own purse, or simply did not have so much money, so he planned to use other people's purses to solve this trouble for himself.  Who better to meet this requirement than wealthy foreign businessmen in this country?  " "So that's what happened?  "Duncan understood and nodded. At this time, the thugs had already broken open the door of the house. Duncan could clearly see the thugs rushing into the house, taking away all kinds of goods, and smashing those that could not be taken away.  Or be burned down. From time to time, conflicts caused by uneven distribution of spoils were heard in the house. Duncan frowned and was about to say something, when a burst of cheers suddenly broke out from the mob, and a Burmese man with a black cloth on his head was seen.  The man climbed onto the roof and raised his bloody head above his head. The crowd cheered and then dropped it, "Thugs, complete thugs, this is not an army at all!  "Duncan turned his head away in disgust. As a veteran who has been in India for almost twenty years, he has long been accustomed to bloodshed and massacre, but as a soldier, he cannot stand such disorderly atrocities. He knows very well  , Such disorder is very harmful to the combat effectiveness of the army. "You are right, Duncan, this is why the king asked us to help him build a new army.  Gillings casually pulled the string on the side, and the bamboo curtain immediately dropped down, isolating the noise and blood. Just like the flood receding, the nonchalant look on Gillings's face disappeared, revealing the solemn truth below:  "Duncan, the Chinese are here, what should we do now?  " "Help the king defeat the Chinese invasion!  " "No, at least it's not just that!  Gillings shook his head. The British man, whose face was tanned by the scorching sunshine of Indochina, said in a deep voice: "You have to remember that any agreement, memorandum, or contract can only be made if you have the strength to force the other party."  It is only useful when it is performed.  This cunning king is only agreeing to us now because of the situation. If we remove the Chinese threat for him, he will come up with those cunning tricks again, which is not a pleasant thing.  " "Yes, Mr. Arkansas!  This king will definitely do this!  "Duncan nodded affirmatively, and two wrinkles appeared on his broad forehead: "Then what should I do!  " "Change to someone who is easier to manipulate.  "Gillings replied: "Just like the Chinese, just find a child under the age of fourteen, as long as he has the sacred blood in him.  Duncan, as far as I know, this king has a very large family, right?  " "Yes, as prolific as a guinea pig, Mr. Arkansas!  Duncan, who understood what Gillings meant, made a vulgar analogy and laughed: "I understand what you mean. Please rest assured that I will ensure that the interests of the British Empire are protected."  "    "very good!  Seeing that Duncan understood what he meant, Gillings nodded with satisfaction. He filled his wine glass with wine and raised his glass to Duncan with a smile: "Okay, old Duncan, I wish everything goes well!"  "    "all the best!  " At this moment, there was a loud noise outside the city gate. Gillins' arms, which had just clinked the glasses, couldn't help but tremble. The full liquid in the glass immediately spilled out, and a patch of blood immediately appeared on his straight black trousers.  There were wet marks. He frowned slightly, put the wine glass aside, opened the bamboo curtain and looked outside, and saw a plume of black smoke rising from the open space outside the city gate, and groups of farmers who were applying for the army were shouting in confusion.  The city was crowded and trampled at the narrow city gate. The dying screams and curses of the trampled people were clearly audible. At this time, the second shell hit a house in the city, causing shrapnel and splashing.  Building debris knocked down more than a dozen people. ¡°The Chinese are here, and they are using the one-half range method to test fire!  "As an old artilleryman, Duncan immediately made a judgment. The so-called one-half ranging method is an artillery adjustment method that continuously corrects the trajectory. That is, first fire a shell in front of the target, and then fire another round behind it.  , then take the middle position and fire another round. If the target is between the front and middle two impact points, then take another shot between the front and middle two impact points; if the target is between the back and middle two impact points, then take another round.  Hit the target between the two impact points at the back and middle; and by analogy, after hitting the target, start shooting continuously until the opponent is eliminated. As expected by Duncan's judgment, the third shell accurately landed near the city gate.  In the crowd, the air waves generated by the grenade explosion were mixed with shrapnel, tearing the fragile human body into pieces, and the area near the city gate suddenly became a Shura field. "They have corrected the target, and the next step is to shoot quickly!"  ¡± As if to confirm Duncan¡¯s words, several shells fell one after another.In the crowd, the continuous explosions destroyed everything. When the shelling stopped half a minute later, the city gate that was still lively not long ago had become extremely silent, and the ground was covered with burnt black corpses. This strong contrast made  Gillings couldn't help but feel a little pity.  "Consul, let's get out of here quickly. The Chinese should be using new nine-pound or twelve-pound cannons, and there are their artillery observation posts nearby. We are less than four hundred feet away from the city gate in a straight line. In theory, we  It's also within their shooting range, it's very unsafe here!" Duncan whispered. He looked at the ornate elephant he was riding on uneasily. This target was too conspicuous.  "You're right, old Duncan!" Gillings shuddered, woke up, and immediately realized his dangerous situation. He quickly climbed down from the elephant and whispered: "Captain Duncan, remember  What I just said is that in this whirlpool of power, we servants of the Queen must remember the true interests of the empire!" "Please rest assured, Mr. Consul, I will hold the new army tightly in my hands at the critical moment!  It's time to make a decisive move!" Duncan stood up straight.  "Stop shooting, stand by!" I carefully observed the south gate of Mandalay with a monocular telescope. I saw that there was no one outside the crowded city gate just now. There were corpses and fragments of weapons everywhere. The city gate was open and there was no one.  People take care of it.  Zhang Qi nodded. As a veteran who had joined the Imperial Army in 1865, he was very satisfied with the effect of Cai Cai's bombardment. He killed at least more than a hundred enemies, and the number of injured and escaped enemies was several times higher.  At this point, it is a pity that he only has a team of hundreds of men under his command, otherwise he could directly launch a bayonet attack and seize Mandalay City.  "Hand the flag, what are we going to do next, fight into the city?" the half-crouching soldier behind Zhang Qi asked excitedly.  This time the Shun Army set out. Due to the climate, water and soil, the two brigades were selected from the elite Yunnan-Guizhou border guards. Although these southern soldiers looked dark-skinned and short in stature, they were not as good as the northern soldiers from Youzhou, Anxi Protectorate and other places.  The soldiers are burly, but most of them are simple mountain people, hardworking, loyal and brave enough to fight.  Chen Zaixing also used his private money to give the army generous rewards and salaries, so although there were heavy non-combat casualties along the way, morale was not low.  Seeing that the opponent was defeated at the first touch and vulnerable, the morale became higher and higher.  "Fight in?" Zhang Qi stared at the telescope intently, but said with a smile: "There are at least 30,000 to 50,000 people in this city, plus the peasants and soldiers around, just with a hundred of us, we can't even spit a mouthful of saliva."  I'll kill you." The surrounding soldiers suddenly burst into deep laughter. The guy who just spoke was a veteran. He waved his hands carelessly and retorted: "What are you making fun of? There are many barbarians in Myanmar.  , but you also saw it just now, they are all servants with yellow mud on their legs (a curse word at that time, meaning farmers and country people), even if there are tens of thousands of people, two cannonballs, several rows of guns, one  He was knocked down with a bayonet. Look, even the roofs of the houses in the city are golden. If we attack them, everyone can become a rich man!" Hearing what this man said, everyone couldn't help but think, Burma!  The whole country believes in Buddhism, and Mandalay has been its ancient capital for many years. There are pagodas everywhere. The emperors of the Burmese people decorated the tops of pagodas with gilt, and the sun shines on them, like a fairyland.  In the eyes of the soldiers, it was as if there were countless invisible little hands scratching at his internal organs, which was very uncomfortable.  Zhang Qi put down the telescope and scolded sternly: "Shut up, those are just farmers temporarily recruited by the King of Burma. Don't underestimate them. We are only allowed to inquire and monitor, but we are not allowed to create any trouble. Get out of here."  Go back to your position, or else beware of ruthless military law!¡±

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 17 Chapter 17: Battle of Babu Village 1

    Under the officer's order, the soldiers of the Shun Army returned to their posts.  Zhang Qi waved his hand to summon a smart messenger, and dictated the situation here. After letting him remember it clearly, he ordered him to return to Xingai and report the general's situation to Batu.  The messenger had just finished reciting the story when Zhang Qi suddenly heard someone behind him saying hurriedly: "Holding the flag, someone ran out of the city gate and ran towards us." Zhang Qi quickly turned around and grabbed the flag from his waist.  He pulled out his telescope and looked in the direction of his finger. Sure enough, there was a group of people running towards him from the city gate. There were men and women inside. From the appearance, they looked more like fleeing civilians than attacking defenders.  "Sir, do you want to fire?" There was a sound of pulling the bolt and loading bullets in Zhang Qi's ears. The position they occupied was a small mound with a good view. According to the speed at which those people were running, in two minutes  , entering the range of the outpost rifle.  "No!" Zhang Qi put down the telescope: "From the telescope, it seems that these people are not carrying weapons, and there are women and children inside. They should be people fleeing. You can take a few people to capture them alive and bring them here, just in time to inquire about Mandalay."  The situation in the city. " "Yes!" The sentry leader stood up straight, gave a military salute, then turned around and led six or seven soldiers down. Zhang Qi ordered the gunners behind him to aim at the city gate and load the cannons, ready to fire at any time.  The reinforcements appeared and then used binoculars to carefully observe the group of refugees.  After a while, the whistleblower came to Zhang Qi with three panting people. Zhang Qi was surprised to find that although these people had darker skin and were dressed similar to Burmese people, judging from their faces and behavior, they should be  Dashun people.  Before he could ask a question, the sentry leader said with anger on his face: "Hold the flag, these are my Dashun people. The Burmese barbarians burned, killed, and looted in the city, specifically attacking and killing us Chinese. They also said that their king had already destroyed the city."  All the Chinese and their property were rewarded to their soldiers. They were decorated as Burmese barbarians and took advantage of the chaos in the city to escape. " Zhang Qi frowned slightly and began to ask the three who were already kneeling.  For the refugees on the ground, he soon determined from their accents and answers that they were indeed from Sichuan and were doing grocery business in Myanmar.  Zhang Qi knew that there were many Sichuan businessmen doing various businesses in Myanmar, and some even married and had children in Myanmar and settled there for several generations. Although he also knew that when the two countries were at war, what happened to the people living in other countries caught in the middle?  Such a fate is indeed extremely ordinary, but looking at these people's scarred bodies and frightened expressions, I still feel a bit pity in my heart.  He asked some more about the situation in the city, then ordered them to go down and rest. Then he summoned the messenger and whispered: "You have just seen the situation here. You should return to Xingai as soon as possible and report the situation here."  Report to the commander, do you know?¡±  These built two multifaceted forts on the high ground outside the market town, dug trenches around the multifaceted forts, and built breastworks for infantry. Outside the market town, they used earthen walls to reinforce shrubbery and bamboo fences.  Batu planned to deploy its only eight 75mm mountain guns in the market town, and use multi-faceted fortresses as observation posts, and use semaphore to direct the artillery fire. In this way, although the shooting effect is not good, it can avoid being defeated by the enemy's numerically superior artillery.  Overwhelmed, and take advantage of our own training and quality advantages.  Although Batu knew that the artillery in the Burmese army was very backward, he did not know whether the British had provided any advanced artillery during this period, but he firmly believed that the Shun army's artillery was superior to the Burmese army in terms of quality.  sexual advantage.  The main infantry is on standby, which is very necessary after a long journey.  But what made Batu and Chen Zaixing very disappointed was that although they took up the banner of the sons of the late king, no one from the neighboring Myanmar powerful came to vote. It seems that the puppet king has made full use of these few months to control Myanmar.  Around Dele.  Farmers from nearby villages fled one after another, and the Shun army received very limited manpower and material resources. If they had not obtained a large amount of food in the warehouse when they captured Xingai, I am afraid that the Shun army would have run out of food.  But this is not an option. After all, as time goes by, the power of the false king will continue to increase. Batu and Chen Zaixing agreed that they must launch an attack on Mandalay as soon as possible after getting the necessary rest.  "What you mean is that the puppet king summoned a large number of peasants and gave them weapons. He also massacred our merchants in the city and distributed their property to the soldiers to boost morale!" Batu frowned and looked at the messenger,  Chen Zaixing sat aside, his eyes bright.  "Yes, sir! Although those Burmese barbarians are large in number, they are nothing special. We fired seven or eight rounds of artillery shells, killing and wounding hundreds of them, and scared away several times the number of enemies.  The city gates were all open, and no one dared to close them. They would have been left open unless the flags were raised.He's already gone in!  "The messenger replied excitedly. "Yeah!  You go down first to receive the reward!  "Batu made a gesture. At this time, he and Chen Zaixing were the only two people left in the room. He thought for a moment and asked in a low voice: "It seems that the false king was also caught off guard. I'm afraid he has been thrown into chaos!  " "Exactly!  "Chen Zaixing agreed: "He attacked and killed Chinese merchants and disrupted order. I'm afraid that the people, monks and monasteries in the city who have a little wealth will secretly feel chilly: Today, I can kill Chinese merchants to get a lot of murder, but how do I know it won't be my turn tomorrow?  them?  Things in the world are prone to chaos, and it is difficult to achieve peace. That guy was not in the right position, and if he still acts like this, he is really bringing his own destruction.  In my opinion, selecting a few capable people from the fleeing merchants and guides, and sending them back to the city with the promise of heavy rewards, to discuss with the monks and knowledgeable people in the city, and to create a wedge between them, will have a miraculous effect.  "    "good!  Batu nodded and said: "However, those people probably only know how to deal with both sides. At most, they will start to react after we gain an advantage on the battlefield."  " "Brother Ba, have you ever hunted an eagle?  Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "The false king thought that rewarding the sergeants with businessmen's wealth would motivate them to fight to the death. Don't you know that after the falcons are full, they will be too lazy to pounce and cannot be driven. Therefore, falconers never let falcons fly."  When you are full, feed it at most one or two mouthfuls, otherwise it will not be used.  After those Burmese soldiers were plundered, they must think about their own wealth and self-protection when they go into battle. What is the use of millions of people?  Not to mention this kind of robbery, if some people take more and some take less, the unevenness will inevitably create resentment in the army, which is harmful but useless.  Our army is advancing with no way to retreat. The soldiers can only fight to the death. How can we compare the two sides to be invincible?  "Hearing this, Batu had made up his mind. He immediately sent an order to the baggage team to prepare dry food, pack up and prepare to set off to attack Mandalay. "The next morning, when the first ray of sunshine appeared in the sky, the troops of the Shun Army  The vanguard troops left Xingai, followed by the Chinese army, with artillery and camels transporting baggage at the rear. In order to protect themselves from the light rain, the soldiers generally wore wide-brimmed bamboo hats commonly used by locals and walked in the narrow streets.  On the road, there was no one in the vast paddy fields on both sides. Only the sharp chirping of tropical birds could be heard from the distant woods from time to time. Everything seemed so quiet, as if the peace had never been broken. The speed of the Shunjun march was not fast.  At noon, after walking only about seven kilometers, Batu ordered to rest and have meals in a nearby village. This was partly because the road conditions were very bad, and more importantly, because Batu did not want his soldiers to spend too much time on the march.  After all, the enemy may appear at any time. ¡°The roads here are terrible. There are no basic drainage ditches and hardened roads. I can¡¯t believe that this is only a dozen kilometers away from Mandalay!  "Batu complained while drinking fish soup. His trouser legs were all covered with yellow soil. "Indeed, but this is not a bad thing!  After all, this also prevented the British from invading, otherwise the enemy we are facing now would probably be hordes of 'red-robed soldiers.'" Chen Zaixing showed a nonchalant look, he spread his two long legs,  Let the fire dry his pants. He put the bowl of fish soup aside with a smile and asked: "Bazhang Brigade, I guess the puppet king has almost got the news of our attack, and the fight will start tomorrow.  , how are you going to fight?  Batu nonchalantly handed the bowl of fish soup to the orderly on the side, and replied: "Occupy a favorable position, let those Burmese barbarians smash into pieces, and then fight back to capture or kill the puppet king."  " "Do you think the other party will act according to your imagination?  The false king is not your puppet!  " "Chen Zanhua, the number of troops that the Puppet King can really restrain and command is very limited. Most of the remaining troops are mobs and temporarily recruited farmers. The reason why I am so eager to attack Mandalay is to  Not giving him enough time to train them into an army with minimum discipline.  These rabble-rousers are simply unable to make basic tactical cooperation. You must know that their emotions are always switching between reckless bravery and sudden fear. The only thing the Puppet King can do is to bring these guys as orderly as possible.  On the battlefield, point at the enemy and let them charge forward, and then pray to the gods to drown us with their numerical superiority.  " Chen Zaixing nodded: "Okay, I admit that what you said makes sense. You should have thought about the specific location, right?  "    "of course!  Batu smiled and took another sip of fish soup, stretched out his hand and tapped on his head: "I am not just hanging around in the Burmese Colonel's Mansion. The terrain near Mandalay is here."  Five kilometers further ahead there is a village called Babu. It is really a great position, located on a saddle-shaped highland, with a small pond on the left to provide the village with drinking water.  Once the village is captured, we can control the road below. I placed the infantry on both sides of the village and the artillery in the recessed area in the middle.  If the enemy wants to attack us, he must cross that?The rice fields must be muddy now. We can beat them to death in the mud like ducks.  Most of the artillery of the Burmese army are smoothbore artillery. Their solid bullets will sink into the mud and have no effect on our infantry behind the parapet. If necessary, we can also blow up ponds and flood the Burmese people with water.  " Hearing this, Chen Zaixing showed a satisfied smile on his face: "Very good, it seems that my choice this time is not wrong. I promise that if I win this battle, I will make a case for you in front of the teacher and let you  After returning, he led a battalion and became a general.  " "Seriously?  "Hearing Chen Zaixing's promise, Batu couldn't help but tremble all over. The hot fish soup splashed into his hand without realizing it. It's no wonder he was so rude. It turns out that according to the Dashun military system, there are hundreds of people in a team, and the officer is called the flag bearer; the team leader  If there is a brigade, the leader of the brigade is the commander; if there is a mark on the brigade, the leader of the mark is the commander; if there is a battalion, the commander is the general. The battalion is the largest organization. If there is more than one battalion, it can be used.  The generals such as the pacifying envoy, the recruiting envoy, the general protector, and the commander-in-chief of all roads are under unified command, but these are temporary official positions set up during wartime.  An important step. Although Batu's official rank was only a brigade when he was guarding the Burmese captain's mansion, he commanded two pacesetters when he sent out troops this time. This was already an exceptional appointment. If he was promoted to a general and commanded a battalion of soldiers, his promotion speed would be automatic.  In the more than two hundred years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, no one has been able to match it, except for the famous generals at the time of the founding of the People's Republic of China.  The imperial court wanted to follow the old practices of Anxi and Shuofang and garrison troops to open the mansion.  It turns out that most of the people in the government who were familiar with the situation in Myanmar died in that disaster. The Yunnan-Guizhou Jiedu Envoy is my mentor, so he will naturally speak for me. With his guarantee, who else can replace you and me?  Location.  " Hearing this, Ba Dudu was overjoyed. He rubbed his palms and said, "Brother Chen, please watch me break the thief.  " Mandalay. There is already a sea of ??people outside the city. After receiving the news that the Chinese were attacking Mandalay, the palace finally issued an order to send troops to attack. At the front were countless farmers, their weapons were bamboo  Guns, farm tools, bows, arrows, and blowguns; in order to ensure basic order, on both sides of the queue were village leaders riding elephants. They waved long whips and swung them vigorously above their heads, making sharp sounds.  The sound was made to intimidate the villagers and prevent them from escaping. There were flags made of various materials above the heads of the crowd, including cotton, linen, silk, and even a straw mat. This number.  The astonishing mob slowly moved southward. Behind the farmers were the Burmese regular troops. Their number was between 11,000 and 12,000 people. Their equipment and order were better than before.  The rabble was much better. The soldiers were generally equipped with muskets. The soldiers wore black-painted bamboo hats in place of military caps and marched along the road in a line of six people. Duncan rode an Indian horse.  Horse, he joined the battle as the commander of the new army. He looked back at the elephants not far behind him. The Burmese used elephants and buffaloes instead of horses to pull these old antiques. Those were the kings of Burma who overpowered the domestic power.  The trump card - the artillery team. In Meng Ji's plan, the artillery team will play an extremely important role in the war against the Chinese. At this time, Gillings's harsh comments flashed through Duncan's mind: "We are here.  The great king was such a generous collector that he established a living artillery museum, where you can find all the artillery that appeared in human history from the 1870s to the mid-19th century, from Lafayette to  Especially when it comes to Napoleon III, maybe the collection in the British Museum is not as rich as his, but it's just a bit disrespectful to let them go to the battlefield now!  " "You are such a mean guy, Mr. Arkansas!  "Duncan said to himself. His eyes turned to the front. A very ornately decorated white elephant stood out among the black bamboo hats. It was the mount of King Meng Ji. Surrounded by the white elephant were people wearing  Monks in yellow and red cassocks, these monks will recite scriptures while marching and fighting, which is said to curse the enemy and bring victory to the king. Duncan turned around and made a gesture. A man with brown hair.  The green-eyed British officer ran over, and Duncan whispered: "Tell the children, no one is allowed to fire a shot or move without my order, do you understand?  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises from the South Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Battle of Babu Village 2

    "Yes, Mr. Duncan! We Scots are as stubborn as stone. No one will move without your order!" the officer replied with a smile.  "Very good!" Duncan waved his riding crop with satisfaction. After his men left, he said to himself: "Okay, the curtain has opened and the actors have come on stage. Let's watch the show!" The battle is going smoothly.  It started around four o'clock in the afternoon on the second day after the army occupied Babu Village. At that time, the number of Burmese farmers who arrived on the battlefield was already eight thousand to ten thousand. It had been ten hours since these people set out at six o'clock in the morning.  They had not eaten before, and exhaustion and hunger made them even more anxious. They gathered in groups according to their village communities, and lit bonfires to prepare their own dinners. Many people came to Babu Village.  Draw water from the nearby pond. Compared with the surrounding areas, the water quality here is much cleaner and clearer.  At this time, a group of soldiers carefully moved along the side of the highland to the side and rear of the pond. After firing two rows of guns at the water-drawers, they launched a charge. The sudden attack killed and injured dozens of farmers.  The remaining people began to flee in panic, but after many days of rain, the paddy fields that had absorbed enough water had turned into a swamp. Those who escaped fell into the mud one after another. The Shunjun soldiers standing on the ridge could easily  They killed the escapees with rifles and bayonets in the paddy fields. The blood seeped into the muddy water and was quickly washed away by the rain, as if God could not bear to see what was about to happen.  The farmers on the edge of the paddy fields watched all this, and the calls for help and screams from their fellow villagers and friends echoed in their ears. They were quickly angered. Their huge numbers gave them courage, while the parapets and buildings obscured the Shun army.  , making them unable to see the true strength of the enemy, as if there were only less than a hundred shooting riflemen on the field ridge.  At first there were dozens of people, then hundreds, and finally thousands of people took up arms and charged towards the village with deafening shouts.  Facing this terrifying crowd, the Shunjun soldiers immediately turned around and ran away.  Run towards Babu Village on the high ground.  In Babu Village, the Shun Army had built a breast wall using materials obtained from piles of earth and demolished houses. The entire breast wall was not in a straight line, but a semi-arc shape that was concave inward. The riflemen were hidden behind the breast wall.  At the heights at both ends of the village, the Shun army built two protruding semicircular fortresses, in which were placed multiple ten-barreled 11mm Gatling guns - also known as Gatling guns, a hand-cranked gun barrel  It is a suppressed firearm that rotates on its axis to fire in bursts, and Batu set up the artillery observation post in the semicircular fort on the left.  When the crowd had reached half of the rice field and began to slow down, the observer in the observation post shouted loudly according to the marks that had been tested in advance: "The enemy has entered area 11, the distance is 1,500 meters, the altitude angle is minus ten  "Five degrees!" "The enemy has entered area 11, the distance is 1,500 meters, the altitude angle is minus 15 degrees!" the officer repeated loudly, and a soldier holding a red and white flag in each hand turned around and faced  Send a signal in semaphore to the artillery position more than 200 meters away.  The artillery officer who had been staring at the observation post with a telescope shouted out the data loudly. The gunners who had been waiting behind him immediately repeated the data loudly, while instructing the gunners to adjust the direction and height of the artillery, and  Load the shells, close the gun door, and begin to loudly report to the officer that the preparations are complete.  "Test firing of the armored cannon!" the officer shouted loudly.  "Test fire this gun!" the commander of the A-gun gun shouted loudly, and then the gunners of the A-gun ran away, plugged their ears, opened their mouths, and then the gunner pulled the match rope fiercely, and the 75mm mountain gun fired fiercely.  Jumping back, a ball of fire erupted from the muzzle, and then a stream of white smoke erupted from the muzzle, covering the sky above the artillery position.  Kabu struggled to pull his right leg out of the knee-deep mud. He felt panicked and quickly used his bamboo spear to lean on the ground to avoid falling. After running five or six hundred meters in the mud, his physical strength was already gone.  To the limit.  Kabu looked around and saw that most of his companions had also slowed down. Apparently their situations were similar to his own, and he couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he wasn't slowing down alone, he didn't have to worry.  "Come on, don't stop, you lazy bones and muddy legs!" the Burmese soldiers yelled loudly, and the whips in their hands danced in the air, making a sharp sound.  In order to strengthen the control over these temporarily recruited farmers, Meng dispersed some of the soldiers and mixed them into various village communities. In fact, he served as the supervisor of the army. When he saw Kabu stopping, he rushed over to urge and intimidate him.  .  Kabu pulled the bamboo gun out of the mud and was about to move forward when suddenly a piercing scream pierced the sky. He instinctively shrank his neck, and there was a violent explosion behind him.  Kabu turned his head, and the sight in front of him made him open his mouth in surprise: dozens of meters behind him, a large amount of muddy water was flying into the sky, forming a muddy water column.  "Bah!" Kabu spat, and a lot of the muddy water that fell hit him, and even a little got into his mouth.  He is trying to escape from his lack of knowledgeLooking for the reason for the scene just now, an object suddenly fell in front of him, splashing mud and water all over his face.  Kabu wiped his face angrily, and was about to curse a few words, when suddenly the object emerged from the muddy water, and it turned out to be a severed leg.  "Buddha!" ??Kabu immediately fell into the muddy water. He threw away the bamboo gun in his hand and almost hit the Burmese soldier beside him. The Burmese soldier grabbed the bamboo gun in anger and stuck it fiercely.  Bu's back was twitched, and Kabu hurriedly got up after feeling the pain, and hurriedly took the bamboo gun that the other party had thrust at him. He heard the other party's roar in his ears: "Asshole, rush up and get close to the Chinese cannon."  It's a miss!" Kabu turned around dully, and before he could move his legs, a dense scream came from his ears. He instinctively fell into the muddy water, and the bitter muddy water immediately poured out.  At the same time, he felt a violent tremor coming from the ground. Kabu quickly curled up, his whole body trembling involuntarily.  No matter how much time passed, Kabu climbed up from the muddy water. While groping to see if his body was intact, he looked around and saw mutilated corpses scattered everywhere. But what surprised Kabu was,  But my heart was empty, and there was no fear like before.  He shook his head, trying to find his bamboo spear. A familiar body came into view. It was the Burmese soldier just now. He quickly leaned over and helped him up, only to see his hands.  His eyes were wide open, there was an inch-long hole in his throat, and blood was pouring out from the wound. Kabu tentatively stretched out his right hand and waved it twice in front of the opponent's eyes, but there was no reaction.  "Crash!" Kabu threw the body into the muddy water. At this time, he was full of confusion. There were only a few living people around. The fierce shelling by the Chinese just now had completely defeated these farmers. All the farmers could still move.  Everyone dropped their weapons and ran around frantically - no matter which direction it was, as long as they could get as far away from these terrifying demons as possible.  "Bang!" There was a gunshot from behind. Kabu turned around and saw that there were already some more Chinese soldiers on the parapet. They were lined up in a sparse row and were slowly walking towards him, away from him.  The nearest one was less than two hundred meters away, and their gleaming spears could already be seen.  Kabu looked around and saw that a fleeing farmer was shot in the back and fell in the paddy field.  He immediately stopped. He couldn't run fast in this paddy field. With an idea, Kabul suddenly stiffened and fell backward, lying on his back in the muddy water, like an unlucky guy who had been shot suddenly.  "Victory!" Batu proudly handed the telescope to the orderly on the side, and said with a smile to Chen Zaixing, who was carefully observing the battlefield with the telescope: "How about it, Brother Chen, what I got is not bad, the puppet king and these rabble are not vulnerable at all."  , the artillery team fired two or three volleys and dispersed them! "Well! It seems that I was worried about not having enough ammunition!" Chen Zaixing put down his telescope with satisfaction and looked at the soldiers cleaning the battlefield in the distance!  Having reached the edge of the paddy field, they began to return to their position. Their main task was to capture some prisoners to obtain necessary intelligence and to deal with the enemy's wounded soldiers.  "Brother Chen, you are worrying too much. If I hadn't known whether Yingyi was personally involved, I would have simply launched a bayonet attack to solve the problem later!" Batu pointed proudly at Shun, who was hidden behind the parapet.  Army soldier: "How can those chickens and dogs be compared with the attack of our warriors!" "Then I wish Brother Ba a great success and be able to take charge of the battalion as soon as possible!" "I don't dare, I have to rely on Brother Chen for this.  "You have so many kind words in front of Mr. Wu!" Batu and Chen Zaixing laughed for a moment. At this time, the soldiers of the Shun Army who were cleaning up the battlefield had come back and captured more than ten people alive. Batu and Chen Zaixing were both staying in Myanmar.  It didn't take a short time, and there was no need for an interpreter. I was called directly to ask. Unexpectedly, I asked seven or eight questions in a row, but all of them were farmers captured temporarily. Whether it was the number of the Burmese army or the weapons they equipped, whether they were British or not.  The ** team is all confused and doesn't know anything about it.  This situation made Ba Ba annoyed. Huo stood up suddenly, pulled out the pistol from his waist, and shot the Burmese man in front of him until his brains burst. He shouted: "I don't know this, I don't know that, so what?"  What's the use of keeping you barbarians? Just kill them all!" Chen Zaixing quickly reached out to stop Batu and whispered: "I guess these are ignorant people who were recruited temporarily. Why bother with them? We will be there in the future.  If we establish a foothold here, the future will be long. Killing more is useless!" Batu snorted coldly. He also knew that what Chen Zaixing said was true. At this time, a voice came from those farmers: "General, I, I know what you want to ask!  " Chen Zaixing and Batu both turned around and looked towards where the sound came from. They saw a group of Burmese farmers kneeling on the ground, stretching out a trembling arm, which seemed particularly abrupt.  Chen Zaixing took two steps forward.The one who raised his hand was a short and stocky man. His body was covered with mud and water, just like a mud monkey. His slightly raised eyes revealed the light of hope.  "Stand up, what's your name?" Chen Zaixing turned to the soldier beside him: "Bring him some hot water and dry food!" "People in the village call me Kabu, sir!" Kabu looked at him carefully.  The Chinese man speaking to him should be a high official from the way he gave orders to the soldiers. He realized that his future destiny would depend on the likes and dislikes of the Chinese man in front of him.  Kabu humbly bent down and wanted to kiss the soil in front of Chen Zaixing's feet with his mouth.  "Get up! Kabu!" Chen Zaixing knew that this was the etiquette of Burmese people showing obedience and respect to people with a higher status than themselves. He spoke to Kabu as slowly as possible: "Kabu, I am serving Emperor Dashun.  Ordered to escort the prince and princess of the legitimate king of Myanmar Xipao back to Mandalay to ascend the throne, why did you raise weapons to attack the envoys of Emperor Dashun, as well as the prince and princess of the legitimate king? " Kabu's face?  He immediately showed a confused look. From his stammering and incomprehensible answer, it was not difficult for Chen Zaixing to understand that this Burmese farmer did not understand what these high-sounding terms represented. Kabu just stammered and replied:  He only got an order from the village chief: the king ordered all men to take up arms to resist the invasion of the Chinese from the north. As for the orthodox king, princes and princesses, he didn't know anything about it.  "I can forgive you for the crime you committed out of ignorance, but now that you know it, you should tell me how many soldiers the puppet king has, how many cannons he has, and are there any foreign mercenaries in the army who look different from you?"  "This?" Kabu thought for a while and replied: "The king's soldiers have as many men and women in as many villages as my fingers and toes put together, and the cannon pulled by an elephant has five palms.  There are so many fingers, a cannon pulled by an ox has as many fingers as two palms. As for the foreigners you mentioned, there are not many of them. There are only as many as my fingers plus toes. They are all riding horses.  "And Elephant, be a commander in the army!" "How many people are there in your village?" "Many, many!" Kabu scratched his head, worrying about how to express his meaning in a language that the other party could understand.  , suddenly he pointed at the Shun Army soldiers sitting on the ground not far away and resting: "If there are people with one palm, they will be almost the same as the population of our village!" "Very good!" Chen Zaixing showed a satisfied smile on his face  : "Take him to the back, give him food and drink, then wash him clean, change his clothes and bring him to us!" At this point, Chen Zaixing turned around, smiled and said to Batu: "How?  ?" "There are 10,000 infantry, 25 heavy artillery, and 50 light artillery. The British are only training officers. Judging from the number of officers, the new army will not exceed 600, which is about the same as I expected!" Batu said with satisfaction!  He smacked his lips and said with a smile: "You are really good at taking out so many things from the mouth of a barbarian who can't even count!"

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 19 Chapter 19: Battle of Babu Village 3

    "Xiao Ji'er, the key depends on you!" Chen Zaixing looked back at the gorgeous yellow flag behind him. The two princes and princesses were under the flag. Suddenly he recalled the girl who was as pretty as a lotus.  His heart couldn't help but tremble slightly, and he called the opponent in small words in a low voice: "Zhenwu, this battle is very risky. The princess and prince are of little use if they stay here. It's better to send them back to Xingai first. In case of misfortune, there will be someone who can make a comeback."  Opportunity. " "Oh? Brother Fusheng is very affectionate. Could it be that he has fallen in love with the barbarian princess?" Batu also called Chen Zaixing with a small name. Seeing her serious face, he spread his hands and said with a smile, "I don't care, anyway.  I don¡¯t expect those two and a half-year-old children to boost morale, but you know the bad rules here in Myanmar. If we are defeated here, the barbarians who were originally on both sides of the road will definitely attack in groups.  Can people escape? It is better to stay here and die in a decent way!" Chen Zaixing also decided that what Batu said was reasonable. He couldn't help but sighed for a moment: "You and I can't.  We came thousands of miles to show off our power in a foreign land and record our merits. Why did we bring these two half-year-old children here?" "Who told them to be born in the emperor's family!" Batu sneered.  He said: "We usually live a good life with good clothes and good food, but now we have to stiffen our necks. They are pitiful. How can they be pitier than those Burmese farmers who were beaten to pieces by artillery shells? Why do they really have to bother!  " As the two said this, they suddenly heard a horn sound and hurried to the barrier. They saw pieces of black heads pouring out from the edge of the woods.  Batu hurriedly took out his binoculars and looked over there. He saw that the people in the front were all farmers in ragged clothes. They were slowly moving forward under the intimidation of soldiers holding muskets. There were large tracts of land under their feet and in the paddy fields not far away.  The corpses made their pace slower and slower.  Behind the farmers are Burmese soldiers. Their equipment and formation are much better than those of the farmers in front. From Batu's telescope, it can be clearly seen that most Burmese soldiers are carrying various kinds of weapons on their shoulders.  Many soldiers had already loaded their bayonets, as if they were ready to attack at any time.  At the end of the soldiers' queue, there were a large number of elephants and buffaloes. The Burmese used these animals to carry artillery and baggage. This huge group kept pouring out from under the horizon, filling Batu's entire field of vision, as if it was endless.  generally.  "Forty thousand, no, it should be 50,000 or 60,000!" Batu shook his head, gave up trying to confirm the number of enemies, and said with a bitter smile: "Although I know they are just mud-legged people with bamboo guns, but  It's quite scary to look at it, it seems like everyone can drown us by spitting!" "Yes!" Chen Zaixing also put down the telescope: "We should do something, otherwise it will be bad for us!" Meng Ji sat on the white floor!  On the back of the elephant, everywhere he looked around and around him were people who were obeying his orders. Seeing this huge crowd, the confidence that had been shaken by the news of the defeat not long ago was restored. Even the Chinese are King Kong.  The reincarnation of Arhat can't stop such a huge army from attacking!  "Master Daosheng!" Meng Ji said to the yellow-robed monk sitting at his feet: "Who will win this victory?" "Of course it is you, the beloved son of the Buddha and the descendant of the gods!" That monk  He raised his head and replied decisively: "Please let us first curse these northern foreigners to the gods for you, so that their guns will be blocked, their swords will be rusty, their bodies will be weak, and their hearts will be timid. Then you can attack again, and you will definitely gain a lot."  Complete victory." "Very good, very good!" Meng Ji rubbed his hands with satisfaction and said, "But that's not the most important thing. With my current strength, you only need to defeat these hateful Chinese.  Just pray to the Buddha so that the two remnants of Xipao can't escape, so that their legs and feet are injured and they can't run. "This" Daosheng frowned: "Honorable."  Your Majesty, please forgive me. Those two people and you are like different branches growing from a big tree. They are all descendants of gods. Buddha also accepted the alms and incense from their father and cursed his descendants.  I'm afraid it won't flow into the sacred ears of the Buddha! " "What a greedy guy!" Meng Ji frowned angrily: "That person has been kicked out of the holy family because of his sins, and naturally his descendants will not be able to do it either.  I am a descendant of the gods again. After returning to the master, I will offer more alms and incense to the Buddha. Please be sure to meet my requirements!" "You are the beloved of the Buddha, and your request will be accepted by the Buddha's ears.  !" Dao Sheng lowered his head to avoid Meng Ji's happy expression after seeing his success.  Duncan stood on a hill and carefully observed Babu Village not far away with a telescope. Standing next to him were several Burmese military officers and cadets. Following Duncan's orders, they were marking the approximate positions of the Shun Army on a very crude map.  Condition.  Finally, DuncanHe lowered his telescope and murmured to himself: "It seems that the Chinese have a capable general. I hope that the king is really a descendant of the gods as he said. He needs God's help now!"  Captain Duncan." A young British officer who always had a cheerful expression replied with a smile: "As far as I know, no matter where you are, gods are like the banks of the British Empire. When you really need them, they are always there.  There is no response!" Duncan, who had just been promoted to a level, shook his big head, took a sip of the whiskey brought by the Burmese man next to him, and said: "Maybe you are right, Smith, but you'd better pray.  Don't let this king lose too badly. You have to rely on the generosity of this king for your gambling debt? Sixty pounds a month. You can't find such a generous person anywhere in the world!" "Of course!  , In my heart, this king is like God!" Lieutenant Smith smiled and took the wine glass handed over by Duncan, raised the glass and said with a smile: "Cheers, for the generosity of the king!" "Cheers!" Duncan clinked the wine glass.  .  At this moment, there was suddenly a blast of horns from the king's side. Duncan turned around in confusion and saw the conspicuous white elephant stopped. A high platform was set up next to the white elephant, and a man in yellow robes stood on it.  Around him were dozens of monks kneeling regularly. Most of the Burmese people they looked at - mainly farmers - were kneeling on the ground, as if they were performing some important ceremony.  "What are these Burmese people doing?" Duncan looked at Smith in confusion. The other party spread his hands helplessly and said, "Maybe they are performing a pre-war mass. It's okay. Those Russians will also pray to Jesus and their soldiers before charging.  The 'Little Father' (Russian proverb, referring to the Tsar) prayed. " "Yes, but the Russians will not be stupid enough to hold a pre-war mass on such an undefendable ground," Duncan said sharply, turning around.  He asked a Burmese military cadet, "What's going on?" Those military cadets were all students from a missionary school, and they were one of the very few Burmese people who did not kneel on the spot.  "Mr. Duncan, it should be that the master is cursing the enemy, letting the enemy's cannons burst, making their swords rust, and making their limbs weak! This is a common ritual before war!" "Why not let those Chinese  Shoot yourself in the head, so we don¡¯t have to get wet here!¡± Duncan cursed in a low voice. He also knew that this ceremony was very helpful in improving the morale of these soldiers and farmers, but the current situation is that as long as the Chinese  If they launch an assault, these ragtag groups are likely to be completely defeated, and his small team of 400 people is located directly under this human waterfall. This is not a good feeling.  While the Burmese were holding a ceremony, Batu also ordered all eight of his 75mm mountain guns to be adjusted to their maximum range.  This type of mountain cannon was successfully manufactured by the Tianjin Ordnance Institute of the Shun Dynasty in 1881 and put into active service, so it is called the Type 81 mountain cannon.  Compared with field artillery of the same caliber, this artillery has a much smaller range and power, with a maximum range of only 3,500 meters, but it is also much lighter, only 850kg, and can be dragged by four or five soldiers, so this  During the first expedition, Batu abandoned all other artillery in his unit and only brought eight of these mountain cannons.  Just now, he deliberately asked his men to put the Burmese people about a thousand meters away before opening fire. Firstly, it was to allow the enemy to enter the paddy field area where movement was difficult to achieve better killing effects; secondly, it was also to deliberately prevent the enemy from knowing his maximum range.  Range, prepare to hit it at the critical moment. I didn't expect to have the opportunity so soon.  "Zhang Brigade, the place you want to bombard is a bit far away. Even at the maximum shooting angle, it is still a few hundred meters away. I'm afraid the only way is to use a dosing package! However, that will corrode the barrel, and there will be a large deviation, which will be very serious.  Hard to hit!" the artillery officer shouted to Batu.  "It doesn't matter, as long as this ceremony can be interrupted!" "Yes!" Meng Ji looked impatiently at the monks who were holding a ceremony on the high platform more than a hundred meters away. As a well-educated nobleman, he naturally knew how to combine religion and religion.  Faith should be distinguished from normal life. Of course, he asked Dao Sheng to curse the enemy to improve the morale of his army. Another reason was to delay time, because his army was too complex and there were not enough officers to control it.  If we don't use this to delay time, I'm afraid that before everyone has entered the starting position, the people in front will attack and be defeated one by one by the opponent.  Suddenly, there was a scream in the air, followed by an explosion more than a hundred meters away from the high platform. Pieces of soil and people were lifted into the air by the violent air waves and scattered in all directions. The sudden shelling caused the high platform to collapse.  Daosheng was stunned, his body stood there stiffly, but his tongue instinctively continued to recite the sutra, and time seemed to have stopped for a moment.  The second shell broke the stagnation. Its impact point was more than 20 meters closer to the high platform. Daosheng's eyesight was very good. He could clearly see that people around the impact point were hit by shrapnel.The air wave tore them apart, but the people farther away were lucky enough to save the whole body. Even at this distance, Daosheng could still feel a heat wave coming.  "Devil, Rakshasa ghost!" Dao Sheng turned around crazily, staggering and trying to escape off the stage, but his gorgeous cassock caught his feet.  Daosheng waved his arms desperately on the edge of the high platform, as if trying to grab something, and then fell down, hitting the mud heavily with a dull sound.  "Master is dead!" The monks in the audience were stunned by all this. This eminent monk, who was usually aloof and magnanimous, and was regarded by everyone as the reincarnation of the Buddha, suddenly fell down from the high platform.  In the mire, his neck had been broken in two, and he died like the meanest beggar on the roadside.  At this time, the third and fourth artillery shells from the army fell. People stood up and fled in all directions aimlessly, as if an invisible devil suddenly appeared and strangled people by the throat.  On the hillock, Duncan stared dumbfoundedly at the Burmese people not far away who were disintegrating like a tide. He had also considered that the Burmese people would lose this battle, but he never thought that they would lose like this.  The spread of those few artillery strikes by the Shun Army was astonishing. They were obviously random bombardments that exceeded the range, and the casualties caused to the Burmese people were not large. However, they did not expect that the magician who was pretending to be a ghost was so frightened that he fell to death, triggering a firestorm.  A big collapse, this is really a divine punishment.  "Lieutenant Duncan, what should we do now?" A voice interrupted Duncan's thoughts. Duncan looked back and saw Lieutenant Smith looking at him, his young face already full of worry.  "Now?" Duncan shook his head, with a confused look on his face. If this Scottish man had a clear order from his superiors, he would be able to complete it very well; but if the situation changes drastically, he needs to do it himself.  When it came to making the right decision, he was at a loss.  Smith looked at the officer in front of him. It was obvious that the officer had lost the ability to make a decision. He gritted his teeth and whispered: "I think we should move closer to each other like the king now to protect the king's safety!" "Yes, you are right, we should.  Get closer to the king!" Duncan nodded instinctively like a drowning man grabbing a rope. After receiving clear instructions, he acted quickly like a steam engine filled with coal.  He loudly scolded his new army officers and ordered his soldiers to line up in four columns and move closer to the king. If anyone dared to block it, they would use their rifle butts to solve the problem.  Although this action provoked a lot of curses, Duncan's order was still strictly implemented. Ten minutes later, the small new army had arrived at the ornate white elephant.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises from the South Chapter 20 Chapter 20 The Battle of Babu Village 4

    "Your Majesty!" Duncan bent slightly and whispered: "Now we should leave here quickly!" "Yes, that's true!" Meng Ji's face was pale, and he was no longer wearing the gorgeous robe just now.  , but it was just a cotton short robe worn by ordinary soldiers. Obviously he had no determination to stay on the battlefield and fight to the death. At this time, there was a burst of gunfire and screams not far away. It was the Burmese army that was disrupting their formation.  The farmers opened fire.  Hearing the gunfire, Meng Ji's face turned a little ugly. He took a deep breath and asked, "Mr. Duncan, can I trust you and your soldiers?" "Of course!" Duncan nodded affirmatively,  He loudly said: "I can make every young man under my command run back to Mandalay from here, and then back again. If anyone dares to disobey the order, I will use the nine-tailed whip to spread his ass!" "Very good  !" Hearing Duncan's affirmative answer, Meng Ji's face looked better. He turned his head and called Diok to the side, and said in a deep voice: "Diok, now I will return to Mandalay with Mr. Duncan to deal with something.  It's urgent. You will be back tomorrow morning, and you will take command of the army in my absence. If the situation is unfavorable, all the baggage that cannot be taken away will be destroyed and cannot be left to the Chinese. Do you understand? " "Understood, my majesty?  !" Diok bent down deeply.  "Very good, raise your head, my shadow!" Meng Ji held Diok's head, touched his cheek lightly with his, and lowered his voice: "Don't let others know that I have left.  " "Yes, Your Majesty!" Diok bowed his head in obedience.  In Babu Village, Chen Zaixing and Batu still didn't know how fruitful their previous shellings had been. They only saw the Burmese people, like a flock of alarmed sheep, starting to fight and trample on each other in chaos.  , at first they thought that this level of chaos would soon subside, but as time went by, the chaos became bigger and bigger, and even spread from the temporarily recruited farmers to the nearby better-organized Burmese army.  At this time, they finally realized that a great opportunity was now in front of them.  "You won just like that?" Chen Zaixing looked at the scene in front of him with dull eyes. He couldn't believe his eyes.  Batu on the side was also a little strange. The purpose of his artillery bombardment was just to disrupt the enemy's deployment and prevent the Burmese from simply setting up their formation. However, he did not expect that a few rounds of artillery shells could collapse the enemy. This was too much.  It was beyond his expectation.  "Do you want to pursue?" Chen Zaixing asked.  "Don't be anxious yet!" Batu shook his head and whispered: "There are too many Burmese people. We don't have cavalry and we are not familiar with the roads. Once the troops are spread out and encounter an accident, they will not be able to take them back. Let's take a look first.  , Well, I asked Zhang Qi on the left wing to lead a team to cover the two Green cannons and test them out! "Compared to the caution of his superiors, Zhang Qi's actions were much bolder. After receiving the order, Zhang Qi immediately gave the order.  The soldiers fixed their bayonets, crossed the parapet, and lined up in two skirmish lines to go out to the paddy field. Behind them were two 11 mm hand-operated Gatling guns. This kind of firearm looks like a short gun.  A thick cylinder with eleven barrels arranged in a circle around the cylinder. The entire barrel is mounted on a two-wheeled frame and can be flexibly adjusted up, down, left and right, and can be carried by three soldiers or a mule.  .  When shooting, the gunner gives a firing order, and the shooter turns a handle to continuously rotate the barrel to complete continuous shooting, and the ammunition feeder will feed ammunition through a hopper or magazine.  For logistical convenience, the standard rifles used by Gatling guns and Shunjun are all 11 mm caliber, and the bullets can be used universally.  When Zhang Qi saw that the Gatling Cannon had entered the firing range, he made a gesture to stop preparing to fire. The gunners immediately put down their brackets. The gunner and shooters adjusted the scale. After the ammunition feeder was ready, his eyes turned to Zhang Qi.  Zhang Qi looked at the chaotic Burmese people across the paddy field. At this time, many people had discovered the existence of his compliant army, and began to wave their weapons and rush towards this side while shouting loudly.  Zhang Qi hurriedly ran to the Green Cannon, picked up the whistle from his chest, took a deep breath, and blew it hard.  The intensive shooting sound immediately pierced people's eardrums. The soldiers were surprised to see the two strange-looking weapons spraying out two fire dragons. Almost at the same time, groups of Burmese people across the paddy field fell down, as if there was a gun.  It looked like an invisible giant scythe sweeping across.  In front of the heavy rain of steel and flames, life and flesh seemed so cheap and weak, being roughly crushed by the big hand of death.  "Ahem!" Zhang Qi, who was next to the Gatling Cannon, was coughed violently by the pungent smell of burning black gunpowder. The smoke from burning black gunpowder also obscured his sight, making it impossible for him and the gunner to see clearly what was being fired.  As a result, the shooter could only grit his teeth, turn the handle, and shoot in the direction of the Burmese.  Suddenly, Zhang Qi heard a mechanical click, and the Gatling Cannon on the right stopped firing.    "What's going on? Who allowed you to stop shooting?" Zhang Qi shouted loudly.  "Mr. Zhang, this Gatling gun is jammed." The shooter replied with a red face: "This thing is good for everything else, but as long as the handle is cranked too slowly or too fast, it will jam, which is very troublesome!" "Don't!  You're talking nonsense, please unload and fix it!" Zhang Qi waved his hand impatiently. At this time, a gust of wind blew away the gunpowder smoke, and he saw that the slopes of the fields where just now were filled with Burmese people were littered with corpses.  Apart from the people fleeing in all directions, there was no one standing upright.  At this time, the other Gatling Cannon stopped shooting even though it did not receive Zhang Qi's order. The surrounding area suddenly became quiet, and Zhang Qi could clearly hear the dying moans coming from the air.  "Ugh, vomit!" When the shooter who was unloading and clearing the chamber saw his masterpiece, he felt his stomach contract. He instinctively threw himself to the side and vomited violently. The gunner and the gunner next to him also vomited violently.  His face was very ugly. It was obvious that if Zhang Qi hadn't been standing by, he would have rushed to the side and vomited.  Although Zhang Qi is a veteran who has experienced many years of war, this is the first time he has seen such unilateral high-speed killing. He only felt an unconscious discomfort in his stomach, and a sentence could not help but flash through his mind - "Three generations are generals."  , Taoist taboo!¡± ¡°Commander, do we want to pursue him?¡± a junior officer asked.  Zhang Qi hesitated for a moment. The order Batu had given him just now was to carry out a tentative attack, but no subsequent orders were given. He thought for a moment and said to the messenger on the side: "Go back and report to the commander, saying that I  The enemy troops in front of us have been defeated, with dead and injured¡ª¡ª" At this point, Zhang Qi's eyes swept across the corpse-strewn slopes across the paddy field, and he immediately said: "Nearly a thousand were killed and wounded, let me know how to proceed next!  " The exploratory actions of Shunjun were nothing less than a wake-up call for Diok. Obviously, the opponent had discovered his own confusion and weakness and began to take the initiative to attack.  Now there is only one path available to him, which is to return to Mandalay with as many troops as possible and retain a little more capital.  Thinking of this, Diok couldn't help but secretly regret. If Meng had agreed to the British terms earlier and obtained enough arms, why would he have used such a bloated and fragile army to resist the Chinese attack?  "Order the artillery team to move forward, enter the position, and bombard the Chinese position!" Diok ordered loudly. He knew in his heart that it was impossible to take away those heavy artillery pieces. They were waiting for their final fate even if they were destroyed to avoid falling into the enemy's territory.  In the hands of the Chinese, the best option is to let them fire all the artillery shells and cover their retreat.  The actions of the Burmese army immediately attracted Batu's attention. From the high ground of Babu Village, he could clearly see through his binoculars that the artillery team that had been on the rear side of the Burmese army began to advance slowly. Some soldiers even used whips and bayonets to drive them away.  The broken troops blocking their way forward clearly indicate that the Burmese are trying to use these bulky guys to launch a counterattack on their own side.  Batu's nerves immediately became tense. No matter how backward the Burmese artillery was and how many people they had lost just now, after all, they still had more than ten times the advantage in numbers. Any small mistake in his command would have to be paid for.  Unacceptable price.  "Go back immediately and inform Zhang Zhangqi. He did a good job just now. Now let his troops return to the starting point and prepare to fight!" Batu said loudly to the messenger standing aside. Then he turned to Chen Zaixing and said: "Brother Fusheng  , The fight is about to start here, why don't you push the prince and princess over first to avoid anything happening there? " "Brother Zhenwu, what do you mean? Do you think I am a rotten scholar who is afraid of death?  ?" Chen Zaixing's expression changed slightly.  Batu whispered: "Brother Fusheng, there are many people in this army who can fight, but you and I are the only ones who really know the purpose of our trip. When it comes to fighting, guns and cannons have no eyes. If we are together, we will be able to fight."  Once the artillery shells are fired, everything will be reimbursed. It is better to separate. If there is an emergency, no one will be able to deal with important matters. " Chen Zaixing thought about it, and no longer shied away, he cupped his hands and said, "Brother Zhenwu, take care of each other.  !¡± ¡°Take care of each!¡± Sitting on the back of the white elephant, Diok watched coldly as the artillery position not far away began to shell. With the sound of gunfire, white clouds rose from the Burmese artillery position.  The smoke is quite spectacular when viewed from a distance.  Seeing that their own side finally started to attack the Chinese, bursts of cheers arose among the Burmese army, and their morale also rose for a while.  Diok jumped off the white elephant, took a piece of clothing worn by ordinary soldiers from the attendant on the side, and ordered to the general on the side: "Send my order to let the army behind retreat and return to Mandalay.  " "Sir? But the artillery is bombarding the Chinese, and the situation is good for us!" The general looked at Diok in shock. At this time, he was not at all like that in front of Meng Ji.Humbly, he walked up to the general, stared at him with sharp eyes, and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty has entrusted me with the full power to command the army. You must obey my orders without reservation. I don't want to say anything else."  Listen, do you understand?" The general was overwhelmed by Diok's momentum. He lowered his head instinctively and replied, "Yes, sir!" Diok looked at the still unconvinced general and shook his head.  Shaking his head, he put his right hand on the opponent's shoulder, pulled him into his arms, and whispered in his ear: "We can't win this battle anymore, understand! The Chinese artillery can hit farther and more accurately than us.  , they also occupied favorable terrain. Without the monks, we couldn't control so many peasants. Now what we can do is to bring as many troops as possible back to Mandalay. Those artillery are too cumbersome, so I put them  Stay here to delay the Chinese pursuit, do you understand?" The general was convinced by Diok. He stood up straight and replied: "I understand, sir!" Diok nodded.  He smiled and said: "Very good, then go quickly, hurry up! Time is precious to us now!" Looking at the other party's leaving figure, Diok put on the clothes of an ordinary soldier and loudly ordered his followers: "We  Leave immediately, and leave this white elephant and all the honor guards here as they are, lest others discover that the king has left!" In front of Babu Village, the Burmese army's artillery shells continued to fall, about one-third of which were solid shells, and the rest  There were all kinds of grenades. The soldiers of the Shun Army curled up and stayed close to the obstacles according to what they were taught in training to minimize the possibility of being hit by shrapnel.  Since most of the artillery on the Burmese side are already behind the times, the range is generally insufficient. Most of the artillery shells fell into the paddy fields in front of the village. The heavy artillery shells plunged into the muddy water, except for splashing muddy water all over the sky.  , there will be no other effects.  Only a few shells fired by new artillery fell on Shunjun positions, causing certain casualties.  On the artillery position of Shunjun, it was a different scene.  Batu carefully arranged these eight 75mm mountain cannons at the bottom of this saddle shape in advance. The highlands on both sides and the frontal barriers blocked most of the Burmese artillery shells, making this a shooting dead spot.  However, the artillery here can accurately counterattack the enemy through the data relayed by semaphores from the observation post on the high ground on the right.  As soon as the second Burmese artillery fire fell on the Shun Army's position, the well-trained observation posts responded based on the smoke emitted by the opponent's artillery.  The commander shouted loudly: "The enemy artillery is located at 600 mils, a distance of 2,500 meters, and the height difference is 15 degrees! Test fire!" "The enemy artillery is located at 600 mils, a distance of 2,500 meters, and the altitude difference is 15 degrees.  15 degrees! Test fire!" the gunner repeated the boss's order loudly.  "The observation post reported that the point of impact has shifted eleven meters to the left, adjust the shooting!" "The adjustment is completed, fire!" "The observation post reported that the target was hit!" "Everyone has it, fire three rounds quickly!"

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises from the South Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Battle of Babu Village 5

    With the accurate and powerful counterattack of the Shun army's artillery, the Burmese artillery fire quickly weakened. Many gunners were killed by shrapnel, and more people abandoned their cannons and fled away, even though the officers hacked several deserters to death as a threat.  It was useless. The officers supervising the battle were quickly overwhelmed by the wave of deserters. Without the cover of artillery, the numerical advantage of the Burmese side was completely meaningless in the face of the solid positions and intensive firepower of the Shun army. Now anyone who is not blind can see that.  The defeat of the Burmese people is irreversible.  Babu Village is already in ruins. However, this is not the result of battle damage, but because after the Shun army occupied this place, they needed enough building materials to build barriers, so they demolished most of the houses in the village.  , the only thing left was the original residence of the village chief, which was used as a residence for the two Burmese princes and heirs. After all, the Shun Army was nominally escorting them back to the country to ascend the throne, so these two noble figures were allowed to stay like big soldiers.  It is really unreasonable to make do in the muddy beach.  The walls inside the village chief¡¯s residence are bare.  Luo Lin and Luo Qin were sitting on a bamboo bed covered with two layers of military blankets. The two siblings hugged each other and listened to the sound of gunfire coming from the north. It seemed as if time was passing by.  It went back to that night when the battle was raging in the Mandalay Palace a few months ago.  "Sister, do you think the Dashun Army can win this time?" Luo Qin raised his head, looked at his sister and asked in a low voice.  "We can win!" Luo Lin gritted his teeth and replied as firmly as possible: "You heard that the cannon fire was so dense, they are all from the Dashun Army. You will definitely be able to return to Mandalay and board your father's army again.  The throne! " "Yes!" Luo Qin nodded firmly: "I want to ascend the throne of my father together!" At this moment, someone suddenly said in a deep voice at the door: "Your Highness, Chen Zaixing!"  Lin Wensheng hurriedly pushed Luo Qin away from his arms, arranged the clothes of the two of them, and after sitting down, he replied: "Mr. Chen, please come in. How is the battle situation now?"  Lin and Luo Qin bowed down and said in a deep voice: "The traitors, dogs and sheep, have attacked our king's army several times, but they were all repulsed, leaving more than ten thousand corpses. Their attack has been defeated, and I think they will be wiped out in one fell swoop tomorrow."  "That's good, that's good!" Luo Lin couldn't help but stood up, stepped forward, grabbed Chen Zaixing's right hand, and said in a low voice: "If I can return to my hometown and ascend the throne this time, it will all depend on Chen Zaixing."  Sir and general, I really don¡¯t know how to repay this kind of kindness!" Chen Zaixing quickly and carefully pulled his right hand away from the opponent's palm, and whispered: "This is what a foreign minister should do, as long as he obeys the two countries of Myanmar!  Living in harmony and a country will last forever is the benefit for me!" Only then did Luo Lin realize what he had just done. He suddenly felt ashamed and turned away without saying a word.  She was already very bright-colored, but now her cheeks were flushed, all the way to the root of her neck. Against the background of her white porcelain skin, she looked even more attractive. Even though Chen Zaixing's heart had been as calm as an ancient well over the years,  At this time, I couldn't help but hesitate.  At this moment, a loud noise suddenly came from outside, like the earth was shattering, suppressing the sound of gunfire just now, and everyone in the room became pale.  Chen Zaixing hurriedly whispered: "Your Highnesses, please wait quietly. The foreign minister will go and see what is going on." As soon as Chen Zaixing came out of the room, he saw an officer from the Shun Army running quickly to look at him.  His face was full of joy, and the stone in his heart fell to the ground first, and he quickly asked: "What happened to that loud noise just now?" "I tell you, sir, I am so happy, that loud noise just now was me  The Fang artillery hit an enemy carriage transporting gunpowder, causing an explosion! Now the Burmese have been defeated and are fleeing towards Mandalay. The Bazhang Brigade has ordered our army to attack. A big victory, a big victory!  " "Okay, okay, okay!" Chen Zaixing tried his best to suppress the excitement in his heart, trying to show the calmness of a superior, but for a while he could only say "good". Fortunately, the officer also looked normal.  .  After a while, Chen Zaixing controlled his emotions, then turned and walked into the house, ready to tell the Luo Lin siblings the good news.  On the road from Singai to Mandalay, a group of people and horses were speeding. The sky was filled with dark clouds full of rain, moving slowly under the blow of the monsoon wind blowing from the Indian Ocean.  The clouds were so thick that from a distance it looked as if they were going to crush down and crush everything on the ground.  Meng Ji was sitting on the horse, and his mood at this time was like the sky above his head, depressing and gloomy.  Although he did not stay until the time when his army collapsed, he did not need to be very smart to predict the outcome of this battle, although he did his best to take measures to reduce his losses.  But one thing is certain now: the throne he usurped by force will soon be taken away by force. There is only one road in front of him now, which is to retreat to the Lower Myanmar region, and then be like those two children.?He returned to Mandalay with foreign aid, but at that time he would no longer be a king, but just a puppet of the British.  At this time, there was a muffled thunder in the sky, and then raindrops the size of soybeans began to fall.  Meng Ji raised his head and looked at the black sky, his plump lips twisted slightly, and a sarcastic smile appeared on his face. The outline of the huge Mandalay City had already appeared on the horizon, but how long could he stay there?  "Your Majesty!" Just as Meng Ji was immersed in anxiety about the future, a panting officer knelt in the mud beside him and loudly reported: "Something happened in Mandalay City!" "What?" Meng Ji was stunned.  , immediately asked: "Tell me, what's going on!" "A small number of traitors gathered together, took advantage of His Majesty to lead the army out of the city, launched a rebellion, claimed to be loyal to the previous king, and claimed that the former prince had returned to Mandalay under the escort of the Chinese army.  , attempted to occupy the city gate and armory. These traitors have been defeated by the generals who stayed behind. Except for a few people, most of the rebels were captured or killed. What should your majesty do?" "Very good!" When I heard about the rebellion!  Having been extinguished, Meng Ji's pale face looked better. Immediately, a cruel expression flashed across his face, and he whispered: "The general who stayed behind rewarded him with gems and silver. As for the prisoners, all were skinned and executed. Let all the prisoners be killed."  Look at what happened to the traitor! " "Your Majesty, there is another Chinese among the prisoners, and he is an official!" The officer had a look of embarrassment on his face.  "Official?" Meng Ji was stunned, and then asked: "A spy from the Shun Army?" The officer shook his head and explained that the Chinese official he was talking about was Liu Zhixing, the former judge of the Burmese Colonel's Office, and the former British Consul Gillings.  In order to force Meng Ji to completely succumb to the British side and achieve his own goal, he took advantage of the fact that the coup had just ended and the public security in Mandalay was unstable. He ordered his subordinate Duncan to lead a small group of mercenaries to attack the mansion of the Burmese Colonel of Dashun at night, killing the capital.  After Liu Zhixing escaped, he did not return to China, but stayed in Mandalay and hid in the home of a local nobleman who was inclined to the former king.  After the Shun army occupied Xingai, the brutal actions of the Burmese King Meng Ji greatly disappointed many nobles and businessmen in Mandalay, and many people's attitudes also changed. Liu Zhixing took the opportunity to lobby in secret, promising that as long as they returned to the city after the Burmese King left the city,  After launching a mutiny, the Dashun army broke through the city. Not only did the new king guarantee all their interests, but they could also be promoted to nobility. They even launched a coup. Unfortunately, they were defeated by the generals loyal to Meng Ji who stayed in the city, and he himself became a prisoner.  .  Hearing this, Meng Ji's expression changed several times. He was a very knowledgeable and capable person among the Burmese aristocrats. When he traveled to Yangon before, he saw the powerful military power and endless greed of the Western colonists.  The leader of his own kingdom felt a sense of crisis.  So he secretly contacted the British and used their support to seize the throne. He attempted to take advantage of the contradictions in the surrounding countries to consolidate his power in Myanmar, and then carry out political and military reforms to ensure the kingdom's independence and even its outward expansion.  , becoming the overlord in Southeast Asia.  But the reality is cruel. His plan encountered setbacks from the beginning. Lao Wang's two children fled to China under the protection of the Chinese, and the British did not give themselves a large amount of arms and support as promised in advance.  , but instead used conspiracy methods to kill Shun Guo's officials in Mandalay, eliminating the last possibility of a good relationship between himself and Shun Guo.  Now Shunguo's army has defeated his temporarily recruited army and is approaching Mandalay.  Forced by two powerful enemies, his dream was shattered like a beautiful soap bubble.  Thinking of this, Meng Ji raised his head and looked at the black sky. The rain hit his face, causing a dull pain.  Suddenly, he laughed loudly - it turned out that he had been daydreaming all these years!  "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" When the attendants and officers around him saw that Meng Ji was silent at first, and then suddenly laughed wildly, they thought that he was overstimulated and had gone crazy. They hurriedly gathered around to take care of him, but Meng Ji pushed him away and shouted loudly.  Said: "Go back to Mandalay immediately and tell the general to execute all the rebels, confiscate all their property, and hang their heads on the central tower and their limbs on the four side gates for everyone to see.  Look at the fate of the rebels!" "Yes!" The officer quickly lowered his head. At that moment, he felt a sense of fear, and the king's eyes showed an inhuman light, like a tiger about to pounce on its prey in the jungle, except for the murderous desire.  There is nothing else.  Watching the officer leave, Meng Ji summoned an entourage and whispered: "You set off immediately, rush to General Diok, and tell him to rush back to Mandalay as soon as possible. Before tomorrow night, you must go and call for help."  "The attendant was stunned and quickly lowered his head and said: "Yes, Your Majesty!" It was already dusk outside Babu Village, and it started to rain, and the dripping rain fell on the battlefield full of corpses and wounded.  Waves of moans mixed with the wind and rainThe sound sounded like a ghost, adding a bit of gloom.  The Burmese army that was here a few hours ago no longer exists. Only large bodies of corpses and mountains of abandoned equipment and equipment are left on the battlefield.  This battle, which determined the ownership of Mandalay and the future fate of the entire Upper Burma region, ended in one afternoon.  According to subsequent statistics, the Burmese puppet king's side left more than 7,600 corpses on the battlefield, and at least twice that number of prisoners and wounded. Due to poor medical conditions, more than 80% of the injured died in the future.  He groaned and died in pain within three to five days.  In comparison, the losses suffered by the Shun army were negligible. Twenty-five people were killed and fifty injured. Compared with the losses in the battle, the losses of more than a thousand people on the road and half of the livestock were much more shocking.  The only thing that comforts Batu and Chen Zaixing is that the rainy season will end in a few months. At that time, the road to Yunnan will be open again, and Shunjun can continue to come to Mandalay through there.  , then these losses will be easily replenished.  After winning the victory, the Shun army was not in a hurry to pursue. Poor traffic conditions and unfamiliarity with the local terrain restricted their actions to expand their results.  But the Shun army did not sit idle. According to Chen Zaixing's order, in the name of the new king of Myanmar, except for a few who stayed as long-husbands, most of the remaining prisoners were released. Through their mouths, Babu  The result of the battle and the news that the old king's orphan returned to Mandalay will be spread quickly. This is nothing more than the last blow to the already shaky rule of the puppet king. Even those who stayed to be the eldest husband, Shunjun  The reward was also paid in salt or silver. Chen Zaixing hoped to send a signal to the local Burmese people that the Chinese did not come as plunderers and conquerors. The purpose of their trip was only to protect the orthodox king and regain his throne.  These measures taken by Chen Zaixing soon bore fruit. On the morning of the third day of the Battle of Babu, many local Burmese nobles came to express their surrender to the new king and welcomed the arrival of the superior army.  Under Chen Zaixing's arrangement, the new king Luo Qin very reservedly expressed that he would ensure the lives and property of his loyalists and upgrade their titles.  On the fourth day, some of the largest nobles and temple elders in Mandalay City also rushed to Babu Village in person to pay allegiance to the new king and welcome the new king back to the capital. They even included a man who was directly subordinate to the puppet king Meng Ji.  I was an officer of the Burmese army. He was ordered to go to Mandalay to deliver the order to massacre the captured rebels, but he surrendered to the new king halfway.  From their mouths, Chen Zaixing learned that the puppet king Meng Ji had left Mandalay yesterday morning, accompanied by an army of thousands of people. These should be the remnants of Babu who continued to be loyal to him after the First World War.  A rebellious former royal army officer also said: The puppet king and his party should have gone to Mingqi.  "Called Qi?" A trace of worry appeared on Chen Zaixing's face, but he soon returned to his smile. He praised the former royal army officer's behavior of turning from darkness to light and the importance of this news. He also said that the new king would never forget his loyalty.  and merit, and finally a hint of the generous reward that such behavior will receive.  Chen Zaixing's cordial attitude and clever words made the former Royal Army officer's uneasiness disappear quickly before speaking, and he couldn't help but secretly feel grateful that he had made the right choice.  In order to show his loyalty to the new king, he also told Chen Zaixing that Mandalay had many "rebellious ministers" who were loyal to the puppet king. These people participated in the suppression of the "uprising" and committed numerous crimes. If possible,  I am willing to come forward and report them.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Renyi Bank Part 1

    Chen Zaixing smiled and said: "General, I admire you very much for your loyalty. His Majesty once said: 'These are troubled times, and peace should be the top priority. As long as they are not stubborn, we should give them a way to make a new start.  "These people did not escape with the puppet king, which means that they are not the puppet king's best friends. I think your majesty will still be generous." "My lord is right!"  The descendants are indeed very knowledgeable, beyond what we can match!" The officer quickly nodded in agreement. Naturally, he did not believe that these words were really said by the teenage boy on the throne. The smiling Chinese in front of him was  Real words matter, so it's better to be careful in front of this person.  Thinking of this, the officer bowed and said: "I have finished talking about the little man's business, so I will leave first without disturbing the adults' rest!" "General, please come back!" Chen Zaixing stood up to see him off, but when the door just closed,  , his expression immediately became serious.  As a prospector and businessman in Myanmar for many years, he has a very good understanding of Myanmar's geography and history.  The Mingqi area where the puppet king Meng Ji went is located south of Mandalay. In the middle of the 11th century AD, Anurutuo, the greatest monarch of ancient Myanmar, came to the throne. During his reign, Mithra Lake in central Myanmar was built.  Dams were built on the Palawin River and the Sakyi River, making the Mingqi area a prosperous land of fish and rice. The area was also called "lewin", which means "land of rice" in Burmese. Later it became  There are barns throughout northern Myanmar, so there is a saying that "whoever can control Mingqi can rule Upper Myanmar".  An important reason why several Burmese dynasties have established their capitals in Mandalay (Awa) is that there is very convenient waterway transportation between the place and the Mingqi area, which is conducive to the transportation of food. In history, the demise of the Toungoo dynasty and the failure of the invading Shun army were one of the reasons.  The big reason was that the rebels controlled the waterways in the Mingqi area and cut off the food supply to the capital. As a result, widespread famine and disease occurred near the royal capital of Ava at that time, forcing the loyal army to travel hundreds of miles away.  The loss of military rations transferred to Yunnan outside the country can be imagined.  After abandoning the royal capital, the false king turned to the Mingqi area. Its purpose is obvious.  "It seems that we need to stabilize the situation in Mandalay as soon as possible, and then send troops to chase the puppet king!" Chen Zaixing frowned. It seems that the original plan must be revised. Now the puppet king will definitely agree to all the British requests.  In exchange for support, if he can form a new army to control the Qingqi area, the Shun army will most likely have to withdraw from Mandalay in the end, and all the previous wins may be in vain.  Chen Zaixing thought about it for a while, returned to his desk, and said loudly: "Please come to Bazhang Brigade. I have something important to discuss with him!" These two days were extremely exciting for Batu. As a soldier,  Merit and honor are everything.  In his opinion, most of the work has been completed, and the rest is just sporadic finishing work, which makes him feel a little slack.  So when the orderly found him, he was sitting around a fire with several close subordinates, drinking wine and barbecue.  "Fusheng, if something is so important, why not come to my place and talk while eating meat and drinking wine?" Batu had a loud voice and shouted loudly outside the house, but he came inside to take a look.  , I saw Chen Zaixing sitting upright with a serious look on his face.  Batu also felt that something was wrong, and instinctively stood up straight, and asked in a low voice: "Fusheng, has the situation changed?" "Well, Brother Zhenwu, please sit down!" Chen Zaixing stood up and whispered: "Just now  An officer who surrendered from the puppet king said that the puppet king left Mandalay with thousands of people yesterday morning and went to Mingqi, which is the largest food supply area in Mandalay! " "What?" Batu?  He immediately woke up. Having been a military attache in Mandalay for more than a year, he naturally knew what all this meant.  "I suspect that the puppet king saw something was wrong in Babu Village and withdrew his most trusted troops. Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to explain that he can still control thousands of people. Moreover, the Mingqi area is the barn of northern Myanmar.  If we let him take control there, even if we occupy Mandalay, we won't be able to hold on!" "Then I will lead the troops to pursue him immediately!" Batu said loudly, standing up suddenly.  "No, we only got this information from the officer. We don't even know how many people the puppet king has, the direction of his march, or the conditions of the road. How can we pursue him? Besides, we don't know the current trends of the British. If they are involved  If we enter, the situation will become complicated.¡± Hearing Chen Zaixing¡¯s analysis, Batu couldn¡¯t help but feel depressed: ¡°I thought that taking Mandalay would be the end, but now it seems that the trouble has just begun, so what do you think we should do now?  What to do?" Chen Zaixing thought for a moment and replied in a low voice: "First control Mandalay and let the little prince ascend the throne, so that we can gain a foothold in Myanmar. At the same time, we must inform the country of the situation here as soon as possible and open up transportation with the country.  Get supplies of arms and personnel." "Yes!" Batu nodded: "You are right, our lone army cannot cause much trouble, so I will immediately rectify the soldiers and strive to enter the city tomorrow morning, ascend the throne one day earlier, and deal with the false king one day earlier.  " Looking at Batu's hurried away figure, Chen Zaixing's brows furrowed again. In fact, he had a hidden worry in his heart that he hadn't fully finished yet. This time he sent troops to Myanmar, he could not do without the Renyi Bank represented by Kong Zhang.  Without the support of a large sum of money, his journey would not have been easy without this financial source. However, Kong Zhang himself was not the backend boss of Renyi Bank. A considerable part of the money was raised by him through various channels.  Come. Once such a huge business venture is leaked, Kong Zhang is afraid that his family will be ruined immediately. If his financial resources are cut off, even if he does not collapse immediately, he will not be able to go on the road ahead.  If he wins the battle, he should spread this information back to his country as quickly as possible. Even if someone starts an uprising at that time, with this favorable news out there, Kong Zhang will have a lot of room to maneuver and resist.  His little reward. Tianjin, Renyi Bank Headquarters. Kong Zhang was sitting on a leather chair. At this time, he tried his best to look calm, but every one or two minutes, he would raise his head nervously.  Looking at the rosewood-colored door on the right, it seemed as if there was something scary behind the door. A middle-aged man who looked very smart and capable walked up to Kong Zhang and said with a smile: "Third shopkeeper, my boss invites you.  Go in and talk!  "    "well!  "The muscles in Kong Zhang's cheeks twitched, and he gritted his teeth before carefully walking to the red sandalwood door. He took a deep breath, tried his best to pretend that nothing had happened, knocked twice on the wooden door, and said in his mouth  Said: "Fifth Grandpa, my nephew Kong Zhang has come in!  " Kong Zhang pushed the door open and came in. He saw an old man in his sixties sitting behind the table in the room. Although the old man's hair was gray, his expression was hale and hearty, and his eyes were like a falcon, which made people's heart palpitate. Standing next to the old man was a man in his sixties.  A middle-aged man was bending over and saying something next to the old man. When Kong Zhang came in, he just raised his head and met Kong Zhang's eyes. There was a smile of gloating on the man's mouth. Kong Zhang couldn't help but feel a smile when he saw this.  Tight, secretly said: "It's not good!  " "Kong Zhang has met the fifth grandfather, and the third brother is also here today!  "Kong Zhang saluted the old man. It turned out that this old man was Kong Huanfu, the patriarch of the Kong family. He was the fifth in line in his generation and was the boss of Renyi Bank. The other person was a contemporary of Kong Zhang, whose surname was Kong Quan.  , whose name is Mingyuan, also works in Renyi Bank. He and Kong Zhang have always been at odds with each other. They often get into trouble with each other. Meeting here today really makes Kong Zhang feel excited. "Get up!"  Kong Huanfu snorted coldly: "I came to you today not for anything else, but to ask about the recent situation of the businesses you are in charge of!"  " Kong Zhang's heart skipped a beat, and he forced a smile and said: "Thanks to the blessing of my ancestors, business has been good these past few months. The money on the plate has increased by half a percent, and the repayments and interest payments are also normal.  !  "    "I see!  Kong Huanfu nodded. He turned to Kong Quan and said, "Then tell him about the accounts!"  "    "yes!  "Kong Quan bowed to Kong Huanfu, turned around and said: "On June 15th this year, Kong Zhang transferred 750,000 taels of silver from Zhuangzi, Hanjing; on the 19th, he transferred 400,000 taels of silver from Zhuangzi, Jinling Prefecture;  On the 15th, 300,000 taels were transferred from Changsha, Hunan; on July 13th, the Kong Zhang brothers convened 20 peers in Guangzhou and borrowed 1.5 million taels of silver in the name of the bank" Listen to Kong  Kong Zhang listed down all his experiences in raising money for Chen Zaixing these days. Layers of cold sweat broke out on Kong Zhang's forehead. He also knew that these actions were extremely risky and had offended those in the family who ran the bank.  There were a lot of rules, so things were very secretive, but I never expected that someone would find out so quickly and list them out in detail like this. Could it be that the damn Liu Qingyang broke his promise and had a secret meeting with Chen Zaixing that day.  Was the content leaked to Kong Quan? "On August 3, Brother Kong Zhang sold three properties in his name and obtained 250,000 taels of silver. He also used the last two properties in his name as collateral to obtain  Borrow 170,000 taels.  The above obtained a total of 4.17 million taels of silver.  " When Kong Zhang was thinking wildly, Kong Quan had already finished reciting the details of the accounts. After bowing to Kong Huanfu, he retreated behind Kong Huanfu and looked at the embarrassed Kong Zhang with pride. Kong Huanfu snorted coldly and took Kong Quan's hand.  The handed over list was then put aside and he asked in a deep voice: "Kong Zhang, where is this money now?  Also, why did you secretly raise such a large amount of money?  " "This -" By this time, Kong Zhang was sweating profusely. He knew in his heart that the fifth grandfather, his superior, had always been known as ruthless in the clan. When the price of cotton plummeted, he pressed for loans and confiscated property rights.  hourAt that time, I didn't know how many innocent souls I had on hand. Although Jiang Guizhi was older now, his nature was old and spicy. Even though he was a member of the tribe, he would definitely not be able to escape if he committed such a big thing.  When Kong Huanfu saw that Kong Zhang still refused to admit his fault, he couldn't help but shouted angrily: "You still dare to deny it at this time? Do you think I can't do what I want?" As soon as he finished speaking, there was only a clang, but it was Kong Zhang.  He was so frightened that he knelt on the ground. The seat next to him was brought down by him and fell to the ground with a sound.  It¡¯s no wonder that Kong Zhang was so scared. A large family like the Kong family, which has been passed down for thousands of years, has very strict family laws. Even if he has only five people outside, if he makes a big mistake in the family, he will be beaten to death and reported.  It is not uncommon for an official to die of a sudden illness.  Kong Zhang quickly raised his head and shouted loudly: "Fifth Grandpa, spare your life, spare your life, I raised the money to do a big thing. If it can be done, my Kong Family Renyi Bank will be able to build an unshakable foundation for generations!"  Zhang felt something was wrong as soon as he said this. It should be noted that the Kong family in Qufu is a family of saints. As long as it has been passed down for a long time, I am afraid that no family in the whole of China can match it. If his words were applied to other families, it would be fine. Only among the Kong family.  Will cause jokes.  Sure enough, Kong Quan sneered and said: "Brother Kong Zhang is joking again. Even without your business, my family of saints in the Kong family can still be passed down through the ages." "Yes, yes, it's a child's fault.  "Yes!" Kong Zhang quickly changed his words: "What I mean is that if this happens, the Kong family's Renyi Bank will be able to overwhelm those Jiangnan thugs, especially the Liu family's Houde Bank!" Hearing Kong Zhang's words!  , Kong Huanfu¡¯s eyes lit up, and he motioned for him to continue. It turned out that although the Kong family was unrivaled in the world, its roots were in the north after all. At that time, China¡¯s economic center had gradually shifted to the south of the Yangtze River, so the Renyi founded by the Kong family  In terms of influence, strong capital, and huge profits, the bank cannot compare with Houde Bank, which is based in Jiangsu and Zhejiang and radiates throughout the southern region.  Regarding this matter, Kong Huanfu, as the head of the Kong family, also knew it well. He thought about how to surpass the other party day and night but could not achieve his goal. Only then was he willing to listen to Kong Zhang.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Renyi Bank Part 2

    Seeing that Kong Huanfu was willing to listen to his words, Kong Zhang couldn't help but cheer up. He quickly moved his lips and invited himself and Liu Qingyang to Chen Zaixing's invitation. Chen Zaixing made a suggestion and asked them to borrow money from him to participate in escorting the Burmese prince back to his country to seize the throne and obtain the local government.  Li Quan¡¯s plan is clearly stated.  At the end, Kong Zhang even cursed Liu Qingyang a few times, but his words alluded to the fact that Kong Quan got the information from Liu Qingyang to tell his secret.  "That's it!" After hearing Kong Zhang's explanation, Kong Huanfu's face looked a little better. As an experienced old banker, he naturally knew that if he wanted his Renyi Bank to overwhelm Houde Bank, he would rely on ordinary business methods.  It is impossible. After all, the domestic market has been divided up by various companies. It is extremely difficult for anyone who wants to take another bite.  And if we can monopolize a newly opened emerging market like Myanmar, it will undoubtedly be a very tempting temptation.  Kong Huanfu thought for a moment and said in a deep voice: "What you did was a bit unreasonable. You gave so much money to Chen Zaixing without consulting the seniors in the industry. If it doesn't work out, who will bear the responsibility? Also?"  , then why doesn't Liu Qingyang dare to join? Could it be that he doesn't see the benefits of this? I think he intends to let you be a pathfinder first. If it succeeds, don't think so.  Kong Quan secretly reported it to me. If you misappropriated such a large amount of money, if you can hide it from me, do you think I am an old fool? " After hearing Kong Huanfu's reprimand, another layer of cold sweat broke out on Kong Zhang's forehead?  Come on, he also knew that his actions would be discovered sooner or later, but he didn't expect it to be so soon. As long as Chen Zaixing could successfully reset, he would be able to make a lot of money from his investment. Even if he was discovered, it would not be difficult to turn around.  The money came back to fill the big hole.  But now that it has been discovered, if the industry wants to repair the hole quickly, everything will be lost.  Kong Zhang couldn't help but feel anxious when he thought of this. He was not usually a shrewd person, but at this juncture he couldn't think of a word to defend himself, and could only kneel on the ground sweating profusely.  Kong Huanfu looked at Kong Zhang kneeling on the ground, sighed slightly, and said in a deep voice: "This matter is too involved, and I can't make my own decision. Well, Kong Zhang, please hand over what you are doing first, and go behind the head office  I'll rest in that house for a while and decide what to do after I discuss it with several shareholders!" "Thank you, Grandpa Fifth!" When Kong Zhang heard this, he felt weak and collapsed to the ground.  He knew in his heart that in this way, he would have to hand over all the power he currently had. Once the accounts were checked, he didn't know how much dirty water would be poured on him. After all, he didn't dare to say that he was clean in his behavior over the years.  When a person is in his position, he is only covered by himself. Once he steps down, the wall will collapse and everyone will push him away. You can imagine the consequences.  Kong Huanfu stopped looking at Kong Zhang, lowered his head and continued to check the accounts on the table: "Kong Quan, send your brother down to rest!" "Yes, Fifth Grandpa!" Kong Quan responded, turned and walked to Kong Zhang's side,  His face was filled with unconcealable schadenfreude, and he cupped his hands and said, "Fourth brother, let's go. If you want a brother, I'll help you!" "No!" Kong Zhang took a deep breath and stretched out his hands.  , climbed up from the ground, his face as pale as a death.  Ten minutes later, Kong Quan returned to the house. Kong Huanfu put down the accounts in his hands, raised his head and asked, "How do you think Kong Zhang did with this transaction?" Kong Quan thought about it for a moment, although he and Kong Zhang had always looked down upon each other.  They are both rivals in the industry and in the clan, but the fifth grandfather above has aged and become a spirit, and his true thoughts on how he dealt with Kong Zhang just now cannot be seen. If he takes the opportunity to give Kong Zhang eye drops  I'm afraid it will have the opposite effect, so it's better for me to discuss the matter at this time.  Thinking of this, Kong Quan said in a deep voice: "Fifth Grandpa, this matter of the fourth child must have violated the rules. But if we talk about the matter, this is indeed a good opportunity. In the past few years, business in the country has not been good for everyone in the south and the north.  In the past, the tea, cane sugar, raw silk, and pottery exported to foreigners had many competitors and could not be sold at a high price. However, the number of imported items is increasing day by day, and the prices are becoming cheaper and cheaper. If this continues, it will no longer be possible.  The business of young and old firms is not very good. If they are not good, we as banks will not be doing much better. If this continues, it will be difficult for our business not to improve to a higher level, but to remain the same this time.  If the King of Burma is successfully restored and his business can go there, he will make a lot of profits just by accepting bills of exchange and turning over merchants. These funds will naturally be exchanged for him. Compared with this prospect, the risks he has taken are small.  "It's not that big!" "You're right!" Kong Huanfu nodded, with a satisfied smile on his face: "If it weren't for that, I wouldn't just lock it up, Old Seventeen.  I know that you usually don't deal with the fourth child, but now you can be on the same level. This is really impressive. To be a leader, you must be broad-minded and not act based on your own likes and dislikes. You did a good job this time!" "Thank you!  Fifth Grandpa¡¯s teachings!¡± Kong Quan hurriedly said:He bowed and bowed, but in his heart he was secretly happy that he had just made the right bet.  Even if Kong Zhang won the bet this time, Meng Lang would definitely not be able to get away with his business skills. He was finally one step ahead in the competition in the industry.  Kong Huanfu nodded: "Well, you go down first! I'm old and don't have enough energy. I feel sleepy after sitting for a long time!" "Fifth Grandpa, please rest!" Kong Quan hurriedly bowed to say hello and walked backwards to the door.  He turned around and went out, carefully closing the door. After walking through two corridors, he couldn't control the ecstasy in his heart, and whispered in his mouth: "Anyone who does unrighteousness will be killed!" Three days later.  A maid in green clothes walked through the corridor, holding a rice basket in her hand.  The maid walked to the door of a room and carefully placed four dishes, a bowl of soup, and a pot of wine on the window sill. Finally, she took out a small steamer from the rice basket and knocked gently on the window.  After a few moments, he said softly: "Third shopkeeper, today's dinner has arrived. Please open the window and get the lunch bowls and chopsticks!" A moment later, there was a sound of footsteps in the house, a creaking sound, and the window was pushed open.  When he opened it, he saw a middle-aged man with full beard, it was Kong Zhang.  Kong Zhang took out a few dishes and saw that most of the food in those dishes had not been touched. At most, he only picked out a few chopsticks. The maid wanted to say something, but in the end she kept her mouth shut.  Kong Zhang sat back in his chair, and there were several steaming dishes on the dining table in front of him: sweet and sour river carp, oil-fried double crispy, hot pot tofu, and nine-turn large intestine.  They are all my favorite dishes on weekdays, exuding an alluring aroma.  But Kong Zhang didn't have the slightest appetite at this time. He had been under house arrest here for the past few days and was filled with sorrow. When he closed his eyes, he saw Chen Zaixing's face covered in blood. He simply couldn't imagine what would happen to him if this speculation failed.  What will happen to him? He was already dark and thin. After three days of not eating well and sleeping well, he became even darker and thinner. With the stubble all over his face, he seemed to have aged ten years.  Every year is normal.  "Alas!" Kong Zhang suddenly sighed, poured himself a glass of wine, and drank it all in one gulp. He had a good capacity for wine at this time, but at this time he had no food in his stomach and was in a very bad mood, so he drank five or six glasses of wine.  I felt dizzy and fell asleep. I don¡¯t know how long I slept for. In my dream, I felt as if I had fallen into the water and was about to sink. I hurriedly struggled and shouted for help.  Suddenly woke up, Kong Zhang found several maids surrounding him, scrubbing his face with cold water, and hurriedly said: "What's going on?" "Fourth brother, are you okay!" Kong Zhang raised his head and looked at the source of the sound.  Looking over, he saw Kong Quan standing aside, leaning over to look at him, his eyes full of concern, as if he was his best friend in his life. He couldn't help but be stunned and replied: "I just had a few drinks."  , I don¡¯t want to get drunk!¡± ¡°That¡¯s it, fourth brother, you can¡¯t drink on an empty stomach, otherwise what if you break your bones?¡± Kong Quan said this, turned around and scolded the maids:  "What did you guys do? My fourth brother lives here, and he doesn't know how to change the food if it doesn't suit his taste. This makes my fourth brother drink in vain. What if something happens to you, can you guys afford it? I  What did I tell you before? You can't handle such a thing, what a waste!" Those maids were very aggrieved by this unreasonable scolding. After all, this place is just a high-level prison for Renyi Bank, specially used for it.  It was unreasonable to imprison some criminals with special status when they came. As for Kong Quan having previously told them to treat Kong Zhang well, it was even more unreasonable, but at this time they could only bow their heads and admit their mistakes.  Kong Zhang, who was standing beside him, finally came to his senses at this moment. Seeing the pity of the maids, he whispered: "Don't blame them. The food these days has been good. It's just that I'm in a heavy mood and can't eat.  Just let me drink to drown my sorrows!" "You haven't thanked Fourth Master yet!" Kong Quan shouted at the maids, but he turned around with a different look on his face and said with a flattering smile, "Sure enough, Fourth Brother clearly saw Wanli.  , beyond what I can do, this time it is done, my Kong Family Renyi Bank can finally beat those bad guys in Jiangnan!" When Kong Zhang heard this, he couldn't help but get excited, Kong Quan, his old enemy, suddenly changed.  He came to me with a shameless face. Could it be that there is news about the matter in Myanmar?  Thinking of this, Kong Zhang felt confident and said with a smile: "Seventeenth brother, what's the matter with you coming here today? Is there news from Myanmar?" Upon hearing this, Kong Quan's face turned slightly red, and he immediately laughed and said:  "Sure enough, I can't hide it from Fourth Brother, that's right!" As he spoke, he took out a newspaper from his sleeve, pointed at the front page and said with a smile: "Look, Fourth Brother, Burma has fallen into the hands of our Chinese army.  The new king has ascended the throne and proclaimed his vassal status to the imperial court. "Kong Zhang could no longer control his excitement at this time. He snatched the newspaper and looked at it carefully. Sure enough, the front page of the newspaper reported that the Chinese army had conquered the country four days ago!  In Mandalay, the capital of Myanmar, the puppet king abandoned the city and fled, and the new king has ascended the throne.  When Kong Zhang saw this, he felt his eyesIt was blurry, and the hard work and worry over the past few months finally came to fruition. Tears could not help but burst out of my eyes, and the compliments from Kong Quan in my ears seemed to be getting farther and farther away from me.  Kong Quan looked at Kong Zhang who was covering his face with a newspaper and crying bitterly, with a trace of anger on his face.  He had collected a lot of dirty information about Kong Zhang in the past few days, but when he just read the news in the newspaper, he knew that he had lost the battle with Kong Zhang.  No matter how powerful the materials in their hands are, after Myanmar belongs to Dashun, the huge profits from entering this market are enough for shareholders to ignore it all.  Kong Zhang's previous illegal actions now seem to be a sign of wisdom and courage. All shareholders and clan members will not have trouble with money. The only thing he can do now is to quickly bridge the gap with the other party and try his best to get rid of this.  Get enough benefits from the opportunity.  Thinking of this, Kong Quan took a deep breath and whispered to himself: "If you take it in advance, you must give it in advance!" After a while, Kong Zhang had controlled his emotions, and he immediately asked to see Kong Huanfu.  After discussion by the board of directors composed of the remaining 12 major shareholders of Renyi Bank, the board of directors decided to ratify all the previous fundraising decisions made by Kong Zhang, pay for the repurchase of Kong Zhang¡¯s private property in the name of the bank, and return the property to Kong Zhang free of charge.  , and at the same time obtained claims against Chen Zaixing.  Then Kong Zhang was appointed as the plenipotentiary representative of the bank, and he quickly went to Mandalay, Myanmar, to understand the local situation. On the premise of serving the interests of the bank, Kong Zhang had the right to sign any further agreement with Chen Zaixing in an amount below six million taels of silver.  agreement.  At the end of the meeting, Kong Huanfu walked up to him and whispered: "Fourth, do your best, there will be more chairs here next time!"  Kong Zhang was so excited that he couldn't help but feel dizzy. He bit his lip hard, and a sharp pain woke him up.  Kong Zhang stood up straight and whispered to Kong Huanfu: "Fifth Grandpa, don't worry!"

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 24 Chapter 24 New Treaty

    In Mandalay, it is already the end of August, and it has been more than 20 days since the Shun Army entered the city. The abundant rain clouds blowing from the Indian Ocean began to be gradually pushed out of central and southern Myanmar by the high-pressure air blowing from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.  In the sky above, the continuous rain is gradually replaced by the sun. The long rainy season is coming to an end, and Mandalay is about to enter the third and last season of 1885 - the cool season.  Most of Myanmar's land is located in tropical or subtropical areas. The southern and central areas can grow three crops of rice a year. In a normal year, this is the season for harvesting the second crop of rice. The rice in this season is the middle of the three crops in Myanmar.  In the most important season, after a large amount of rice is harvested, it will be transported by boat along the Irrawaddy River waterway to the capital Mandalay. After the rainy season, the wide river surface is crowded with boats transporting grain and cloth. About half of this wealth belongs to  The king used the wealth to support the army and bureaucracy, and the rest was produced by the fiefs of the nobility and monks in various monasteries near Mandalay. But the cool season of 1885 was different. The wide banks of the Irrawaddy River lined both sides  The fertile rice fields are full of harvested rice, but there are only a few farmers harvesting it. Even those who work feel that most of them are women and the old and weak. Seeing that the best harvest time is about to pass, these heavy ears of rice are about to fall.  The fields turned into mud.  The surface of the river was also empty, a scene of deathly silence.  "That king is really a crazy devil!" Gillings walked back to the hammock in disgust. Below him, there was a temporarily cleared open space. More than two thousand Burmese recruits wearing ill-fitting khaki uniforms were standing there.  Drilling, further away, a wooden trestle bridge under construction is extending into the Irrawaddy River.  There are one or two corpses hanging on the trees next to the road on the other side of the clearing. Judging from the degree of injury of the corpses, they have been hanging there for four or five days. These are all people who resisted Meng Ji's orders.  , the elders or leaders of the village community refused to hand over food and young men. Situations like this could be seen throughout the south.  Meng Ji used this cruel method to announce to the entire south what would happen if he resisted his orders.  Gillings lay back comfortably on the hammock, took a glass filled with pineapple juice from the Indian servant with a white cloth headband on the side, took a sip, and whispered: "Old Duncan, do you remember that terrible 1847  The terrible potato blight appeared, one in eight Irish people died of starvation, and nearly two million people immigrated to the United States. "Mr. Arkansas, you mean there is going to be a famine here?"  Duncan, who frowned and stared at the Burmese soldiers practicing in the open space on the river bank, turned around and said, "I'm sorry, I haven't seen the Great Famine in Ireland, but I have personally witnessed the Great Famine in India in 1865. Groups of textile workers  Starving to death on both sides of the road, their bones turning the plains near Calcutta almost white, it is a terrible sight. " "Old Duncan, to be honest, as a graduate of Bailey College, Oxford, I think it's a terrible sight!  Your comparison is not appropriate!" Gillings gestured with a smile, and the Indian servant on the side hurriedly came over to refill his juice: "The handlooms of those Indians who died in 1865 cannot compete with Manche.  The prices of their products in the big factories in Manchester were more expensive. The price of a foot of muslin was a full 35% higher than the CIF price of Manchester goods in Calcutta, so they were bankrupt and finished. But this was.  Of course, like a slower rabbit being eaten by a wolf, maybe some kind gentleman will sympathize with this, but it is also a matter of course, it is better for the whole nature, it is God's will. But this madness.  But because of his own ambition, the king of China took these poor guys from his shabby bamboo shack and let their rice rot in the ground. If these unlucky guys are lucky enough not to be killed by Chinese guns next spring.  , they will also starve to death in the following spring famine. This is the absurd collective slavery system in Asia, which caused hundreds of thousands of ordinary people to die miserably for the absurd ambition of a king" Duncan frowned,  Gillings's tirade was somewhat beyond his comprehension for this Scottish veteran who had served in India and Southeast Asia for more than twenty years.  It turned out that the puppet king Meng Ji, who fled to the Mingqi area, took up the banner of "fighting the Chinese invaders". On the one hand, he requisitioned food and soldiers in the Mingqi and Irrawaddy Delta areas under his control in preparation for restoring military strength; on the other hand, he blocked the waterways and never allowed any  A ship carrying food sailed to the capital Mandalay. At the same time, he signed a new treaty with Britain, which met all Gillings's requirements. In exchange, Britain promised to provide enough weapons and equipment to arm six thousand people within three months.  , and sent about a battalion of Indian troops from India to join the king's command as mercenaries. Since Meng now does not have enough cash to pay the above expenses, Standard Chartered Bank will grant a loan of five million pounds with an annual interest of 10%.  , repay in thirty years, and the principal can only be returned after fifteen years. Before repayment, the salt tax and customs tax revenue of the Kingdom of Myanmar will be used as offset.?.  At the same time, the British Empire would provide corresponding diplomatic support to Meng Ji. In this way, the rain clouds had not completely dispersed from the sky above Mandalay, and the dark clouds of a new war began to gather over the entire Myanmar.  "Old Duncan! Do you want some too! I brought whiskey and rum. I used this to make pineapple juice and it tastes good!" Gillings walked to a wicker box nearby and opened it, revealing the inside.  Here are some exquisite glass bottles.  Duncan swallowed, but still couldn't resist the temptation of alcohol. He put the short stick under his arm, took the wine glass and whispered: "Okay, to be honest, I'm a little thirsty too." Gillings looked at Duncan with a smile.  He drank a full glass of pineapple juice mixed with whiskey and asked, "More?" Duncan licked his lips, hesitated for a moment, and nodded. Gillings refilled the glass for him and smiled.  Said: "Old Duncan, you personally participated in the battle with the Chinese Expeditionary Force outside Mandalay. As a veteran soldier who has served in Asia for twenty-five years, you can make an objective assessment of the Chinese Expeditionary Force.  Comment? " Duncan took a sip of the drink in the glass. He looked at Gillings's face and noticed that although the other person had a smile on his face, it was not difficult to see the seriousness in it.  Duncan knew very well that the smiling young English nobleman in front of him had great potential power in London. His father's family had a position in the House of Lords, and there were two nobles on his mother's side who had served as ministers in the government in the past ten years. Among them  One is also the parliamentary leader of the opposition party in the House of Commons.  In other words, the Viscount of Arkansas is fully capable of bypassing his superiors in India and directly influencing London's Burma and even Southeast Asia policies through private channels.  So after the Chinese occupied Mandalay, London reacted so quickly, signed a treaty with the Burmese king, and responded.  It was only about a month since he left Mandalay. The colonial infantry battalion had arrived in Yangon from Calcutta by sea twelve days ago, and the first batch of weapons and supplies was already at sea.  For such a big man's question, he must be careful in his answer.  "Mr. Arkansas, judging from that battle, the Chinese have made great progress in military modernization, and their army has been completely 'Europeanized'!" Duncan replied carefully: "First of all, they succeeded  They organized an army of about 3,000 people to cross northeastern Myanmar during the rainy season, which shows that they have a very good logistics team; secondly, judging from their field camp on the outskirts of Mandalay, they already know how to dig snakes.  Trench, breastwork, build multi-faceted forts, use crossfire to take advantage of their firearms and reduce the enemy's huge advantage; and they already have a well-trained artillery that can use various equipment to measure distances  And perform indirect aim shooting, which shows that their artillery, at least the lower-level officers, have some education in mathematics and geometry, you know this is not easy for an Asian country; finally, the Chinese soldiers are very courageous, for these  Their southern neighbors have a psychological advantage, which can be seen from their courage to launch bayonet charges when facing enemies ten times their size. All in all, this expeditionary force is a pretty good small army.  Especially in Asia!" Gillings listened to Duncan's summary in silence. He did not answer immediately. After thinking about it for about five minutes, he asked in a low voice: "Lieutenant Duncan, can I explain what you said?  Do you understand that with the existing Burmese army, it will be difficult to defeat the Chinese expeditionary force in a short time? " "Yes!" Duncan nodded: "Mr. Arkansas, even if the British officers are assigned to the first company.  level, after another three to four months of training, the combat effectiveness of these new Burmese troops is also very limited. Maybe they can resist the Chinese attack behind the fortifications, but it is not enough to launch an attack. The soldiers build trust in the officers and also  It will take more time to cultivate an offensive spirit, not to mention technical arms such as artillery, which require longer training. It is impossible, if not impossible, to defeat the Chinese expeditionary force with the Burmese new army in a short time.  "Extremely difficult." "Very well, Lieutenant Duncan, thank you very much for your advice!" Gillings nodded. He put his wine glass back on the tray in the hands of the Indian servant and began to think deeply.  In the report he sent to his superiors in Calcutta not long ago, he detailed the situation of the Chinese Expeditionary Force occupying Mandalay and the King of Burma's retreat to the south. In the second half of the report, Gillings spent considerable space pointing out that this was  Since the second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852 (in this war, the British army occupied Yangon by sea, then moved up the Irrawaddy River and defeated the Burmese army in Pyay, but after receiving the request for help from the King of Burma, Shunguo sent  With the support of the army, the British army was forced to abandon Pyay, and in the subsequent peace talks, they obtained the right to lease Rangoon), which was the best opportunity for the British Empire to extend its power deep into Myanmar.  To achieve this goal, Gillings suggested that the British Empire support Meng Ji to ascend the throne of Burma.  And his bossGillings was asked to be more detailed in the relevant content of the report, such as the number of troops to be invested, the troops that the Shun Army may invest, and the corresponding combat effectiveness. However, Duncan's evaluation of Myanmar's own army has forced him to reconsider the wording in the report.  After all, although the British Empire is very powerful now, it is also facing more and more challenges. In Europe, South America, Africa, and every corner of the world, there are interests of the British Empire. In order to protect these interests, the British Empire almost  Having to be enemies with all the powerful countries in the world is already a bit stretched. Under such circumstances, it is very difficult to persuade those members of the House of Commons to invest too much power in seizing a land that is not so productive.  But if the enemy's strength is underestimated in the report, this is even more dangerous. How to find a balance between the dilemmas?  Thinking of this, Gillins couldn't help but hesitate.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South, Chapter 25, Chapter 25, Mandalay Part 1

    Mandalay, the Burmese Protector's Mansion.  This mansion was originally heavily damaged in the attack in April this year. The stone walls and foundations were still intact, but the rest of the elegant wooden houses were basically destroyed in the fire after the attack.  The few surviving houses were completely destroyed by the rebels and bandits in Mandalay City in the following time, leaving only ruins for future generations to pay tribute to.  But after the Battle of Baka Village, the situation changed dramatically.  The first order of the new king Luo Qin, who had just ascended to the throne, was to order the reconstruction of the Dashun Protector's Palace, to provide compensation to the Shun merchants who were attacked before the war, and to compensate them for their losses.  The required expenses were provided by the auction of the properties and lands of the nobles who fled with the puppet king, and the remaining shortfall was donated to the monasteries and nobles who stayed in Mandalay and participated in the government of the puppet king.  It did not take much intelligence to understand that this new government could not do without the support of its powerful neighbor to the north, and therefore no matter how deferential it appeared, it would not be exaggerated.  Soon, a large number of the best timber and craftsmen were gathered at the old site of the Duhu Palace. Myanmar is famous for the production of teak, and the ones placed here are of the highest quality. Many of them were simply used to build the palace of the Burmese King.  Moved here.  In Chen Zaixing's words: "Fortunately, this is not Hanjing, and there are no crows from the Yushitai. Otherwise, just the impeachment of overstepping the rules would have crushed me to death."  Chen Zaixing simply found a house to live next to the Royal Palace of Myanmar. He was so busy every day that his head was on the pillow for up to several hours a day, and he lost weight. In the yard of the house, there were more than a dozen gentlemen.  He stood upright on the military corridor, the rifle in his hand was bayoneted, shining coldly in the sun.  The atrium was full of Burmese monks and nobles in gorgeous clothes who were kneeling, all waiting to meet the man who actually held great power in order to remove their names from the fatal list of confiscated houses.  Zhang Qileng looked at these "nobles" huddled together with contempt in his eyes.  In the city of Mandalay, he witnessed many of the bloody activities of these people before the Burmese king sent troops. Now after losing the battle, they lie on the ground and beg like a bereaved dog. This capricious behavior makes this strong man really look down on.  An officer came over and whispered to Zhang Qi: "Zhangqi, these guys are really boneless. When they killed our countrymen in the city, many of them had a share, and now they are still embarrassed."  " Zhang Qi studied in a private school for several years before joining the army and said with a sneer: "Didn't the sage say that Yi Di dogs and sheep are afraid of power and not moral? Look at these guys, the sage is really right!  "Yes, that's really the truth!" The officer nodded repeatedly and said in a low voice: "Zhang Qi, why don't the adults take the opportunity to kill all these guys and eliminate the family property first?"  "Better?" "You know nothing!" Zhang Qi snorted, looked around and said in a low voice: "The relationships in Mandalay are complicated, and everything affects us.  A foreigner entered the city with these thousands of soldiers. If they were all killed as you said, wouldn't it be a big deal for those two who were still alive to go to the puppet king?  Your Excellency is very sinister. Let¡¯s appease these guys first and knock down the Burmese king. Then we will settle accounts with them in the future. As long as Burma is in the hands of these two adults, are you still afraid of these guys flying into the sky?¡± ¡°Sure enough, holding the flag?¡±  Ming Jing Wan Li!" The officer hurriedly flattered: "You have made the greatest contribution this time. I heard that Lord Batu mentioned you specifically in the victory report. It seems that your clothes will be changed soon.  I need to drink some wine!" "Okay, okay, I won't be able to avoid those mouthfuls of cat urine from you!" Zhang Qi waved his hand, trying to hold back, but his face was already bursting into laughter.  Seeing this, several confidants on the side gathered around him and offered all kinds of flattering words for free, making Zhang Qi feel comfortable all over.  Finally, the officer just laughed and said: "Zhang Qi, you entered the palace of King Namyan when entering the city. Tell us what it was like, and let us open our eyes!" Zhang Qi coughed and looked.  After looking around and seeing that there was nothing going on, he made a gesture for everyone to gather over and said in a low voice: "Well, let me open your eyes! Needless to say, there is no need to talk about the splendor of the palace of King Namyan. On the day of entering the city, pull out  Mr. Du led several of our brothers who had made the most merits to a small hall behind the palace. I heard that it was the family temple of the Puppet King's branch. The walls of the hall were painted with gold paint, and the Buddha statues were painted with gold.  There are countless leaves, and there are countless treasures in the palace. Just say a word, and just light a few candles at night and it will be like daylight." Everyone was silent after Zhang Qi's words, and their faces were filled with envy and fascination.  , a smarter one reacted first and asked: "Zhangqi, sir, take you there, you can't just take a look!" "Hehe!" Zhang Qi smiled slightly and suddenly sighed.He said: "I always regret one thing these days: I really should have taken that marching backpack with me that day!" "Alas!" Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but sigh in unison, just like they were in the small hall that day.  It was them, not Zhang Qi, who faced the magnificent wall.  Everyone was talking enthusiastically, but they didn't see Batu coming in from the outside. He swept his keen eyes and shouted: "What are you talking about over there? Is Mr. Chen in there?" Zhang Qi hurriedly  He came up to him and said: "Master Chen is inside!" Batu snorted coldly, waved his hand and called Zhang Qi to a place where the soldiers could not see him, and said in a low voice: "You are also going to be the sentry.  This is the capital of an enemy country, so it¡¯s better to be alert!¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m humble, please forgive me!¡± Upon hearing his boss¡¯s words, Zhang Qi was so frightened that he quickly bowed to apologize, even though he had been in the army for twenty years.  , and Batu was less than thirty, but the most important class method in the army, the difference between the top and the bottom is not limited by seniority.  More importantly, after suppressing the rebellion in the south, the Shun Army carried out a major change in the early 1870s, following the example of the Western powers: it changed the past peacetime system of promotion or promotion based on seniority or the likes and dislikes of officers.  Instead of the system of selecting officers from among the Yin officers, special military schools were established, and then officers were selected from the graduates of these schools. Even the children of high-ranking officials have changed the way they can directly enter the army as Yin officers, and instead pass the exam without taking an examination.  Preferential treatment will be given when entering the Higher Military Academy.  Frankly speaking, after the reform, the new officer selection method has adapted to the advancement of modern military technology, and the selection standards are more reasonable than the old system, which has greatly improved the combat effectiveness of the Shun Army.  However, the new system has also brought new problems. Because the new military academy requires students to have a considerable knowledge base, and the tuition is quite high, in some cases they even have to write letters of recommendation from members of the local advisory board.  So in fact, those who can enter the military academy are generally at least middle-class businessmen, rural landowners, rich farmers and above. Children of civilians who can enter the military academy are definitely rare. But if you are not a graduate of the military academy, unless you can make a special decision  The most outstanding military achievements will be retired when they hold the flag. However, if they are students who graduated from the Kungfu Lecture Hall in the capital, they will usually be the deputy flag bearers as soon as they enter the army. In a few years, they will surpass their colleagues who are not military school students, so there are three Batu three.  The phenomenon of being less than ten years old but having a much higher official rank than Zhang Qi who has served in the army for twenty years.  Moreover, the Dashun Army adopts a "local army" system, that is, except for the imperial guards near Hanjing, the rest of the army is organized according to their regional birthplace. As a result, officers who are officers in their army often  My family is also a big landowner, a big businessman, and a big tycoon in the local area; so no matter what kind of thorns come into the army, you have to be submissive, otherwise the officer will send you a letter and make your home look good.  Therefore, in the Shun army at that time, officers and soldiers were two completely distinct classes in terms of treatment, origin and other aspects.  Seeing Zhang Qi's appearance, Batu frowned and said: "Zhang Zhangqi, from now on you should also pay attention to your identity and keep a distance from those soldiers. Just let the officers and veterans below do some things.  , you don¡¯t need to do everything yourself. Also, do you know why I asked you to go to the puppet king¡¯s side hall that day?  There is a lot of money. Although you have been promoted this time, your expenses will be higher. I am afraid that the salary will be a little tight. I am afraid that I will lose my dignity as an officer, so I will give you a chance to make a small fortune and go back.  Later, I also bought some property and lived a decent life, worthy of this layer of tiger skin." At this point, Batu showed a smile on his face: "Don't you have two boys? With this extra money,  If they could live up to their expectations, they would be able to go to the military academy, and they wouldn¡¯t have to endure such hardships like you!¡± Hearing this, Zhang Qi couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears of gratitude. He wanted to say something, but for a moment he didn¡¯t know what to say.  .  Seeing him like this, Batu patted his shoulder lightly: "Is Master Chen here?" Zhang Qi quickly stood at attention and replied: "Master Chen didn't go out, he should be inside to see the guests!" Batu nodded,  The soldiers who walked out glanced at the courtyard, snorted coldly, and walked quickly inside.  After passing through two courtyards, before entering the door, he shouted loudly: "Resurrection! Resurrection!" "Is it Zhenwu?" Batu came in and saw Chen Zaixing sitting in front of the case, with two Burmese monks sitting opposite him  , looked like they were having a conversation, and couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. The two monks recognized Batu as a senior general in the army, so they hurriedly stood up together, chanted the Buddha's name, and saluted Batu.  Batu had no choice but to return the favor.  There was chaos in the room for a while. Seeing Batu coming, the two monks got up and left one after another. Chen Zaixing had to send them out personally before returning to the house.  Batu was not polite when he was here and poured himself some tea.He smiled and said: "Brother Fusheng, they are just a few money-grubbing bald donkeys. They are just meat on the chopping board. Why do you have to be so respectful to them!" Chen Zaixing saw them off, turned around and said with a smile: "  Brother Zhenwu, you also know that the people here in Myanmar believe in Buddhism. Without the support of these monks, I am afraid that Naluoqin will not be able to sit on the throne!" "So what?" Batu sat down and said: "This is Myanmar.  After all, the place is thousands of miles away, and now it is a place where everyone is watching. Yingyi is also watching here, how can two and a half-year-old children hold this seat?" At this point, Badu took a sip of tea from the cup.  Then he said with a smile: "Brother Fusheng, you are so active in running for those two people. Could it be that you have fallen in love with the eldest princess and are holding back your energy to become the husband of the Burmese king! If so, I should help you with all my strength!"  "Bah!" Chen Zaixing spat when he heard this: "What is wrong with a king's husband? To tell you the truth, the rest of my achievements are based on this place. If those two children cannot sit firmly on this throne, just  A creditor can force me to death, do you think I can't be active? As for you saying that they are surrounded by foreign enemies, these two are young and helpless. In fact, this is also a good thing from another perspective. Being surrounded by foreign enemies will make them  We have to rely on Dashun. These two are young and helpless, so they have to trust you and me. As long as they are in power, the thousands of miles of Myanmar will be left to you and me to control a country.  Calling all people, with such an opportunity in front of us, why should we hesitate? "

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises from the South, Chapter 26, Chapter 26, Part 2 Mandalay

    Hearing this, Batu looked at Chen Zaixing's haggard face. He had spent more than twenty days forgetting to sleep and eat, and he had almost lost weight, but his eyes were shining and he was extremely energetic.  Regarding the origin of the huge sum of money Chen Zaixing invested in the army, Batu couldn't help but sigh: "You are right. This opportunity is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. All you and I can do is put our all in it, and there is no need to think about anything else. I  Only now do I know why you killed the attendant. If he is still alive now, he will naturally have the trust of the two children more than us. Moreover, this person knows the inside story of Myanmar, and the noble monks will naturally gather around him.  How can we take action?" Chen Zaixing nodded and said in a low voice: "This matter is of great importance. There are many Burmese people here. If it spreads, it will be very detrimental to you and me." At this point, Chen Zaixing asked.  Said: "By the way, what happened to you in such a hurry just now?" "Fortunately you reminded me, otherwise I almost forgot!" Chen Zaixing patted his head and said anxiously: "After the battle in Babu Village, wasn't there some  The Burmese army officers escaped from the command of the puppet king and reported to our army that the puppet king fled to the Mingqi area in order to try again? Today I learned from the refugees that the puppet king was levying food and soldiers there, and there were also British people.  Help them train their army. More importantly, the puppet king ordered to block the waterway and prohibit anyone from transporting food to Mandalay!" Chen Zaixing's face immediately became serious. During this time, he had taken control of Mandalay's family.  The capital of the Kingdom of Myanmar, Mandalay is undoubtedly the political center and cultural and religious center of the Kingdom of Myanmar. There are a large number of temples around Mandalay, inhabited by a large number of nobles and monks. These are pure consumption people separated from production.  However, Mandalay is not the economic center of Myanmar. Judging from the natural conditions for agricultural development, the delta area located on the lower reaches of the Irrawaddy River in the south has fertile land, crisscrossed rivers, and a humid and hot climate, which is very suitable for rice cultivation.  The economic center of the Kingdom of Myanmar, which was founded on agriculture, is actually in the Irrawaddy Delta region further south.  Due to the dislocation of the economic center, political center and cultural center, a large amount of food and other wealth are shipped to Mandalay in the form of taxes every year to meet the consumption of the royal capital. Without this source of food, there is no doubt that Mandalay will  It is impossible to survive alone. This is why after learning that the puppet king fled to the Mingqi area, Chen Zaixing and Batu both believed that they should pursue the puppet king immediately after Mandalay was pacified, and conquer Mingqi and even the entire Irrawaddy Delta area.  The control is in your own hands.  "Brother Fusheng, it's almost over here in Mandalay. When will I send troops south to pursue the puppet king?" Batu asked. He looked at Chen Zaixing's solemn expression, hesitated for a moment and then said: "Do you think it's still possible for Fusheng to do so now?"  Isn't it time to pursue?" "No, that's not the case!" Chen Zaixing slowly shook his head: "I have met hundreds of Burmese monks and nobles in the past twenty days.  The two sides are like rats, choose the strong and follow them. As long as we can not lose the war, they will not jump out to organize rebels to deal with us. After all, the successive kings of Myanmar over the past 100 years have not been free of charge.  We have dealt with a lot of restless elements among the local nobles here in Myanmar. We also saw the combat effectiveness of the Burmese army in the battle of Baka. It is completely behind the times. As long as we don't make too big mistakes, even if they are outnumbered on the battlefield  We have a great advantage and are not our opponents. The biggest problem now is the British. You know, the British sent a squadron of three steam gunboats to block the surface of the Irrawaddy River and declared the Irrawaddy River to be a non-belligerent area.  It is forbidden for any party to use this communication line for military operations, but we don't even have a gunboat. Without ships, it is difficult to attack in the downstream area with dense waterways. What is the attitude of the British before?  Preparing to completely annex the entire Burma is just a risky move. The dispatch of the squadron is a prelude to committing a large army to personally intervene. It is also just a normal action to protect the expatriates. We know nothing about these, and the reinforcements from the court have not arrived. If we send out troops, it will be a bit difficult.  Acting rashly!¡± When Chen Zaixing said this, Batu could only nod silently. If compared to Myanmar, Shunguo was a behemoth on a different scale; then the British Empire at the end of the 19th century was the largest in the world.  They are all huge monsters. A quarter of the land inhabited by humans has the Union Jack flag flying. The vast ocean is forbidden by the British Empire. The powerful imperial fleet is enough to dispel any arrogant thoughts that attempt to challenge it. Perhaps in the world  Several other powers had larger armies, but the Channel that separated the island of Great Britain from the European continent was enough to protect the empire's homeland, and the gold in the Bank of England was enough to hire enough cannon fodder on the European continent to serve England.  People shed blood and sweat, and the imperial fleet can protect the empire's overseas interests, destroy the opponent's trade fleet and plunder the enemy's colonies, ensuring the lifeline of the empire-the lucrative overseas trade, thereby obtaining more money investment  war.  In this wayIn the face of a huge force composed of money and steel, winning one or two battles or even one or two wars is of no use. Even the peerless genius of His Majesty the Emperor (Napoleon I) had to lower his arrogant head in the end.  As two middle-level officials from the Shun Kingdom, it was really hard for Chen Zaixing and Batu to imagine themselves confronting such a powerful enemy. It was only natural that they would behave this way.  "Then what do you think we should do now? Just watch the time go by in Mandalay? You know that the British control the sea. If they want, they can transport 100,000 people from Calcutta or Dhaka to Burma.  Now is the dry season. The British can go up the Irrawaddy River like they did during the Second Anglo-Burmese War. The water here is deep enough for flat-bottomed gunboats under a hundred tons to be effective, and the mortars equipped on them are enough to destroy the strongest ships.  Fortifications, their strength is increasing every minute!" As Batu said this, he stood up and walked around the room. It was obvious that he could no longer control his emotions.  "One hundred thousand people? I think you overestimate the strength of the British!" Chen Zaixing laughed at Batu's words.  Batu red-necked and retorted: "Brother Fusheng, the British are fully capable of this. They can organize so many people in the Indian native team alone. These teams have received Western training and are very adapted to the climate of Myanmar.  This is not an army like Myanmar that has lagged behind the times. The puppet king can provide enough food and the wide Irrawaddy waterway, which is no problem at all militarily! " "I understand, I understand!" Chen Zaixing raised his hands.  I completely believe what Batu just said: "But there are other restrictions besides military. Such a large-scale military operation requires a lot of money, and their parliament will not agree to increase taxes to pay for it. And as an occupying authority  , the Governor-General of India also needs a considerable army to control the vast Indian territory, and the troops that can be mobilized to invade Burma are actually very limited-" More importantly, Chen Zaixing stood up and waved excitedly like a teacher in a school.  Holding his arms: "Historically, the British army has always been an appendage of its powerful navy. Facing powerful enemies on land, the British usually seek an ally on land and support this ally with weapons and money.  To fight the enemy, his small army often only plays a supporting role. If they have to face a tenacious enemy alone, the British will usually choose to retreat." Hearing this, Batu was a little confused.  I understand, but I still didn¡¯t fully understand what Chen Zaixing meant. I couldn¡¯t help but ask in a low voice: "Fu Sheng, what do you mean?" "First, we must prevent the puppet king from controlling the entire south, establish a new army, and let the new king  The government established authority in the country, so that the British would not have a ready helper, and would have to face a Burmese government under the protection of the Dashun army; secondly, we should increase Dashun's presence in Myanmar to show our determination and force the British  The British are negotiating with us. Unlike the Russians, they occupy land more for the right to trade than for immigration expansion. Rangoon is the best port in Myanmar and is now in the hands of the British. As long as it is given to them.  With the right to trade, most of their goals have been achieved, and Dashun and the British can reach a compromise. " "Well, you are right, Resurrection!" Batu nodded, and then he asked doubtfully.  : "But if this is the case, then what's the use of Dashun's hard work in conquering Burma? Rangoon is in the hands of the British and they have the right to trade, so what can Dashun get? Aren't we just getting an empty  Shell? " "Zhenwu, Dashun got what is possible now!" Chen Zaixing whispered: "The British only need to go to Burma from India, and Dashun has to go through the rugged road.  Moreover, this road is almost impassable during the five-month rainy season every year. This reality determines that the British are more capable of maintaining a presence in India than Dashun. This is the reality as long as this reality does not change.  The benefits obtained by each in Myanmar will not change unless we can control the important port of Yangon and make it open only to Shun. But this will definitely exceed the British bottom line, which means a full-scale war.  Dashun can't bear it now.  " "You are right, resurrection!  Batu thought for a moment, then nodded in frustration: "As long as the British control the sea, it is impossible to capture Yangon, even if there are 100,000 people!"  "It's no wonder that Batu is so frustrated. As the marching commander of the Burmese captain's house, Batu actually has the task of collecting important military intelligence from all over Burma and preparing for possible wars in the future. For the British in this big country of Burma,  Shun's mortal enemy, he personally made a staff trip to Yangon, its most important stronghold: Yangon is located in the Irrawaddy Delta of Rao. The city is surrounded by water on three sides, with the Bago River to the east, the Yangon River to the south, and the Irrawaddy River to the sea to the west.  One of the Han Rivers, the Lai River, is the only one connected to the land on its north side.Protected by platforms and parapets, the fortifications were defended by six battalions of well-trained and equipped infantry.  After actual inspection, Batu believed that it would be militarily unrealistic to capture Yangon without a strong navy to cut off reinforcements at sea.  There was silence in the room, and both Batu and Chen Zaixing had gloomy expressions. After overcoming so many difficulties and winning, they discovered that the results they obtained were so pitiful, and the biggest prize was stolen by the enemy.  Got it, which made both of them feel bad.  After a while, Batu sighed softly: "You are not as powerful as a human, what can you do?" Chen Zaixing did not answer immediately. After a while, he suddenly whispered: "Zhenwu, in fact, all this is not impossible.  "Really?" "Yeah!" Chen Zaixing whispered: "The reason why the British are better than me is because they control the sea, and water transportation is cheaper and faster than land transportation.  We, Dashun, cannot compete with them in Myanmar. But if we build a railway from Mandalay to Dashun, we can transport troops or goods regardless of weather conditions, and we, Dashun, can compete with the British.  We are close to each other, so we can immigrate to the border. There are very few British people, and they will definitely not be able to compete with me on this matter." At the end of the sentence, Chen Zaixing became more and more excited and couldn't help but stand up.  Batu had a look of disbelief on his face: "Railway? I've heard of this too, but it costs a lot of money, and there are only a few built in the country. How can I have the energy to get here?" "'Things are in trouble in the world.  Is it easy to do it? It will be easy to do it, and it will be difficult to do it if you don't do it. "The British came from thousands of miles away in a boat, and they were not afraid of hardships and dangers, so they could achieve great things and surrender to all nations. How could we, the Chinese men, do it?"  Aren't you afraid of the difficulty?" As he spoke, Chen Zaixing's eyes shone like lightning in the room, and his skin almost felt painful. He couldn't help but rose up and replied, "Okay, Brother Fusheng is indeed far better than me!  Talent, I am also willing to join my resurrected brother Jiwei and do something great in this southern territory, a foreign land!" After the two of them discussed this, Batu remembered his original intention of coming this time and hurriedly asked: "  Brother Fusheng, although the general plan is established, what is the top priority now?" Chen Zaixing thought for a moment and asked in a low voice: "During the battle in Babu Village, our army captured a lot of firearms from the Burmese army, right?" "That's right, but that's it!  Most of them are outdated. The main rifles are Springfield M1855 muzzleloaders. There are about four to five thousand in total. The rest are very mixed. There are still hundreds of old antiques like Brown Bass.  You know where those Burmese barbarians dug them out from?" Batu said with a smile: "But most of the firearms are poorly maintained, and many of them need to be repaired. Brother Fusheng, if you ask this, do they also need to be reorganized?  "Burmese army?" "That's right!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "Reinforcements from the country can't come for a while. We only have more than two thousand people in Myanmar. We don't know the language, and we are not familiar with the geography.  Five or six miles out of Mandalay, you can't see anything. Moreover, after the battle in Babu Village, many Burmese soldiers fled in all directions, and many became bandits and harmed the countryside. It is not the way for us to be trapped in the city like this. I mean, we can't do this.  Take out some of the firearms and arm the Chinese businessmen and overseas Chinese in Mandalay to form a self-defense group. They have been deeply violated by the Burmese in the past, and they will definitely be our powerful help. Recruiting broken soldiers and farmers to form the new Burmese army will not only strengthen our  It can also reduce the harm to the people. Only when the new king has an army can he become a true king. It is also good for us to have a stable position. " "Yes, we can say that it is a foreign army. If there is a local army.  The army is on our side, not to mention expecting them to fight, but at least it will save us the trouble of leading the way, guarding, and destroying bandits." When Batu said this, his voice suddenly became lower: "But these Burmese are not the same as us after all.  Wouldn¡¯t it be self-defeating if we saw that the situation was not good and turned our guns to attack us? " "That's why we have to take the initiative to do this. Zhenwu, think about it. After the Battle of Babu, the Burmese army actually did something wrong.  It has been disintegrated, but as long as the King of Burma is on the throne, sooner or later someone will mention this matter. Instead of letting others mention it, we should take the initiative to do it. You take advantage of the opportunity to build the army now and use our people to recruit all the middle and low-level officers. When the time comes,  Are you afraid that someone will turn the tables on you?"

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Old Things

    Batu stood up suddenly and walked outside. He smiled as he walked and said: "Okay, then I will start it when I get back. I will select one or two hundred capable soldiers from this time and let them prepare for the construction."  Xinjun. Resurrection, you go to the Burmese Palace tomorrow and report this matter to that kid. This matter should be done sooner rather than later. Before those noble monks come to their senses, put up a show and deny it to them.  An opportunity to cause trouble. " "Well! Then I'll bother Brother Zhenwu!" Chen Zaixing stood up and said with a smile. Looking at Batu's back, he frowned again. Now everything depends on it.  In the face of time, whoever can integrate their forces faster, or the British, will be able to occupy a favorable position in the next round of competition, whether on the battlefield or at the negotiation table.  Hanjing, Banzhong, Wenyuan Pavilion.  A wisp of light blue smoke floated out from the mouth of the gilt incense burner shaped like a flying crane, and the room was filled with a comfortable aroma.  The furnishings in the room are very simple. Apart from the gilt crane incense burner, there are only desks, chairs and stacks of documents and memorials on the desk. There are no decorations on the walls.  This seemingly simple room is where the real brain of the Dashun Empire's thousands of miles of territory is located - the Emperor's Empress Zhaorong, the leader who upholds the decree, reads memorials and writes to draw out the emperor.  To propose countermeasures to the emperor.  Lin Wanqing closed a memorial that had been written to induce Huang, put one eye on the table, leaned gently on the back of the chair, and closed her eyes.  As a leader who adheres to the pen and the emperor's chief secretary, she rarely needs to write the memorials herself. In most cases, she just has to read the most important and difficult-to-decision memorials that have been selected by her subordinates. But even if  In this way, her workload is also astonishing. Although she has taken good care of herself at nearly forty years old, years of hard work still left traces on her beautiful face - black eye circles and a haggard face.  This gave her a strange charm.  After half a cup of tea, Lin Wanqing felt better. She picked up another memorial. After reading a few lines, her slender eyebrows couldn't help but twitch, as if she wanted to scream.  She suppressed the excitement in her heart and read it carefully, but it was not difficult to see the excitement in her heart from her slightly trembling fingertips. It was not until she finally saw the name of the person who signed the memorial that she began to ponder.  Lin Wanqing thought for a moment, then stretched out her hand and gently pulled the hanging string next to the table. Then a young female official came in from the door. She bowed to Lin Wanqing and said, "I wonder what Empress Zhaorong's orders are?" "You?"  Go to Jiang Bingbi and ask her to come over if I have something to do here! " "Yes, Madam!" The female officer bowed to Lin Wanqing, then walked back to the door and turned around.  Lin Wanqing stood up and walked a few steps back and forth in the room, with an expression on her face that seemed to be a smile but not a smile, and murmured to herself: "Jiang Qingyue, Jiang Qingyue! You can't think of it, right? In less than ten years, when you  The second-place official is back again!" After about half a moment, the female officer ushered in another person. It was Jiang Qingyue. Like most women who are naturally beautiful and do not need heavy makeup, she  She didn't wear any jewelry on her beautiful long hair, just a simple bun, and a carefully tailored green dress. The only accessory was an emerald pendant on her chest. This close-fitting dress  Her soft waist, beautiful breasts, and elegant demeanor are all highlighted.  Jiang Qingyue walked into the room politely and with a smile. She blessed Lin Wanqing and said, "I don't know what to do." "I haven't served you tea yet!" Lin Wan said.  Qing turned around with a smile on her face and said: "Sister Jiang family, I invite you here today for no other reason. I have a very difficult matter to resolve here. You usually have the most ideas, so I want you to come out for me."  An idea!" "Qingyue doesn't dare!" When Jiang Qingyue saw this, her heart trembled. It turned out that although she was five or six years younger than Lin Wanqing, she was an extremely outstanding figure in the palace when she was young.  , Wei Xian - Bingbi - Bingbi Chengzhi has been going very smoothly. Over the years, Wei Xian has been a figure who has been sitting side by side in Bingbi Chengzhi in the palace, and has formed a huge threat to Lin Wanqing invisibly.  .  So the two of them were still harmonious on the surface, but they had a lot of grudges in their hearts.  As the saying goes, "To be courteous for nothing is either cheating or stealing." Jiang Qingyue already had the idea of ????promoting her in her heart.  "Girls from the Jiang family don't have to be too modest. Come on, take a look at this memorial first. What do you think?" Lin Wanqing handed over the memorial she just handed over, and put away the last page intentionally or unintentionally.  Jiang Qingyue took the memorial and read it carefully. After turning to the end, she looked up and said: "The person who wrote the memorial is actually a capable minister. He wrote down the ins and outs of the incident in Myanmar, the background, the various forces involved, and the current situation.  He is very clear about the strength comparison between the enemy and ourselves and what he wants to achieve. This kind of character is very rare. But why is the last page missing from this book? Otherwise, you can tell who it is just by looking at the signature. ¡±   "Oh, look at my memory!" Lin Wanqing tapped her head lightly, handed over the last page of the fold, and said with a smile: "I was distracted when I was reading this fold, and I actually read the last page.  It was stuck in another fold. If the girl hadn't reminded her, it would have been messed up." At this point, Lin Wanqing looked into Jiang Qingyue's eyes and said with a smile, "But the girl and I see the same thing.  Mr. Chen Zaixing is indeed a great talent, and he is worthy of being the second-ranked man appointed by the late emperor! " "Chen Zaixing?" Jiang Qingyue has been practicing in the palace for many years, and the city has already been very deep, but when she suddenly heard this name, she couldn't help but feel in her heart.  With a shock, he almost dropped the last page.  Lin Wanqing saw this and couldn't help but secretly rejoiced, but she whispered in her mouth: "I guess my sister still remembers the second-ranked man who gave up his official position and went home without being a bachelor of Hongwen Hall!" Jiang Qingyue said for a moment.  She was speechless, and naturally she would not forget this name. More than ten years ago, the talented, handsome Hongwenguan bachelor expressed his love to her, and begged her to give up the opportunity to become a pen-bearer and leave the palace.  The scene of spending a lifetime with him seemed to be still before my eyes.  It¡¯s just that time has changed everything. He is now the late emperor¡¯s concubine, and one of the imperial decrees. After he abandoned his official position and returned home, he also laid a foundation in Myanmar. How can one explore the twists and turns of fortune?  .  While Jiang Qingyue was reminiscing, Lin Wanqing's voice came to her ears: "Who in my generation didn't envy the girls of the Jiang family back then? That Bachelor Chen was handsome and unrestrained, and he had already entered the Hongwen Hall at a young age. In the future,  At least he is a governor. If I can marry such a good man, it will be a blessing for my daughter and my family. But my sister rejected him. At that time, I don¡¯t know how many sisters in the palace said to me, sister.  He is a hard-hearted man. He abandoned his official position and returned to his family, leaving behind a promising future. No, he was really capable, but he only managed to build a business in Myanmar in ten years.  "Come on, you really have the guts to stand out!" "Empress!" Jiang Qingyue suddenly interrupted Lin Wanqing's words and said in a low voice: "You just invited me here to reminisce about old times, right?" "What the hell!"  Lin Wanqing smiled and said, "It's just a coincidence. As you know, older people always like to talk about the past. Don't be surprised, Jiang family girl!"  Don't you dare blame me!" Jiang Qingyue had already calmed down, her face was cold, her eyes were as bright as lightning, and she couldn't tell what was going on in her heart. She sneered: "But if we want to discuss state affairs, Qingyue will accompany me. If it's just reminiscing about old times, please forgive me.  Qingyue is still busy with trivial matters, so she will leave first! " "Jiang family girl, don't worry!" Lin Wanqing said with a smile: "I just sighed about the past occasionally. If you care, then I won't mention it!"  Here, Lin Wanqing's face suddenly changed, and she said solemnly: "You have read this excerpt, what do you think the Jiang family should do with it?" Jiang Qingyue was confused by Lin Wanqing's tactics, and it took her a long time.  Just then he collected his mind and thought about it before replying: "The book said that Mandalay was already in the hands of the king's army, but the false king fled to the south, took shelter under the wings of the British, trained troops and stocked up food, and cut off the route to the country of Mandalay.  However, the King's Division has too few troops and insufficient ammunition. It is in a foreign country and requires additional troops to carry out ammunition to maintain the stalemate with the British. I thought it would be necessary to send troops as soon as possible, otherwise it would be delayed.  I'm just afraid of losing the opportunity and causing a catastrophe!" Lin Wanqing nodded and said: "Master Chen made the situation between the enemy and us very clear in his letter. He said that the British were only seeking benefits from trade, not land.  People, as long as I send troops to Burma to show my power and allow them to benefit from trade, it should not be difficult to reach a compromise with them. There are soldiers in Yunnan, so I will send six soldiers to Burma, equipped with weapons, food and ammunition. You see.  "How?" Jiang Qingyue was stunned when she heard the words. She clearly remembered Chen Zaixing's statement in the book that Myanmar and China are far away and there is a rainy season for half of the year. Transportation is inconvenient and more soldiers are useless. On the contrary, it increases the burden and should be supported by a small number of elite soldiers.  Wang, tried his best to win the support of local forces in Burma and force the British to accept the peace agreement. However, Lin Wanqing just said that he would send six pacesetters to Burma at once. This is completely different from what Chen Zaixing said in the excerpt.  But Jiang Qingyue thought for a moment and said respectfully: "What you said is true!" Lin Wanqing suddenly changed her tone: "But Mr. Chen is just a fifth-rank official now and has no foundation in the army. He must be disciplined.  It's a bit difficult to have so many soldiers. Let's just send a big official from the imperial court to Burma to take care of everything!" "This -" Jiang Qingyue still felt a lot of debt to Chen Zaixing, and finally said,  He gritted his teeth and said, "Mr. Chen has been in Myanmar for many years and is familiar with the local situation. He managed to open this situation with great difficulty. If we send outsiders again, I'm afraid something bad will happen!" "Don't worry, sister of the Jiang family, I have already considered this!"  Lin Wanqing smiled and said: "The man I sent has also been in Annan for a long time. He is very clear about the barbarian sentiments and is determined not to ruin the important affairs of the imperial court. After all, he is Mr. Chen's senior and is very honest.??Master Chen is just and right, I believe Master Chen will not have any complaints.  " Hearing this, Jiang Qingyue's expression changed drastically: "Is that the person you are talking about?  "    "good!  " Lin Wanqing smiled, with a look of pride on her face: "That's the 'Butuhou'" "Damn, it's so disgusting, I'm going to vomit again!  "Kong Zhang lay weakly on a blanket, his face was ashen, and he was covering his mouth with his hands, as if he was about to vomit. At this time, he was sitting on a slowly moving elephant, which he had only ridden in the past.  It was the first time for him to ride on such a strange means of transportation including horses, carriages, trains, boats, and sedans. What surprised Kong Zhang was that sitting on the back of such a huge animal as an elephant was not as comfortable as he imagined.  , the shaking during the journey and the strong body odor of the elephant soon made him feel uncomfortable all over, followed by violent vomiting. After a few times, he felt that it would be better to simply die. "Uncle, do you want to let it go?"  Should the team stop and take a break?  "The attendants on the side saw Kong Zhang's appearance and hurriedly asked in a low voice. "No, I can still hold on and let them continue on their way!  "Kong Zhang replied with strength. Before he finished speaking, he felt a mouthful of hot water pouring out of his esophagus. He quickly stretched out his head and faced a violent vomiting outside. The attendant hurriedly supported Kong Zhang to avoid it.  He rolled off the back of the elephant that was several meters high and patted him on the back. After a while, Kong Zhang finished vomiting and turned over to lie down in the camel cage, his face even more ugly.  Extremely, it¡¯s better than a dead person. ¡°Uncle, please stop and rest for a while. It¡¯s not going to work like this!  "The attendant hurriedly took out honey water and fed it to Kong Zhang, while whispering. Kong Zhang had already vomited and was unable to speak. After drinking a few mouthfuls of honey water, he had the strength to shake his head stubbornly. The attendant  Seeing how determined he looked, he had no choice but to shake his head.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South, Chapter 28, Chapter 28: Encountering Bandits (Part 1)

    It turned out that after Kong Zhang received the authorization from the board of directors, he rushed to Tianjin as quickly as possible and took the nearest ship to Yangon.  After more than ten days of turbulence at sea, Kong Zhang had just set foot on land. He ignored the dissuasion of local Chinese businessmen and spent a lot of money to hire several guards and two elephants to go to Mandalay - from Yangon.  The safest and most comfortable way of transportation to Mandalay has been cut off due to the impending war. It is full of thieves and fleeing peasants evading the conscription of the puppet king. In fact, the identities of the two often overlap, even if they are not.  They are often converted into each other.  Kong Zhang's actions were not only very hard, but also extremely dangerous. However, there was only one belief that supported Kong Zhang. He must be the first to rush to Chen Zaixing to get the maximum for his previous investment and Renyi Bank's future business plan in Myanmar.  piece of cake.  When Kong Zhang drank the honey water in the cup, he finally felt better and no longer felt like vomiting, but it might be because there was nothing left in his stomach to vomit.  He leaned weakly on a soft cushion, and his empty stomach was contracting violently, as if there was an invisible hand pulling inside.  Kong Zhang weakly stretched out his right hand and gently rubbed his abdomen a few times, which made him feel better.  He was very hungry, but he didn't dare to eat because he was afraid that he would vomit again. The feeling of spitting out all the internal organs from his throat made him a little scared.  "Uncle, let me pour you some more honey water!" The attendant whispered, and Kong Zhang nodded feebly. He needed to replenish water and energy now.  At this moment, a gunshot was heard outside the camel cage. The attendant's hand trembled and he almost poured the honey water in the cup on Kong Zhang. Kong Zhang did not bother to scold the other person at this time. The two of them looked at each other.  To panic.  "Master, master! Please come down quickly, there are robbers in front!" A dark and thin man opened the sedan curtain and shouted in Chinese with his feet raised. This is a mixed race of Burmese and Chinese, with teeth from Yangon. Kong Zhang passed  This man hired these bodyguards to escort him to Mandalay. Now this dark and thin man had a face full of panic and looked like he was in imminent disaster.  Kong Zhang was pulled off the elephant by the man. He had already vomited and had no energy left. His legs felt like they were stepping on cotton balls, without any strength at all. He almost fell down as soon as his right foot touched the ground.  He staggered, but luckily his attendants caught him.  I saw a Burmese man with a face full of blood shouting something loudly to several Burmese bodyguards. Although Kong Zhang could not understand the Burmese language of the other party, it was not difficult to hear the feeling of impending disaster in the words.  "Master, let's go back. There are thieves ahead and we can't get through." The middleman shouted loudly. As he spoke, he looked around from time to time, as if the thieves would rush out from the grass on one side at any time.  When Kong Zhang heard that he was about to turn around, he became anxious: "I'll give you double the wages, no, triple the wages. You can send me to Mandalay, and I'll pay you when I get there. I won't default on the debt!" "Master, it's not that we don't want to," he said.  You can earn this money, but no matter how much money you have, you have to live to spend it!" The middleman waved his hands anxiously.  Kong Zhang was still determined to give up, and he wisely said: "Can I pay for the road? Those thieves are just asking for money. Go and make peace with them and let them make a price. I will never counter-offer. As long as  I will give you the money as soon as I get to Mandalay!¡± ¡°My Lord!¡± The middleman was stunned when he heard this: ¡°Why haven¡¯t you understood? These people are not ordinary bandits. Many of them were defeated by you Chinese.  Army, they have no territory, and they have no long-term plans. They want money and lives. How can I explain it rationally? Not to mention that you are a member of the Shun country. If you let them catch you, you may have to suffer well before you die.  It's going to be a lot of pain!" As he was talking, two more gunshots were heard, and they were much closer to here. Before Kong Zhang could continue to persuade him, the expressions of the Burmese bodyguards changed drastically, and they whistled twice and started talking to that one.  The middlemen collected some property and dispersed in a hurry, leaving only Kong Zhang and his entourage standing there, looking at each other.  The attendant suddenly panicked and said anxiously: "Shopkeeper, what are we going to do? How could these barbarians leave us here?" When he said this, his voice was choked and he was about to cry.  Kong Zhang suppressed his panic, looked at his surroundings, and saw a large thick bush on the left. He quickly pointed over there and said, "Let's go over there and take shelter. We'll pass this level first."  !" Then he pulled the follower into the bushes.  Kong Zhang got into the bushes and discovered a problem. The two elephants were still standing in the same place. Others would know that someone had passed by not long ago.  But now it's too late to go out and drive it away.  At this time, there was a whistle in the distance, so he had to curl up and try his best to reduce the possibility of being discovered. At this time, Kong Zhang heard a slight sound of chanting Buddha's name in his ears. It was the follower who was praying to the gods and Buddhas to avoid it.  This is difficult.  Even though Kong Zhang usually didn't attach much importance to various gods and Buddhas, he couldn't help but pray secretly in his heart that if he could escape this timeI will definitely give a lot of money.  At this time, sixteen or seven bandits had surrounded them. Kong Zhang could see clearly in the bushes. All of these bandits were in ragged clothes, black and thin. If they were not holding knives, bamboo guns, muskets and other weapons in their hands, they would look like nothing.  They were no different from the hungry people fleeing famine on the roadside. However, the clothes worn by the leaders looked of good quality, but judging from the style and size, they should be one of the stolen goods of these bandits.  When these bandits saw the two elephants and the property scattered on the ground, they couldn't help but stand up and cheer, and they swarmed over and started fighting over them. Some of them got into a fight and even pulled out their knives to threaten each other. It was like a fight.  When Kong Zhang saw this in the bushes, he couldn't help but cursed secretly in his heart: "The thieves who killed a thousand swords have brought me to such a situation. It's best for you to kill yourselves and kill them all!" At this time, Kong Zhang  Zhang suddenly heard a few scoldings. A bandit who looked like a leader separated the fighting men, pointed to the direction in which the bodyguards fled, and shouted a few words in Burmese.  The bandits were dejected after hearing this, but they still reluctantly picked up their weapons and chased in the direction where the bodyguards were escaping.  Although Kong Zhang could not understand the leader's Burmese dialect, he guessed that he wanted his private fighting men to hunt down the escaping bodyguards. He couldn't help but secretly feel glad that he did not escape with those bodyguards, otherwise with his own foot power, he would  They definitely couldn't outrun these bandits who were familiar with the local terrain and were quick on their feet. Those bodyguards would definitely leave themselves alone to escape in the end, instead of hiding in the grass. If they were lucky, they would still have a way out.  After the bandit leader assigned a few people to pursue them, he said a few words loudly. All the bandits stood in a circle and put the stolen property on the ground. The bandit leader separated the property and shouted one by one.  When everyone's name was called, the person who was called stepped forward to take away his share. After a while, the dozen or so bandits who were still there finished their share. Those who left the remaining shares on the ground should be chasing after them.  The leader himself was the only one who escaped. The entire process was silent, and no one among the bandits expressed any complaints or objections.  Kong Zhang was horrified as he watched in the grass. He originally thought that these bandits were just a ragtag group of peasants fleeing famine, but now it seems that is not the case. If nothing else, the leader is fair in dealing with things and enforces orders and prohibitions. He has a bit of an army attitude.  He might have stayed in the army for some time. It seemed that it would be a little harder for him to escape this time.  When Kong Zhang was in the grass, he was surprised and confused. The chasing thieves had come back, and there was a dark and thin man behind them. He was the middleman that Kong Zhang hired in Yangon. It turned out that this guy was running slowly and was left behind.  At the very back, the robber caught up and was shot in the leg, but was caught.  When Kong Zhang saw this, he couldn't help but screamed in his heart. This bandit leader was very shrewd. When he saw the elephant, he should know that there was an important guest inside, so he would definitely ask this guy about his origins.  And this middleman doesn't look like he can keep anything secret for himself.  If the bandit leader knew that there was a guest from Shunguo inside, he would definitely guess that the other party didn't know the way and couldn't run far. As long as he searched around, he would be caught.  When Kong Zhang was anxious, sure enough, the leader asked the intermediary a few words, then raised his head and looked around. Only then did Kong Zhang see the appearance of the guy clearly, and saw that he was about 1.70 meters tall.  They are considered very tall among the Burmese people, with a stocky build, hair as unkempt as a jackal, a short and flat nose, wrinkled nose, nostrils as big as a lion, and a forehead as big as a lion, with a deep groove  Separated into two powerful bulges, this appearance looks very ordinary, except for a pair of bright and frightening eyes, like an eagle, which makes people dare not look at each other.  Kong Zhang quickly lowered his head to avoid looking into each other's eyes and attracting his attention.  The man walked around the elephant twice, carefully surveyed the ground and surroundings for a while, then suddenly raised his head, pointed at the bush where Kong Zhang was, and shouted loudly. Following his shout, more than a dozen of his  The men immediately jumped up and surrounded Kong Zhang.  Kong Zhang looked back at the followers behind him, closed his eyes tightly, and his face was as pale as a death.  He smiled bitterly, stood up, raised his hands and shouted loudly: "Don't shoot, don't shoot, I'm right here!" Kong Zhang sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes slightly closed, and the bandits around him looked at him curiously.  Looking at this foreigner who was dressed in completely different clothes, compared to the other guys they caught, the man in front of them was much calmer. Although his face was ugly and his hands and feet were trembling slightly, at least he did not kneel on the ground and kowtow repeatedly.  The act of begging for mercy comes.  "Master, don't blame me. I can't help it. With the knife on my neck, I can't help myself! Besides, you will be caught by them sooner or later in the grass." Kong Zhang opened his eyes and saw the middleman standing there.  In front of him, an awkward smile appeared on his face.  Kong Zhang smiled slightly: "It doesn't matter, as long as you interpret for me well, I won't blame you. If you can escape this time, I won't miss you a penny as the reward Yangon promised."??¡± Hearing that Kong Zhang would not pursue him, the intermediary cheered up. After all, people like him just rely on pimps from both sides to earn a living. If his reputation is ruined, even if he can go back alive this time, in Yang  Guang's job was gone, so he hurriedly smiled and said: "Thank you very much, master. I will definitely tell you, but I hear what I want. Is there anything else you can do?"  " Kong Zhang smiled slightly. He knew that he was in an extremely critical situation at this time. If he wanted to escape, he had to grasp every factor that was beneficial to him, and the only one who could translate for himself and the bandits was  This middleman is the key. If this person feels that he wants to retaliate against him for betraying him after escaping, he will find a way to play tricks between himself and the bandits and let himself die here, then everything will be over.  So no matter how much you want to kill this guy, you still have to put on a smile, and you have to make the other person feel that you have a way to bring him out of the way, and he must be willing to stand on your side. "  I just observed carefully in the grass, this group of people is different from ordinary thieves.  After you escaped, the leader immediately sent several people to chase you. He was very fair when dividing the stolen goods. Those who went to chase you who were not present did not lose a point.  If they are ordinary bandits, once these people leave, the rest will probably take the bulk, leaving only some residue for those who are not present.  " That middleman has also been at the dock for a long time. Kong Zhang was immediately enlightened and immediately understood the meaning. You must know that in ancient times, bandits often fought among themselves and there was no order. Often the boss agreed, and the second bosses and minions below often  Afraid that the boss would be left alone, he deliberately made trouble and destroyed it. Therefore, it was very difficult to negotiate the price, and he didn't even know which one he could negotiate with. If this group of bandits can do this, it is natural that the leader is fair and capable.  Convince the public. In this case, the price can be negotiated. It is just a question of money, and Kong Zhang doesn¡¯t care about money.  Make an argument for the master?  " Kong Zhang sneered in his heart: "Sure enough, a dog can't change its habit of eating shit. Before leaving the gangster's den, he wanted to put his hand into the oil pan to make money. I won't argue with you now. When we get to Mandalay, we will definitely  I want to give you a good look!  He pretended to be confident and said: "It's okay, let's find out first!"  " Seeing that the middleman and Kong Zhang had almost finished talking, the bandit leader came over and said a few words loudly. The middleman quickly translated: "What's your name?  What are you doing here?  Where to go?  " Kong Zhang lifted his clothes, stood up, bowed his head and said: "My surname is Kong Mingzhang, and I am a businessman from the country of Shun. This time I came to Myanmar for a business. I have to rush to Mandalay. I don't want to meet him.  A strong man, I don¡¯t know what to call a strong man?  "

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South, Chapter 29, Chapter 29: Encountering Bandits

    After listening to the translation, the leader sneered and said: "You asked me my name, so you must be reporting to the official in the future, right? It doesn't matter, I am Songcan from Asong Village, you just go to report to the official, anyway, these days  You can't live even if you are a good person!" When the other bandits heard this, they gathered around and yelled in unison, waving their swords and guns, which frightened the translator half to death. They hurriedly translated and complained: "Master, you are so stupid.  Why bother? It's not business, it's important to get away. Why do you want to meet him again?" Kong Zhang suppressed the fear in his heart and said, "I just said it casually, you go and talk to him?  He explained that it was just a matter of greeting each other by name when we first met, and there was no other intention. Besides, there are two kings in Myanmar now. I want to report to the official, but I don¡¯t know which one to report to? "  After hearing the interpreter's answer, Shen's face softened slightly. He waved his hand to stop his companions from shouting, and said: "You are right. Now the government has arrested all the men to serve as soldiers. Only the food in the village is left."  They were left rotting in the ground. If the village elders asked for some time off before they could join the army after harvesting the crops, they were treated as traitors and hanged from a tree by the roadside. The family members were not even allowed to pick up the bodies. This was simply outrageous.  This is the end of the world mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures! You Shunguo businessmen are so greedy. You even risk your precious lives to make money and come to such a dangerous place so far away from your hometown. The Buddha must have borrowed my hand to come here this time.  Punish you." Kong Zhang listened and replied carefully: "The strong man is right. But I am just a clerk. What can I do if the boss wants me to come here?  My children, please, for their sake, please spare my life and let me go back to support my parents and raise my children. I am willing to pay some money to worship the Buddha to forgive my sins.¡± Hearing this, Songshen nodded!  , said: "Everyone should honor their parents, otherwise they will be worse than animals. You are a good person, I can let you go, but how much are you willing to pay?" "Being able to save one's life is the favor of a strong man.  How can I dare to fight for more and less? Please tell me the number, as long as I can get it, I will not shirk it!" When Song Shen heard this, he had a troubled look on his face. It was obvious that he had nothing to do with bargaining.  Experience, he hesitated for a while, then pointed to all his companions and said: "There are eighteen of us, but we only have five guns. Now we are still short of thirteen guns. Also, the weather is getting colder. We  Everyone also needs clothes and shoes. If you give each of us a piece of clothes, a pair of leather shoes, and fifteen guns, I will let you go!" Kong Zhang couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this.  The Lion Hui opened his mouth, and now he could only nod his head to admit his fault, but he did not expect that the other party was an honest person. It seemed that these people were not habitual bandits, but bankrupt farmers who had avoided military service.  He asked the middleman a few questions and then said with a smile: "I just asked, the thunder gun is commonly used here in Myanmar, and the bullets are easier to match. The market price is about 25 taels of silver each, and fifteen guns are three  One hundred and seventy-five taels, about twenty taels for clothes and shoes is enough. The villain will give the Buddha fifty taels of incense oil, which makes it four hundred and fifty taels. I wonder if the strong man is satisfied after hearing the translation?  After passing the message, Song Shen showed a look of satisfaction on his face, and the other bandits next to him cheered happily. He turned around and scolded him, then turned around and said with a smile: "Okay, that's the price. As long as you pay, you and your  Your companions can leave immediately, and you can take those two elephants with you!" Anyway, the biggest use of these two elephants is to kill them for meat. The reason is very simple - they are too big a target for a group of thieves!  , it would be better to use it to be generous.  "But I don't have that much money on me now!" Kong Zhang replied: "Even if I have it, it is your spoils. I have to go to Mandalay to get the money for you. I have a proposal. You can send me to Mandalay."  Come on! How about you get more money, like twice as much? Not only can it give you guns, clothes, and shoes, it's even enough to rebuild your village!" "Then how do we know this is not the case?  It was your trap to lure us to Mandalay, and then kill us without giving us a penny? You know Mandalay is now in the hands of the ** team." "You can catch me in your hands.  Then we arrived near Mandalay and asked my entourage to raise money. After you get the money, then leave Mandalay and wait until you feel safe before letting me go. In this process, I will be at least as dangerous as you!  " "Wait until we are safe before letting you go? What if we take the money and don't let you go, or even kill you? " "That's better than being killed by you now. At least I will live a lot longer.  There is only one way for me to die here. Even if you don't kill me and let me go, who knows if I will be killed by another group of bandits. You should get it if you send me to Mandalay?Remuneration, since you have earned money, why do you need to kill me?  I don¡¯t remember when I have offended you?  " Song Shen nodded. He did not answer immediately. Instead, he turned around and discussed with several companions. Judging from the volume of the voices, there was quite a dispute among them. Those few people did not seem to agree.  Song Shen¡¯s decision. Finally, Song Shen ended the argument with a barrage of words. The other bandits lowered their heads in silence and said, ¡°Okay!  We'll send you to Mandalay for nine hundred taels of silver, but no, you can't continue to sit on the elephant, the target is too big, and there are robbing bandits everywhere along the way.  At this point, Song Shen said with a smile: "No matter what happens in the end, you are really a brave person!"  Kong Zhang smiled bitterly and said: "I would rather never have the opportunity to be such a warrior in my life!"  " Eight days later, Kong Zhang sat on the ground panting. At this time, he was dark and thin. The silk robe that was originally of exquisite texture had become a pile of fragments whose original color could not be seen clearly. In order to  To avoid encountering thieves and the soldiers of the Puppet King who were even more vicious than thieves, Song Shen and his party took a path known only to wild beasts and local natives. As for food, they only had a small amount of grain and various plant tubers.  , wild fruits, wild vegetables; if you can get a fish or some small animal, it will be a festival. Fortunately, Song Shen no longer treats Kong Zhang and the three as prisoners, but treats them as companions. Kong Zhang gritted his teeth.  He persisted. When Kong Zhang learned that he was only 18 kilometers away from Mandalay and could arrive tomorrow, he was so numbed by all this that he almost forgot how to show excitement. ¡°Kong, eat.  !  Song Shen called Kong Zhang awkwardly and handed him a piece of roasted cassava. After getting along with him for a few days, he could already speak some of the simplest Chinese. Kong Zhang quickly took the cassava and squeezed out a smile on his face.  Expressing his gratitude. Kong Zhang took a bite of the cassava. The cassava smelled okay after being roasted, but it was bitter and astringent when eaten. Kong Zhang's mouth immediately became numb, and his face looked like a deformed rag doll.  , immediately huddled together: "Is it bitter?  Song Shen sighed and whispered: "People in our village rely on this to fill their stomachs for most of the year, and even this may not be enough."  " "It's not bad to eat, it's not bad to eat!  After Kong Zhang listened to the interpreter's translation, he quickly laughed out of fear of angering Song Shen and said, "I'm just hungry. Look, it's delicious! It's delicious!"  "Kong Zhang took two bites of cassava and pretended to be very happy, but looking at his weird face, everyone knew he was just pretending. "Alas!  Stop pretending, I know you Shun people will definitely not eat this kind of thing!  Song Shen smiled, his face full of bitterness: "The nobles in the government and the monks in the temple only eat white rice, not this. They call this what the lower class eats."  Kong, I heard that the interpreter said that you are the descendant of a learned ancient saint from the Dashun Kingdom. Let me ask you a question: The Buddhist scriptures say that all living beings are equal, even the ants on the ground are the same, but why do those monks and gentlemen live in this world?  You can eat white rice when you come down, and you can eat as much as you want; but we farmers, who work hard to grow white rice in the fields all year round, can't even eat enough cassava?  " "This -" After listening to the interpreter's stammering translation, Kong Zhang didn't know how to answer Song Shen's question for a while. Such questions appeared almost simultaneously when human beings entered civilization. For thousands of years, they have been in the world.  There are countless people with lofty ideals everywhere who are troubled by it, thinking about it, and answering this or that way, but there is no answer that can perfectly answer Song Can's question. At least Kong Zhang doesn't know how to answer the question in front of him at this time.  This young Burmese man with an ordinary appearance and bright eyes suddenly heard a dozen Burmese thieves talking about something happy at the side of the campfire. Kong Zhang quickly changed the topic and asked, pointing at the bandits.  What's wrong?  Song Shen looked back and said with a smile: "Oh, my companions are joking. There is a young man who has a sweetheart in the village next door. If he can have that money this time, he can buy a gun."  He can pick up his sweetheart and live together.  His companions were teasing him, asking him to buy a drink to celebrate!  I asked them to keep their voices down so as not to attract others.  "Having said this, Song Shen shouted a few times over there, and the voice there immediately became much quieter. "So that's it, very good, very good!  "Kong Zhang looked at the young thieves who were full of longing for happiness under the firelight opposite. Suddenly he felt that he no longer resented these robbers who had just robbed him not long ago. These poor people who had been tossed by their unfortunate fate were just for  He was happy with his little bit of happiness. Maybe they would die tomorrow morning. Thinking of this, Kong Zhang suddenly said: "In this case, I and the groom are also destined, so I will add fifty taels of silver to them."  Fill in some household items and consider it as a gift from me!  "    "ah?  Song Shen was stunned when he heard this, then smiled and said: "Fifty taels."There are too many. Besides, the war is in chaos now, and you may not be able to buy him enough household items to live by if you give him money. If sir is interested, just give him ten pieces of good cotton, it will be a very good gift!  "    "good!  Song Shen turned around and called the young man over, but he was a shy young man. He pointed at Kong Zhang and smiled at the young man: "This guest wants to give you ten pieces of good cotton as your gift."  I still haven¡¯t thanked him for the wedding gift!  " The young man was stunned and quickly saluted and thanked Kong Zhang. The atmosphere was very harmonious for a while, giving people the illusion that Kong Zhang was not among a group of bandits, but among a group of bodyguards to protect him.  At this moment, a gunshot suddenly sounded from all around, followed by a sharp shout in Burmese: ¡°Everyone kneel down!  Don't move!  " The sudden sound of gunfire immediately broke the situation in the field. Kong Zhang instinctively fell to the ground, trembling all over. Song Shen and most of the bandits vaguely saw several torches rising in the darkness around them, and dark shadows under the firelight  The crowd was full of figures holding firearms, and they all knelt down and raised their hands in accordance with the instructions. Only the shy young man stood out among the crowd, looking around blankly. This was someone making a loud noise under the torch.  He yelled: ¡°Kneel down all of us, or we¡¯ll shoot!  "The young man raised his hand, and just as he was about to say something, he heard two gunshots, his whole body trembled, and he fell to the ground. "We are the sentinels of the Dashun Protector's Office. We dare to move again.  Yes, this is how it ends!  "Following the sound of rustling footsteps, the surrounding ambush soldiers surrounded them. They were all wearing big-brimmed hats and khaki military uniforms, holding "Hanyang-style" rifles with bright bayonets. They were Shunjun.  Dressed as officers and soldiers, the bandits huddled together under the threat of bayonets. Kong Zhang stood up tremblingly, and a corpse came into view. The young man who shyly smiled and thanked him a few minutes ago.  Lying on the ground, half of his head was missing, and blood and brain matter were flowing out from the wound. Kong Zhang suddenly felt an unprecedented nausea, and fell to the ground, vomiting violently next to him.  Upon seeing this, the soldier stepped forward and kicked Kong Zhang until he curled up like a prawn, and shouted sternly: "Get up, get out of here, are you seeking death?  Upon seeing this, Kong Zhang's followers rushed forward, hugged Kong Zhang, and shouted: "Master, please take a closer look!"  We are not bandits!  We are Shunguo merchants!  "The Shun Army soldier was stunned. The familiar accent stopped him from continuing to beat him. He turned his head and shouted twice. After a while, a Shun Army officer came over, illuminated it with a torch, and stood up with the help of his entourage.  Kong Zhang, whose face turned pale, asked: "Are you really a businessman from Shunguo?  The war here is chaotic, what are you doing here?  " Kong Zhang raised the painful spot on his abdomen and saluted the officer. He smiled bitterly and said: "Master Jun, I am the shopkeeper of Dashun Renyi Bank. I came to Myanmar this time to discuss an important matter with your superior. Please  Send us to Mandalay to meet you Mr. Chen Zaixing Chen.  "

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 30 Chapter 30: The Marquis of Bu Tu

    "Do you want to see Mr. Chen?" The officer looked at Kong Zhang up and down doubtfully. He probably looked no better than the beggar on the roadside, but he claimed to be the shopkeeper of Renyi Bank and said he wanted to see Chen Zanhua.  Master Chen, it is really unbelievable. You must know that Chen Zaixing is now a very influential figure in Mandalay. He is so busy that he even has to divide his meals into several times every day. If he spreads the word for this guy, he might have to eat a lot.  A first meal.  Kong Zhang saw the way the officer looked at him and immediately understood the other's doubts. He smiled bitterly and said, "Master Jun, I encountered robbers on the road and all my belongings were robbed. That's why I look like this."  Here, Kong Zhang took off a ring from his right hand and handed it over: "This is my token. You can take it and show it to Mr. Chen. You will know after a quick look. After a while, I will definitely have some thoughts on it!" That officer  He took the wrench with hesitation, and when he saw it under the firelight, he saw that it was made of a piece of jade. Although he couldn't tell whether the quality was good or bad, the craftsmanship was very good, and it must be worth a lot of money. He was convinced that it was sixty-seven percent  , then he raised his hand and sang a fat promise, saying: "Master, the superior officer ordered me to patrol near Mandalay to arrest the bandits. The soldiers under my command just now don't know who you are, and they don't know the importance of your hands and feet. Please don't blame!" Kong Zhang  He smiled bitterly and said: "No wonder, no wonder, I looked like that just now and I was really embarrassed!" The officer laughed twice, turned around and scolded the man who had just kicked and punched Kong Zhang. He was now under the firelight.  I had already seen that the clothes Kong Zhang was wearing were in disrepair, but they were made of fine silk. I was convinced, so he stepped forward and said with a smile: "Sir, what are you talking about?  The bandits are here to rob, but these guys, anyway, Shang Feng said that in troubled times, heavy punishments should be used, and all the culprits should be hanged as a warning to others. You can point out those who are the leaders of the bandits, and we will deal with them here, so there is no need.  It's troublesome to escort him back." Kong Zhang was stunned when he heard this, and turned to look at the bandits. Although the bandits didn't understand Chinese very well, they could even guess six or seven points at this time, and they all knew that their death was not far away.  They shouted loudly and wanted to resist, but the surrounding soldiers were not polite. They immediately slammed their rifle butts at them. While they were busy, they heard Song Shen shouting loudly: "That's it, today is the end. Everyone, sit down."  I will recite this sutra, hoping that I will have a good pregnancy in the next life and not suffer such a miserable life." After saying this, Songshen sat down cross-legged and chanted the Buddha's name. Seeing this, everyone around him also sat down with him and chanted the Buddha's name.  .  "These barbarians also know that their death day is coming, but they save me trouble!" The officer sneered, turned around and smiled at Kong Zhang: "Sir, tell me which of the bandits are here. There are some big trees over there, just right.  Hang yourself there!" Kong Zhang glanced at the crowd and saw solemn expressions on the dark and thin faces. His mind couldn't help but forget the scenes of traveling together these days, his resentment against the cruelty of noble officials, and his longing for the future.  , the memory of the family members left in the village, and the last thing that flashed was the tragic death of the young man who had shyly smiled and thanked him a few minutes ago, lying on the ground with half of his head missing. Kong Zhang couldn't help but close his eyes.  After a moment, he opened his eyes again and said to the officer: "Master, they are not bandits, on the contrary, they were the ones who escorted me here. I asked the military master to let them go." "Let them go?" Then  The officer asked with a hint of surprise on his face.  "Yes, after being robbed by bandits, I was penniless. Without their escort, I would not have been able to get here. I also asked the military master to let them go." Kong Zhang's answer was very clear.  The officer looked Kong Zhang up and down, cupped his hands and said, "Even if they are not bandits, we cannot let them go. There is an order from the top. All homeless people like this will be detained and sent to Mandalay. The culprits will be hanged."  Die, and the rest will be sent to the army to serve!" "Kong Zhang was half lying and half sitting on a crude sliding pole, which the Shun army officer asked the captured Burmese to make improvised from branches and canes.  Two Burmese men carried the sliding pole, and the remaining prisoners were strung up with ropes and marched to Mandalay under the escort of soldiers.  Under Kong Zhang's advice, although the Shun army officer not only allowed Song Shen and the others to bury the killed companion first, but also just tied them up with ropes, they didn't eat much of the whip butts along the way.  It can be considered a preferential treatment.  But when Kong Zhang looked at these men with ashen faces, he felt indescribably unhappy.  As the young officer talked with Kong Zhang along the way, he felt more and more that this person had extraordinary experience, and his attitude toward him became more and more humble. Finally, he simply asked the prisoner to get a pair of sliding poles to carry Kong Zhang on the road. He pointed with a smile not far away.  He said to the small mound at the top: "Mr. Kong, over the small mound in front is our outpost. Walk three or four miles further to Mandalay. There are military orders on the top of the mountain. It is wartime now, so for those who come and go,  The personnel must conduct strict inspections to prevent the false king's secret work from sneaking in, so please wait there for half a day, waiting for Mr. Chen's order. Please forgive me for any offence! " "What are you saying? This is your own fault!Yes!  "Kong Zhang hurriedly smiled and said: "I have troubled the military master a lot along the way. I have a lot of thoughts when I get to Mandalay!  " When the officer heard this, he was already smiling from ear to ear, but he thanked him: "Everywhere, these are all good deeds that Mr. Kong does on weekdays, and he is protected by gods. This villain just happened to meet him.  " While the two were talking, they had already climbed to the top of the hill. It was almost dinner time, and one-third of the orange sunset had already fallen below the horizon. The red sunset was reflected on the broad Irrawaddy River in the distance.  , dyed it red, like a river of blood. The plain under the mound is divided into small squares by countless waterways, like a huge chessboard, with carefully cultivated rice fields everywhere, and rice waves in the bamboo forest.  Under the cover of the mountains, you can vaguely see villages everywhere, and the city of Mandalay is located in this field. The hundreds of pagodas in the city reflect a magnificent golden red color in the sunset.  With the black Mandalay Mountain as the background, it has a breathtaking beauty. Looking at this scenery, Kong Zhang was stunned for a moment. ¡°With mountains on its back and rivers on its back, thousands of miles of fertile fields, what a land of abundance and wealth!  "Kong Zhang whispered to himself. At this time, he was finally sure that his risk was worth it. Thinking of the risks he had taken in the past few months and the hardships along the way, the corners of his eyes became wet unconsciously.  When the officer saw this, he hurriedly said: "Master Kong, why are you crying? It's because the two barbarians carrying the sedan are clumsy. I'll have them teach them a lesson right away!"  "    "where!  Kong Zhang grabbed the officer and said with a smile: "I am so happy, I cried with joy!"  "Having said this, he took off the ring ring in his hand, handed it to the officer and said: "You can send a message to Mr. Chen for me and tell him that Kong Zhang from Renyi Bank wants to see him and we have something important to discuss!  ¡± Mandalay, Dashun Protector¡¯s Palace, Chen Zaixing holds a letter, frowning, as if he has encountered something extremely difficult, with more than 2,000 foreign guns as backup, and the new king of Burma  Everyone believes that his status in Mandalay and even the entire Upper Burma is not much different from that of the Supreme Emperor. Even if he wants to turn the entire Mandalay upside down, he can be said to be the leader. I don¡¯t know how difficult it is to stop him.  "Resurrection, why are you in such a hurry to come to me?  You know I'm already so busy organizing and training the new army that I'm so busy that I'm really busy with my back!  Batu walked in from outside the house while complaining loudly. After being busy these days, he has lost a little weight, and his dark face is as sharp as a knife and an axe, but his eyes are even more shining.  , is surprisingly energetic, and it is obvious that this person enjoys this busy life. "Zhenwu, look, there is a letter from the court!  "Chen Zaixing handed over the letter in his hand. Batu took the letter and laughed loudly: "It's finally here. We only have two thousand people who want to subdue a country. We always feel that our power is weak. It's easy to say with the will of the imperial court.  , if we want to fight, we need to add more troops. We two fifth-rank officials can't just stand up here!  "    "snort!  "Chen Zaixing sneered, but his face was like the bottom of a pot: "The imperial court has sent more troops to us. It's not the one pacesetter I wanted, but two pacesetters at most. Instead, six pacesetters came at once, and they also sent an uncle.  Come on, we finally opened up the situation, but someone couldn't stand it and came to seize the class and seize power.  " "Well¡ª¡ª, you and I have low official positions. If the court can send a high-ranking official to take charge of everything, it is not necessarily a bad thing.  Batu said in a low voice, with a somewhat embarrassed look on his face. Although he has cooperated with Chen Zaixing very well these days, there are subtle differences in their positions and real purposes: Batu is trying to raise Han Tianwei.  In a foreign land, he conquered the stone and left his name in history; but Chen Zaixing was different. His purpose of taking big risks was much more far-reaching. At the most superficial level, he wanted to expand his power and obtain huge commercial and political benefits from this incident.  ; If you go deeper, there are many ulterior motives. But whether it is deep or shallow, the first step is to become Dashun's highest power representative in Myanmar. Only in this way can all the subsequent plans be carried out one by one.  Put it into practice. But now the imperial court has sent his immediate superior. If it is anyone else, it is the famous "Bu Tu Hou" who has been ruined for eight lifetimes. Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but sigh. "Zhenwu."  , take a closer look, it¡¯s Mr. Zao who is here. This person is as ruthless as his eleventh generation ancestor. If he is allowed to enter Mandalay City, you and I won¡¯t give him anything within two months.  When you go back to China, I will take your last name!  Batu smiled and said, "Master Zhao?"  Eleventh generation ancestor?  Fusheng, you think too much. How old are we two officials? What can we do to Mr. Zhao?  Besides, if he wants to run the mission well, he must have a few subordinates who are familiar with the local conditions. Who else can take on this task better than the two of us?  " Chen Zaixing sneered: "I'm sorry, this Mr. Zao has a family background in matters concerning the southwest. As for the situation in Indochina as a whole, the Manchu Dynasty has nothing to worry about.I'm afraid no one in the country can compare with him. You must know that his ancestor was the founding father of the country, the governor of Annan, General Yi of the Army.  Also, this man was still the Chief Protector of the Annan Protectorate a few years ago. When it comes to military affairs in the southwest, there are really few people in the court who can compare with him.  "    "ah?  Batu opened his mouth in surprise and stammered: "Fusheng, didn't you just say Lord Zhao, but Lord Zao?"  " Chen Zaixing snorted angrily and said, "The letter is in your hand. Can't you tell by looking at it?  " If we say who is the first among the civil and military generals who founded the Dashun Dynasty, there are different opinions on this. Some people say that Prime Minister Niu Jinxing has experienced three emperors and has the first honors. Some people say that Prime Minister Niu just happened to meet him. If it were not Emperor Taizong  He was trying to turn the tide in Xiangyang, and seeing how Niu Xiangye looked like the Taiping Prime Minister in Beijing during the Jiashen year, he must have been a traitor to the country, and he might even have become a traitor to the Tatars. However, one thing is generally recognized, and he is the most famous and popular among the people.  The tallest one is the "Bu Tu Hou" who has already been too slow. It's not that this gentleman's civility and military skills surpassed those of heroes such as Niu Xiangye, Liu Zongshao, Shizong, etc., but it's because of him.  This wonderful book - "Early Slow Bear".

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom, Chapter 31, Chapter 31: Exit the Marquis of Butu

    This strange book has been widely circulated and is known as "The Early Slow Bear is available wherever there is a well." In the book, this founding father who was just a down-and-out scholar and finally became Governor Annan and General Yi is described as  A strange man with "righteousness as thin as the sky, reincarnation of Meng Chang, unparalleled in the world".  However, this so-called strange man had a different appearance in the Ming Dynasty's notebooks and novels and later "Shun Shi": "Taizong was defeated with a stone, and the situation was almost uncontrollable. Taizong fought in various places and the situation was unfavorable.  At that time, Xiong Man wanted to lead his troops to surrender to the Qing Dynasty. They discussed secretly in the tent, but the generals were unable to make a decision. He said: "You have endless glory and wealth! If the Tartars win, the glory and wealth will not be forgotten."  If the previous dynasty is victorious, I should use you to conquer Shun. Wealth and honor are like searching for something in a bag and looking at the pattern with your backhand. If the army abandons me, then you can go back to Dashun anyway, and you can also protect your prosperity in this life' The troops then surrendered to the Qing Dynasty.  On June 24, the Qing army entered Dezhou and burned and killed them. My uncle Mou Yuangong and the soldiers were killed by the Qing army. This hatred will never be forgotten.  On the 11th day of the lunar month, a troop of soldiers and horses came up in the morning and entered Lincheng under the banner of the Ming Dynasty. The soldiers and the people cheered to welcome the king's army. When they saw the general, they were still Zaomanxiong On July 25th, Zaomanxiong entered our city again.  The city has become the third commander of the front camp of the Shun Army" This capricious and strange man surrendered to Taizong at a critical moment in the Battle of Xiangyang, which ultimately led to the defeat of the Tatars. Of course, Emperor Taizong also entrusted the Shun Army to  The official position of the third commander of the former camp.  However, due to the glorious history of this early Sima, Emperor Taizong, a wise and powerful emperor, naturally looked at him differently. Although he gave him a lot of rewards to reward his mediocre work, every time he conquered the south and the north, this person was at most a deputy general, and he was always a lieutenant general.  If you advance, you will be in the vanguard; if you retreat, you will cut off the rear.  However, I have to admit that Mr. Zao is indeed blessed by hundreds of gods. After several years, he has not suffered any damage. With the qualifications of a reduced general, he has accumulated merits and achieved the official position of General Yi. After Beiding set up the Central Plains, he was still  He was given the important task of pacifying Annan, because there were very few killings in Annan. After the accomplishment, he gained the reputation of "not killing the marquis", and his descendants will always be in Annan, which is considered an outlier.  Forty years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the wonderful book "Early Slow Bear" was published. It is also known as "the land of China, in the streets and alleys, everyone with yellow hair knows it!" Of course, if someone in future generations can come to the underworld and pay tribute to this  The strange man's colleagues asked about this man's character, which was naturally very different from what was rumored in the world.  The current position of Mr. Zao in this life is the Protectorate of the Annan Protectorate. He defeated the French in the Second Annan War. His contribution was too great and his prestige was too high. A few years ago, he was transferred back to Hanking Nafu and led this place from afar.  It's just a position, but the intentions of the big bosses in the DPRK and China in sending this person to Mandalay at this juncture are quite intriguing.  "Fusheng, what kind of person is this Master Zao?" "This Master Zao!" Chen Zaixing snorted coldly and said: "Judging from the reputation in Hanking, this person is quite similar to his ancestor.  "Similar." "Oh! Very similar to General Zao? The reincarnation of Meng Chang is a strange man!" Batu said with a smile.  Chen Zaixing sneered: "Zhenwu, can you trust the words of novelists? You must know that the "Essays of Chengzhai" left by Prime Minister Niu compares the military commander General Annan to Li Mi. Think about this  What kind of person is Mr. Xiao Qi? " "Ah? How could this happen?" Batu was shocked when he heard this. What was the purpose of sending such a boss?  After finally opening this situation, I encountered such an immediate boss, which gave me a huge headache.  Especially since this person has soldiers in his hands and understands the local situation, he cannot hide it or push it away. If he is not careful, the whole situation that has been worked out with great difficulty will be ruined.  "Hmph, how do I know!" Chen Zaixing snatched the letter from Batu's hand and said coldly: "It's easy for our pacesetters to eat. Suddenly there are six more pacesetters. What will happen to the food? What will the civilians do? Let's start the expedition.  What to do about money and war? There is no ready-made regulation. Also, do we have the final say here or does the adult have the final say? The big bosses in the court must be afraid that our situation will be too smooth, so they sent this adult here.  Give us some problems!" "This!" Batu couldn't help but say, after all, he was only a mid-level and low-level officer a few months ago, and these deeper issues were left to Chen Zaixing to deal with.  , now being blocked by Chen Zaixing, he didn¡¯t know how to answer.  When I was embarrassed, I heard someone report from outside: "Master Chen, there is a man named Kong Mingzhang, who claims to be your old acquaintance. He came from China and wants to see you!" "Kong Zhang? Isn't he in China? Why?  Are you coming to Mandalay?" Chen Zaixing stood up and was about to go out when he looked at Batu and stopped.  Batu replied with satisfaction: "Fu Sheng, I have gone back beforehand. You can do whatever you want." "That's good!" Chen Zaixing nodded quickly and asked the officer who reported the report: "Where is Mr. Kong?  Take me to see him immediately.¡±p; "Pa!" Kong Zhang slapped his calf fiercely, killing a blood-sucking mosquito. This was already the twenty-fifth mosquito he had killed after lunch.  There were bursts of orders in the distance. It was the officers of the Shun Army who were training the newly recruited Burmese soldiers, but Kong Zhang's ears were filled with the buzzing sound of flying mosquitoes.  Originally, he thought he could completely ignore these guys, but having just escaped from the death line, he found to his dismay that these little blood-sucking guys had become unbearable again.  It should be said that the Shun army treated Kong Zhang quite well. The banana leaves and thatch on the bamboo shed where they were imprisoned were all newly replaced and smoked with mugwort. However, the terrible mosquitoes continued to attack Kong Zhang and his  The entourage pounced on them as if they were two mules and horses unable to move.  "Master, why do we come to a place like this? Not to mention that we almost lost our lives along the way. We finally escaped and were bitten by these bugs. If I had known this, even if there were gold and silver mountains here, I would rather stay here.  Porridge at home!" The attendant complained. He had suffered a lot these days, but among those black-faced and ruthless Burmese bandits, he didn't even dare to let go.  The complaints surged out like floods from a broken embankment, out of control.  Kong Zhang just sat there silently, immersed in swatting the mosquitoes flying around.  At this time, there was a sound of people outside. As soon as Kong Zhang raised his head, he heard someone outside saying: "Brother Kong, why don't you inform me first if you are coming here and let me prepare!" Kong Zhang stood up.  He came and bowed his hands to Chen Zaixing, who was standing at the door of the bamboo shed, and said with a smile: "When I learned at home that Brother Fusheng was so powerful in a foreign land and established such a foundation, how dare I not hurry up and come to follow Jiwei!" At this point, Kong Zhang  He took a step forward and said in a low voice: "My visit this time has been authorized by the board of directors of Renyi Bank to fully support Brother Fusheng's expansion in Myanmar in exchange for the future interests of the Kong family in Myanmar!" Chen Zaixing couldn't help but feel excited after hearing this.  Zhen, this is indeed good news. He hurriedly handed over his hands and thanked him: "Thank you, Brother Kong, for planning this!"  Why are you rushing here in such a hurry? As long as Brother Fusheng pays more attention to our Renyi Bank in business in the future, that will be enough!" When Chen Zaixing heard this, he couldn't help but feel moved. If Mr. Zao led the army into Myanmar, he, the "Great Emperor" of Myanmar, would be in trouble!  Naturally, the position of "has to be moved and replaced by someone else."  Then the huge returns expected from Renyi Bank's previous large investment in itself will naturally be in vain.  If the top management of Renyi Bank gets this news, given the profit-seeking and ruthless style of these businessmen, they will definitely withdraw all support for themselves, turn around and hug the new master's thigh with all their strength, and then they will be dead.  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing suddenly smiled and said: "Brother Kong, you are here just in time. I have an important matter here that I want to discuss with you!" "What? The imperial court is going to send a senior official to take your place, Brother Fusheng?" Kong Zhang continued  He took a few steps back and almost stumbled to sit on the ground. At this time, his eyes were lifeless, his face was pale, and he could only breathe more than a dead person.  He had gone through so many hardships and obstacles along the way, and he had struggled to get through, just hoping to get to Mandalay, get a big share of the pie, make great contributions, and get into the board of directors. But now someone suddenly told him that all this was impossible.  It has become a failure, and the blow to him can be imagined. At this time, Kong Zhang couldn't help but have a thought in his mind: If he had known this, he might as well have been locked up in the backyard of the Renyi Bank headquarters for the rest of his life!  "Brother Kong, Brother Kong! Are you okay?" Kong Zhang's performance shocked Chen Zaixing. He hurriedly shook him and said anxiously: "As long as you and I work together, things will not turn around. Kong Zhang  Brother! Wake up!" "Is there any hope?" Hearing Chen Zaixing's words, Kong Zhang seemed to be grasping the life-saving straw of a drowning man, and quickly grabbed the other person's hand and said, "Say quickly,  Is there any other way? " "I wrote very clearly in the report to the court that Myanmar is far away from Dashun, and half of the year is in the rainy season. Transportation is inconvenient, and the transportation of grain and fodder is difficult. There is no need to station troops. The purpose is to  The imperial court sent another immediate superior to control the situation, but the imperial court still insisted on bringing six bids over - "Is it possible that someone is deliberately trying to embarrass you, Brother Fusheng?" Kong Zhang was also extremely shrewd and intercepted it immediately.  Mouth.  "It's not like that. I have been in Myanmar for many years, and it has not been long since I became an official again. In the eyes of the princes in the court, I am just a lowly official. Who would embarrass me." Chen Zaixing said: "But if anyone  It is possible to use me as an excuse to hit the person behind me!" "The person behind me?" Kong Zhang frowned and asked in a low voice, "Wu Jiedu?" "Unlikely?  ! Although he is a Mu Shou, butHe has not yet been able to participate in the central government. Now that the young leader is in power, Master Qiu, the state affairs officer of the Pingzhang Army, is too old to take charge. The remaining husbands are about the same strength in the political hall. It is too late to win over the feudal officials from outside. So where?  Will he rush to offend someone?  " "Who else could it be?  Brother Fusheng, think about it quickly. If it's true as you said, it's okay for you to be the second best, but I will never be able to get ahead forever!  "Kong Zhang was like an ant on a hot pot at this time. As he said, Chen Zaixing was still protected by Zhang Guanfu. He was naked in front of the family's punishment and had no protection! Chen Zaixing frowned.  He opened his mouth, as if he had something to say: The emperor is young now, and the ministers who preside over the government are all mature and prudent, and they check and balance each other. Even if some people want to deal with their mentors by attacking themselves, the purpose of openly corrupting state affairs is  It can't be sent out. Besides, if the "Bu Tuhou" is allowed to lead the troops into Burma, he will definitely protect the Burmese captain directly. If the incident fails and Wu Hanmin can't be hit on the head, then the problem will only be possible.  Out of the palace. ¡°Because of her?  "In Chen Zaixing's mind, a woman's face suddenly flashed across his mind. Because his past and her past will not be used as a handle for her to gain power, will he erase himself in this state? Chen Zaixing clenched his teeth subconsciously, his  I suddenly felt extremely angry in my heart, and the scar that had been there for ten years suddenly opened again - maybe this wound has never been healed. "Jiang Qingyue, you are going too far!  Chen Zaixing said bitterly in his heart: "I will never fall down again, even if it's because of you!"  " Kong Zhang saw the muscles on Chen Zaixing's face twisted and a streak of blood on the corners of his lips. He hurriedly said: "Brother Fusheng!  Brother Resurrection!  Are you OK?  "Chen Zaixing woke up with a start, only to find that his lower lip had been bitten by himself unknowingly. "Brother Kong, from the time the decree is issued to the dispatch of troops to Myanmar, it will take at least two months. I will write to my teacher.  A letter to try to delay.  The victory or defeat will be determined within these two months. Don't worry, I, Chen Zaixing, have overcome so many difficulties and will never fall here!  " "The imperial court asked me to go to Burma to lead troops.  "Zhao Guoquan was leaning on the Arhat bed, squinting his eyes slightly, and asked in a low voice: "What do you think?  " Qu Duan bowed his head and stood, carefully looking at this middle-aged man in his early forties from the corner of his eye. As a noble son, Zao Guoquan's appearance was very ordinary, with dark skin and a dry and thin figure.  Sparse eyebrows and small eyes that look like he hasn't had enough sleep all day long. After nearly two hundred years of interbreeding with beautiful women, he can still maintain the appearance of his eleven generations of ancestors. This is really a genetic miracle. But what's more?  What is surprising is that Zao Guoquan still has such amazing insight into the surrounding environment and the innermost feelings of others; this is not something for a Guijie child who grew up in a family of Zhongmingdingshi.  It¡¯s an easy thing. ¡°Four years ago, your Majesty defeated the French invaders and made great achievements. However, the imperial court overtly and secretly transferred your Majesty back to Beijing from Annan. But now, I suddenly asked you to lead troops into Burma. I thought it was due to the situation in Burma.  Big bad, let the adults clean up the mess; or -" Qu Duan suddenly stopped when he said this. Zao Guoquan sat up straight, without the sleepy look before: "Or what?  ?  " "If it's not that the situation in Myanmar is very bad, it's because those few in the palace are fighting among themselves, and they are using your master's overlord's gun to control them!  " "Who are those in the palace?  "Zao Guoquan stood up, with an expression on his face that seemed to be a smile but not a smile, and asked: "Then how do you think I should be used?  " "Your Excellency is an honorable noble. According to Taizong's instructions, the descendants of the honorable clan will not be able to regulate the military and state affairs if they do not perform military merits. If they stay in the capital, they can only enjoy generous salaries. If they can go out of the capital to lead troops this time, they must seize it.  What an opportunity!  " Hearing this, Zao Guoquan suddenly slapped Qu Duan on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Well said!  We must seize this opportunity, make a good fuss, and show those in the palace what kind of gun I am!  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 32 Chapter 32: The Envoy

    In Yangon, the port, a promontory stretches deeply into the sea. At the end of the promontory, the British built a breakwater artificially to separate a large area of ????the sea from the outside ocean.  On a low-latitude coastline like Yangon, it is possible to encounter tropical storms or more terrifying hurricanes for up to seven or eight months every year. In order to protect the ships docked in the port and prevent siltation in the port.  This breakwater is extremely necessary.  Gillings stood on the shore and looked at a steamship that was slowly sailing into the port. A line of white smoke rose from the ship's chimney, and dozens of white seagulls hovered over the ship. All of this was reflected in the blue sky.  The sky is like a beautiful oil painting.  At this time, a dock official walked up to him and whispered respectfully: "Mr. Gillings, the Morris is about to dock. Do you want to go to the pier to greet it?" "Oh!, of course.  !" Gillings played with the ivory cane in his hand skillfully, and then followed the official towards the trestle where Morris was about to dock.  The Morris is a passenger ship with a displacement of 1,500 tons. It travels between Calcutta and Yangon on weekdays.  When Gillings arrived at the pier, the sailors had just lowered the gangway, and the first first-class guests were standing beside the ship's side, waiting to disembark.  When he was at Oxford University, Gillings was a good shooter. He had a pair of good eyes like a falcon. He could clearly see the person he was about to pick up from a distance of three hundred yards - a middle-aged man with brown hair wearing a black dress.  people.  Howard.  Tessen - a Colonial Office official who had just arrived from Calcutta, who had just been appointed as the British Empire's special envoy to Indochina.  As a young man with great promise, Gillings had just learned from a well-informed person that the opinions of this special envoy were valued by the Colonial Secretary. More importantly, as an expert on Asian issues, he had already  The Marquess of Salisbury, the Prime Minister, worked under him when he was the Governor-General of India and had considerable influence on the Prime Minister. I believe that he had received full authorization from the Prime Minister before coming to decide the next move of the British Empire in Burma.  Gillings took off his top hat and looked at Howard who was looking for something on the side of the boat towards the shore.  Tessen waved twice.  Tessen was panting and wiped the sweat from his head: "To be honest, although I served the empire in India for six years from 1875 to 1881, I still am not used to the climate there. And it is even hotter than India.  It's even more humid, God!" Tessen is a fat man with a height of six feet and four inches. He stands out among the short Burmese people around him. Even Gillings, who is very well-proportioned, looks dwarfed by him.  stand up.  Gillings said with a smile: "Mr. Envoy, would you like a glass of sherry? It's not easy to see here. There are ice cubes on the carriage!" "Oh! Sherry!" Theson stopped wiping his sweat and stared.  Looking at Gillings with big eyes: "Great, call me Tessen, that's what my friends in the ministry call me!" "Tessen! You can also call me Gillings!" Gillings walked to the carriage.  , took two glasses of sherry with ice cubes, and handed one to Theson.  Tessen took two sips with a satisfied expression on his face.  Then the two of them got on the carriage and headed towards the city of Yangon.  In the carriage, Gillings and Theson sat across from each other. Compared to Teson's burly physique, the space in the carriage seemed a bit small. Teson twisted his body uncomfortably from time to time, as if there was some invisible restraint imposed on him.  Generally speaking.  When Gillings added wine to Tessen for the third time, Tessen made a gesture of refusal and said with a smile: "Gillings, thank you for the wine, but that's it for today. Now let's talk about that person."  Regarding the Burmese chief, you should know the purpose of my trip. " "Okay!" Gillings put the wine glass back in the compartment on the side of the car and whispered according to the script he had prepared. "I followed the governor's instructions.  I have been in contact with Mr. Meng Ji since November last year, providing him with support in the form of weapons and military officers, and ensuring that after he succeeds, the British Empire will support him in many aspects such as diplomacy and weapons¡ª¡ª" "No need.  You and I already know this!" Tessen interrupted Gillings's narration: "I have read every bit of your report carefully. Now let's talk about what happened just now, and what you didn't include in the report.  What's written!" Gillings frowned and asked hesitantly: "Mr. Theson, I don't quite understand what you mean. You know, as an official of the British Empire, I have an obligation to read it.  Every relevant matter is written into the report for reference by the gentlemen in London. "Gillings, I have not denied the objectivity and comprehensiveness of your report!" Theson stared into Gillings's eyes: "I have.  Having served the Empire for twenty years, twelve of which were in various colonies, I know very well that as a colonial official, there are various and complex problems that arise when writing reports to London.There is a real art in extracting the real thing from the information and turning it into a report for your Excellency No. 10 to read.  There is no doubt that we should provide an objective and comprehensive report, but while removing our subjective judgments, are we also removing some other useful things?  Does it also remove some of the things our intuition warns us about?  We must know that we are living here, observing here, and we are among them. Many times, our subconscious judgments are much more and more accurate than what we can get through calm analysis.  !  " "Mr. Teson!  " Gillings looked at the middle-aged man in his forties with respect. He was deeply inspired by what he just said. He licked his lips and whispered: "Indeed, as you said,  I didn't write everything I wanted to write in the report.  Mainly because I am not sure that what I think is correct, and because these things lack sufficient facts as a basis, I cannot convince London to believe them.  " "Very good, Gillings!  Tesen nodded with satisfaction: "You are a young man with a bright future."  Gathering facts and drawing conclusions from them is difficult, but can be done with good training and diligence.  But there are still instincts and intuitions in this world. With courage, imagination, and experience, at that moment, through the fog of confusion, you can directly come into contact with the truth of things. This cannot be achieved through training and diligence. It is  God's revelation.  Come, young man, tell me what God has pointed out to you?  " "I think the empire should invest more than 25 to 30 battalions in Myanmar this year, or at the latest January next year, otherwise there will be a risk of losing India in the future!  "Gillings' voice was very low, as if he was frightened by what he said. Teson's face became serious. After thinking for a moment, he whispered: "Gillings, I have already seen it.  Your report is up.  In the report, you spoke highly of the Chinese small army, saying that they are very well trained and can even compete with our colonial battalions in India.  But as far as I know, China is still a country that is not fully civilized. Although its territory is huge, its internal differences are also huge. The financial and political systems within the empire are also very backward, and are not enough to mobilize its huge manpower and material resources.  .  Not to mention the huge space and natural obstacles in its homeland and India, and the oceans are also under the control of the imperial fleet. Do you still think that China will be a huge threat to the empire's colonies in the Far East?  " "What you said is correct, but these can all be changed.  The Prussian Junkers were not civilized a hundred years ago, but fifteen years ago they were able to defeat the French and become the emperor of Central Europe; the Chinese people have great internal differences, but the vast majority of the people in this empire speak  A language belongs to a nation, and their bureaucrats are all well-educated intellectuals. As long as changes occur, it is not difficult to become efficient. As for space and natural barriers, how long did it take to get from London to Paris two hundred years ago?  How long will it take now?  The development of technology will eventually overcome these difficulties. If the Chinese build a railway from their border to Mandalay, they will be able to completely control the entire upper Burma and invest 100,000 or even 200,000 troops into Burma. At that time  We have to invest the entire army of the empire in India.  As for the imperial fleet, you know that with the advancement of technology, warships are being updated faster and faster. The warships of the British Empire will be obsolete in less than twenty years. As long as you have enough steel and machines, you can build them very quickly.  A large fleet that can compete with the Far East Fleet is coming.  And there are enough iron ore and coal mines in China's vast territory. If they want, they can build hundreds of Krupps and Swans.  Hunter (a famous British shipbuilding company that has built many warships for the British government), this is no longer the era of wooden sailing ships. As long as the oak in Northern Europe is controlled, the other party will be unable to build enough sailing battleships.  "After listening to Gillings's words, Theson was silent for a long time, and finally whispered: "Gillings, you are right. Indeed, in the long run, the Chinese are the enemies of our British Empire and even the entire Western civilized world.  , but we cannot use this to ask the gentlemen of the House of Commons to appropriate funds. No one will pay for something that will happen twenty or thirty years or even a hundred years from now.  "    "you're right!  Teson, but if it is possible to invest twenty-five to thirty battalions of troops to protect India and obtain a new colony, what is wrong with it?  "Gillings persuaded with hope. He opened the curtains of the carriage, pointed to the scenery outside the window and said to Teson: "Mr. Teson, look at the scenery outside the window. What a fertile land this is. If we occupy this place,  , teak, tin ore, and rice will be continuously shipped to Britain, bringing endless wealth and glory to the empire!  "Howard Theson looked at Gillins's face that was flushed with excitement, and then looked at the beautiful subtropical scenery outside the window. Finally, he shook his head helplessly and sighed."Gillings, I now believe the rumors about you in Calcutta, that you can persuade the monkeys in the temple to sit quietly on the roof with a tongue!" "Terson!" Gillings complained.  road.  Theson shook his head and smiled: "Gillings, I'm almost convinced by you. Well, if things are really as you said, I will repeat what I saw to the Marquis when I return to London, but  ¡ª¡ª" His face became serious and he whispered: "It will be difficult for your request to be passed. Twenty-five battalions, even the Marquis, will have a hard time passing it in the House of Commons." "Even just half of it will do!  Gillings, who was overjoyed by the sudden good news, said with a smile: "As a thank you, I'll treat you to Yangon's seafood later. The tuna here is great!" "Tuna? My God!"  Tesen raised his eyebrows happily, and in a good mood he made a rare joke: "But the yellow-skinned monkey here shouldn't confuse it with other fish, right? I remember seven years  When His Excellency the Marquis and I were in India some time ago, some Indians actually gave us some mackerel (the other kind is fish, which is in the same family as tuna and has a very similar appearance, but it will produce toxins if it dies for more than two days and cannot be eaten).  After eating, I lay in bed and fell asleep for three days before I woke up!" "Of course not!" Gillings replied with a smile, "I won't use mackerel to make you sleepy, I have something simpler here!  The best rum and scotch you can¡¯t get in London!¡±

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 33 Chapter 33: Raid Battle

    At this time, the carriage had arrived at its destination. Gillings accompanied Theson and the two of them out of the carriage, carefully stepped up the steps, and led the way for Theson. In the living room of this gorgeous mansion, a seven-course meal was served.  Waiting for them both.  Gillings was in a surprisingly good mood at this time.  Gillings did not expect that it would be so easy to reach an initial consensus on the Myanmar issue with such an important figure as Theson.  Of course, he understood that for a true British gentleman, the informal discussion just now did not mean anything in a strict sense. After all, Tessen did not make any promises as a special envoy. Everything he just said  It's just a personal preference, but in any case, this is a good start, isn't it?  "Gillings, this tuna is so good, I swear to God, you have a great cook!" Theson stroked his belly with satisfaction, which was already filled with all kinds of delicacies.  "Terson! How about some more sweets?" Gillins smiled: "This is made with coconut milk, milk and several local berries. It tastes great!" "Oh! I believe what you say, but I  I really can¡¯t eat any more!¡± Tessen shook his head, raised his hand slightly, so that the Burmese servant on the side could deftly clear away the plate full of food scraps in front of him, and said with a smile: ¡°You are living like this here.  A true king, now I understand why you are so keen on conquering this colony." "Tessen, don't say that, as if I conquered a country just for gluttony!" "What's the matter?  Didn't Magellan go around the Cape of Good Hope in search of spices? There is no necessary connection between the greatness of the goal and the nobleness of the motive!" Theson stood up and glanced at the gorgeous furnishings in the room. The walls of the dining room were filled with various items.  A variety of Burmese-style precious utensils and weapons fill the entire room with an exotic atmosphere.  Gillings walked up to Theson, casually took down a long snake-shaped sword with a gold handle from the wall, pulled out the scabbard, handed it to his opponent, and whispered: "This Malay Keris sword, the usurper  One of the gifts given to me is said to be the sword of the last king of the Toungoo Dynasty. If you can help him return to Mandalay, I believe he will not be stingy. " The sun shines on that Malay Keris.  The curved blade of the sword reflected brilliant light. Theson played with it twice and handed it back to Gillings. He just smiled and said nothing.  At this moment, there was a burst of hurried footsteps outside. An officer quickly walked into the dining room, gave Gillings a military salute, and said in a hurried voice: "Your Excellency, the Shunguo people have taken action. Their troops  We have entered the Mingqi area and are approaching Bagan, the temporary capital of King Mengji of Myanmar. "What? How dare the Shun people take action first? Didn't our squadron already blockade the water of the Irrawaddy River and express neutrality to prohibit civil war?"  Does any party use the water to transport personnel, weapons and food? " "Your Excellency, the Shunguo people have captured our 'Pharaoh' and announced to the Empire's Irrawaddy Squadron: As the highest representative of Burma's suzerainty in Burma, he  I have the obligation and the authority to eliminate the usurper on the soil of Myanmar, and will protect the lives and property of British expatriates in accordance with the provisions of the 1861 Treaty of Hong Kong, in view of the fact that the operation of the "Pharaoh" has actually helped.  The usurper, he decided to temporarily confiscate the ship. After the usurper is eliminated, the ship will be returned to the British Empire in its entirety." After listening to the officer's statement, Gillings knew that he was at this time even if he did not look in the mirror!  His expression must have been very exciting. He turned around and stared directly at Tessen.  Teson's face was very calm. He made a gesture and whispered: "Let Mr. Gillings and I stay alone for a while!" "Gillings, it seems that your judgment of this country is very prophetic.  Sexual!" Tessen's voice was not loud, but it seemed clear to everyone in the restaurant where there were only two people left.  He casually pulled out the Malay Keris sword from its sheath, waved it twice, and said: "Civilization must not show weakness to barbarism!" The time went back to five days ago.  Major Michel was lying lazily on a wicker chair on the back deck of the "Pharaoh". The five o'clock sun in Myanmar passed through the awning above his head and had weakened a lot, shining warmly on his body.  Very comfortable.  Next to the wicker chair lay a very fat Scottish shepherd dog. This dog named "Gabby" was Michelle's pet. He was panting with his tongue sticking out and licking the owner's hanging right hand from time to time.  A noncommissioned officer quickly walked up to Major Michel and saluted: "Major! The 'Pharaoh' has reached the northernmost patrol point. Do you want to turn around and go back?" Michel stood up and, as this pocket-sized  Commander of the squadron, he had three steam gunboats under his command - the "Pharaoh", the "Thebes" and the "Priest".  The displacement of these three lines is only 150 tons and 100 tons respectively.A thirty-ton iron-hulled wooden ship, each equipped with three eight-pound rifled guns and two 11-millimeter Gatling guns.  Major Michel's order from his superiors was to command these three ships to block water traffic on the Irrawaddy River, prevent grain and salt from being transported to Mandalay in the middle and lower reaches, and at the same time cut off all their transport ships if the Sunni people's force went south.  team, forcing them to abandon the invasion.  In the eyes of the arrogant Major Michel, it couldn't be easier to complete this task. After all, compared to the ships that the Shunguo and the Burmese may have that are completely outdated, these three lonely ships are now in the  The water surface of the middle and lower reaches of the Irrawaddy River is already the undisputed king.  So he separated the three boats and took turns patrolling this section of water. After all, one boat was enough to complete the task, and both the boilers and the ships needed to be overhauled.  Michelle walked towards the side of the ship: she saw that the wide level of the Irrawaddy River was completely calm, not even a small boat could be seen, and even the water plants on the shore were silent.  He shook his head in boredom - this is really a boring task. It would be nice if those Shunguo people came with a few ships, and he could use eight-pound cannons to educate them and let these yellow-skinned, slant-eyed guys  Know who is the real owner on the water.  At this time, Gabi barked twice, and Michelle knelt down and lovingly scratched the fur on the dog's neck twice, smiling: "It's almost dinner time, are you hungry too?" Gabi seemed to  After understanding what the owner meant, he barked twice more. Michelle stroked the dog's fur twice with a smile, stood up, and ordered: "Go to the mouth of the Liangjiang River and turn the bow around."  "Go back to the dock!" "Yes, Major!" The "Pharaoh", as its name suggests, is a pharaoh patrolling his empire, moving slowly northward on the Irrawaddy River at a speed of three knots, with the sound of steam engines following the silence.  The sound spread far away from the water surface.  The British soldiers and sailors on the ship were also lazing around. Most of them were thinking about the curry rice and pineapple wine on the dock. In front of them was the Liangjiangkou that the major mentioned, where a tributary merged into the Irrawaddy River.  .  The first mate looked at the sailors on the deck and was about to turn around when he blew the whistle. Suddenly a cry came from the lookout post: "There is a ship!" The first mate hurriedly ran to the bridge and pulled out the monocular from his waist.  , looking in the direction of the lookout hand, I saw a dozen small boats rowing along the tributary into the Irrawaddy River. The distance between the two sides was only three or four miles away. Through the telescope, the first mate could even clearly see that side.  The panicked faces of the sailors on the deck clearly revealed his presence.  The first mate quickly ran to Michelle and shouted: "Major! We found a target, it should be a smuggling ship!" The rebellion and the British blockade cut off the normal economic ties between north and south Myanmar, but the teak wood that is abundant in Myanmar  , jade, and tin mines are still a steady output, and rice and salt from Lower Burma are also needed. Therefore, many businessmen hire desperadoes to smuggle products from Upper Burma to Lower Burma in exchange for rice and salt and transport them back to Upper Burma.  Get huge profits.  Michelle took the telescope and looked in the direction of the first mate's finger. The ships had already turned around and headed towards the way they came.  Michelle turned and rushed into the captain's cabin, pulled the whistle fiercely, and shouted loudly: "Speed ??is eight knots, heading northwest!" The "Pharaoh" was like a toy that was wound up, and it acted quickly. The sailor  They put shovelfuls of high-quality anthracite into the boiler, and the energy generated by the combustion of the anthracite is transferred to the propeller at the tail through the water vapor in the boiler.  The "Pharaoh" was like a lion that had been awakened, speeding up faster and faster, chasing in the direction of those ships.  Although the people on those boats rowed hard, raised the sails, and even threw some cargo into the water to reduce the load, the distance between the two sides continued to shorten, and it seemed that the distance between the two sides had shortened to only about one thousand meters.  Michel turned around and ordered to the gunner: "The bow cannon, aim three hundred meters in front of the enemy ship and fire a test shot as a warning!" With a sound of cannon, the shell pierced the sky above the escaping ship and fell into the enemy ship.  The water surface less than two hundred meters in front of them was filled with water splashes.  Without any words, the escaper understood what the pursuer meant - if he didn't stop immediately and get checked, the next shell wouldn't hit so crookedly.  "Major, the first few boats are loaded with tin ore, and the ones at the back are filled with teak. These people should be smuggling tin ore and teak to lower Burma in exchange for rice!" A sailor reported to Michelle with excitement.  Every sailor can get a share of these plunders. Of course, the officers get the lion's share, but the sailors on the ship can also receive a subsidy equivalent to 10% of the total value of the goods. The goods on these dozens of ships are not a small amount.  The amount was at least worth half a year's salary, and it was considered a small fortune.  "Very good!" Michelle cautiously stroked the smooth fur on the neck of her pet dog. When he was about to return, he got this unexpected reward, which made him feel better.Come: "Seal up all the goods and tell the children on the ship to work hard and return to the dock. I will treat everyone to a drink at 'Mrs. Tunba'!" "Yes, Your Excellency!" The soldier stood up straight.  To the body, 'Lady Tumba' was the name of a tavern on the dock, and just like the dock taverns where the vast majority of the main customers were sailors and soldiers, the wine there was expensive and poor, but in view of Major Michel's performance in 'Lady Tumba'  'The tavern has 15% of the stocks, so the major naturally instinctively puts the rewards for the soldiers there.  At this time, there was a fierce quarrel on a ship. Although the British on the ship could not understand Burmese, it was not difficult to guess from the fierce shouts and cries that they should be the merchants on the ship and the British sailors who came to seize the goods.  Clashes occurred, as was common in their missions of this period, but there was only one final outcome, and with the "help" of the eight-pounders and Gatling guns on the deck of the Pharaoh, the British were always the last.  winner.  The remaining British sailors on the "Pharaoh" watched their companions arguing with the Burmese captain on the adjacent ship as if watching the fun, and even the gun jackets of the two Gatling guns were not removed.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South, Chapter 34, Chapter 34: Conspiracy

    The quarrel became louder and louder, and Michel frowned. As an aristocratic officer, things like confiscating goods and expropriating ships are usually done by the chief mate and the sailors on the ship. He  I am not willing to personally participate in such despicable actions.  But it was already past five, and if we delayed any longer, we would miss dinner time when we returned to the dock. Thinking of this, Major Michel reluctantly walked to the side of the ship and shouted loudly: "Warrant Officer Downer"  , I¡¯ll give you five more minutes to pack up these yellow-skinned monkeys!¡± Major Michel¡¯s shout was like a signal, and with the sound of a gunshot, there was a burst of fire from several ships boarded by British sailors!  There were shouts and fights, and two Burmese businessmen who had just been very tame on the cargo ship that had docked on the "Pharaoh" took out revolvers and daggers that they didn't know where they came from, and rushed towards the "Pharaoh".  "It's a trap!" Major Michel's reaction could not but be said to be very astute. He immediately pulled out the pistol from his waist and shouted loudly while shooting at the enemies rushing towards the "Pharaoh" along the steps.  : "Push off the pedals, cut off the cables, start the ship, and quickly control the Gatling cannons on the bow and stern of the ship!" The distance between the two sides is too close. The eight-pounder cannon on the "Pharaoh" can no longer be used, but the Gatling cannons on the bow and stern of the ship can no longer be used.  The cannon is an absolute killer at this distance.  But today was obviously not Major Mitchell's lucky day. As soon as he finished speaking, a bullet shot through his shoulder. The heavy impact knocked him down on the deck. The British sailors who lost their commander were even more shocked.  In the chaos, several sailors rushed to the Green Cannon. They hurriedly opened the gun jacket, but as soon as they shook the handle, it jammed.  Before they could remove the jammed bullets, the tough attackers rushed onto the deck and started a fierce but short boarding battle with the British sailors on the "Pharaoh".  Five minutes later, the "Pharaoh" was occupied by the attackers - the attackers seized the Gatling gun on the bow of the ship, turned it around and fired more than a dozen rounds above the deck, and the British sailors put down their weapons one after another -  ¡ªThere is no point in continuing to resist.  The attackers immediately seized all the British weapons and concentrated them on the bow deck, and then began to clean up the blood stains and bullet marks left by the battle on the ship.  The British officers and soldiers looked at these mysterious and busy enemies, worried about their future fate.  Michelle was lying on the deck. The wound on his shoulder had been bandaged with torn shirts and handkerchiefs, but blood was still seeping out from inside, dyeing his white shirt red. His pet dog  "Gadot" lay beside him, looking at his master with hurt eyes.  The excessive blood loss made Michel feel weak, but his mind had never been so clear. He had served in the squadron in Hong Kong for three years and heard many familiar words from the shouts of the attackers.  Obviously the "Pharaoh" has fallen into a huge conspiracy.  Michelle's orderly Tom was a boy who was only seventeen years old. He asked Michelle tremblingly: "Major, are these bandits going to push us into the river to feed the crocodiles?" "No, these people  They are not robbers, they are Shunguo people!" Michelle said weakly: "I think as long as we don't cause trouble, it will be fine!" "That's great!" Tom breathed a sigh of relief and asked: "Major,  "How do you know they are Shun people?" "I served in Hong Kong for three years and can hear a few words of Shun! The Shun army is about to attack Burma, so they used deception to seize the "Pharaoh".  If I guessed correctly, they will then drive the Pharaoh pretending to be us and attack the dock!" As if to confirm Michelle's guess, several attackers who looked like leaders came over, including  One person said in somewhat accented but very standard English: "I don't want to carry out meaningless killings. The boiler workers will now go to work below the deck. The rest of the people will take off their clothes and go to the shore. Do as we say, and there will be no  "Hurt!" The man repeated it again, as if to strengthen the effectiveness of his words, a dozen soldiers with rifles with bayonets surrounded them, and the Gatling guns on the side also turned towards the British prisoners.  After a while, a British sailor walked out of the crowd, raised his hand and said: "I am a boilermaker!" "Very good!" The man who spoke nodded, and two soldiers gathered around and took the British man below the deck.  An example was set, and soon all the British were doing as ordered.  As expected, the man kept his promise, and all the wounded were taken care of.  It was already half past seven in the evening, and the sun had completely set. Only the bright red sunset on the horizon still brought some light. The black mountain shadows on both sides of the river were reflected on the river, giving it a somewhat eerie feeling. Plus, there was a faint sound coming from the woods in the distance.  The chirping of birds and beasts that came out was even more chilling to the bones.  The river turns westward here, and the concave part of the river bank forms a natural??A small bay.  The Burmese built a 100-meter-long wooden plank road from the shore into the river, so it became a dock.  Since this place is not far from Bagan, the old capital of Myanmar, after the old king Mengji escaped from Mandalay, he made Bagan his base. British weapons were transported here by water from Yangon, and then transferred to  Bagan, the camp of the New Army is also nearby. At the request of the British, the Burmese also built a small coaling station and ship repair yard nearby so that the "Pharaoh" and "Priest" could dock and refuel here.  Coal blocked the nearby river, so the place gradually became prosperous.  A small boat, not much bigger than a canoe, slowly rowed towards the "Priest". The British sentry on the boat looked at the boat lazily. The Burmese woman on the boat raised a bamboo basket filled with eggs and fruits and spoke in rough English.  The sentry shouted: "It's cheap, can you buy it?" Seeing the sentry on the ship waving his hands impatiently, the Burmese woman rowed toward the "Thebes" not far away and continued his sales promotion.  The sentry looked greedily at the gorgeous skirts of the Burmese women on the canoe, and was about to whistle to call her back to see if he could pass the time, when suddenly there was a familiar sound of a steam engine in the air.  "Oh, the 'Pharaoh' is finally back!" The sentry looked towards the sound. Sure enough, in the dark mountain shadow, he could vaguely see the outline of a vague ship. It was vaguely the "Pharaoh", but behind the "Pharaoh"  Behind the "King", there are more than a dozen boat silhouettes, trying to drive slowly over from this side of the dock.  "These lucky guys! No wonder they came back so late. They caught so many smuggling boats! I must ask Old Jack to buy me a drink tonight!" The sentry's eyes widened in envy. It has been a long time since the British began to block the river.  After encountering so many seizures, the smugglers all knew that the British steam gunboats could run fast and the cannons could fire far and accurately. They did not dare to use the water route anymore, and would rather take the more difficult land route.  The speed of the "Pharaoh" is very slow, only three knots at most. Perhaps it is because it is about to dock. The deck of the "Pharaoh" is full of people, and they are busy with something.  However, the British sentries on the other two ships and the new Burmese troops at the dock did not take it seriously. After all, no one on the water dared to challenge the authority of the British Empire, and most of the sailors and officers were having dinner at this time.  At present, there are only a few soldiers and sailors left on the ship.  Zhang Qi stood on the front deck of the "Pharaoh", using his telescope to try to identify the other two gunboats and the fortifications on the shore from the dark background.  Judging from the current situation, everything is going smoothly. There are very few people on the two gunboats. Except for the sentry at the ladder entrance, there is no one around the Gatling gun and the eight-pounder gun on the deck. The boiler is not heating up. Once it is fired,  The "Pharaoh" was definitely no match for them in a battle, but Zhang Qi did not intend to use guns and cannons to solve the problem. He planned to seize the two British gunboats completely just like he did with the "Pharaoh".  "Let's move toward the one on the right, and let the three boats of Guangjia, Guangyi, and Guangbing move to the left. When the light on my bow lights up, we will start seizing the ships together. Do you understand?" Zhang Qi lowered his voice.  He raised his voice and ordered to several Jun army officers beside him.  "Understood!" "It's good to understand. You guys should go back to your ship quickly and be careful. Things have come to this point and nothing can go wrong!" Looking at those capable figures disappearing at the end of the rope ladder, Zhang  Kai turned around and said sternly to the men behind him: "Aim the Gatling gun at the ship we are approaching, and the eight-pounder gun at the other ship. Let the brothers below fix the bayonets and load the bullets. Without my order, who will  You can't fire either!" The British sentry on the "Priest" looked at the approaching ship with envy. As the distance shortened, he could now clearly see the waterline of the "captured" ships near the ship's side.  This meant that it was filled with all kinds of valuable goods, and he could almost see banknotes and gold coins.  At this time, the sentry couldn't help but resent why he was not on the "Pharaoh"?  "Is old Jack on the ship? I'm 'One-Eyed' Charlie on the 'Priest'. Tell him for me that we'll meet at 'Mrs. Tunba' at nine o'clock in the evening. Pay me back the money you owe me, otherwise  I'll stuff his head into his butthole!" Zhang Qi frowned. At this time, he couldn't help but regret having locked all the British people in the bottom cabin.  He was a little overwhelmed by the shouts of the sentry on the opposite side. He looked back at his men and saw nervous expressions on the faces of the Shunguo soldiers, and a few of the junior ones even pulled the bolts of their guns.  "Ignore him, just lean over!" Zhang Qi said fiercely.  "One-eyed" Charlie looked at the "Pharaoh" more than a hundred yards away with some confusion. Something was wrong. The "Pharaoh" was too quiet, and it didn't look like a Royal Navy that had caught a few big fat fish.  gunboat, although Major Michel is a very stern homeMan, he often uses the nine-tailed whip to educate the rude sailors under his command, but he is not unreasonable. The rude noises of the sailors when docking are within his tolerance.  Judging from his more than ten years of service experience at sea, this kind of sudden silence is often not a good sign.  "One-Eyed Charlie" picked up the rifle placed aside and shouted loudly to the approaching "Pharaoh": "Loyalty and justice, password!" The water surface of One-Eyed "Charlie" spread far across the empty river, but  The "Pharaoh" on the opposite side still showed no response. Now Charlie was able to determine what happened. His one eye, which had experienced the fog of the North Sea, could already see the shadowy black shadow on the deck of the "Pharaoh".  There is a lot of shine to the metalwork.  "One-eyed" Charlie could swear by the virginity of the Virgin that those lights must be sharp spear thorns. He turned around and ran towards the forecastle behind him without hesitation.  ¡°Dang, Dang, Dang!¡±

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 35 Chapter 35: Fierce Battle Part 1

    Hearing the loud bell ringing from the opposite side, Zhang Qi stamped his feet in frustration and said: "Damn it, that bastard found out. Light up the light to signal and prepare to seize the ship! Also, kill that guy!" With a burst of gunfire,  The lights of the "Pharaoh" were all bright, and those disguised as captured smuggling ships also took off their disguises. More than a dozen boats went into the water together, and quickly headed towards the "Priest" and "Thebe" as agreed in advance.  "S" crossed out.  Hearing the alarm sound of "One-Eyed" Charlie, the British sailors who stayed on the "Priest" rushed out from the lounge below the deck, but what greeted them was a violent rain of bullets, which were located on the forecastle of the Pharaoh.  The two eleven-gat Gatling cannons at the tail sprayed out two fire dragons, tearing everything on the deck of the "Priest" into pieces. The power of this rapid-fire firearm at a distance of less than a hundred yards is extremely terrifying.  In just half a minute, the remaining sailors on the "Priest" ship turned into a pile of corpses mixed with wood chips.  The sudden sound of gunshots also alerted the "Thebes" not far away. The sentries above immediately fired at the approaching ships below, but as soon as two shots were fired, a cloud of water sprayed out from the stern deck of the "Pharaoh"  Flames and an eight-pounder grenade with the fuse reduced to zero exploded on the deck of the "Thebes". Air waves and flying shrapnel tore everything on the deck to pieces.  The raiding mercenary ship took the opportunity to dock with the "Thebes", and black shadows quickly climbed up the side of the ship.  When he saw that the raiding soldiers had climbed onto the sides of the "Thebes" and "Priest", Zhang Qi ordered the gunners to fire at a fort on the hill on the shore, covering the hundreds of soldiers who had just landed.  Attack, according to the information obtained from the sailors and spies on the "Pharaoh", there are four six-inch cannons on that fort, and the entire river bend is under its fire control. As long as that fort is occupied, the entire dock area will be  In the hands of Shunjun.  "Which bastard shot!" Duncan suddenly opened the blanket and jumped out of the bed. Under the moonlight, he could see a graceful figure lying on the bed. It was vaguely the same figure that King Meng Ji of Burma gave to Duncan that day.  A Burmese girl.  As a person deeply trusted by Meng Ji and Gillings, Duncan was ordered to command half of the British barracks to protect the dock. He also had a task here, which was to assist the Burmese king in training new troops, whether they were recruited from all directions.  Materials and British weapons shipped from Rangoon were all shipped here first and then transferred to Bagan. Of course, this was an ideal location for a boot camp.  "Report! The enemy came from the river! They are attacking the fort now!" A embarrassed officer rushed in from the door. Duncan snorted coldly, grabbed the belt and clothes placed on the bamboo chair, and put them on while  Walking outside, from where he lived, he could clearly see a ball of fire rising from the fort on the riverside. It was at least the scene of an eight-pounder grenade hitting it.  "On the river? Where is the squadron? What are those guys who are usually the most impressive doing now?" Duncan shouted.  "Major, it was the 'Pharaoh' that bombarded the fort. According to the soldiers who escaped, the 'Pharaoh' returned to the pier with more than a dozen smuggling boats and suddenly attacked the 'Thebes' anchored at the berth.  The "Priest" launched an attack, and then the "Pharaoh" began to fire at the fort, and many soldiers in black began to attack the fort! ""Michelle, this incompetent fool!" He understood all this immediately!  Duncan cursed angrily: "He is not even worthy of being a junior sailor who wipes the deck!" "Major, is it Major Michel?" "Nonsense, of course this idiot fell into someone else's trap. He should be a treacherous Shun countryman.  The Shun people must have hidden the soldiers in the boat, and then disguised it as a smuggling ship, so that the idiot Michelle would not let go of the opportunity to make a fortune, so he took the hook in one go.  After swallowing the fragrant bait, he was lifted out of the water like a plump trout!" At this point, Duncan pointed angrily at the fort that was being bombarded and cursed: "Those cunning bastards!  The Chinese drove our boats into the river bend, seized the two boats, and then attacked the fort. As long as the fort was in their hands, there were four thousand tons of rice and three thousand Lee-Enfield rifles in the warehouses on the shore.  And the ammunition is all theirs, and maybe the recruits who have been training for a month. It was all a big trap from the beginning, and our sleek Major Michel turned out to be like a  She jumped in with her eyes closed like a sixteen-year-old farm girl!" The British officer was so frightened that Duncan could not speak. Like most Scots, Duncan is not usually a talkative person, but  When he is irritated, he will be terrifying like a devil. Anger makes the blood vessels on his face congested. Under the firelight, it looks like the same color as his red hair.  Duncan took a few steps back and forth on the ground, and suddenly felt a pain in his foot. When he looked down, he realized that he was still barefoot.  ¡°??Yeah!  Take out my shoes!  "Duncan shouted loudly into the house, and soon the Burmese girl named Enye took out his leather thick-soled military shoes. While putting on his shoes, Duncan pointed to the house and said to the girl: "You stay here tonight.  Don¡¯t go anywhere here. I will send someone to pick you up at dawn. Do you understand?  Enye nodded, and a smile appeared on Duncan's rude face. He reached out and touched the girl's head, then stood up and said to the officer: "Let's go to the military camp!"  " Since none of the gunners in the Shun Army had ever been in the navy, Zhang Qi asked his men to anchor the "Pharaoh" next to the trestle so that the shooting would be more accurate. He also transported a 75mm mountain gun he brought to the trestle and fired at the trestle.  The fort fired. The Shun army had taken control of the "Thebes" and the "Priest" at this time. They rushed all the captured British sailors and wounded men to the bottom, and at the same time began to prepare to fire on the small boat and "Pharaoh".  There were more than 300 soldiers on board the "King". Under the cover of artillery fire, the soldiers of the Shun Army had already rushed across the trestle and rushed towards the fort on the hill. Zhang Qi stood on the deck of the "Pharaoh", looking at  He yelled at the gunners loudly, and suddenly with a sharp whistle, a shell passed over the head of the "Pharaoh" and hit the trestle on the side. The air wave mixed with shrapnel and fragments of the trestle swept across "  On the deck of the "Pharaoh", more than a dozen soldiers immediately fell in a pool of blood. Zhang Qi supported the deck with his hands and tried to stand up from the deck, but his hands slipped on the deck and he fell to the deck again.  Only then did he realize that his hands were covered in blood, and he didn't know whether it was from others or his own. His eyes gradually became blurry, and a pale red mist rose up. His body was shaking slightly, and his ribs were aching.  It was like someone was hitting it with a red-hot iron. Zhang Qi closed his eyes for a while before he felt better. At this time, he heard someone speaking loudly in his ear, but he couldn't understand what was being said.  The person seemed to be far away from him. Zhang Qi opened his eyes and saw Zhang Qi, who had come with him this time, looking at him with a worried look in his eyes. "Zhang Shao, how are you? Come and have a drink."  Bar!  "The officer carefully lifted Zhang Qi's upper body from the deck, and brought the mouth of the water bag to Zhang Qi's mouth. Zhang Qi opened his mouth weakly, and a stream of liquid flowed into his mouth, stimulating  The smell immediately made his esophagus feel hot. It was soju. After a few mouthfuls of soju, Zhang Qi gained some strength. He carefully checked his body and found that except for two small wounds on his shoulders,  There were no serious injuries - the bulwarks of the "Pharaoh" blocked most of the shrapnel for him, but the trestle was in a mess, and the gunners who fired the 75mm mountain cannon at the fort had turned into a few charred balls.  The body of the mountain cannon has become a pile of twisted iron pieces. If it is not repaired, it will definitely not be usable. "You take another thirty people and bring the Green Cannon with you. You must take the fort.  Come down or we'll have to stay here tonight!  "Zhang Qi shook his head and shouted loudly to the flag-bearer. Perhaps because of the impact on his eardrum just now, his voice was particularly loud. "Yes, sir!  "The flag-bearer raised his chest and shouted loudly. On the fort, the battle reached its most intense moment. Due to the fierce shelling from the "Pharaoh", the garrison on the fort suffered a lot of damage. Duncan is here  A total of one company of infantry soldiers was deployed, excluding the cannon company on the fort - this was half of the mobile force he could trust. These soldiers had been rigorously trained by the British and were under the command of British officers.  , with quite good combat effectiveness, they immediately fired back at the "Pharaoh" with the six-inch cannon on the fort. Under the cover of artillery fire and darkness, the soldiers of the army rushed to the fort when they were only about two hundred yards away.  Only then did the British Lieutenant Smith discover these mysterious enemies. He immediately ordered the soldiers to shoot at the enemies behind the parapet. "Fire!" Lieutenant Smith slashed his command knife, and the Indian soldiers behind the parapet pulled the trigger.  A line of fire erupted from the muzzle of the Lee-Enfield rifle, and the formation of the shadows on the opposite side became much sparser, but was soon filled up by the people behind. Then, the enemy soldiers also began to fire back with volleys of guns.  Many soldiers were shot and fell, and the firepower of the fort was suddenly weakened. "Turn the muzzle of the cannon on the fort and use a zero-delay fuse!  "Second Lieutenant Smith shouted loudly. He didn't care about the "Pharaoh" who was firing at him on the dock. If these mysterious enemies were allowed to rush into the fort, everything would be over. The artillerymen on the fort hurriedly fired a  The six-inch cannon turned in the direction of the enemy, cut the delay fuse of the shell to the shortest length, and stuffed it into the barrel. As the gunner pulled the match rope, he saw a ball of fire appear in the sky above the enemy, and a row fell down immediately, and the offensive suddenly stalled.  .    "marvelous!  You should get a medal just for this!  "Smith waved his arms excitedly. He was very excited.He clearly saw that the artillery shell just now knocked down at least twenty enemies. The morale and damage to the enemy's army were very shocking. He was about to order the trumpeter to blow the trumpet to make the soldiers under his command jump out of the parapet.  , used bayonets to drive these enemy troops off the battlefield. Suddenly, there was a dense sound like drum beats. Almost at the same time, many thumb-thick bullet holes appeared on the earthen wall, and the guards on the fort suddenly fell.  Next piece.  "It's a Gatling gun! The enemy's reinforcements are coming!" Smith immediately recognized what weapon the enemy was using. The Indian soldiers who were suddenly attacked fled backwards in confusion. He stood up and was trying to drive these soldiers away.  Returning to the parapet, a fire suddenly rose a few meters away. Smith felt a sharp pain in his chest, and fell to the ground as soon as his vision went dark.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 36 Chapter 36: Fierce Battle

    When Duncan arrived at the military camp, the place was already in chaos. The Burmese recruits who had not experienced the war were like a group of frightened goats, running from one end of the military camp to the other end, and then from the other end.  At this point, a handful of British officers had no way to regain control of these guys who were farmers more than a month ago in the dark night. The only thing they could do was to command the remaining company of Indian soldiers and those who had already trained more.  Four Burmese companies for a long time blocked several exits of the military camp to prevent these Burmese people from escaping in the chaos.  After Duncan saw all this, he ordered two hundred men to be captured from the military camp and added to the four Burmese companies. Then he led them to support the fort and at the same time sent the Indian company to protect the arsenal. Duncan knew very well.  , as long as the arsenal and forts can be secured, the attackers will not be able to control the dock. As long as there are weapons and food, even if more than two thousand people escape, the king can quickly supplement the manpower, and as long as the dock is in his hands  Here, Yangon has continuously sent weapons and soldiers here, and even controlled the entire Lower Burma.  When Duncan came to the fort, he had already received the news from the deserters that the attackers had occupied the fort.  Duncan immediately threw his troops into the battle. He did not use the wavy skirmish line that was common at the time. Instead, he had one company in a horizontal line at the front, and three companies in a column behind him.  The reason is simple. Although these soldiers have been trained for a longer period of time, Duncan still does not believe that they can line up on the battlefield, advance hundreds of yards in an orderly manner under enemy fire, rush into the fort, and destroy the enemy with bayonets.  The column is much simpler. The dense front, the narrow range, the fastest possible impact speed, and the huge impact momentum will overcome the timidity of the recruits in the first battle. Moreover, under the cover of night, enemy artillery and other threats will threaten the column.  Larger heavy firearms will also be much less powerful.  Behind the parapet, there was a mess, with the corpses of Indian soldiers wrapped in turbans and British officers wearing big-brimmed hats everywhere. On the higher fort, four British six-inch cannons were staggering around.  Shell boxes and fired metal casings were scattered everywhere.  The soldiers of the Shun Army, who had exhausted all their energy in the previous battle, were sitting on the ground behind the parapet, breathing lowly.  The unique red tassel on the Shunjun's leather helmet and the officer's white feathers trembled slightly with the master's breathing against the residual firelight, like ghosts.  An officer of the Shun Army was walking along the parapet with his waist hunched over, counting the remaining soldiers. The cowhide holster hanging on his waist tapped his butt gently as he advanced.  When he finished counting, he straightened up, and suddenly he let out a scream. Apparently he found the Burmese soldiers, and there was a rush behind the parapet.  Duncan also heard the screams. Without even a second's delay, he raised his pistol and fired into the air, shouting loudly at the same time.  Under the urging of the British officers in the team, the Burmese soldiers shouted wildly and began to rush towards the fort. Almost at the same time, intensive gunfire came from the fort.  On the parapet, the remaining soldiers of the Shu army relied on the parapet and opened fire at the Burmese soldiers who had appeared in the night. A moment later, the sound of Gatling cannons sounded behind them, and the formation of the Burmese soldiers in the front company was immediately confused.  Standing up, they had only received a short period of training and were unable to maintain their formation under the enemy's firepower. The originally neat horizontal formation was like a moving snake. It quickly twisted and then broke into several pieces.  Festival.  However, under the urging of the officers, the three companies of Burmese soldiers in the rear passed their companions in front and rushed towards the fort.  "Use zero-delay fuse! Quick!" The soldiers on the fort immediately made the same choice. Several soldiers hurriedly turned the two eight-pound cannons in the direction of the enemy's impact, then cut the fuses to the shortest length and aimed at them.  The column of Burmese soldiers, which had rushed to within fifty yards of the parapet, opened fire.  The grenade that exploded among the Burmese soldiers had a terrible effect. The scorching fragments flew and knocked down every upright person. The Huns soldiers behind the parapet could be clearly seen with the help of the firelight of the shell explosion. Dozens of people seemed to be  At the same time, he was struck by an invisible sword and fell to the ground. The screams of the dying man were mixed with the explosion, which was terrifying.  Duncan stood under a big tree and watched his attack being defeated. Two companies of Burmese soldiers were defeated by artillery fire. Only one company rushed into the parapet, but the defenders immediately blocked the breach with Gatling cannons and rushed in.  The Burmese soldiers drove out with bayonets.  Duncan waved his arms in frustration. Unfortunately, what he was holding now was a group of Southeast Asian monkeys who had not been carrying guns for three months. If there was even a company of good Scottish boys here, they would definitely be able to recapture the fort.  Now that everything was over, he turned around in frustration and ordered to the adjutant behind him: "Order Second Lieutenant Boluo, who is guarding the weapons warehouse, to take away all the weapons that can be taken away, and then set fire to the warehouse!" Zhang Qi watched in fear.  Looking at the fort on the hill, he had already sent out the last soldier who could be sent out. If the operation to capture the fort failed,?The only thing we can do is to drive these three boats upstream and give up the operation to occupy the dock.  As the sound of gunfire over there gradually faded away, his heart became more and more in his throat. Did the Shun army successfully occupy the fort or did the attack fail?  Zhang Qi walked back and forth on the deck impatiently, wondering whether he should order all three ships to heat up the boilers first. At this time, three balls of fire rose from the fort. Zhang Qi saw the predetermined signal and finally breathed a sigh of relief.  Early the next morning, there were more than 20 boats beside the trestle, and each boat was packed with soldiers carrying rifles. They jumped on the wooden trestle and looked around curiously: a building on the shore  Various makeshift houses; rows of captured Burmese soldiers squatting on the ground on the shore, wearing ill-fitting khaki military uniforms; and piles of mutilated Lee-Enfield rifles placed on the roadside.  "Sir, the entire dock has been occupied by our king's division!" Zhang Qizhi proudly reported loudly to Batu: "The Yingyi's three steam flat-bottomed gunboats are also in the hands of our army. In the warehouse at the dock, there are enough for our army to eat five  Months of rice and many other materials. The enemy set fire to the weapons warehouse as they retreated, but a light rain fell in the middle of the night and put out the fire. We recovered four hundred intact Lee-Enfields from the ruins.  There are about 1,700 rifles left that have been repaired and can be used, but most of the ammunition has been burned. " "Very good!" Badu patted Zhang Qi's shoulder happily and suddenly felt sorry for Chen Zaixing.  He was somewhat disapproving of the risk of direct conflict with the British to launch an attack on the puppet king. After all, those gunboats were an insurmountable difficulty. If they failed, the British would be involved, and they might be involved.  All the hard-won gains from previous adventures were lost in Myanmar.  But from now on, the Shun Army's adventure has achieved initial success, occupying this dock as a forward base for attacking Bagan, and being able to control the waterway in the lower reaches of the Irrawaddy River for a period of time, which is very important for the Shun Army to control the entire lower Myanmar.  It is of great significance to be prepared for future negotiations.  "Where are the captured British people? Are there any good people taking care of them?" Batu asked.  "According to the two adults' instructions in advance, we have put all the British prisoners under special custody and treated them well. The injured are also looked after by doctors and given medicine to treat their injuries. Please don't worry!" "Okay, you take me to have a look!  Batu nodded with satisfaction. According to the prior discussion between him and Chen Zaixing, all British prisoners will be well protected so as not to offend Britain and join the war. Moreover, these prisoners will also be good weights in future negotiations.  Bagan, located on the left bank of the middle reaches of the Irrawaddy River, is the center of the Burmese people. In 849 AD, King Piimbia of Burma established the Kingdom of Bagan and established its capital here. In the following hundreds of years, successive Burmese kings launched overseas expeditions.  The civil rule was promoted internally and gradually controlled most of Myanmar. Bagan gradually became the political, cultural and religious center of Myanmar.  In 1287 AD, Yuan soldiers attacked Myanmar from Yunnan and captured the city of Bagan. The Bagan Kingdom became a vassal of the Yuan Dynasty, and Myanmar was divided.  The Shan people in the north and the Mongols in the south took the opportunity to develop their power and established their capitals in Ava (ie Mandalay) and Malapan respectively, forming a confrontation between the northern and southern kingdoms.  The city of Bagan has gradually become deserted and lost its glorious status in the past. However, from the thousands of pagodas lined up in the city, you can still see the glory and prosperity of the "City of Ten Thousand Pagodas" in the past.  After Meng Ji escaped from Mandalay, he stayed here to train troops and collect food, preparing to counterattack Mandalay and regain the throne.  It was already eight o'clock in the morning, and the city gate was bustling with people. People were lining up in a long queue, patiently waiting for the guards to inspect and enter the city. Most of them were nearby farmers who came to the city to transport vegetables, firewood and various daily necessities.  After Meng Ji fled here, despite the violent expropriation throughout Lower Myanmar, many Burmese farmers who had lost their livelihoods fled into the city of Bagan in search of livelihoods. A large amount of people and materials suddenly entered the areas near Bagan, which invisibly brought consequences to the local area.  There came a freak boom.  Bagan is located in the subtropical zone. Although it has entered the cool season, the sunshine is still quite strong. The farmers near the city gate are very crowded. The reason is very simple. Everyone hopes to enter the city early so that they can put their goods  Buy earlier for a better price, and the weather in Myanmar is hot. If it is firewood or something, it will be fine. If it is vegetables, fruits, etc., it may rot in the sun for a few hours.  "Make way for the revered masters, make way for the revered masters!" The guards at the city gate shouted loudly, and almost at the same time, a burst of chanting Buddhist scriptures came from the city gate.  This sound seemed to have an invisible power. People who were originally very crowded retreated in awe, making way for a narrow passage.  A group of monks wearing cassocks walked out of the city gate. They all had serious faces, lowered their eyes, and chanted Buddhist scriptures. People on both sides knelt down devoutly, knelt down to the monks, and begged the Buddha and God for blessings.  Suddenly a burst of rapid horse hoofbeats broke the scene.In silence, several horses galloped along the road towards the city gate. When the knights saw the crowd at the city gate, not only did they not slow down their horses, but they stood up from their horses and shouted something loudly.  Seeing this scene, the crowded crowd dispersed in panic, but the monks who happened to be standing in the middle of the road were unable to dodge. One of them was hit by the horses at the front and fell away.  When people saw that the respected monk was killed and injured, they cursed angrily, but the knights didn't care at all and just rode into the city.  Several monks ignored the fact that they were covered in dust and hurriedly stepped forward to help the monk who was knocked down by the knight, shouting repeatedly: "Respected Master, respected Master!" The monk had a gray beard and was already quite old.  , opened his eyes when he heard the call, only to see his cheeks were pale gold, his lips were blue, and his eyes were red. He was already seriously injured. He opened his lips slightly and wanted to say something, but he couldn't catch a breath and tilted his head.  Then he passed out.  A middle-aged monk stretched out his hand to touch the old monk's nose, but he was no longer breathing and had died.  The middle-aged monk was filled with grief and anger. He picked up the old monk's body with both hands and shouted loudly to the onlookers: "Killing a monk on the street is something that has never happened in Myanmar since ancient times. Only the devil-like Yuan  Who would be so bold as to wield a sword against a disciple of the Buddha?"

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 37 Chapter 37: Petition

    Someone on the street shouted loudly: "I saw the knight leading it had red hair and a burly build. He should be a Westerner training the army for the king." "It turns out to be a Western devil!" The monk shouted: "  Disciples who harm the Buddha are enemies of the Buddha and will fall into the realm of animals after death. Even the king is no exception. We will go to the palace now and ask the king to give us an explanation!  Holding the master's body in his arms, he walked towards the palace with his head held high. The crowd of onlookers made room for him with deafening cheers and followed behind him. The soldiers guarding the city also put down their weapons one by one and stood in awe.  Lowered his head.  In the palace, Meng Ji was sitting in front of the case, reading a document. In front of him, there were piles of documents sent from various places, waiting for his approval.  "Your Majesty, your noble Majesty!" Diok walked into the room quickly, his face anxious, followed closely by Duncan, who was already soaked in sweat: "It's serious. The Shun people suddenly attacked the dock last night. They have already  Occupy that place!" "How could this happen?" Meng Ji stared at Duncan behind Diok and asked, "Aren't there three imperial gunboats parked at the dock? Don't they control the Irrawaddy River?  The Shun people attacked the dock by land? Then why didn't I get any information?" After listening to the interpreter, Duncan replied in a low voice: "Your Majesty, the Shun people attacked the dock by water. They used a trick to seize one of our gunboats.  People disguised as us boarded the dock and used a sudden attack to capture the fort and the remaining two gunboats. This all happened so suddenly that I didn¡¯t have enough time to organize my troops to launch a counterattack. " Meng Ji listened carefully.  Duncan responded by asking: "Major Duncan, if I understand correctly, you mean that the Shunguo people not only occupied the dock, but also completely captured the three gunboats of the Imperial Squadron?" Duncan's face showed humiliation.  Red, but he still nodded firmly and said: "Although this makes me ashamed, I have to admit this reality. The gunboats, forts and the entire dock fell into the hands of the Shun people almost intact, and the dock  The grain stored in nearby warehouses, enough military uniforms and boots for four thousand people, and a large amount of other materials have all fallen into the hands of the Shun people. The recruits training at the dock have also fled, but luckily they were already gone before I left.  Ordered the three thousand rifles and ammunition stored in the warehouse to be burned, and the remaining soldiers of the company were brought back! "After listening to the translation, Meng Ji sat back in his chair dumbfounded. Everything was clear now.  The Shun people not only occupied the dock, but also the three warships and a large amount of materials fell into their hands. With those three gunboats and forts, it was impossible for them to recapture the dock in a short time. They could bring all the troops  Load the boat, sail down the river and easily land at the dock, and then attack Bagan.  The only bargaining chip left in his hand was the city of Bagan and the less than 3,000 recruits outside the city who had just been trained for less than two months. Many of these recruits did not even have a decent rifle in their hands.  Thinking of this, Meng Ji couldn't help but lowered his head in despair.  "Your Majesty, please allow me to send a report to Yangon as soon as possible. The Shunguo people have attacked the imperial squadron. That means challenging the authority of the empire. The empire will fully intervene in Myanmar and drive the Shunguo people back to their home base!  "Duncan said loudly, the shame of escaping from the dock was like a branding iron rolling on his sides, making him feel extremely painful: "With the help of the empire, you will soon return to Mandalay and board your ship again.  "The throne!" Meng Ji bowed his head and remained silent for a while, as if he didn't hear the words of the interpreter.  At this time, there was a sound outside, as if countless people were shouting outside.  Meng Ji raised his head in surprise and said to Diok: "Diok, go out and see what's going on outside!" "Yes, Your Majesty!" After a while, Diok came back to the house with a look on his face.  Already full of panic, he bowed slightly to Meng Ji and said: "Your Majesty, something bad has happened. People are crowding outside the palace gate. They ask your Majesty to kill Buddha's enemies and punish the sinners around you!" "  Enemy of Buddha? Sinner?" Meng Ji couldn't help but be shocked when he heard this. Since he came to the throne, he has been very tolerant of monasteries and monks.  "Your Majesty!" Diok glanced at Duncan who was standing aside. After confirming that the other party did not understand Burmese, he whispered: "The enemies and sinners that the people gathered outside the palace asked Your Majesty to deal with were Major Duncan and the others. They just  When we entered the city, we killed the master of Mohe Bodhi Temple. The monks in the temple were carrying the body of the respected master outside the palace gate. There must be thousands of people! " "What?  Respect your master?" Meng Ji couldn't help but be shocked when he heard this.  Mohe Bodhi Temple is the only famous temple in Myanmar that imitates the Bodhgaya Temple in India. It was built in 1218 AD and has a history of more than 600 years. It is famous in Bagan and even in central Myanmar.With great prestige, killing the respected master of the temple on the street was not a small matter even when his throne was stable, let alone that his throne was now in turmoil.  Simply put, if I cannot give a satisfactory answer to the monks of the monastery, I, the King of Burma, will definitely not be able to stay in Bagan.  "Your Majesty, please make a decision!" Diok whispered, squinting at Duncan who was standing aside. Apparently he was reminding Meng Ji to drag Duncan out to pay the penalty.  But Meng Ji hesitated at this time: Under the current situation, if he handed over Duncan, he would definitely be killed by the angry monks and Bagan citizens.  Not to mention the British aid and support, the British barracks will definitely turn against them, or at least they will definitely not continue to fight for themselves.  Facing the coming Shun army, without the protection and support of the British, the monks and citizens of Bagan alone cannot defeat them, so there is only one choice before him.  "Diok!" Meng Ji stood up with a cold face: "Take my guards out of the palace immediately and order the monks and mobs to disperse immediately!" "Your Majesty!" Diok opened his eyes in surprise.  He couldn't believe his ears.  "If these mobs are still stubborn, I allow you to give the order to shoot!" Meng Ji seemed not to see the surprise and disappointment of his men, and continued: "Okay, go and execute the order!" Diok looked at Meng  As if seeing the person in front of him clearly for the first time, the surprise in his eyes gradually turned into understanding and despair. Finally, he bowed slightly to Meng Ji, then turned and left without saying a word.  Watching his confidant turn away, Meng Ji's expression gradually returned to normal from a cold expression. Finally, he turned around and said to Duncan, "Now, Major Duncan, let's talk about how to resist the invasion of the Shun people!" Palace Gate  Outside, thousands of Bagan citizens and monks crowded the square in front of the palace.  Right in front of the crowd, dozens of monks were surrounding a stretcher, on which was placed the body of the revered master who was killed not long ago.  The monks lowered their heads and recited Buddhist scriptures. The whole scene was depressing and sad.  Suddenly, a horn sounded at the palace gate, and then the palace door opened, and hundreds of armed Indian soldiers with their heads wrapped in black cloth rushed out from inside. An official in luxurious clothes walked out of the ranks, and the crowd's eyes immediately gathered there.  For the officials, the whole scene seemed to have stagnated.  Diok took a deep breath, and countless sad and angry eyes from across the way focused on him.  He seemed to feel that invisible pressure.  He took a few steps forward and shouted at the top of his lungs: "Holy Majesty, the shadow of the gods, the beloved son of the Buddha, the great King Mengji ordered that all monks and subjects must be dismissed immediately and leave the square, otherwise they will be considered  He is a traitor who disobeys the holy orders and will be severely punished by the law." The square was quiet. A middle-aged monk walked out of the crowd and shouted: "Since the king claims to be the shadow of the gods and the beloved son of the Buddha, then the Buddha's  Is it reasonable for a servant to be killed by a devil and let him go unpunished?" As soon as he finished speaking, there was an astonishing response from the crowd. People waved their arms angrily and uttered various vicious curses.  The excited people picked up stones and earth pellets on the ground and threw them at Diok and the soldiers. Diok quickly covered his head with his hands and stepped back. He was about to order the soldiers to shoot in the air and dispersed the crowd first.  Besides, there was a sudden gunshot in his ears, and he couldn't help but be stunned.  The gunshot seemed to be a signal. A heavy rain of gunfire sounded in Diok's ears, and the crowd in the square in front of him immediately collapsed.  "Shoot, shoot!" The square suddenly became chaotic. People fled back in panic, pushing each other and trampling on each other. The screams, curses and gunshots formed an indescribable atmosphere.  The nameless chaos stirred everything together and then splashed it onto the square.  Diok stared at all this with his mouth open. Then, he seemed to suddenly wake up and shouted angrily to the Indian soldiers who had their heads wrapped in black cloth: "Stop shooting, stop shooting! You bastards"  , I want you to stop shooting, do you hear me?¡± Finally, the gunfire stopped. When the white smoke produced by the black gunpowder was blown away by the wind, Diok saw that there was no one standing in the square, only the ground.  The stretcher carrying the corpse of the revered master also fell to the ground. There were more than ten monks' corpses lying in random directions around them, and the air was filled with the spicy smell of gunpowder.  "Oh my God, how could this happen?" Diok covered his eyes with his hands in despair, as if this could save everything.  At the same time, in a small alley not far from the Palace Gate Square, several young monks were half lying on the ground, panting and looking like they were in shock.  After a while, they got better. When they looked at each other, they found one of them sitting on the ground with his eyes straight.  Those people hurriedly saw this, shouted their companion's name, and hurriedly shouted on their companion.Check for gunshot wounds.  "Ne Win, Ne Win, are you okay? Why don't you answer us?" The companions shouted for a long time, but the young monk named Ne Win still looked stupid. One of them gritted his teeth when he saw this.  He apologized, rolled up his sleeves, and slapped Naiwen on the face. Naiwen felt pain and screamed, then he woke up, looked at the people around him, and asked curiously: "Where is this? Master  Where are the corpses of the Lord? And where are the brothers? " "You are really crazy. The dog officer just ordered to shoot us in the square. If we hadn't dragged you away, you would have been dead there by now!" "  What?" Ne Win's eyes were confused, and it took him a while to recall the chaotic scene in the square, and he cursed loudly: "You actually ordered to shoot at the monks. After death, the tyrant and the dog officer will be sent to hell for eternity.  Turn over!" Nevin looked around, his face changed, and asked: "Where is the master's body? And where is the leader, Senior Brother Asong?" The senior brother Asong in his mouth was the one who was killed by the leader.  The middle-aged monk who carried out the petition at the stretcher rally was a man of profound Buddhist teachings and very enthusiastic in his daily activities. He was quite prestigious among the monks of Mohe Bodhi Temple, so this incident became such a big deal.  "It was so chaotic at the time. We were only focused on escaping for our lives, and we didn't even care about Master's body!" A monk with a bitter look on his face replied: "As for Senior Brother Asong, he was standing at the front and scolding the dog officer.  I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ve achieved enlightenment forever!¡±

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 38 Chapter 38: Chance Encounter

    "It was so chaotic at the time. We were only focused on escaping for our lives, and we didn't even care about Master's body!" A monk with a bitter look on his face replied: "As for Senior Brother Asong, he was standing at the front and scolding the dog officer.  I'm afraid that I have already achieved Bodhi forever!" Nai Win was furious when he heard this. He stood up in a hurry, pulled the cassock apart and tied it tightly around his waist, and said loudly: "Throw the remains of Master and Brother Asong in the  If you only care about your own escape in the square, can you still be regarded as monks of Mohe Bodhi Temple?" Then he turned around and ran towards the square.  A round-faced monk next to him was very quick. He grabbed Ne Win's sleeve and said urgently: "The dog officer's soldiers have foreign guns in their hands, and we don't even have a wooden stick in our hands. Aren't you going to die like this?"  "I'd rather die with them than escape alone!" Ne Win said, throwing off his sleeves and leaving. The round-faced monk jumped up and grabbed Ne Win's arm.  Anxiety brought wisdom: "You are not impatient. It's not that I can't go. I just feel that acting recklessly will not help the situation. It's just that the life is lost in vain. It's not worth it. Why don't we wait for a long time and wait until dark before we go to pick up the body? Isn't that right?  It's better not to!" Ne Win is not a fool. What he just said was out of righteous indignation.  He snorted coldly and sat back on the ground.  The round-faced monk comforted him: "Ne Win, don't be too angry. That tyrant and dog official are doing the opposite. After death, they will definitely fall into the endless hell and never get over!" Na Win was so angry that he was shaking all over and said in a hateful voice.  : "But I can't wait any longer. If these villains get their retribution after death, they will kill so many good people while they are alive!" "Hey, what can we do! They have soldiers and foreign guns.  We don¡¯t even have swords or guns in our hands. These are all karmic debts accumulated in our previous lives, and we have to pay them back here in this life!¡± When Ne Win heard this, he had an idea and jumped up from the ground and said, ¡°That¡¯s right.  We don¡¯t have guns, but someone has one! This tyrant only dared to be tyrannical with the support of the British, but he was driven out of Mandalay by the former king¡¯s princess and prince. Then I will go to Mandalay.  Explain his crimes in detail, and ask the prince and princess to send troops to shoot him with foreign guns and avenge his brother and master!" After Ne Win said this, several other monks couldn't help but look at each other, and the round-faced monk froze.  After a while, he smiled bitterly and said: "Ne Win, it's easy for you to say that, but this place is hundreds of miles away from Mandalay, and now it's a war and chaos, and there are bandits everywhere on the road. How can we get there!" "This won't work either!  , That won¡¯t work! How can you avenge your master and senior brother if you are so afraid of it?¡± Nevin¡¯s eyebrows twitched, and his young face showed a bit of heroism: ¡°Besides, it doesn¡¯t matter if we encounter bandits, we are all converts to the Three Treasures.  , If you don¡¯t have much money, will the bandits harm us poor monks?¡± ¡°Yes! Brother Ne Win is right, I am willing to go to Mandalay with Brother Ne Win!¡± ¡°Yes!¡±  Ne Win's words made several monks who had been silent just now jump up. It turned out that at that time, the whole country in Myanmar believed in Buddhism, and boys from most families had to enter the temple to become monks when they were fourteen or fifteen years old. The length of time varied.  Therefore, the whole country respects monks very much. Even if they are bandits, they will respect them and let them go without causing any harm. Not to mention that these people have no money on them, so they don't have to worry about meeting bandits on the road.  .  "In this case, then Brother Ne Win, you can go to Mandalay, but you must be careful and safe on the way. As for me, I will stay in Bagan. The future of Brother Asong and the Master will be on me." The round-faced monk  Having said this, he reached into his arms and groped for a while, took out a small cloth bag, opened it, and found two silver coins inside. He stuffed it into Ne Win's hand and said with a smile: "Junior brother Ne Win, this little money  It's what I've accumulated over the years. You can take it with you if something happens on the way." "Brother!" Nevin felt the residual body heat on the two silver coins in his hand.  Nuan, he stammered for a while, but couldn't speak.  The round-faced monk laughed, patted Ne Win on the shoulder, and said: "Without further ado, junior brother, you'd better set off quickly. I think the situation in Bagan is not good now. Maybe something big is going to happen. If  The dog official has closed the city gate, so you can¡¯t get out!¡± Hearing what the round-faced monk said, Nevin nodded deeply, put the silver coin into his arms carefully, and looked at the round-faced monk.  Shi saluted and said: "Senior brother, I will definitely lead the army from Mandalay to avenge my senior brother and respected master. Just wait for my news!" "Okay, okay! Senior brother, I will stay here and wait for you.  Good news!" The round-faced monk returned the gesture and patted Ne Win on the shoulder, his eyes full of warmth.  Without saying much, Ne Win turned around and walked toward the city gate, and the two young monks quickly followed.  Ne Win and his party arrived at the city gate. Fortunately, the gatekeeper soldiers had not yet received the order to close the city gate tightly. When they saw Ne Win and the othersKnowing that the cassock he was wearing was a monk from the Mohe Bodhi Temple, he hurriedly saluted him and made way for him.  Ne Win and the other three came out of the city, figured out the direction, and headed north.  Ne Win and his party walked seven or eight miles and saw the sun gradually setting and the sky getting dark. At this time, the three of them were feeling hungry. When they saw a village on the roadside not far away, Ne Win said  Go there and ask for alms for a dinner, and then find a place to stay to rest for one night, so that you can continue your journey tomorrow.  At this moment, seven or eight people suddenly rushed out of the grass on the roadside. They were holding rifles in their hands. They were wearing collarless long-sleeved shirts, green cloth buns, and tube skirts. They were barefoot and dressed like the local Bamar people.  , surrounding Ne Win and the other three.  Ne Win saw the dark rifles in the hands of these people, and remembered the bursts of gunfire in the square in front of the palace not long ago. He couldn't help but feel guilty, and shouted forcefully: "Who are you? We are all monks of Mohe Bodhi Temple.  He came out of the city to perform a ritual!" "It turns out to be the respected master of Mohe Bodhi Temple!" Upon hearing this, the leader hurriedly saluted Ne Win and the three men, then turned to the men behind him and shouted: "Don't put down your gun yet.  You're going to offend your respected masters!" Seeing those men hanging their rifles on their shoulders and saluting Ne Win and the others, the man turned back and said with a smile: "We are all farm men who have never seen the world.  I hope you will forgive me if I offended you!" Ne Win felt relieved when he saw that these people were very polite, and he returned the favor and said, "We have not been in the temple for a long time and our knowledge is shallow.  You can¡¯t get the name of respected master!¡± ¡°The people around the Buddha are covered with sandalwood!¡± The man laughed and said: ¡°The name of Mohe Bodhi Temple is that those of us who farm in the distant villages can  Hearing it all over his ears, there is still something wrong!¡± As he spoke, Ne Win had carefully observed this group of strange people. Judging from their descriptions and behavior, it was clear that these people were ordinary farmers nearby, but looking at the firearms in their hands, they were not only  They looked very sophisticated and had the same specifications. Although Ne Win did not know much about this aspect, even the regular army of Myanmar in the past could not compare with it, let alone ordinary bandits.  At this time, two more people walked out of the grass. Ne Win glanced over, and couldn't help but feel a little in his heart. Although one of them was also wearing a collarless long-sleeved shirt, a tube skirt, and a green cloth headband, he was wearing a pair of rare shoes on his feet.  Leather boots are indeed extremely rare in rainy Myanmar. The only people Ne Win has ever seen wearing such leather boots are the British officers training for the king.  "Honored Master, we have no ill intentions in stopping you. We just want to inquire about the situation in Bagan. As long as you answer truthfully, we will let you go immediately!" the leading man asked kindly.  Ne Win noticed that the two people who appeared last were looking at the three of them, and one of them was whispering something to the man wearing leather shoes, probably translating their conversation.  Ne Win had learned Chinese in the monastery for several years, and could barely understand it. Thinking of some rumors in the market a few days ago, his heart couldn't help but move forward. He took two steps forward and spoke loudly in Chinese to the man wearing leather shoes.  Said: "You are from Shun country! Are you here to attack Meng Ji?" The place suddenly fell silent, and everyone looked at Ne Win with surprised eyes.  The man in leather shoes was the first to regain his composure. He smiled slightly and said, "Yes, I am Zhang Qi, the third sentry under the command of the Dashun Protector of Burma. I am leading the army to attack the puppet king Meng Ji."  Come! This great monk, how did you figure it out?" Ne Wen was a little confused by Zhang Qi's long list of official names, but he still managed to understand what the other party meant, and he stretched out his finger.  Pointing to the leather shoes on Zhang Qi's feet: "No Burmese would dress like you. I have only seen foreign devils wearing this!" "That's it!" Zhang Qi looked at the leather boots on his feet and smiled bitterly.  He took off his leather shoes and threw them aside. He stretched out his feet and stepped hard on the mud a few times, making them covered with mud. Then he asked with a smile: "How are you now?" "That's better, but you are too small.  It¡¯s too big, and it won¡¯t be the same when walking!¡± Ne Win said gesticulating.  "Then there's nothing we can do!" Zhang Qi smiled, his face suddenly became serious, he whistled, and a dozen more shunjuns dressed like him jumped out from the grass: "Since you know  My identity, then I won¡¯t go around in circles. I came here to defeat the puppet king¡¯s army and investigate the military situation. Please explain everything about the situation in the city!¡± It turns out that after Batu captured the dock, he asked Zhang Qi to do so.  Four or five experienced officers each led a small group of the newly trained Myanmar New Army to inspect the situation in Bagan and prepare for the next move.  Under Zhang Qi's command was Song Shen's group.  After they were captured, they were immediately incorporated into the new army and did not train for a few days. Because they were all from the vicinity of Bagan and familiar with the local conditions, they were brought along and sent under Zhang Qi's command to be used as spies.  Ne Win looked at the people opposite, frowned, and asked: "You are all from Shun country, what does it have to do with the prince and princess of Mandalay?"??  Why are you here?  "What princes and princesses? Prince Luo Qin has been canonized by Emperor Dashun not long ago and ascended the throne in Mandalay. Now he is His Majesty the King and His Majesty the Princess Royal. Please be careful what you say!"  Zhang Qi replied impatiently: "As for us, we are escorting the two majesties back to Mandalay to attack the puppet king. Last night, the army occupied the dock on the Irrawaddy River. We are the outpost of the army!"  "    "Very good!  "When he heard that the soldiers in front of him were the princes and princesses he was going to Mandalay to see, Ne Win couldn't help but exclaimed. He didn't have to travel all the way to avenge his master and senior brother. This is really a miracle.  Unexpected good news. "Sir, the situation in the city is very bad. Not long ago, the monks and citizens of Bagan petitioned the king because the British officer hired by the king killed the monk, and the Indian native hired by the king  The soldiers opened fire to suppress it, and many people died!  I escaped from the city and wanted to go to Mandalay to ask your two highnesses to send troops to attack the tyrant!  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 39 Chapter 39: Death

    "What, killed a monk? Shooting at petitioning monks and citizens?" Zhang Qi listened to the translation, his face changed slightly, he called Song Shen aside and asked in a low voice: "Listen to what the monk said, it seems that they are  The prestige in Bagan city seems to be very high. Is this really the case?¡± Song Shen heard clearly from the sidelines, and his face turned pale with fright at the shocking fact. He replied in a low voice: ¡°My lord, Myanmar is a Buddhist country.  He is a monk from the Mohe Bodhi Temple, which has a history of five to six hundred years. It is one of the most famous temples in Bagan and even in the entire Central Myanmar region. The king gives alms to the monks in the temple every year.  It is unprecedented for a master in a dead temple to shoot at a monk!" "That's what happened!" Zhang Qi nodded, thought for a moment, stretched out his hand to summon a soldier, and whispered.  After a few words, the soldier quickly ran towards the direction he came from.  Zhang Qi then turned around with an expression of indignation on his face: "I didn't expect that the false king was not only a traitor, but also dared to shoot at the eminent monks. This is simply too much. I have just sent people  Tell the Lord about the situation in the city. This guy must be captured alive and rectified to thank the world!" When Ne Win heard the translator translate the word "rectification", he quickly replied: "No, no, he belongs to the gods after all!  Although the descendants have violated the Buddha's law, they will only be imprisoned for a lifetime. If they spill the blood of the descendants of the gods, they will be punished by the Buddha!" ??Zhang Qi snorted coldly and cursed in his heart: "Pedantic!" But he said in his mouth: "  Well, this is what your majesties have decided after all. But after all, hearing is believing and seeing is believing. I have received the military order to investigate the military situation. If I can't reply back like this, why not lead me to Bagan City to see it.  Look good!" Nai Wen looked at Zhang Qi and the people behind him, and the friendly faces of his respected master and senior brothers appeared in his mind. He gritted his teeth and nodded: "That's fine, but your flattery is too conspicuous.  You have to pretend to be our slave!" "Everything is at the master's discretion!" The east gate of Bagan City is heavily guarded. There are several armed horses lying on the road. Dozens of Burmese soldiers with live ammunition are carrying and building parapets under the command of officers.  There were sandbags and wooden planks, and orders had been passed on. The enemy had occupied the dock less than fifteen kilometers away from Bagan and might appear at any time.  But what frightened the soldiers even more was the recent shooting of monks in the square in front of the palace. Those Indian soldiers with black cloth-covered heads opened fire on petitioning monks and citizens. It is said that the people killed were covered with pavements.  The whole square.  For these ordinary soldiers who believed deeply in Buddhism, shooting at the servants of the Buddha was like the sky falling. The fact that the shooters were Indian soldiers from afar made them even more aggrieved. A rumor was spreading among the soldiers.  Spread: Those Indian soldiers and foreigners with red hair and blue eyes are the servants of the devil. The king has been controlled by the devil. The king is about to order the destruction of all pagodas and temples in Bagan City and kill all the monks and citizens.  As an offering to the devil.  This rumor made the soldiers even more panicked.  At this time, a group of people came from a distance, led by three monks, followed by ordinary Burmese people dressed up, either picking or carrying dry firewood and grain.  Seeing this group of people, a Burmese officer and several soldiers came forward and saluted the three monks respectfully. The officer smiled and said, "Master, are you going into the city?" Ne Win's forehead  There was a thin layer of sweat on his face, but it was not because of heat, but because of nervousness. He suppressed the excitement in his heart and tried his best to answer in a normal tone: "Yes, I am a monk from Mohe Bodhi Temple."  "The ones behind are from Quse Village. They are giving alms to the temple. Please let them enter the city. They have to return to the village before dark. They are in a hurry." "It turns out they are the monks of Mohe Bodhi Temple."  "Master!" The officer looked a little more respectful. As a local in Bagan, he almost grew up listening to the bells of Mohe Bodhi Temple. He quickly turned around and shouted to the soldiers: "It's from Mohe Bodhi Temple."  "Master, please pull away the horse quickly and let the master enter the city!" The Burmese soldiers hurriedly pulled away the horse. Ne Win breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that everything was going well, and then he felt a cold feeling in his vest. It turned out that he had been frightened just now.  Breaking out in a cold sweat, he couldn't help but pray to the Buddha in his heart: "Today, in order to avenge my master and brother, I lied and violated the precepts. After the deed is completed, Ne Win should be imprisoned in the backyard for three years and repent!" "stop  "With a loud shout, a British officer riding a war horse came towards us. He was still six or seven steps away. He jumped off the horse and shouted loudly, and the interpreter on the side translated it for him.  : "What's going on! Didn't I have an order that everyone should be strictly inspected? Who allowed you to let people into the city without inspection?" The Burmese officer quickly explained: "Mr. Second Lieutenant  , this is the respected master of Mohe Bodhi Temple, and the people behind are all giving alms to the villagers in the temple, no problem!¡±   After listening to the translation, the British official opened his eyes wide and shouted: "What a respected master, they are just unbelievers. These guys just gathered in front of the palace gate to cause trouble. Who knows if they will collude with the Shun people?"  Get up and inspect them even more!" The translators of the British official were all students from a missionary school. Unlike ordinary Burmese people, they all believed in Christianity and naturally had a disdain for Buddhism.  The filthy words spoken by the British officer were read over intact. All the Burmese people present, whether they were soldiers or monks, turned red in the face and became very angry.  The British colonial officer saw the Burmese soldiers standing there one by one, but did not carry out his orders. For this British colonial officer who had served in India for eleven years and was accustomed to tamed Indian soldiers,  These Burmese were no match for his three-year-old bulldog.  He lightly kicked his horse in the belly, came to the Burmese officer, and whipped the officer in the face, knocking him to the ground.  "If you disobey the officer's order, you will be relieved of your duties and given thirty lashes!" the British officer shouted loudly. Then he pointed at another Burmese soldier casually and shouted: "Now I appoint you to take his place and execute the order!"  ¡± All the Burmese people had expressions of humiliation and anger on their faces. The area near the city gate was like before a storm, calm and terrifying.  The British officer saw that no one was following his orders, and his face tanned by the subtropical sun had turned purple. He pulled out his pistol from his waist and was about to say something when a gunshot rang out.  The police officer turned his head in disbelief and saw a barefoot man dressed as a Burmese looking at him coldly. He was also holding a smoking revolver in his hand. He also wanted to say something.  What, but suddenly a sharp pain in his chest took away his strength. The British officer staggered twice on his horse, fell to the ground, and died.  The scene suddenly fell silent, and all the Burmese soldiers stared at the corpses and bodies lying on the ground with their eyes wide open.  At this time, a rustling sound broke the silence. The villagers carrying firewood and grain dropped the goods on their backs, pulled out rifles from the bundles of firewood, and pointed the muzzles at the Burmese soldiers among them.  "Ah!" The translator finally reacted, let out a scream, and ran away towards the city gate. Zhang Qi snorted disdainfully and made a gesture to Song Shen beside him, who followed understandingly.  He pulled out an ax from his waist and threw it at the translator. With a scream, the translator fell to the ground, and the ax was deeply embedded in his right thigh.  ¡°Spare my life¡ª¡± the translator had just shouted. Song Shen had already pulled out the axe, and cut off his throat and trachea with one blow, blocking the subsequent pleading into the trachea.  Song Shenhei had a stern look on his face, and with two axes, he chopped off the head of the translator, and then the head of the British officer. He grabbed two hairs from the head and brought them back.  The Burmese soldiers looked at Song Shen covered in blood in awe, and instinctively made way for him. Song Shen walked up to Ne Win, put the translator's head next to Ne Win's feet, knelt down on the ground, and kissed her devoutly.  The dust at Ne Win's feet.  Ne Win looked at Song Shen, not at a loss. Suddenly, a mysterious power surged out of his heart.  Naven bent down, reached out and stroked Song Shen's head, murmuring in his mouth.  The surrounding Burmese soldiers also knelt down and paid homage to Ne Win, who was standing in the middle.  Suddenly, Ne Win bent down and picked up the two heads, raised them high, and ignored the warm blood flowing down his arms, shouting loudly: "Kill the devil, drive out the foreigners!" "Kill the devil, drive out the foreigners!"  Foreign troops!" The surrounding Burmese soldiers responded in unison. Ne Win nodded slightly and lowered his right arm holding the head high. Two Burmese soldiers had already stepped forward to take the head and raised it above their heads with bayonets.  , go ahead.  Ne Win walked towards the city gate with slow steps, and the Burmese soldiers climbed up one after another and followed closely.  On the street, Ne Win was walking in front, and more and more Bagan citizens and monks joined him, chanting scriptures loudly, forming a torrent and rushing towards the palace.  As a group of people crossed the street, a row of roadblocks appeared in front of them, and behind them were the Myanmar New Army armed with live ammunition, blocking the way.  ¡°Stop, or we will shoot!¡± A shrill cry came from behind the roadblock.  But Ne Win turned a blind eye, closed his eyes slightly, recited scriptures loudly and walked straight over, followed by those who followed him.  When the British officer saw what was happening behind the roadblock, he hurriedly shouted to the soldiers: "Fire!" However, the Burmese soldiers under his command seemed to be deaf, and no one fired. The officer was furious when he saw this, pulled out the pistol from his waist and fired.  He wanted to shoot Ne Win at the front, but when he heard a shout, the Burmese soldiers turned their guns, dragged him off his horse, and beat him to death with their rifle butts. They then dragged away the barricade, knelt on the ground and worshiped Ne Win.  In the palace, Meng Ji was reviewing documents in front of several cases when he heard a rush of footsteps. When he looked up, he saw Diok rushing into the room quickly, with a look of panic on his face, and he was about to ask.  , but heard the other party say anxiously: "Your Majesty?, let¡¯s leave the palace soon, something bad is going to happen!  " "What's the matter, so anxious!  Meng Ji angrily threw his pen at several cases and said angrily: "The soldiers have entered the city?"  " "That's not true, but it's even worse!  Diok said: "It's the monks from Mohe Bodhi Temple who are making trouble. The citizens have followed and are coming towards the palace!"  " "A few mobs also scared you like this?  Meng Ji asked in annoyance: "You are sending troops to fight. This is going to disturb me. Haven't you seen how busy I am here?"  " "Your Majesty, go and take a look at the situation outside!  Diok said anxiously: "It is useless to mobilize troops. As soon as the soldiers of the new army saw the cassocks of those monks, they put down their weapons and knelt on the ground, following closely behind."  The British in the new army were hanged from trees on the roadside.  Your Majesty, we should never have fired at the petitioning monks in the first place!  "    "What?  Did the New Army soldiers defect?  Meng Ji's vision went dark when he heard this, and he almost sat down on the floor. He walked back and forth a few steps in the room, suddenly stopped and said: "Go to Mr. Duncan outside the city immediately and ask him to lead the British soldiers."  Come to the rescue. There are still several Gatling cannons in the palace, and the soldiers in the guard are all my relatives. They are relatively trustworthy. They should be able to hold on until reinforcements arrive!  " "Your Majesty!  "Diok did not carry out Meng Ji's order. A look of pain flashed across his face: "It can't be like this!  Those soldiers are all foreigners. Once they open fire, more than 10,000 pagodas and centuries-old Buddhist temples in Bagan will be soaked in the blood of Buddhists. At that time, you will be the biggest sinner in the world, and you will fall into depravity after death.  If you enter the animal realm, you will never be reincarnated. Buddhists throughout Myanmar will curse you and your family, and your name will also be cursed thousands of years later!  Without the blessing of Buddha, can you sit on the throne?  We¡¯d better leave Bagan as soon as possible, there will be another chance in the future!  "    "Shut up!  Meng Ji interrupted Diok's remonstrance with an angry shout: "I don't allow you to defend these thugs, what about hundreds of years of ancient temples and more than ten thousand pagodas."  If they do not respect me, the son of gods and the beloved son of Buddha, then they are devils, devils!  Even if they are wearing cassocks and have bare heads, they are still devils!  Diok, listen, go to the British right away. Not only will I kill all these devils, but I will also burn the Mohe Bodhi Temple on fire, and then sprinkle salt on it so that no grass will grow, so that people can see it.  Look at those who defy the king¡ª¡ª" "Bang!  "With the sound of a gunshot, Meng Ji's roar was interrupted. He covered the bullet hole in his chest and looked at Diok in front of him with disbelief - the muzzle of the pistol in his hand was flashing blue.  Yan. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I would rather commit the crime of regicide and fall into the realm of animals after death, than let you commit such a crime, which will bring shame to the name of your great ancestor!"  "After Diok whispered, he aimed at Meng Ji's chest and fired two more shots. The bullets fired at close range penetrated Meng Ji's chest. The huge impact made him take two steps back, and his back was already open.  Window. Meng Ji waved his arms twice in despair, as if trying to grab something, suddenly turned over and fell out of the three-story window.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Response

    The next morning at the pier, Batu sat on a horse and asked the soldiers in front of him in an unconvincing tone: "Did you just say that there has been a riot in Bagan City?" "Yes, sir!"  The soldier also had a look on his face that he couldn't believe what he saw with his own eyes: "We held the flag and walked south to check the military situation under your orders. We were still four or five miles away from Bagan City when we met someone from the city.  When the locals who escaped from the palace asked, they found out that there was a riot in the city. They heard that the puppet king shot thousands of monks and citizens in the square in front of the palace at noon. As a result, a riot broke out in the city at night!  , Great!" Batu rubbed his hands with satisfaction, which was a sign of his unconscious excitement.  He stood up, walked back and forth a few steps, stopped suddenly, and said loudly: "Send two more teams to make sure the situation in Bagan is clear. Also, ask the soldiers to stop loading and unloading goods, and all eat and rest."  , Be ready to go at any time! We must not let that false king run away again this time!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± With a series of responses, the officers surrounding Batu all retreated and he sat back down.  Go up, and immediately stood up excitedly, with a proud smile on his face.  Now he was the only one left, and he no longer needed to maintain that dignified and solemn appearance in front of his subordinates. After all, he was still just a young man in his thirties.  "My lord, my lord!" An officer quickly ran towards Batu and shouted: "Someone from Zhang Zhang's post has returned with news. He is from Bagan City!" "Zhang Qi?" Batu was stunned.  His mind quickly recalled the report he had received not long ago: "Didn't he say that he met a few Burmese monks and wanted to take the opportunity to sneak into Bagan City together?" At this point, Batu's face suddenly changed: "Quick, quick, is it possible this time?"  He was also involved in the riot!" "Sir!" A soldier dressed as a Burmese man saluted Batu, looking a bit nondescript: "Master Zhang asked me to send you a message: the monks and citizens of Bagan City have launched an uprising, and the false king is dead.  "The Puppet King is dead?" Batu couldn't help but feel dizzy at the rapid development of the situation. You know, just four days ago, he was still arguing with Chen Zaixing in the palace in Mandalay about whether to go south.  But after a few days, the two main goals of their march into Myanmar - to help the two princes and princesses regain the throne and to kill the false king - had been achieved. At this time, Batu couldn't help but sigh at the changes in the world.  quick.  "Yes, sir, the false king caused great wrath near Bagan in order to recruit troops and food. This morning, the British officer killed a respected master of Mohe Bodhi Temple. As a result, the monks and citizens of Bagan gathered in the palace.  They demanded severe punishment for the perpetrators. However, the Indian soldiers protecting the palace opened fire and killed hundreds of people, including many monks from famous temples in the city. So a young Burmese monk named Ne Win decided to go to Manchu for revenge.  Dele asked the two majesties for reinforcements and happened to meet us. Master Zhang understood this and thought it was a good opportunity, so he led us to pretend to be the monk's slaves and sneak into the city. Unexpectedly, we were intercepted by an Englishman at the gate of the city.  The police officer stopped him and wanted to search him. Mr. Zhang had no choice but to shoot the British guy and rushed into the city. Along the way, when the Burmese soldiers saw the monks chanting in front, they put down their guns and worshiped the puppet king.  Seeing that the situation was not going well, his men killed the false king and showed his head to express his determination" The soldier was very eloquent. Although there were many clues about the matter, it was not confusing at all when he told it. The plot was full of twists and turns.  The officers on the side couldn't help but marveled after hearing this.  After hearing this, Batu thought for a moment and asked: "Have Zhang Qi come forward to identify himself now? And who is under the control of Bagan now? Where are those Indian soldiers now?" "  Master Zhang felt that since the situation in Bagan was unclear, it would be better not to reveal his identity and pretend to be the slave of the monk named Ne Win. After seeing the corpse of the false king, the revolting soldiers and monks dispersed.  The puppet king's aide was called Diok, and the Indian soldiers were directly commanded by the British. Seeing that the situation was not good, they seemed to have withdrawn southward along the Irrawaddy River, where it was not difficult to find ships. "  "Well, Zhang Qi did the right thing!" Batu nodded: "But the monk named Nevin is too stupid. Does he think that everything will be fine if the false king dies? The officer named Diok killed  Regardless of whether it is because of helplessness or premeditation, the false king will never let go of this disaster in the future. Either he will not do this or he will do it to the end. If Tai'a opposes it, it will only hurt himself.  "My lord, we will send troops to capture Bagan immediately?" an officer asked eagerly. After occupying Mandalay, these officers have made a lot of money through various channels. They have already heard this.  It is said that Bagan is the old capital of Myanmar. There are many temples and pagodas. Burmese people believe in Buddhism and they are never stingy in decorating these pagodas and temples. If they attack the city, they will surely gain a lot.  ? ???Don't worry yet!  "After months of experience, Batu has become more experienced: "Now Bagan City is just meat on the chopping board. We can eat it at any time. We must first send an envoy to the city to pay homage before sending troops. Now that the puppet king is dead, the people below will  As long as they are willing to come, we will accept them all first. You must know that we have offended the British severely this time. We don¡¯t know how to deal with it next?  "Yangon, British Empire Consulate. Gillings is sitting at the desk, writing quickly under the lamp. There is a half-drunk cup of espresso in his hand. Under the lamp, Gillings looks pale and thin.  His eyes were bloodshot, and he was very tired. Finally, Gillings finished the letter. He carefully dried the ink, folded it and put it into an envelope, using beautiful curlicues on the envelope.  After writing the recipient's name and address, he sealed it and placed it on the thick pile of letters on the table. Gillings picked up the coffee cup at hand and took a sip. The cold coffee made him wrinkle.  With a frown, he placed the exquisite white porcelain coffee cup heavily on the teak desk and coughed heavily. The servant who was napping outside the study was awakened. He quickly picked up the coffee pot and walked into the study carefully.  He replaced the master with a cup of scalding hot coffee and took a sip. A bitter and smooth feeling immediately filled his mouth. His spirit was lifted. Gillings stood up and walked to the window to do some gymnastics.  , returned to his desk and continued working at his desk. As the Consul General of the British Empire in Burma, he must respond quickly and correctly to what just happened, to safeguard and expand the interests of the empire to the greatest extent.  It seems that the prestige of the empire must not be offended and the interests of the empire must not be infringed. Only a quick and heavy blow to the arrogant adventure of Shun Jun is the only correct response. But he is just a member of an empire in Myanmar.  Representative, he must first win the consent of the Prime Minister of India and even London, so that he can have enough power to punish these damn country bandits, so he wrote to powerful people in his own faction to win their support, after all, even the Prime Minister.  Your Excellency, you can only act without scruples after gaining a majority in the House of Commons. In view of the fact that all this will take time, Gillings decided to send an envoy to Bagan to submit a diplomatic note to the Shun army there, asking the other party to respond to the previous decision.  Of course, this does not mean that if the Shun army agrees to the conditions in the diplomatic note, Gillings will not take the next military action. After all, it can only destroy the Shun country militarily.  The expeditionary force can only achieve this goal by occupying the entire Burma and removing the threat to India. However, when military strength is insufficient, Gillings does not mind getting what is not available on the battlefield through intimidation and blackmail, not to mention concealing the imperial measures.  The determination and scope of the military operation were also very important. When it was getting dark, Gillings finally completed all the letters. He sorted the letters one by one and asked the servants to send them to the telegraph office and the courier respectively.  I just went back to bed, ready to sleep for an hour before starting the day's work. Mandalay, the palace, and the dormitory were originally the place where the old king Xipao lived. During the coup in April this year, many buildings in the palace were destroyed.  Everything was destroyed by fire. Meng Ji, who subsequently ascended the throne, spent most of his energy on consolidating the throne he had just won, and did not devote much human and financial resources to repairing the palace.  As a result, after Luo Lin and Luo Qin succeeded to the throne, they faced this dilapidated appearance.  At that time, in order to cover the escape of his children, Xipao deliberately led his loyal guards to break out in the opposite direction, so the dormitory suffered very little damage, so Luo Lin and Luo Qin arranged their residences here.  In the room, the desks of the two of them were piled with thick stacks of documents. These were documents submitted by Mandalay and other areas that had recognized the new king.  During this period, Chen Zaixing had selected a group of relatively prestigious and politically pliant people from the small and medium-sized nobility of Myanmar, established an organization called the Privy Council, and sent Liu Zhixing, who had luckily escaped from Meng Ji's clutches, to  Where to be a Privy Councilor, responsible for formulating the procedures and arranging the agenda of the Privy Council.  These documents submitted from all directions have been reviewed and processed by the Privy Council. Now Luo Lin and Luo Qin are undergoing the final symbolic approval process. In view of their knowledge and age, it should be said that they are studying for business.  better.  The main task of the Privy Council is to serve as the king's advisor, providing various suggestions for the king's decisions. When necessary, the king can also select suitable candidates as his representatives to carry out his orders throughout the country.  This is the first time in the history of Myanmar that such an institution has appeared. Due to historical and cultural reasons, the feudal centralization of ancient Myanmar has never reached the level of "governing the people on behalf of heaven" as in ancient China. The power of the king was restricted by monks and nobles from all over the country.  The power of these monks and nobles was completely independent of the existence of the king.  The emergence of the Privy Council completely changed the situation.Reversing this situation, the members of the Privy Council have huge powers, but the Privy Council itself has no power. It is actually just a personal advisory body to the king, and its only real power is to provide advice to the king.  In other words, the Privy Council is just a planet, and all its light comes from the star of the King. If the members of the Privy Council want to expand their power, the only way is to gain the King's trust and expand the King's power.  .  It is very ironic that such an institution that strengthens the central power of the Kingdom of Myanmar comes from the hands of a person like Chen Zaixing who is deliberately planning to invade the Kingdom of Myanmar.  Luo Lin was halfway through reading when he suddenly found his younger brother Luo Qin on the desk, scratching something with a knife. He couldn't help asking: "Brother, what are you doing?" "No, I didn't do anything!" Luo Qin was startled.  Luo Lin quickly put the knife back into his sleeve and pretended to be nonchalant. Luo Lin snorted coldly and looked at the table, only to see an elephant carved lightly on the desk.  "Lie! What is this?" Luo Lin stretched out his hand to Luo Qin: "Quickly, give me the knife!" Luo Qin muttered a few words, and finally, taking advantage of his sister's majesty, he reluctantly handed over the knife in his sleeve.  Knife.  Luo Lin put the knife aside, turned the document in his hand back to the beginning, and prepared to read it again.  Luo Qin boldly complained: "Sister, when we were in Dashun, you said you wanted to go back to Mandalay every day. Is it just to sit here and read these things every day?" Luo Lin sighed and put the paperwork aside.  , she saw her brother's handsome face full of distress and confusion. She reached out and gently touched her brother's cheek and said: "Brother, you are the king now, understand? The king can't play tricks anymore.  Child's temper, if you don't look at these things, how can you know how to be a good king? " "Looking at these things every day, I would rather not be a king!" Luo Qin lowered his head in frustration, but suddenly he raised his head again, his face  There was an excited expression on his face: "Sister, why don't you become the king? Anyway, you like to see these things, so I'll give you the king's seat!" "No nonsense!" Luo Lin's face immediately became serious.  He stood up and said, "Sister, I am a woman. How can a woman be a king?" "This!" Luo Qin scratched his hair in distress and suddenly had an idea: "Sister, you are already fourteen years old. You can find a husband and let him come.  Just be the king and the queen!" At this point, Luo Qin patted his head and said, "Sister, don't you like Mr. Chen? Why don't you marry Mr. Chen? He is knowledgeable and capable, so he will definitely be the king.  A good king!" Hearing his brother's childlike words, Luo Lin's cheeks were dizzy. He hit his brother on the head with the document in his hand and spat: "What are you talking about? This king is nothing else.  You can still send it over, but if you keep talking nonsense, I won't spank you later!" Luo Qin had always been in awe of this sister who was four or five years older than him. Seeing that the other party was getting angry, he quickly lowered his head and said, Luo Qin!  Lin was also frightened by what his brother had just said, and he couldn't calm down for a while.  Luo Qin saw his sister's cheeks were dizzy, her eyes were like water, and her black hair was like a waterfall. She was like a heavenly being. He couldn't help blurting out: "Sister, you are so beautiful. Even the goddess beside the Buddha cannot compare with it. Chen  It's important that Mr. Chen likes it!" "Hey!" Luo Lin sighed softly, stretched out his hand and gently rubbed the top of his brother's head, and said, "Brother, Mr. Chen is from Dashun, and he is also the second-ranked male.  I heard that I stayed in Chongwen Hall back then. What kind of beauty has he never seen before? In his eyes, we are just two children!" "No, my sister is the most beautiful, no one can compare with her!  Luo Qin immediately replied: "Besides, no matter how powerful Mr. Chen is, he is just a minister in Dashun. If he marries his sister, he will be the wife of the king. This will be very different." Luo Qin's words touched Luo Lin's heart!  As soon as he moved, he smiled and said: "You are still a child, but you know a lot!" Luo Qin raised his head unconvinced: "But didn't sister just say that I am already a king, and the king is not a child?  " At this time, someone outside spread the word that Mr. Chen was asking for an audience.  Luo Lin was stunned, but he didn't expect that he would come right when he was talking about it. He hurriedly said, "Please come in, Mr. Chen!" Luo Qin, who was on the side, smiled and said, "Sister, we just talked about Mr. Chen, and he came.  Maybe it¡¯s fate!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t shut up, it will be terrible if Mr. Chen hears it!¡± Luo Lin quickly covered his brother¡¯s mouth. At this time, Chen Zaixing had already come up to the hall and saluted the two of them.  , said in his mouth: "The foreign ministers have met with your majesties, and there is news from Bagan. Thanks to the great power of the late king, our army has won a great victory. The front of the army has reached the gate of Bagan. The righteous people have risen up, and the false king has been killed!"  "What? The false king Meng is dead?" Luo Lin subconsciously stood up and grabbed Chen Zai's hand.In front of him, he grabbed Chen Zaixing's right hand and asked urgently: "Is this serious?" Chen Zaixing was stunned for a moment, carefully pulled his right hand from Luo Lin's hands, and said respectfully: "Exactly, this is the messenger.  Generally speaking, our military sentry saw with his own eyes the corpse of the Puppet King hanging in front of the palace gate, but the army has not entered the city yet. When the army enters the city, the Puppet King's head will be transported back to Mandalay.  For your Majesty's inspection!" Luo Lin realized that he had just lost his composure. His cheeks suddenly turned crimson, but there was a strange sweetness in his heart. He lowered his head and whispered, "Let Mr. Chen arrange everything!" Chen Zaixing looked at it!  The girl in front of him couldn't help but tremble in his heart. At his age, he was not stupid, so how could he not see that the girl in front of him had a good impression of him.  Although Luo Lin's appearance and family background are both outstanding, he is also alone now, with an unmarried man and an unmarried woman. However, the identities of both parties are really embarrassing. Luo Lin is already the eldest princess of the vassal country, and her marriage is not just a marriage.  It is a matter of an ordinary noble girl. If Chen Zaixing marries her, his career in Dashun will basically come to an end. He will probably only be a salary guard in name only. After all, in terms of the vassal king's wife and the person in charge, he will be in charge of Dashun.  There is no precedent in Shun's history.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Planning

    "The foreign minister has something to do with the Privy Council, so he will leave first!" Chen Zaixing took a step back, saluted Luo Lin and Luo Qin, then turned and left.  Only Luo Lin and Luo Qin were left in the palace, and they had not fully recovered from the sudden surprise just now.  When Chen Zaixing came out of the dormitory, he got on the sliding pole and said in Burmese: "Go to the Privy Council!" Two Burmese sedan bearers hurriedly picked up the sliding pole and walked quickly to the Privy Council.  Chen Zaixing thought to himself on the sliding pole. According to what was stated in the letter: Meng Ji died because he acted too extreme, hurt the interests of the Burmese monks near Bagan, provoked a civil uprising, and died at the hands of his own people because of rebellion and separation.  The spearhead of this popular uprising was aimed at the British who strongly supported Meng Ji.  So for the Shun Army, which is also an external force, the next step needs to be carefully considered: to suppress this uprising in order to gain control of the Central Myanmar region near Bagan, and to further control the wealthy  Is the lower reaches of the Irrawaddy River ready to access its abundant food resources?  Or should we use the underlying forces of the Burmese people inspired by this uprising to resist the coming British invasion?  "We must go to Bagan in person. There is no wired telegraph between Bagan and Mandalay yet, and the delay in between is four or five days, which is not possible." Chen Zaixing had already made up his mind in the sliding pole.  A new question arises again. If both he and Batu go to Bagan, who can guard Mandalay for him?  This person must have enough ability to deal with all kinds of Burmese nobles and monks to maintain a situation; he must also be loyal enough, and it must be loyal to himself, not to the Dashun Dynasty. After all, he received the Han Dynasty  The order there has been issued for more than half a month. It seems that the "Bu Tuhou" has almost arrived in Kunming. Who knows whether he will follow the instructions and come to Mandalay alone first?  Don't let all your efforts end up making wedding dresses for others!  Chen Zaixing was just thinking about it when he suddenly felt a tremor in his body, but he had already reached his destination.  He lifted up the front of his robe, pulled down the slide, and said to the Burmese attendant who came out to greet him: "Is Privy Liu here? I want to see him soon!" The attendant quickly bowed and saluted, and said respectfully: "Master Liu is presiding over the meeting.  For the meeting, Mr. Chen, please go to the side courtyard and wait. I will inform Mr. Liu immediately!" Chen Zaixing nodded. He knew the environment here very well and did not need anyone to lead him. He went straight to the side courtyard and sat down just a moment ago.  , and then heard a rush of footsteps outside the door, but it was Liu Zhixing who came.  "Master Chen!" Liu Zhixing entered the room and paid Chen Zaixing the courtesy of attending the court. Chen Zaixing made a gesture for him to get up and said straight to the point: "Master Liu, please get up. I am here today to tell you something."  One thing: Our army has occupied the dock outside Bagan, and the puppet king has been crowned!" "Congratulations, sir!" Liu Zhixing's face immediately showed joy, and he said with a smile, "This is all due to your master's planning!  A person looks up to the emperor's great blessings, and a person works according to the fate of the soldiers. What does it mean to work a little?" Chen Zaixing waved his hands and said: "But the puppet king did not die at the hands of our army, but died because of his perverse actions and provoked a popular uprising.  "He usurped the throne and caused chaos that day, and his death in the hands of his own people is also retribution. It is too late to die today!" Compared with Chen Zaixing, Liu Zhixing had a different view of Meng Ji that day.  After the Dele coup, Duncan led troops to pretend to be rebels and attacked the Burmese captain's house at night, killing his boss Zhao Youting. Even he himself almost died in the rebel army. He remained anonymous for a long time before Chen Zaixing and Batu leader  The soldiers returned to Mandalay.  The panic and hatred during this period were naturally attributed to Meng Ji alone.  "What Mr. Liu said is correct!" Chen Zaixing agreed and said with a smile: "It's just that although the false king has been destroyed, the city of Bagan is not in the hands of our army, and there is also the problem of the British and foreigners!" After saying this, Chen Zaixing moved himself  They sent troops to disguise themselves as smuggling ships, captured the British gunboats, and took the opportunity to occupy the dock. Everything was revealed one by one. In the end, Chen Zaixing said: "Mr. Liu, the British have been coveting Burma for a long time. They had sent troops to invade as early as the time of the late emperor.  , If it hadn¡¯t been for the help of the late emperor¡¯s army, I¡¯m afraid this place would have changed hands¡± ¡°Master Chen!¡± Chen Zaixing was interrupted mid-sentence by Liu Zhixing, who asked with a look of surprise on his face: ¡°Who are you?  You are good at protecting the border! How can you be so self-sufficient because you only have the authority to protect Burma? Besides, the imperial court has appointed Mr. Zao as the captain of the Burma Protector a few days ago. You have to wait until the official arrives!"  After hearing Liu Zhixing's questioning, Chen Zaixing's face showed no change, but he couldn't help but feel cold in his heart.  Although he had expected that this person might not be on the same boat as him before he came, he did not expect that this person's butt would have already switched to the other party's side before the envoy arrived. It seemed that his previous preparations were still the same.  Yes.  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing smiled and said: "Master Liu, you have been in Mandalay for some time, so you should know about this incident."Everything behind him has the shadow of the British. If the false king succeeds today, I am afraid that tomorrow he will expel the Burmese Colonel and take refuge with the British, and I will lose the barrier of Dashun Southwest!"  The death of Mr. Zhao Youting and Mr. Zhao is the clear proof!  Not to mention that after I led the army to conquer Mandalay, the British gave the puppet king a large amount of arms and trained troops for him. You also know this. Although those gunboats were nominally to protect overseas Chinese, they were actually intended to cut off the downstream.  Food shipped to Mandalay.  If I don't take the initiative to attack, after the training of his new army is completed and the reinforcements from India arrive, he will definitely go north. At that time, there will be strong enemies outside and no food and grass inside. Do we want the imperial court and the vassal state to give up to the bandits?  " Chen Zaixing's words were pleasant at first, but they became more and more serious, and in the end they were no different than a scolding. Liu Zhixing blushed and stammered, "Mr. Chen, what you said makes sense.  .  However, the imperial court has its own laws and cannot act beyond its authority. You only have the right to know and protect Burma. England is a big country in the world. You must inform Han Jing before you act!  How could I explain to him if he had not come earlier?  " "Myanmar is thousands of miles away, and there are no phone lines in Mandalay.  How can the imperial court control it remotely?  If I act only after I have made everything clear, I am afraid that the opportunity will pass away prematurely, and this will be a disservice to the country!  Mr. Zao had been the Protector of Annan earlier, so he naturally knew my difficulties, and he would not blame me!  "Chen Zaixing replied confidently: "Besides, if the court really blames me, I, Chen Zaixing, will be the one to hold the vat in front of me. Mr. Liu, you are just following orders. I can't blame you!"  " "Master Chen, that's not what I mean!"  Liu Zhixing was about to explain when he heard this. Chen Zaixing reached out and grabbed the other person's arm and said with a smile: "There's no need to say it. There is war or peace over there in Bagan. How to act? I have to go over there with Mr. Ba."  To deal with it, Mr. Liu will have to worry more about the affairs in Mandalay.  Remember, we must keep His Majesty King Namean and the Princess Regent in our hands, otherwise the sky here will not turn upside down!  " "Don't worry, Mr. Chen. I will do my best and wait for Mr. Chen's triumphant return!  "Liu Zhixing was a little touched at this time. He had shown such a look just now, but Master Chen still trusted him and handed over the important task of guarding Mandalay to him. Master Chen's  He really has the quality of the mountains and seas, and he is indeed the second best in the year. He was trained in Chongwen Academy. But he doesn't know that this is because Chen Zaixing has been labeled as untrustworthy in his heart, just because the other party is really untrustworthy in his pocket now.  When choosing a candidate, you have to hold your nose and use yourself. ¡°That¡¯s right!  Chen Zaixing warned a few more words, and then pretended to suddenly remember: "Master Liu, I have a person who is very good at doing things. This time I go to Bagan, I will ask him to stay with you, so that he can experience it a bit."  , I wonder if it is possible?  " After Liu Zhixing heard this, he thought it was recommended by Chen Zaixing's relatives and friends. This is also human nature. He quickly replied that he had many things to do but had no trustworthy helpers. The person recommended by Mr. Chen must be great. Seriously.  Seeing that he had figured it out, Chen Zaixing said goodbye after a few words. Liu Zhixing hurriedly sent him out, and then went back to continue his work. Chen Zaixing sat on the sliding pole and closed his eyes to think about his future plans.  Le Nai is a fundamental place. He has been prospecting in Myanmar for many years and is familiar with the local customs. He knows that transportation is convenient to other parts of Myanmar, the surrounding mineral resources are rich, and the population is very dense. It can also reach the delta area with rich agricultural resources through the Irrawaddy River.  It is also far away from the sea and is not easily invaded by powerful Western countries. From all aspects, it is a good place to start for his future plans. Through the military operations some time ago, he has already ascended the throne.  The king and regent nominally control the upper Myanmar region centered on Mandalay. If they can control the central Myanmar region centered on Bagan, then even if the lower Myanmar region centered on Yangon is ceded  The British can implement their own plan, but there must be a premise for all this: they must be able to continue to exist as the highest representative of the Dashun Empire in Myanmar, otherwise all this will be a rootless tree without a source.  Of water. Thinking of this, Luo Lin's pretty and shy face suddenly flashed in front of Chen Zaixing's eyes, and his heart couldn't help but wonder, "Do you want to get married to this eldest princess?"  " "Sir, Mr. Kong's residence has arrived!  " A voice broke Chen Zaixing's reverie. He calmed down a little, got up and lowered the pole, and saw Kong Zhang already standing in front of the steps waiting. He saluted with a smile and said: "Just now, the little man heard the cry of the magpie on the branch.  , then I knew that a noble person was coming, and it turned out to be Mr. Chen!  " " Magpie?  Chen Zaixing couldn't help laughing when he heard this: "Brother Kong is joking again, where did the magpies come from in this barbarian land!"  "    "hehe!  "Kong Zhang laughed and covered up his embarrassment: "Maybe the villain just misjudged it, but Master Chen is definitely a noble man!  ¡± ¡°?Just know everything about protecting Burma!  "When Chen Zaixing said this, his voice suddenly turned low: "If the word 'power' can be removed, it can still be called 'noble'!  " Kong Zhang was also very clever, and he knew what Chen Zaixing was thinking. How could he not hear the deeper meaning in his words? He hurriedly said: "Master Chen, could it be that I will be arriving that morning?  " "I haven't heard such news yet!  "Chen Zaixing snorted coldly. In front of Kong Zhang, he was too lazy to pretend to be content as usual, and his face was as solid as iron. "Kong Zhang carefully flattered: "Then what's there to worry about, Mr. Chen? As long as  The overall situation will be decided before the Lord comes, and the court will naturally remove the word "power" from the Lord!  " Chen Zaixing snorted coldly, but remained silent. Kong Zhang did not dare to say anything, and just stayed with him cautiously. After a while, Chen Zaixing whispered: "You don't know, the master hasn't arrived that morning.  Everyone in the city is already unstable. How can you tell me to go to Bagan with peace of mind?  " "Bagan?  "Kong Zhang's face showed joy: "Could it be that the matter of going south has been-" "Silence!  "Chen Zaixing interrupted the other party, looked around and then whispered: "There are many people here. This is not the place to talk. Let's talk inside!"  "Kong Zhang hurriedly led Chen Zaixing into the house. After serving tea, Kong Zhang repelled the servants. Chen Zaixing used a trick to capture the British gunboat and raid the dock. A monks riot broke out in Bagan, and the puppet king Meng Ji was killed by his men.  Kong Zhang was even more happy when he heard that everything was clear. In his opinion, since the false king was dead, the two majesties who had just ascended the throne were the undisputed masters of the entire Burma. The overall situation had been decided, and the remaining  It's just the beginning and the end. With the relationship between Chen Zaixing and the two majesties, even if the Lord Zao arrives, he can't take away his great achievements. Coupled with his master Aoyuan and his noble status, he will be the protector of the future.  The position of Lieutenant of Burma is definitely inevitable. The investment he took such a huge risk has finally paid off handsomely, and he can be regarded as a man of good intentions.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South, Chapter 42, Chapter 42: Murder

    Chen Zaixing looked at Kong Zhang who was beside him and was already in a daze with joy. He knew that the other party might not know Dashun's real enemy in Burma, so he couldn't help but feel a bit contemptuous in his heart. He snorted coldly and said: "Brother Kong,  Now is not the time to rejoice, the most difficult thing has just begun?" Kong Zhang was stunned when he heard this, and retorted: "What else is difficult?" "Although the false king is dead, the British behind him are still there.  My attack on Bagan this time has offended the British. If I am not wrong, the British will definitely send troops to retaliate. Only after dealing with this, Myanmar will be ours. This time I come to you!  Come here because of this!" "For this?" Kong Zhang was stunned and replied: "Brother Fusheng, you know that I am not good at dealing with the British." "I didn't ask you to.  Go deal with the British!" Chen Zaixing explained: "The most important thing for us now is to reach an agreement with the British quickly and settle the situation! So I will go to Bagan right away to deal with this matter, but there must be someone trustworthy in Mandalay.  Talent can do it!" Kong Zhang pointed to his nose in doubt and asked: "You said the trustworthy person is me?" When he saw Chen Zaixing nodding, he couldn't help but said anxiously: "How can that be done? I'm just a businessman, I can't even speak Burmese.  I don¡¯t even know how to deal with this situation. Brother Fusheng, you should use someone else! Isn¡¯t Mr. Liu a good person? He has been in the Protector¡¯s Office for many years and he is smart and capable. Why not use him?¡±  I can't trust him!" Chen Zaixing saw that Kong Zhang was a little confused, so he had to explain: "Liu Zhixing is only loyal to the court. If Mr. Zao came here in a simple car, I'm afraid he would immediately hand over all Mandalay's troops and power.  Come on, wouldn¡¯t all my hard work be in vain? I asked you to stay in Mandalay. If anything goes wrong, you can send a messenger to notify me while trying your best to delay my return. Do you understand?¡±  At this point, the thin face immediately became bitter again: "Brother Fusheng, I'm just a businessman, how can I have this ability? Are you kidding me?" "Don't worry, I have already planned it!" Chen Zaixing looked at it  Seeing that there was no one around, he whispered in Kong Zhang's ear: "When I go to Bagan, I will take most of Mandalay's loyal troops with me. I already have more than a dozen confidants in the newly formed Burmese army. Before I leave,  I will leave a secret order to those leaders. If your Excellency suddenly arrives that morning, you will let the newly formed Burmese army make a riot in the city, and those confidants can take the opportunity to kill him-"  Here, Chen Zaixing made a chopping gesture with the palm of his hand.  "This, this, how can this be done!" When Kong Zhang heard this, his face turned pale with fright, and he panicked: "Master Zao is a fourth-rank official of the imperial court. If he died here, how could we have anything to do with him? Besides, how could he be around him?  "It can't be done without troops, it can't be done!" "Why can't it be done? In a vassal country, there is chaos and chaos. I have already written a letter to my mentor, asking him to try to delay it. If you want to lead the army,  Come here, it must not be so fast? If you come so soon, there must be no soldiers around. Why don't you just wait for work and have no intention? If you don't take action and let him take my power, all the money will be wasted.  Will your family spare you? " After listening to Chen Zaixing's analysis of the interests, Kong Zhang sat there dumbfounded. How could he have imagined that his previous business adventure would be so involved, and he would actually want to assassinate the founding prince?  , a third-grade official came to finish the matter, but then he thought about it, he and Chen Zaixing were now grasshoppers on the same line, and they would both perish.  Thinking of the lonely scene of being imprisoned alone in the courtyard, Kong Zhang gritted his teeth and said: "Well, there is no turning back, we can only gamble on this one!" "Actually, you don't have to worry too much, these are the worst.  Plan, after all, the national power may not come so soon. Even if things get really big, I can¡¯t slap you or me on the butt!¡± ¡°How do you say this?¡± Kong Zhang was stunned, and then he came to his senses.  He pointed to the west with a smile and said, "Could it be that Mr. Liu is being used as a -" "That's right, as long as you understand, don't worry now!" Chen Zaixing showed a satisfied smile on his face. It turned out that he had already thought about it halfway.  I understand, since Liu Zhixing is not one of his own, he might as well leave Mandalay in his hands and go to Bagan himself. In this way, even if something goes wrong in Mandalay, he will be the only one who knows about it.  For unknown crimes, most of the blame can be placed on Liu Zhixing.  As long as the early state power is eliminated, the court will not be able to find anyone who is familiar with barbarian sentiments to handle the task. It will still have to be done by itself. It is nothing more than a few months' salary penalty.  After Chen and Kong finished their discussion, Chen Zaixing turned to say goodbye and returned to his residence. Since he was leaving here immediately, it was very cumbersome to arrange everything on hand.  By the time everything was done, it was already the bright moon in the sky and it was time for the night shift.  Chen Zaixing walked out of the house and saw that the city of Mandalay was already full of people.There was silence, with only a few lights on the west side of the city, which was where the royal palace was. He couldn't help but move in his heart. With his plan, he was afraid that the war in Mandalay City would be like that in April. That person  Is the eldest princess living in the palace going to suffer again?  Should we prepare a way out for him?  Chen Zaixing thought for a moment and then hardened his heart: His plan was extremely bold, and he was afraid that it would not be thorough. The more arrangements he made in advance, the more loopholes he might reveal in the future, which would lead to the destruction of his family.  A real man is born in this world and should establish an inheritance for eternity. How can he be led by these little children to do such foolish things?  Bagan, a courtyard in the Mohe Bodhi Temple.  Zhang Qi was pacing back and forth in the yard, with a dozen soldiers dressed as Burmese soldiers standing or sitting next to him, looking bored.  Zhang Qi suddenly stopped and asked loudly: "Song Cheng, who went to deliver a message to your Excellency outside the city, hasn't come back yet?" "Sir, Song Cheng went out after lunch, why did he have to come back the next day?" "Still?"  The next day?" Zhang Qi paused. At this time, he looked extremely anxious, as if something big was about to happen.  The flag-bearer on the side carefully advised: "Master Zhang, it's just those Burmese people who ran away. It doesn't matter. There's no need to get angry in such a hurry!" "You know nothing!" The flag-bearer was just right.  Zhang Qi got angry and was immediately scolded: "After the Puppet King was killed, didn't you feel that the atmosphere in Bagan city was wrong these days? Didn't you even notice that there were fewer beggars on the streets?  Quite a few? And the look in those monks¡¯ eyes? And that Song Shen, you haven¡¯t seen what kind of character he is after this incident? It¡¯s very wrong that he and his subordinates suddenly disappeared at this moment!¡±  Zhang Qi was confused by his mother, touched his head, and asked: "Sir, what can be wrong? There are thousands of our troops outside the city, and we can just attack in? How can that Song Shen change the world?" "Hey,  I can¡¯t explain clearly, but I have been a soldier for twenty years, and I can smell this smell!¡± Zhang Qi paused for a moment, with a cautious look on his face: ¡°It¡¯s like, it¡¯s like twenty years ago!¡±  The feeling of growing hairy years ago! " Ne Win was walking on the street. At this time, he looked hasty and plastered his cheeks, as if he was doing something he didn't want to be discovered.  Suddenly, he stopped, looked back to make sure no one was following him, and then turned into a hidden alley.  ¡°Master, I¡¯m here!¡± A voice came from behind Ne Win.  He stopped and looked back, only to see Song Shen standing behind him, smiling and saluting him. There were several people in the alley behind him, and the bulging bags around their waists were obviously weapons.  "Hello, donor!" Ne Win returned to Songcan and said, "If you want to see me, you can go directly to Mohe Bodhi Temple. Why did you call me here?" "Master, you will know why right away!"  Song Shen smiled slightly: "I invited you here to ask you to lead us to do a big thing!" "A big thing?" Ne Win was stunned and asked: "I am just an ordinary monk, what big things can I do?  "Aren't you working under that Dashun officer?" "He is a Bei bandit. I have nothing to talk about!" Song Shen said coldly: "Master, let me get straight to the point."  ! Now there are conscriptions for troops and food everywhere, and many people are starving to death. I want you to lead us up, return the rice and land to the people, and let them live! " Ne Win frowned and asked:  "Isn't the false king dead? The new king has also ascended the throne in Mandalay. Those who were recruited as soldiers will return to their hometowns soon. You can go back to your village. Life will get better!"  "No!" Song Shen's face was as solid as iron: "Mandalay is also recruiting troops and food. The new king is just a puppet of the Northern invaders. He only regained the throne with the bayonets and rifles of the Shun people.  , the Shunguo people killed thousands of people who resisted them in Babu Village, and the corpses were piled together like a hill. The king also handed over the nobles and temples that opposed him to the Shunguo people for looting, and many of the shunguo soldiers became rich.  For example, the officer named Zhang Qi was originally a poor man, but now he has thousands of acres of land and dozens of big houses in his hometown, and has become a very wealthy man. The new king is a devil just like Meng Ji.  The only difference is that Meng Ji relied on the British, while the new king relied on the Shun people!" A look of shock appeared on Ne Win's face. After a while, he asked in a low voice: "What do you want?  What should I do?" "Lead us to resist!" Song Shen's cheeks showed a sickly blush, and he shouted: "There are thousands of soldiers recruited by Meng Ji in the city, and there are many guns and bullets.  Most of them are peasants who have been forcibly requisitioned. As long as you tell them, give them the rice in the granary and give them the land of the nobles.??They will all be on your side. With their support, we can defeat the British and the Northern invaders, and everyone can live a good life!  " Ne Win did not answer. As time went by, Song Can's excitement gradually calmed down. Seeing Ne Win's face gradually changing from expectation to disappointment, he finally grabbed Song Can's sleeve and said loudly: "  Master, take us to do it, just like avenging your respected master!  "    "sorry!  Nevin pulled his sleeve out of Song Can's hand: "Song Can, you'd better find someone else!"  You can also do it yourself?  Song Shen replied with a wry smile: "Others?"  Who is more prestigious than you in Bagan right now?  As for me, I am just a lowly farmer covered in dirt. The citizens of Bagan would cover their noses and walk away quickly if they were only four or five steps away from me!  " "I am a monk, and what you are going to do will make many people die!  The temple relies on the donations of the common people and gentlemen to survive. The clothes on our monks' bodies and the food in our stomachs cannot be separated from everyone's donations. How could I lead you to let the donors kill each other?  Songcan looked at Ne Win desperately and shouted loudly: "I know why you didn't agree, because the biggest landowner outside Bagan is your temple, isn't it?"  " Naven was shaken and sighed: "Yes, I can't swing my sword at the Buddhist altar!  "After that, he turned around and walked out. Song Shen looked at his leaving back with crazy and desperate eyes. Suddenly, he pulled out a short knife from his arms and pounced on it, and with one blow, Ne Win was killed.  Ne Win, who was stabbed by the knife, turned around fiercely and looked at Song Shen in surprise. Song Shen looked at him without giving an inch and whispered: "Since you don't want to live as a hero, then  Be a dying hero!  "After saying that, with a wave of his hand, several people on both sides rushed forward and crushed Ne Win underneath him.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 43 Chapter 43: Riot 1

    Diok sat in front of the case, which was Meng Ji's position during his lifetime. After killing his old master, the many problems before Meng Ji did not disappear, but were all placed in front of Diok: Restore  The order within the city, how to deal with the loyal troops outside the city, and how to organize the new Burmese army.  Despite his shrewdness and ability, he only felt that his head was as big as a bucket and it was extremely difficult to handle.  ¡°My lord, this is bad!¡± A Burmese official ran in from the door and shouted to Diok.  "What happened? Did another soldier mutiny?" Diok grabbed the pistol in front of him and stood up.  Due to the previous riots, the New Army lost almost all its officers and most of its non-commissioned officers - because almost all of them were British or students of Burmese missionary schools, the New Army soldiers, who were almost all Buddhists, refused to accept their command and were temporarily appointed  The officers and non-commissioned officers simply did not have enough prestige and ability to restrain the new army soldiers, and various mutinies occurred almost every day.  "No, no!" The official was panting while holding a few cases. After a moment, he finally regained his breath and said: "The monk named Ne Win from the Mohe Bodhi Temple is dead. He was stabbed more than a dozen times. The citizens and monks are trying to  Carrying his body in the street! " "Ne Win? Dead?" Diok almost stumbled and almost fell back to the ground.  He naturally knew who Ne Win was. This monk who almost single-handedly forced Meng Ji to death (Diok naturally did not think that Meng Ji died because of himself) was now almost regarded as a saint by the people at the bottom of Bagan.  Worship, no matter where you go, you can often see poor people kneeling in the dust respectfully by the roadside.  Such a person was suddenly stabbed to death more than a dozen times, which was like a drop of cold water dropped into a hot pan of oil.  "Who did it? Who killed him?" Diok jumped up, but saw the official looking at him with a very strange look, as if he was the murderer, and couldn't help but said angrily: "You  Why are you looking at me? I didn¡¯t send someone to kill him!¡± ¡°Yes, you didn¡¯t send someone to kill him!¡± The official lowered his head quickly, but the meaning in his mouth was intriguing. Diok couldn¡¯t help but get angry and was about to speak loudly.  He cursed, but found that the attendants and guards on the side looked at him in a strange way, so he couldn't help but calm down.  When he thought about it carefully, he realized that as the person with the highest power in Bagan City, he had the best motive to kill Ne Win, a potentially unstable factor. However, the gods and Buddhas in the sky testified that he really did not send anyone to kill him.  Thinking of this, Diok couldn't help but look up to the sky and sigh: "I really didn't kill him!" Six to seven hundred people had gathered in the square in front of the palace gate, and more people were gathering from all directions.  In the middle of the crowd, Song Shen stood on several sacks, with Ne Win's body lying beside him.  He bent down and picked up Ne Win's body, pointed at the wounds on the body and shouted loudly, "I am Master Ne Win's servant. Not long ago, we accompanied Master to the west of the city to do something. We are leaving  When passing through a small alley, there were several people kneeling on the ground and bowing to the Master. Just as the Master was passing by, those people suddenly rushed up and surrounded the Master. When we reacted.  , the master is already lying on the ground, like this!" At this point, Song Shen pulled off the white cloth wrapped around his right arm, revealing the bloody wound inside, and raised his arm high to show the crowd.  While watching, he shouted loudly: "This is the wound that was scratched by the dagger when I stopped the assassins!" "Who is the murderer? Who killed Master Ne Win!" Someone in the crowd asked loudly, which immediately caused a stir.  There was a chorus of responses. Song Shen carefully laid the body down again, stood up, and shouted loudly: "I was too nervous at the time. Those people covered their faces with black cloth, only two eyes were exposed. I didn't know  Who killed Master Ne Win? But after killing the devil Meng Ji, the master has been working hard for us poor people who have no land and no food. Just yesterday, he was still going to the palace regent to ask for it.  Open the granaries and distribute the food to the hungry, return the wealth that the devil has robbed from the poor to the poor, take the land from those who never cultivate it and give it to those who work in the fields-" "Revenge!"  Songcan's shout was interrupted by the shouts of the crowd. Most of the crowd were poor people who lost their land and wealth in this war. They left their homes and ran to Bagan City in order to find food.  and shelter, but the vast majority of them are unable to find these and live in hunger and humility.  Just like the proverb "there are a thousand Hamlets in the eyes of a thousand people", in the eyes of these poor people, Ne Win was such a high monk who ran for their interests, but he was suddenly despicably assassinated.  Thinking of their tragic experience not long ago, everyone present immediately burst out with great power.  "Sir, it's too dangerous for you to pass like this. Why don't you send some troops before you pass!" A section of the square in front of the palace?, several officials were trying to dissuade Diok. At this time, there were already five or six thousand people in the square. It looked crowded and terrifying.  "Soldiers? How many soldiers do you need with so many people?" Diok sneered: "Besides, there are no soldiers you can trust now. When the time comes, if you shout, they will probably turn their guns and point them at us!" "Then what else?  Just close the palace door tightly and let them shout if they are tired and then disperse!" "Idiot, is this something that can be avoided?" Diok pointed at the official who just spoke, with a look of hatred.  He looked like: "If you don't take advantage of those guys to pull all the soldiers over, solve the problem quickly. When these mobs rush in, we will all die!" After saying that, Diok pushed away the officials and  Walk towards the crowd.  He pushed through the crowd.  He tried his best to squeeze towards the center where the speaker was. When he was almost at the center, he happened to see Song Can standing on a sandbag and loudly recalling Song Can's past good deeds. Infected by the atmosphere, the people nearby also changed.  Getting more and more excited.  Diok saw that the situation was not good. If he was allowed to continue to incite him like this, it would be too late after the critical point was passed.  Diok hurriedly shouted: "As far as I know, Master Ne Win did not go to the palace to discuss matters with the regent these two days as you said, on the contrary, he was praying for the dead creatures in his temple!  " Diok has a good voice and is close to Song Shen. Many people around him heard his voice. The place suddenly became silent. Song Shen knew something was wrong and hurriedly shouted: "You are lying, I  He is the master's servant. When I entered the city, I stood next to him. Many people saw it!  Upon seeing it, the crowd immediately responded with a chorus of response.  Diok suddenly became wise and said loudly: "Of course I know. You are not even a monk who has been ordained. How could the master have such a servant?" The crowd suddenly fell silent. It turned out that Burmese Buddhism was also very hierarchical at that time.  Generally, monks with profound Buddhist teachings and higher status are surrounded by educated monks or boys who have just been ordained. Songcan is just a farmer at the lowest level of society. He was regarded as a filthy existence at the time. How can he be qualified to be the eminent monk in his mouth?  Ne Win's servants (actually Ne Win's status in the temple was not high, so when they entered the city, Songshen and the others called themselves servants without arousing suspicion).  Seeing that the situation was not good, Song Shen quickly winked at the crowd, pointed at the speaker and shouted: "Who are you? How dare you slander Master Ne Win!" Song Shen's party members hiding in the crowd saw the look and quickly  He stood up to respond. At this time, a strong wind blew by, blowing open the robe on Diok's body, revealing the fine clothes underneath. Song was overjoyed when he saw this, and hurriedly shouted: "Sure enough, the person who spoke is from the palace gate.  What a bastard!" The crowd suddenly burst into an uproar. People around Diok moved aside and tried to stay away from him.  Soon, only Diok and four or five officials were left alone, and the crowd was silent.  Suddenly someone shouted: "Murderer! "Murderer!  " "Murderer!  " The uniform shouts of thousands of people seemed to have an invisible pressure, which overwhelmed Diok and a few of his men. They instinctively leaned together, as if they could draw the strength to resist the pressure from other people.  But the coolness on their backs told everyone that their backs were soaked with cold sweat. Suddenly, a clod of soil flew out of the crowd and hit Diok hard on his right shoulder.  He was in pain. Seeing this, one of his subordinates quickly took out a revolver from his arms, pointed in the direction of the flying clods, and shouted loudly: "The dirt-like bitch actually threw clods of clods at His Excellency the Regent!  Diok knew he was going to suffer as soon as he heard this. Before he could explain, he heard a roar from the crowd, and raindrops of stones and soil were thrown towards them, beating them with bloody heads.  Several of his men took out their pistols and fired a few random shots, knocking down a few people. However, in the sea of ??thousands of people, this resistance was not even a small wave, and they were quickly scattered and pushed to the ground.  At this time, Diok felt like a small boat in the sea, being pulled and pushed by the arms around him. He didn't know about the self-defense pistol.  Where did he throw it? Angry shouts and hateful eyes crowded back from all sides, as if they were about to tear him apart. Diok was originally from the noblest part of Myanmar, and he had been in and out of the palace since he was a child.  The common people were like dirt to him in the past, and even one glance was too much. Now he felt the terrifying power of the people at the bottom. He felt that his mind went blank and his liver and gallbladder were about to burst.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 44 Chapter 44: Riots 2

    Just as Diok closed his eyes and waited to die, a commotion suddenly broke out from the crowd. A dozen strong men with weapons pushed aside the crowd and rushed to Diok's side.  These men, like others, were shouting slogans, but they were secretly protecting him and preventing others from harming him.  "Master Regent, Master Regent!" Zhang Qi patted Diok's shoulder and whispered: "You don't have any serious injuries, right?" Kabu on the side quickly translated Zhang Qi's Chinese into Burmese.  "Are you from Shun country?" Diok, who had been waiting for death, opened his eyes. As a well-educated Burmese nobleman, he could hear Chinese: "What are you doing here?" "You can say  "Chinese, that's great!" Zhang Qi said happily: "Regent, you pretend to be beaten by us, I will find a way to escort you back to the palace!" Diok is such a smart person, he will immediately regret it.  Come, Zhang Qi and others started screaming and wailing loudly as they waved their fists, feet and sticks. Seeing this, everyone around them stopped coming forward and just shouted loudly to cheer.  Seeing that the people around him were no longer pressing, Zhang Qi made a gesture to his subordinates. Several of his subordinates immediately pretended to be beaten by mistake and started fighting with each other. They all had sticks and firearms in their hands, and they waved them away, immediately attacking those next to them.  A large number of onlookers were brought in. Naturally, these onlookers were not good men and women. They punched back one after another, and the place suddenly became chaotic.  Seeing this, Zhang Qi suddenly shouted, and a dozen people responded in unison, and fired three rows of guns at the people in the direction of Miyagi City. There was a sudden scream, and then Zhang Qi rushed out first with Diok on his back, and gathered around to watch.  Although there were many people, they were just an unorganized mob. They were suddenly shot at, and there was chaos and trampling on each other. These dozen people seized the opportunity and rushed out, running towards the palace gate.  When the group of people entered the palace gate, Diok felt that his whole body was soft, as if he were stepping on cotton, and he sat down. Zhang Qi quickly held him up with one hand. Diok breathed for a long time before he felt that he was still alive.  , he turned around, looked at Zhang Qi and others for a while, and asked in a low voice: "Are you the spies who sneaked into Bagan City along with the army?" Zhang Qi thought for a moment and felt that there was no need to lie, so he replied in a deep voice: "That's right.  My surname is Zhang Mingqi. I was working under the command of Mr. Ba, the Commander-in-Chief of the Burmese Protector of Dashun. I was ordered by Mr. Ba to sneak into Bagan City to inquire about the military situation. I just saw that the noble man was in danger and came to the rescue. "No wonder you are so brave. It turns out!  It¡¯s the Tiger Ben from the Kingdom of Heaven!  Diok praised him, and then asked: "Then the popular uprising a few days ago was also instigated by you?"  " Zhang Qi was stunned when he heard this. Normally, the uprising that forced the puppet king Meng Ji to death would never have happened without them - if he hadn't met them on the way, the monk named Ne Win would probably still be on his way to Mandalay.  , not to mention that the first shot that killed the British official was fired by himself; but from another aspect, after the petition shooting incident, the extreme hatred of the people inside and outside Bagan towards the British official and Meng Ji was objective  Even without himself, Ne Win, and Song Can, a civil uprising would happen sooner or later, but it might not be so easy to force Meng Ji to death and drive the British out of Bagan City. In the blink of an eye, Zhang Qi had decided to drive himself out.  Putting aside this civil uprising, "Sir, you are thinking too much. Our Burmese skills are very limited. Without this interpreter, it is difficult to move forward. How can we launch a civil uprising?  The cause of the civil uprising that day was initiated by a monk, so what does it have to do with us!  "    "Um!  "Diok nodded noncommittally. Although Zhang Qi's words sounded reasonable, he also felt something strange from the other person's expression and behavior, but now was not the time to pursue these matters. He thought for a moment and said in a deep voice  Asked: "Master Ba is at the dock outside Bagan now?  "    "good!  "Zhang Qi thought for a moment and felt that it would be better to answer truthfully. "That's good!  Diok nodded: "You have also seen the situation in Bagan now. A few villains with ulterior motives are deceiving people and coercing the people. Something big is about to happen."  I, Diok, have a small life and death. Bagan has been the royal capital of my country for hundreds of years and the place where Buddhism gathers. It must not be destroyed by my hands, Diok.  Please, Mr. Zhang, please make another hard trip to Mr. Diok at the dock to lead troops into the city to punish the villains and protect Buddhism!  I will confess my sins!  " Zhang Qi was very happy when he heard this, and he quickly bowed and said: "I must obey my orders!  I just ask the regent to rest assured that your contribution in opening the city to protect the young and old in the city is enough to withstand your past sins. Mr. Ba and Mr. Chen will definitely speak for you in front of your two majesties!  " Outside Bagan, there is the Shunjun camp. Batu sat in front of several cases, with a mixture of joy and sorrow on his face. There was a document in front of him. He picked up one of the documents from time to time. After reading two lines, he sighed, and then took another  He picked up another portion, looking like he was in a dilemma. Finally he stood up and sighed: "I thought Qingfu was dead and Lu Nan was over.  But I didn't expect that even though Meng died, he would have more troubles. He was resurrected??You were originally worried that the imperial court would send someone to seize your real power, but now I am hoping that the imperial court will send someone to take over this hot potato from our hands soon!  "At this time, there was an announcement from outside: "Sir, Master Chen is here, and he has arrived outside the camp!  "    "What?  Batu stood up in surprise and joy: "Seriously, Cao Cao is here, just in time to take over these troublesome things for me. Come quickly and get my official uniform. I want to greet Mr. Chen!"  " He walked out of the tent while talking loudly. Before Batu could reach the camp gate, he saw Chen Zaixing's figure and rushed forward: "Fu Sheng, you came at the right time. Come with me into the tent quickly.  We have something important to discuss!  "    "oh?  "Chen Zaixing stopped and lowered his voice: "Did the British send a note?  So fast?  "    "ah?  Batu's eyes widened, his face full of admiration: "How do you know?"  Could it be that they also sent a copy to Mandalay?  He immediately shook his head and said, "No, Mandalay is at least three or four days away from here. I just received it, how come you saw it too."  " Chen Zaixing followed Batu into the tent. He took off his robe and replied: "I wouldn't know it if I saw it with my own eyes. I just guessed it by looking at your sad face. Now that the false king is dead, Bagan falls into my hands.  It's a matter of time. What could make you so worried if it wasn't a note from the British?  " "Resurrection is indeed divine!  Batu couldn't help but raise his thumbs: "I just received a note from the British guy in Yangon!"  " Chen Zaixing sat down calmly and asked, "What's in it?  Batu picked up a document from several cases, handed it to Chen Zaixing, and said: "This has just been translated. Simply put, it has the following conditions: First, immediately for the sudden attack on the Irrawaddy Squadron that happened nine days ago.  The attack apologized to the British Empire, returned the three steam gunboats 'Pharaoh', 'Priest' and 'Thebes' and all captured British personnel, and paid pensions and compensation to the British soldiers and officers who unfortunately died in the attack.  Other losses, punish the relevant personnel who presided over and participated in this operation; second, the Shun army must withdraw from the land obtained in this attack and restore to the situation before this military operation; third, according to the British Empire and the King of Burma  The "Treaty of Mandalay" signed not long ago gave the British Empire the right to protect imperial subjects who trade, preach and live in Myanmar. In view of the large-scale robbery and other illegal incidents that occurred in the city after the Shun army captured Mandalay,  The interests of British merchants and expatriates have been greatly damaged. The imperial government requires the authorities to take effective and powerful actions to ensure the safety and interests of British merchants and expatriates. Otherwise, the empire will reserve the right to take forceful action!  " Chen Zaixing read quickly. When Batu finished reciting the contents of the note, he also saw the end: "It is signed by Arkansas, Consul General of the British Empire in Burma.  Gillings is quite domineering!  "    "Why!  Aren't all the Western barbarians like this? They act like they have no control over everything in the world!  "There was no good tone in Batu's words. The Shun Empire at that time had greatly enhanced its national strength after the reform and Westernization Movement that began in 1861. It also maintained its dominant position during the European expansion and colonial movement in the 19th century, and even  It has also expanded in the west and south, but compared with the Western powers with prosperous national power and global influence, it has lost its old status as a great country. Regarding this situation, the elites of Dashun, whether they are Confucian scholars.  The hearts of warriors are full of resentment and resentment. For a nation that has been at the center of civilization for thousands of years, the situation before us is so unreasonable and unacceptable.  ,what should we do?  "Batu saw that Chen Zaixing was silent and asked in a low voice: "It's a pity that we have too few soldiers here, only more than 2,000 people!  " "It's a pity that there is no intelligence from the British!  Chen Zaixing sighed: "Such air-to-air speculation is completely baseless!"  "His tone was full of helplessness. "Yes!  Batu also sighed: "This letter alone contains too little information!"  By the way, there is good news in Bagan, I forgot to tell you just now!  "As he spoke, Batu turned back to his desk, found a letter, handed it to Chen Zaixing, and said: "Speaking of which, Zhang Qi is really a blessed general, and it is he who has made the contribution this time!  "    "What's wrong?  "Chen Zaixing took the letter and opened it to read, but it was full of Burmese characters. Fortunately, he had been doing business in Burma these years, so he could read it roughly. After reading it three times and getting nowhere, he couldn't help but sigh: "It doesn't seem to be all the same.  Bad news, otherwise I, Chen Zaixing, would be a disaster star who would cause trouble wherever I go.  "Brother Fusheng is joking!" Batu said with a smile: "According to what was said in the letter, the regent named Diok's position in Bagan City is already in a precarious state, and riots may occur at any time. You and I are in command of the army.  Enter the city and wipe out the mob. At that time, this lifeIf death is in the hands of you and me, don't we have no choice but to surrender and obey orders!  " Chen Zaixing did not answer immediately. Batu had worked with him for a long time, and he knew that silence was often a sign of Chen Zaixing's reservations. At this time, Batu was not in a hurry. He sat back on his chair and ordered  The attendant brought some tea and waited for Chen Zaixing's opinion. After about half a while, Chen Zaixing raised his head and asked: "Brother Zhenwu, do you think it is better for us not to rush into Bagan City?"  "

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South, Chapter 45, Chapter 45: Speculations

    "Why do you say that?" "Think about it, this Bagan city is known as the city of ten thousand pagodas. Buddhism is prosperous in the city, and the monks and monasteries in the city are ten times that of Mandalay. The false king is cunning and decisive, and he can be regarded as the first-class Zhu Wen and Wang Mi.  But because he offended a local temple, he took the initiative and tens of thousands of soldiers followed him. Although there were thousands of soldiers around him, they all turned against each other and died at the hands of those around them. The influence of the local Buddhist temple aristocrats in Bagan City can be seen.  If we enter the city, as a foreign force in this troubled time, how can we not have conflicts with those Buddhist temple nobles? In this case, what does our status have to do with that false king?  "What's the difference?" "This -" Batu was stunned when he heard this, and then replied: "There is still a difference. We have soldiers in our hands, but we don't want the Burmese soldiers under the puppet king to show up when they see a monk.  If you dare to shoot, the young man under my command is a very good man. Even if the King of Hell came and fired a volley of spears and bayonets, he would be beaten back. " "Yes, we have soldiers and guns, but we don't just have soldiers and guns.  That's fine!" Chen Zaixing retorted: "Our soldiers need food, non-staple food, firewood, and salt. All these things must be brought in from outside the city. If those monks call on the people to not allow food, firewood, and salt to be transported into the city.  Li Lai, what will you do? Besides, it¡¯s not just your soldiers who have guns, the British also have guns, maybe more than us. What will you do if the British come in front and these monks hold you back?  "This?" Batu was stunned by Chen Zaixing's barrage of questions. He was speechless for a while, and finally he could only reply dejectedly: "Then what do you think we should do?"  Don't want to go in? " "Zhenwu, this Bagan city looks very good now, but it is actually a hot potato. It is difficult for anyone to take over." Chen Zaixing explained while tapping the armrest of the seat with his fingers: "The fake king Meng Ji.  In order to deal with our army that occupied Mandalay, we ordered a ban on the entire south and central Myanmar from transporting food to Mandalay, and also cut off traditional trade in the middle and lower reaches of the Irrawaddy River. Many people engaged in related industries became unemployed due to unemployment.  In addition, his conscription of soldiers and grains caused great damage to the production in the entire Central Myanmar region. A large number of refugees entered the vicinity of Bagan to find a way out, so his rule was so easily overthrown.  Although he is dead, the cause of his demise has not disappeared. The boiling public dissatisfaction and unstable governance in Bagan are all symptoms of this, so he asked us to lead troops into the city to suppress him.  The civil uprising is about to break out. It is in the interest of our army that instead of going into the city to suppress the civil uprising and getting blood on our hands, we should wait and see what happens, let the civil uprising break out, and eliminate all obstacles that may hinder our progress in the future.  It will be more beneficial to us to wipe them all out. " "You mean to let those mobs wash away the city of Bagan?" Even though he was a tough man in Batu, he couldn't help but feel a little trembling in his heart. As a Chinese, he was really too embarrassed.  We are well aware of the destructive power of this kind of riot that breaks out from the bottom. Due to the cruelty of past oppression, the power that breaks out from the bottom is often more violent, and the damage caused is greater than that of ordinary wars between countries.  Much more cruel.  "That's right!" Chen Zaixing's eyes were very calm: "Wasn't it the monk named Ne Win who raised his arms and forced the false king to be killed? Every Burmese monk and noble may become a leader who resists us in the future. Using  Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to use their own farmer¡¯s sickle to cut the throats of those leaders who might resist us? Only on the white land burned by wildfires will our crops grow better.¡± ¡°What you said makes sense, but it won¡¯t.  Don't underestimate these mobs too much!" Batu retorted somewhat weakly: "There are too many of them, and as they grow, powerful leaders will emerge, and they will become a threat to us!" "Zhen Zhen!  Brother Wu, you don't have to worry about this." Chen Zaixing smiled reservedly: "They started looting because they were hungry. The leader captured the hearts of these desperate people with generous promises, but looting can only rob food but cannot produce food.  , when the revenge is over, all the monks and nobles have been wiped out, and there is nothing to grab, even a minor setback will not satisfy the desires of these mobs, and their leaders will be driven by their own anger.  The people are always moody and hate the old. They will not follow a leader for a long time. Soon they will get tired of it, destroy the previous one, and replace it with a new one. This kind of riot is like a fire.  , when the fire burns out everything that can be burned, it will extinguish itself. As long as we ensure that the riots will not spread to Upper Myanmar and will not burn us, there will be no problem." Batu was finally convinced by Chen Zaixing!  , he shook his head and said with a bitter smile: "Well, Fusheng, you are always right, I will immediately ask someone to reply to the regent and reject his request!" "No,You can't do this!  "Chen Zaixing shook his head: "In this way, he will turn to the British, or simply become the leader of the mob himself. A person in despair can do anything.  You should pretend to agree to his request in the letter, but use various excuses to delay the time, so that he will not escape from our hands out of despair.  "    "you're right!  Batu nodded, frowned and asked, "Excuse?"  How about saying we don't have enough troops?  " "That's a good excuse, but I have a better idea!  Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "We can ask that guy for money and food. This can give him the illusion that we are taking the opportunity to blackmail him instead of suspecting that we are stalling for time."  This will actually enhance his confidence in trusting us. After all, people generally do things when they get paid!  " Fifteen minutes later, Chen Zaixing left the tent in Batu. A messenger had already gone to Bagan City with a reply letter written by him. In fact, Chen Zaixing had another very important reason that he did not say in the account just now: that is  A large-scale Burmese uprising would help Dashun and the British Empire reach an agreement to divide their interests in Myanmar. In Chen Zaixing's view, although the interests of the British Empire and Dashun Empire in Myanmar overlap, there are also some.  Subtle differences. For the Dashun Empire, it focused more on actual territorial control and even annexation of the Kingdom of Burma; while the British Empire actually cared more about the trade benefits that came with controlling the Kingdom of Burma, and of course had no control over the colonies.  The British Empire did not mind acquiring a new colony in Indochina because of its hatred of foreign affairs, the protection of India's geopolitical interests, and the empire's desire to conquer, but there was a premise for all this, that is, the cost should not be too great, especially not  Higher than the possible benefits from Burma. Due to limited conditions, the obstacles Chen Zaixing can cause to the British Empire are quite limited, but he can reduce the benefits that the British Empire may gain from Burma in the future. A devastating civil war can greatly  Reduce the British Empire's expected future interests in Burma, and the rebellious spirit shown by the Burmese people will also make the British Empire feel the huge cost of directly controlling Burma. Perhaps in this way, the interests of the British Empire and the Shun Empire in the Kingdom of Burma will conflict.  Wouldn¡¯t it be less? The Dashun Empire actually controls the territory of the Kingdom of Burma and bears the accompanying occupation costs; while the British Empire obtains generous trade benefits through relevant trade agreements. If the British are worried about the Shun Empire¡¯s  Myanmar's military presence will pose a threat to their important Indian colonies. The Shun Empire can agree to establish a semi-official emirate in the northwest of Myanmar as a military buffer zone. Isn't this a way for both parties?  Is it a more favorable agreement to accept? In the Bagan Palace, Diok sat at the table and read the letter. Zhang Qi stood upright in front of him. After a long time, Diok raised his head and asked: "Master Zhang.  , do you know what is written in the letter?  " "I don't know, but Mr. Ba has already issued an order, asking me to command the fifty sergeants who have just entered the city and obey the command of the regent!  "Seeing Zhang Qi's very respectful attitude, Diok nodded slightly. In the letter, the commander-in-chief of the Shun Army first greatly praised his actions of killing Meng Ji and taking refuge with his side, calling it his first contribution to the revival and giving him a reward.  He then expressed reassurance that due to the continuous fighting, the Shun army needed a departure fee and could not enter the city for a while. He hoped that he could temporarily guard Bagan and send another fifty people into the city to follow his orders.  Diok carefully thought about it. Although it was a bit surprising that the generals of the Shun army did not enter the city immediately, after thinking about it carefully, it was still being sorted out. It was just money that had caused trouble for him in recent years.  I have dealt with state officials, and although their abilities may be strong or weak, and their official voices may be clear or muddy, their eyes are black and their money is white. There is no one who does not love money, no matter how big the world is, as long as it is big.  There is no money that can't be overcome. The other party's behavior is just to get a good idea of ??his current pulse. It's quite simple. Thinking of this, Diok turned around and said kindly.  Zhang Qi asked: "Sir Zhang, I heard that there is something wrong with the army outside the city because of money. Is it true?  " "Because of money?  "Zhang Qi's face showed a hint of surprise: "I have been in the city these days, but I have never heard of it.  " "I heard it's because the departure fee has not been paid enough!  " " Departure fee?  impossible!  Before the army set off from the country, Mr. Chen had already paid the departure fee according to the number of hairs per person, and added a full three. How could there be another departure fee!  " "Is the Master Chen you are talking about the same Master Chen Zaixing and Chen who has the power to know all the affairs of the Protector's Office?  " "Yes, there is only one Master Chen in our army!"  "    "Um!  "Diok nodded. His eyes glanced at the signature of the letter, and Chen Zaixing's name was written clearly. Now everything is clear, thatYour Excellency probably paid a lot of money in the beginning, and maybe even used some of it for his own benefit. Now that he saw the opportunity to make money, he naturally reached out, so this letter is not signed by the Lord Ba who commanded the entire army.  , but it was Mr. Chen who paid the money. These soldiers were probably sent to monitor him.  Diok couldn't help but feel happy: As long as he is willing to ask for money, money doesn't matter if he can get things done.  He returned to the case, agreed a few words on the paper, and then said bluntly, "Master Wang, how much has it cost, please list the details, and I will give them to you. Your two masters also have their own thoughts. The situation in the city is critical.  , and please invite the army to enter the city as soon as possible to reassure everyone!" After finishing writing, Diok sealed the envelope and said to Zhang Qi: "Select a capable person among your men and give this letter to Mr. Chen to open personally!  "

 Volume 3 The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Prime Minister Enter

    London.  It's already early October. After two weeks of cold, humid and dense fog, winter is here. The biting cold wind blows through Downing Street, dispersing the remaining fog from last night, and then picks up the withered yellow leaves on the ground, whistling.  Flying over St. James' Park not far away, and then scattering these leaves on the dirty surface of the Thames River.  In such weather, it was 7 o'clock in the morning on a Sunday. There were no pedestrians on the street at all. Only the occasional ghostly four-wheeled taxis passing by added a bit of life to this dead morning.  As soon as the Marquis of Salisbury poked his head out of the carriage door, a gust of cold wind blew from the corner of the street. He couldn't help shivering and quickly wrapped the collar of his upturned coat tightly.  Two policemen wearing round hats by the guardrail at the door of No. 10 saw the Prime Minister, stood up straight and saluted him.  The Marquis awkwardly moved his somewhat fat body out of the carriage, stretched out his right hand and touched the brim of his hat in return. Then the Marquis walked up the steps, entered No. 10 Downing Street, and began his day's work.  .  The full name of the Marquess of Salisbury is Robert Gascoigne-Cecil. He is the third Marquess of Salisbury. Since entering the House of Commons in 1853, he has served as Secretary of State for India and Foreign Secretary.  He also achieved great achievements as Foreign Minister, successfully containing the Russian advance on Constantinople, ensuring the balance of power in Europe, and was regarded as a diplomatic genius.  In Benjamin.  After the death of Disraeli (a famous British Conservative politician), he became the leader of the Conservative Party and not long ago reached the pinnacle of his political career, defeating the great Gladstone (a famous British Liberal Party politician).  home), became Prime Minister of the British Empire¡ªone of the most powerful men on earth.  Like most British aristocrats at that time, the Marquess of Salisbury had many eccentricities: he did not go to the horse racing, but stayed at home and read; he had a unique appreciation of clothing, and he dressed like his own gardener.  , he felt, this was the only way to be graceful; a man who dawdled in the laboratory, a man who wrote important articles on foreign policy for money, a noble who hated social interaction and went to church first thing every morning.  But for the vast majority of ordinary British people: For a person with a title, this kind of eccentricity does not matter. They have the right and the qualification to live according to their own wishes. The social rules that are effective for ordinary people are not suitable for these noble people.  It makes no sense.  In terms of political opinions, he was a typical Conservative. He voted against allowing Jews to enter parliament and against abolishing religious examinations for university entrance, in order to ensure the consistency of beliefs among the future elites of the British Empire.  On the other hand, he believed that the London Workhouse was too harsh on the poor.  He protested against Gladstone's attempt to levy income tax on philanthropic support.  In addition, he also made great achievements in science. He had his own laboratory in Hatfield and was elected as the honorary president of Oxford University.  All in all, Robert Gascoigne-Cecil was a Conservative aristocratic politician, Frankenstein, honorary president of Oxford University, president of the Royal Society, and of course, he was the Prime Minister of the British Empire at the time.  The Marquis of Salisbury walked into the office. According to his habit, before starting work every day, he began to read several of today's or yesterday's journals or newspapers placed on the table, starting with The Times and ending with The Economic Times.  Scientist" ended and never changed.  When he saw the "Daily Telegraph" today, he began to read it in a low voice, and at the same time there was a sneer on his face, which was very common when he was alone in the official residence.  At this time, the door was pushed open without knocking. The Marquis of Salisbury raised his head in annoyance, but the expression on his face changed immediately when he saw who came in. This man was fat and had a cheeky face.  The bearded old man stood up awkwardly from his chair, stretched out his right hand and said with a smile: "Belfort, my dear nephew, glad to see you!" Arthur Balfour is a very handsome middle-aged man.  He succeeded his mother Blanche Gascoigne.  Cecil, the sister of the Marquis of Salisbury, has a handsome appearance. Perhaps it is for this reason that the Marquis likes him very much. The already old Marquis can vaguely see the shadow of his younger sister in the young man.  .  Although he looks a bit weak on the outside, he is actually a very good lawn tennis player, and he hides a very strong heart under his weak appearance. Historically, he once served as the Governor-General of Ireland and was praised by Irish nationalists.  Called "Belfort the Cruel."  "Me too, glad to see you, uncle!" Belfort reached out and held the Marquis's hand, and diligently supported the other person's elbow, helping the Marquis back to his seat.  As the son of a member of Parliament, Balfour inherited a fortune worth four million pounds and 10,000 acres of real estate from his father. He entered the House of Commons at the age of 26. He often discussed politics, religion and politics with his uncle.  There is diplomacy.  Belfort glanced at the newspapers on the table and picked up "?"The Times", smiled and asked while reading the newspaper: "Uncle, what's the new news? Oh! The Chinese attacked one of our small squadrons in Bagan, Myanmar, killing twelve people and wounding  Twenty-two of them were captured, including four officers. They also captured the 'Pharaoh', the 'Priest', and the 'Thebes'!" At this point, Balfour put down the newspaper: "This is amazing.  "Yes, it's like poking a hornet's nest!" the Marquis sneered disdainfully: "The Graystonian newspaper immediately jumped on the lion of Britain (the national emblem of the United Kingdom is the lion, "mounted on the lion of Britain"  That means justifying the armed invasion under the guise of national and national interests, and unanimously roaring for massive revenge. Of course, the Times was somewhat pretentious when it inspired the bloodthirsty instincts of the old English people.  style, and those inferior newspapers played the role of Crazy Roland in a ridiculous way!" At this point, the Marquis pointed to the front page of the "inferior newspaper" he was reading just now.  "Oh?" Balfour picked up the "Daily Telegraph" and read aloud in a low voice: "Great Britain should attack all along the Chinese coastline, invade Hanking, expel the emperor from the palace, and obtain material guarantees to avoid future problems.  If we are invaded by barbarians again, we should use a nine-tailed whip to beat every python official who dares to offend our country's majesty. We should treat all Chinese generals as pirates and murderers and hang them from the mast of British ships.  Hanging a dozen or so of these yellow-skinned dwarfs with buttons on their bodies, murderous faces, and harlequin costumes on the mast and letting them flutter in the wind is a happy and helpful situation.  In any case, a bolder policy should be adopted. We have been too lenient! Excessive lenience is tantamount to weakness. The Chinese should be taught to respect the British. The British are superior to the Chinese and should be their masters, just like India and New Zealand.  , South Africa, and Canada are the same. The least we can try is to capture Hanking. If we adopt a bolder policy, we can then take Guangzhou into our country and add it to Hong Kong to become the largest anchorage of the Far East Fleet.  . We will keep Canton in our hands as we did Calcutta, making it our easternmost commercial center in the East, so that we can compensate for the power Russia has gained in imperial Afghanistan and establish a new territory for ourselves.  "Basic." Balfour finished reading this murderous editorial in the Daily Telegraph, threw it aside, and said to the Marquis of Salisbury with a smile: "Dear uncle! Let's leave Grace behind.  Let¡¯s talk about the facts instead of these nonsense written by the Ton faction! I think it will be more beneficial to us!¡± The Marquis snorted and pointed to a detailed map of Asia hanging on the wall: ¡°  The fact is that the attack took place on the Irrawaddy River hundreds of kilometers away from Rangoon, the empire's only stronghold in southern Burma. This troublesome consul stretched his hand too far and sheltered a Burmese prince chief in himself.  Under their wings, they only sent three flat-bottomed gunboats and a battalion of Indian soldiers. The Chinese punched him hard in the face. It was that simple. Now the gentleman screamed in pain.  The entire empire must be held responsible for his failed adventure!" Belfort said nothing. He knew in his heart that the reason why his uncle was angry was not entirely because of the consul's petty behavior.  In the second half of the nineteenth century, European powers were expanding throughout the world with their strong military and economic strength, carving up remaining territories and establishing their own colonies, of which the British Empire was the leader.  This consul protects the chiefs of the feudal states who support the British Empire in order to expand their power. This is really normal.  The Marquis was angry that the failure of the consul's adventure gave Gladstone, the leader of the Liberal Party who had just been defeated by him, a lot of ammunition to attack him.  As a newly established Conservative leader, he does not have a solid majority in the House of Commons. Once he is fiercely attacked by hostile parties, the newly established cabinet is likely to fail through a vote of confidence and collapse.  As the leader of the Conservative Party, the Marquess of Salisbury must first consider whether his cabinet can survive before considering the interests of the British Empire. This is the key issue.  "Dear uncle! No matter how untimely this failure comes! But we must make appropriate responses!" Balfour chose his words carefully: "As for the House of Commons, we should believe in the wisdom and wisdom of the members of the House of Commons.  Judgment, I think they know the difference between what is weakness and what is real prudence!" The Marquis glanced at Belfort, with joy in his eyes. The fat old man stood up and gave Belfort a gentle hug.  , smiled and whispered: "My child, I hope your colleagues in the House of Commons can be as wise and fair as you!" Then, he walked back to the desk and sat down, and said in a deep voice: "Now let us start working, the empire needs us!  " Balfour looked at the Marquis of Salisbury sitting behind his desk preparing for the House of Commons questions that were about to begin in the afternoon.There are so many thoughts in my mind.  Compared with his uncle who is more scholarly, he was born in the second half of the 19th century and has richer experience. He is more realistic and less aristocratic.  As the most beloved nephew of the Marquess of Salisbury, Arthur Balfour accompanied him to the 1878 Berlin Conference, which was attended by European powers and the Ottoman Turkish Empire.  The powerful powers attempted to re-establish order in the Balkans after the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1888). At the meeting, the Marquis of Salisbury cleverly used diplomatic means to isolate the Russians and divide the declining European territories of Turkey.  They have become many small countries that are hostile to each other and unable to protect each other.  Romania, Serbia and Montenegro gained independence; Bulgaria gained autonomy; Bosnia and Herzegovina was placed under Austrian administration.  The security of T¨¹rkiye's Asian territories was guaranteed by the British Empire.  This forced the Russians to give up their attempt to establish the Slavic country of Great Bulgaria and extend their influence deep into the Balkans.  There is no doubt that the British Empire was the biggest winner at the Berlin Conference. It gained the island of Cyprus, an important port in the Mediterranean, without any effort, as well as the support of the Turks. More importantly, it thwarted the Russian invasion of the Balkans.  The conspiracy ensured the balance of power on the European continent.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South, Chapter 47, Chapter 47: His Majesty the Prime Minister

    But the talented Balfour saw the roots of decline in the flowers of victory.  For hundreds of years, the British Empire has had only one diplomatic goal: to ensure that Europe is divided, to defeat any country that may dominate Europe, and to never allow the ports of the Low Countries that can directly threaten the British Isles to be in the hands of a powerful power, no matter how powerful it is.  Called Charles V, Philip II, Louis XIV, or Napoleon I.  It is precisely because the British Empire has done all this that it can focus most of its national power on overseas colonial trade and defeat its opponents on the mainland one by one. The reason is simple: those opponents must spend most of their energy  to deal with its neighbors, and Britain is an island.  But the situation is changing. As time goes by, there are fewer and fewer chess players on the European continent who are qualified to participate in this annexation war. Although the empire's diplomats are becoming more and more skilled, they have to do it when there are fewer and fewer participants.  The difficulty of balancing in the game is naturally becoming more and more difficult, especially after the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. The Hohenzollern family completed the annexation of the Rhine and South German states and established the German Empire. Europe lost a housewife.  , and there is one more master.  There are only a handful of players left on the European continent who are qualified to participate in this game. Once a war breaks out, its scale and intensity will definitely dwarf past wars.  As a result, a dilemma faced the elites of the British Empire: once the war broke out, if the British Empire stayed out of the matter as it had in the past, or only invested a small number of marines in the war, then the winner of the war would naturally  Becoming the unquestionable master of the entire European continent, the British can no longer play the same trick of linking the weak against a strong one in the past, and this is something they absolutely do not want to see, because this can almost be said to have struck a decisive blow.  The death knell of the destruction of the British Empire; and if the British Empire joins this war, the huge manpower and material resources required will bankrupt the empire, or at least collapse the colonial system all over the world. The survival of the British Empire now cannot leave the colonies.  .  If the British Empire wants to continue to survive, the only way is to prevent a war from breaking out on the European continent. But can this war be avoided?  At the Berlin Conference, Prime Minister Bismarck, the host of the conference, claimed that the Germans wanted nothing in Europe and had no territorial claims.  This is what he said and he did.  In the view of the smart Balfour, Bismarck's statement was very wise. Germany was strong enough and had aroused the wariness of all the remaining countries in Europe. The foundation of the Three Emperors system after the Congress of Vienna had been shaken, and useless ambitions would only give rise to  Bring disaster upon yourself.  But Bismarck's successors may not be so wise. Besides, the signing of the Treaty of Berlin did not solve the Balkan problem, but made it more complicated: Russia held a grudge after losing its spoils; while the multi-ethnic empire of Austria-Hungary was annexed.  After Bosnia and Herzegovina, it only adds to its own troubles. On the other side of the border, the compatriots in these two newly annexed areas will definitely find ways to support the local anti-government forces, because the strength of these small countries is far smaller than that of Austria-Hungary.  Empire, they will naturally recruit Russia, who is also a Slav, for reinforcements. In such a complicated contradiction, is it possible for the behemoth Germany to stay out of the matter?  Not to mention the old hatred of the French being forced to cede Alsace and Lorraine after the Franco-Prussian War.  How could the British Empire sleep peacefully next to such a huge powder keg?  Not to mention deploying troops to launch a costly disciplinary war thousands of miles away.  "Belfort! What are you thinking about?" A soft cry woke Belfort out of his thoughts. He raised his head and saw the Marquis looking at him with concern.  He smiled awkwardly: "Uncle, I'm sorry, I was distracted just now!" "Are you distracted?" The Marquis put down the quill in his hand and replied with a smile: "You should be thinking about the incident in Myanmar, okay?  "Tell me what you think! Belfort, you always surprise me!" "I don't know much about the situation there, so I want to-" "Tell me what you think.  Not in the House of Commons, just in the office of an old friend!" The Marquis interrupted Balfour's answer. He gently tapped the knuckle of his left index finger with his quill: "If you don't understand the situation there,  I think quite a few members of Congress don¡¯t understand the big difference between Myanmar and a wild duck in West Sam County!¡± ¡°Uncle, you can¡¯t belittle my respected colleagues like this!¡± Balfour retorted in a somewhat embarrassed tone.  "Well, I admit that some of them can separate the two!" The Marquis of Salisbury had a narrow smile on his face. When he was alone with Balfour, he liked to make some harmless jokes.  This is a sign that he has a good impression of the other person.  Then he withdrew the smile on his face and said solemnly: "Tell me, in a few hours I will go to the House of Commons to be questioned by your respectable colleagues. Let me first listen to the most outstanding one among them.  What¡¯s your opinion?¡±&nbsp"I think it is unrealistic to solve this problem purely by military means!" Balfour answered straight to the point: "If you want to defeat the Chinese militarily, you must obtain the consensus of the great powers, at least the support of Annan's French army.  . And given your weak position in the House of Commons, the war against China can only be quick and without setbacks, but this is too difficult. The capital of China is in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, with many forts along the way; and  After carrying out military reforms, China has between 300,000 and 500,000 well-equipped troops. This is a quite astonishing number! " "You are right, Balfour! It seems that there is only one way to go!  "The Marquis nodded: "Carry out a small-scale punitive expedition to Burma instead of going to war to stop that Gladstone's mouth!" At this point, the Marquis stood up and took a few steps back and forth.  Suddenly he stopped and said: "But before that, Belfort, I need you to do something for me. Please go to Myanmar and serve as my plenipotentiary ambassador. Theson was fooled by the boy named Gillings  The letters he wrote back have become cannonballs for the Liberal Party to attack us. You know what to do!" At this point, the Marquis blinked twice at Balfour.  Belfort bent down gracefully and replied in a low voice: "Yes, Your Majesty Prime Minister, your order is my wish!" Bagan, the Royal Palace.  For Diok, these days have been very difficult. He is like a firefighter, running around the city of Bagan, extinguishing every spark that may become the source of the riot. He has sent hundreds of spies to monitor  The monks of Mohe Bodhi Temple also asked painters to draw hundreds of portraits of Songshen who was speaking in front of the palace that day, distributed them, and offered a reward for his head with the territory of five villages or 10,000 pounds in money.  Provide valid clues and you can get half of the reward.  Although Diok did everything anyone could do in his position, he still felt that the building under his feet was loosening and crumbling. As he walked on the road, the crowds on the roadside cast hateful looks at him, and his ears  Bian could hear the curses of "murderers" and "traitors" all the time. Even his most important support now, the New Army, was showing signs of instability. His trusted officers in the army had reported to him many times that the soldiers were  They were connecting in series, exchanging vows while pointing to the lotus in front of the river, as if there was some huge conspiracy happening, and the entire Bagan city was like a huge tomb that could open its black mouth at any time and swallow him up.  The shun army outside the city still hesitated to move. Although Diok offered Mr. Chen higher and higher prices and sent more and more abundant gifts, Mr. Chen could always find new ones.  The excuse was that the Shun army was just busy collecting food around Bagan and building fortifications near the dock, but there was no sign of entering the city. The only thing they did was to send a guard of 200 people to Diok, equipped with two  The Gatling gun was used to ensure the safety of Diok's family. This gave Diok a sense of security. After all, it was impossible for these original Chinese to participate in the riot.  Diok had been busy in the city for a whole day. He returned to the palace at the first watch. After eating a few mouthfuls of food, he fell on the bed. As he was sleeping in a daze, he heard a burst of gunshots and instinctively  A Gulu climbed up from the bed, first pulled out the pistol from under the pillow, and then he felt a little calmer, and asked in a cold voice: "What's going on, where is the gunshot?" "Master Regent, the gunshot should be from  It's coming from the south of the city!" Zhang Qi's voice came from outside the door. These days, he has been the commander of Diok's personal guard. He travels around every day and stays outside when sleeping. He is almost inseparable.  "South of the city? Oops, it's over there at the New Army camp!" Diok jumped down and took two steps before he felt the coldness on his feet. It turned out he was not wearing shoes.  He hurriedly walked back to the bed, put on his clothes and shoes, and walked out the door. He saw Zhang Qi, neatly dressed, standing solemnly as the Prime Minister. He couldn't help but nodded slightly: "Assemble the guards, let's go to the military camp first."  "Look!" By the time Diok left the palace gate, the gunfire from the military camp in the south of the city was too dense to hear. Looking from a distance, he could see the fire shooting into the sky, turning the night sky into a purple color.  Like clotted dirty blood.  Obviously this was a large-scale mutiny, and the mutinous soldiers may have occupied the weapons depot, otherwise there would not have been such intensive gunfire.  "Lord Regent, the situation looks bad, why don't we leave the city first!" Zhang Qi looked at the fire in the distance and whispered to Diok.  "Leave the city?" Diok looked at the sky in the distance and hesitated for a moment, but his perseverance still prevailed. He pulled out the pistol on his waist: "No, there are so many Buddhist temples in Bagan, we can't just do it like this  Throw them to the rebels, Zhang Zhangshou, you send twenty people to send my wife and children to Mr. Chen first. " "Yes!" Zhang Qi nodded, turned around and gave some instructions, and the group headed towards the military camp in the south of the city.  Running away, as the distance approached, Diok began toUnder the cover of the concentrated gunfire, shouts were heard. It was tens of millions of people shouting in Burmese, "Share the land equally!" Diok couldn't help but change his face. The thing he had been most afraid of in the past few days finally happened.  If the soldiers' request was just for an increase in military pay, he was prepared to accept the request; if it was just for him and had the support of the Shunjun outside the city, he was not worried and would at most flee to the Shunjun barracks outside the city; but like this  The riots demanding the redistribution of land are the most terrifying. There are not many in Myanmar's history, but the result every time is "the bones are exposed in the wild, there are no roosters for thousands of miles, and the blue sky is turned into ruins." In the dense forest, there are  Many of these relics tell the cruelty of past wars. If this riot is not suppressed before it fully unleashes its power, Bagan City will become one of those abandoned ancient cities. They can only be found in ancient books.  The prosperity of the past.  Author's words: Weber's consistent creed is that authors should focus on their works and write good things, rather than asking readers for recommendations or collections.  Readers vote based on the quality of the article rather than the author's request. This is a positive interaction. After all, readers come here hoping to see good articles, not what the author wants.  But after reading it over the past few days, I found that there were only three or four recommendation votes a day. This made me very dissatisfied. Is my writing not good?  But I didn¡¯t see any similar messages in the discussion forum?  It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t say no, some readers might have thought that Weber didn¡¯t care about these things at all.  Here I want to say that Weber cares about grades very much, because writing a book is a very lonely process, and it requires the support of readers to continue!  Thank you very much!

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 48 Chapter 48: Uprising 1

    "Destroy the rebels and restore order!" Diok turned around and ordered Zhang Qi.  Zhang Qi looked at the fire in the distance and replied: "From here, the scale of the rebellion is too big. The only way is to occupy the armory first, cut off their weapons supply, and then use artillery fire to disperse them. Wait until dawn."  Take further action." "You're right!" Diok nodded happily. He took off a ruby ??ring from his right index finger and called one of his subordinates: "Go to the west gate of the city.  The city gate officer over there is a brother of my clan and is trustworthy. This is a token. Ask him to bring the soldiers guarding the city to the armory and join us!" "Quasha Street, the road leads from the main entrance of the palace and crosses both sides.  After a block, turn right and you will arrive here. Then walk west along the road and pass the vegetable market to reach the armory.  Two piles of bonfires were lit under the eaves of the temple on the roadside. People were sitting around the fires, eating and reading scriptures. They were lying exhausted and scattered on both sides of the road, with rifles placed beside them.  As the night deepened, many people had fallen asleep with their pillows in their pockets, and several of them had their wives and children beside them.  The stars were shining in the deep sky, and the sound of gunshots came from far away, making this place seem particularly peaceful.  In this strange place, people sleep peacefully.  Suddenly, a man got up from the ground, walked to the side of the road, took off his belt, and was about to urinate. Suddenly, a terrifying scene came into his eyes. At the street entrance, there were three rows of soldiers standing, dark.  The muzzle of the gun is pointed at himself.  This is Zhang Qi. He marched rapidly, occupied the street entrance and attacked the sentry.  The first moment is the most terrifying. A large number of people were beaten to death at the same time. What could be more tragic than this?  People were shouting and running, looking for their weapons. Many fell, caught unawares by the attack, and some even shot at each other.  Some people ran into the temple in despair, ran out, and ran out again, dazed and running around under bullets.  Some families were calling each other, and women and children were also involved in this miserable battle. The whizzing bullets pierced the darkness, the smoke was filled, and there was a lot of noise.  People were stepping on the wounded, and people were groaning on the ground.  Some were horrified, others dumbfounded.  Soldiers look for officers, and officers look for soldiers.  And in the midst of it all is a sullen indifference.  A woman was leaning against the wall to feed her baby, and her husband was also leaning against the wall. One of his legs was broken and blood was flowing out, but he still calmly took the bullets and shot blindly toward the dark front.  Some men crawled on the ground and fired guns from the darkness of the corner.  There was a din at times, but the sound of Gatling cannon fire drowned out everything.  The sight was chilling.  This is like logging, the trees are falling down row by row, Zhang Qi's army is hiding in the shadows, almost no shots are missed, and there are almost no casualties.  When the Gatling Cannon appeared, the resistance finally collapsed. Those who could still cannon dropped their weapons and ran to the other end of the road.  "Mount your bayonets, step forward, eliminate the remaining enemies, and capture them alive for questioning!" Zhang Qi calmly ordered.  Armory, this building is different from most buildings in Bagan. It is completely built of heavy granite and bricks. Outside the armory, there is a yard surrounded by a brick wall. In the yard, there are  There are special wells for fire extinguishing and drinking for the garrison, and there is a fortress with perforations at the gate. Simply put, the armory itself is a strong military fortress.  But at this time, the armory was not as strict as usual. The gates and gates had been opened. Judging from the few bullet marks around, there was no fierce battle to seize the armory.  In fact, the fiercest resistance that the mutinous soldiers encountered was the curses of the two noble officers and the warning of shooting in the air. Then the guards of the armory opened the door and welcomed their comrades to rush in. As for that  Two noble officers had been whipped to death on two wooden stakes next to the library gate - where they often whipped Burmese soldiers who violated military regulations.  Song Shen stood by the door of the armory, looking at the dense crowd of people in the yard with a satisfied expression. They were lining up in an orderly manner, waiting to receive weapons. Some of them were soldiers of the New Army, but more  Those who have lost everything are eager to regain everything they have lost in the future revolution - Song Shen himself only learned this new word not long ago.  These poor people gave up the opportunity to rob in the chaos and made sacred vows to each other to unite to face their fate and fight for each other's happiness, not just their own happiness.  During these days, Songcan walked among these people every day, loudly encouraging them, calling on them to unite and use fists and bayonets to get what they couldn't get with sweat.  He knew how high the bounty Diok had marked for his head, but when Song Shen saw those dull eyes that had been tortured by suffering and despair, they gradually became hopeful and angry. With the protection of these people, the secret agent  Pistols and gold cannot hurt yourself.  But now, the door of the armory has been opened, and as long as dawn comes, it will?An army of no less than three thousand poor men, fighting for those who have nothing.  As a leader with natural organizational skills, Song Shen had previously selected more than thirty prestigious people among his comrades as small leaders, and then used people with military experience on hand-mainly those who had served as  Soldiers from the New Army were assigned to serve as assistants to the little bosses.  These assistants had the responsibility to teach their selected men how to advance in column, to fire from column to horizontal, how to load rifles, how to aim, how to shoot, and how to fight with bayonets and butts.  That's why after instigating the mutiny, he was able to quickly control the armory, distribute weapons in an orderly manner, and build an army.  "Big boss, big boss! The regent's dogs are here. They attacked the guards on Quasha Street. Many people died!" A man ran in in panic, with blood still flowing from his cheek. The rebel organization  It's very simple - Song Shen himself is the big boss, directly commanding more than thirty small bosses, and then a large number of people.  "Don't panic!" Song Shen shouted. He knew very well that his team was still very fragile. In the hearts of these people who were oppressed at the bottom in the past, the superior and his army still had some kind of terrifying power. If  If you don't handle it well, it's very likely that these thousands of people will disperse in a rush.  Song Shen jumped up the steps and shouted loudly: "We have so many people and enough weapons. The regent's dogs are nothing special. We can definitely defeat them!" His rich voice soon reached everyone.  To human ears, panic and commotion were stopped.  Song Shen called two little bosses and said: "You two men have already received weapons, and most of them have served as soldiers. Hurry and go to the vegetable market outside the armory. There are many cars there. You pile them up."  In the middle of the road, a barrier will be formed. I authorize you to incorporate all the deserters into your team, and you can resist the regent's dogs at the back! Hold on, I will send new people to support you!"  Like most cities, Bagan is divided into two parts: the magnificent palaces and temples where the king and nobles live, and the chaotic lower city where the poor live.  The armory is located near the lower city. The reason is simple - these bloody and dirty things cannot be placed too close to gods and Buddhas.  Narrow streets and dark, short houses on both sides of the road make the environment even more depressing.  Zhang Qi commanded the soldiers to advance rapidly. As an experienced officer, his method of mobilizing the army was textbook: ten leading soldiers, flankers of ten men on each side, and ten men at the end.  A horse-drawn baggage train, they were loaded with additional ammunition and two Gatling cannons - their only heavy firearms, and he knew very well that the battle just now reminded the enemy that he was coming, and every minute that passed would strengthen the enemy.  power, you must save time.  Suddenly, there was a burst of rapid gunfire from the front. Zhang Qi raised his right hand. The Shunjun soldiers behind him quickly stopped, put down the rifles on their shoulders, hid in the shadows of the houses on both sides of the road, squatted down, and waited.  Follow the officers' next orders.  A moment later, a soldier ran over from the road. He was a member of the vanguard. He rushed to Zhang Qi, squatted down, performed a military salute, and reported: "The rebels built a barricade on the road to block the attack."  "Lead the way!" Zhang Qi quickly ran forward with the soldier. Half a minute later, a barricade appeared in front of him. Using the light of the torch behind the barricade,  Zhang Qi could clearly see that this barricade was temporarily piled up with a large number of wheelbarrows, flatbed trucks, sacks, various wooden barrels, and other strange-shaped household items.  Through the gaps in the barricade, you can vaguely see the reflection of metal weapons behind it.  "How many people are they?" "I'm not sure, but judging from the sound of gunfire, there are no less than five hundred people!" the leader of the vanguard replied. Before he finished speaking, a gunshot suddenly rang out, and a bullet pierced Zhang Qi's right shoulder.  It passed and hit the wall behind him, sending up a cloud of dust.  The leading officer hurriedly pulled Zhang Qi's arm and whispered: "Sir, hide quickly, the enemy has discovered us!" Zhang Qi patted his shoulder without saying a word and retreated. It was obvious that the traitor in the armory was  The army is organized, otherwise they would not be able to build a barrier here so quickly to resist themselves. From the prisoners' mouths, they learned that there should be no barriers here.  He gritted his teeth and ordered: "Mount the Gatling cannon and prepare to attack!" With the firing of the Gatling cannon, the insurgents behind the barricade finally fought back. Under the command of the small leader with military experience, they loaded the weapons with soil.  Bamboo baskets and sacks are placed on flatbed trucks and stacked together. There are many of these things in the vegetable market, leaving enough space for rifle holes.  Although this kind of barrier cannot resist Gatling cannon fire, it is sufficient.Blocking the rifles used by the Shun soldiers, the familiar environment of the market reassured the insurgents. They began to shoot fiercely at the Shun soldiers on the opposite street. Soon, the market became an inaccessible fortress.  Zhang Qi's situation began to become serious. He suddenly encountered this fortress, which he did not expect. He completed the surprise attack, but the rebels gathered again. He carefully climbed up to the second-floor house next to him.  He opened the window and began to carefully observe the vast darkness.  Rows of bullets fell in front of the Shun Army's position, but the Gatling gun was enough to overwhelm them all. The side with the larger caliber always had an advantage. As long as this stalemate continued, the Shun Army would always be able to overwhelm the opponent in the end.  Suddenly, fire burst out from the dark barricade, followed by a thunderous bang. A shell hit a house on the right side of Zhang Qi, tearing off half of its roof.  ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????: It¡¯s the last day of 2012. Let me break out a little and wish everyone all the best in the new year and be happy every day.

 Volume 3 The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Uprising 2

    The rebels also have artillery, and now both sides are evenly matched.  A second shell followed, sweeping off the entire roof of the house, and a third shell penetrated the side wall and wiped out everything inside.  These were at least eight pounds of artillery, and now the advantage was on the side of the insurgents.  "Sir, get out of here quickly, it's too dangerous!" the guard on the side shouted urgently.  "Good job!" Song Shen shouted loudly from behind the barricade. Next to him, two brand-new British-made eight-pound mountain cannons were emitting white smoke from their muzzles.  Behind him, two hundred insurgents who had just received weapons were eager to try. In the armory further away, there were more people waiting for weapons.  Zhang Qi¡¯s face was very serious, the situation was already very bad, and the battle had entered a new stage.  The barricades now fired upon him.  Who knows if they will switch from defense to offense?  Excluding the dead and deserters, the enemy numbered at least five hundred, while he himself had less than two hundred men left to fight.  If the enemy realizes that there are not many people here, they will be in trouble.  The status will be reversed, and they will become the attacked from the attackers.  If the enemy breaks out of the barricade, it could be all over.     what to do?  It was impossible to attack the barricade from the front.  A strong attack is a pipe dream.  Two hundred people cannot drive away five hundred people.  Attacking by force is impossible, but waiting can be fatal.  This has to end, but how?  "Master Zhang, how is the situation now?" Zhang Qi turned around and saw Diok's panting face. He looked at Zhang Qi eagerly and said, "I have transferred another two hundred people from the west gate and handed them over to you.  Command!" Zhang Qi looked behind Diok and saw the faces of timid and uneasy Burmese people. He suddenly asked: "Does anyone know if there is a way to bypass the barricade and go to the back of the market? What way?  No matter what, I have a big reward!" As the voice of the translator stopped, there was silence. After a moment, a Burmese soldier raised his hand timidly and replied: "I am a local and I know there is a path leading to it.  Behind the vegetable market!" Zhang Qi nodded when he heard the interpreter's answer and turned towards the adjutant.  "Yunshang," Govan said, "take command. Fight as hard as you can. Use Gatling cannons to fire violently at the barricades. You have to contain these people." "Understood." Yunshang said.  "Gather everyone together, load the bullets, fix the bayonets, and prepare to charge." He leaned into Yun Shang's ear and said a few words.  "Okay." Yun Shang said.  "Are all our trumpeters here?" Zhang Qi asked again: "Yes." "We have five trumpeters. You leave one and give the rest to me." The four trumpeters were there silently.  After lining up in front of Zhang Qi, Zhang Qi turned around and said to Diok: "Lend me the soldier who knows the way!" Then he selected ten more people from the Shun Army.  Finally, he pointed to a hay cart nearby and said: "Weave some straw ropes and tie them to the rifles to prevent them from colliding and making noise!" A minute later, the soldiers completed the order.  Zhang Qi saw that everyone had done well, and he ordered: "Everyone take off their shoes!" Then the first one took off his shoes, and then lined up in a single file, with the Burmese soldier at the front, followed by the translator, and then  Zhang Qi, followed by trumpeters and soldiers.  So these eighteen people slid like black shadows amidst the gunfire from both sides, and slipped into the desolate alley.  They groped along the curved walls for a while. The Burmese soldier was like a dog using his nose and ears to identify the direction in the dark. The whole city seemed to be dead. The citizens hid in the cellars, and all the doors  The windows were all sealed, and there was no light.  In this silence, the sound of gunfire on the street seemed particularly fierce, and the artillery battle continued.  The two eight-pound cannons on the rebel side were spraying flames crazily, gradually suppressing the enemy on the opposite side.  The Burmese soldier walked confidently in the dark. After walking in a winding way for twenty minutes, he came to the end of an alley and walked onto the main street from there. This was on the other side of the vegetable market.  The location has changed.  There were no fortifications on this side, and the barricade builders always miscalculated on this point.  The wet market is open.  Zhang Qi and his men could get under the wooden piles, where there were more than a dozen flatbed trucks piled with ammunition, which had just been transported from the armory.  They had to deal with eight hundred enemies, but from the back instead of the front.  Zhang Qi whispered a few words to his men.  The straw rope wrapped around the gun was untied.  Ten soldiers took up fighting positions at the end of the alley.  The five trumpeters raised their horns and waited for orders.  The sound of gunfire continued intermittently.  In the middle of the two shellings, Zhang Qi suddenly broke the silence with a loud and loud voice like a bugle.?, shouted: "Two hundred men go to the right, two hundred to the left, and the rest stay in the center!" Ten gunshots were fired, and five buglers blew the charge horn.  Zhang Qi let out a terrible cry: "Fire the bayonet! Charge!" A strange effect.  A large group of rebels who had been peasants not long ago felt attacked from behind and thought that another army was coming from behind.  At the same time, the Shun army commanded by Yun Shang who occupied the other end of the street heard the trumpet and took action, also rushing towards the barricade.  The rebels found themselves attacked from both sides.  Panic often exaggerates the truth.  In times of panic, gunshots turned to cannon fire, noises turned to ghosts, and dogs barked to the roar of lions.  Moreover, if they panic, they will collapse.  An indescribable rout ensued.  Within a short time, the vegetable market was empty.  The terrified people fled in all directions, and the little bosses were helpless. Song Shen killed two or three escapees, but to no avail. He only heard a cry: "Run for your life!" The army passed through the vegetable market like passing through a sieve.  It disappeared into the streets and alleys as fast as the wind and the remaining clouds.  Some people fled to the military camp, but most people still fled to the armory, like frightened beasts, instinctively fleeing to their lairs.  The Shun army won a complete victory. Diok, who had watched the entire battle, said excitedly to Zhang Qi and the seventeen people around him: "You only have eighteen people, but you are worth a thousand!" Zhang Qi stood  He straightened his body and only lowered his head slightly to respond to Diok's compliment.  Yun Shang led the soldiers, lit torches, and began to clean the battlefield. All those who could not escape surrendered, and the streets were filled with dead and wounded soldiers.  But the battle was always particularly fierce and cruel towards the end. Several people were making a last-ditch struggle. Cold shots were fired from here or there, and they were finally surrounded in a house.  ¡°Surrender!¡± The Burmese soldiers who had just arrived shouted loudly in Burmese, and a bullet fired from the window answered the persuasion to surrender.  Yun Shang immediately issued an order to attack by force. Because he believed that there was a high possibility that the leader of the rebels was among them, he ordered to capture as many as possible alive.  Dozens of Burmese soldiers hid behind human shields composed of more than a dozen prisoners and moved slowly towards the door. Following a fierce exchange of fire, the Burmese soldiers rushed into the house and started a brutal hand-to-hand battle. Finally, after paying  After paying a heavy price, the resisters were forced into a room and all their bullets were exhausted.  Diok walked into the room and saw a man about 1.68 meters tall standing in the room. He was holding a rifle with a shattered butt in his left hand and a short ax in his right hand. He stood with his right leg slightly bent.  In the corner, no one dared to approach him.  Suddenly, Diok saw him stagger twice and lean against the wall behind him.  Diok hesitated for a moment, then took two steps forward. Zhang Qi followed closely behind him, holding a revolver in his hand.  Diok whispered: "Who is your leader? Where is he?" The man stared at Diok. The wound was bleeding, flowing from the hem of his clothes to the ground in front of his feet, forming a good shape.  A big pool.  "You have been captured. I know your leader is Song Shen. Tell me where he is!" The man said nothing.  "Tell me your name?" Diok asked for the third time.  "My name is Wild Cat!" "You are very brave, put down your weapons, I will have someone treat your injuries and let you live!" Diok reached out to the other party.  The man looked at Diok's outstretched hand, used up his last strength, swung the short ax in his right hand, and rushed towards Diok.  Zhang Qi on the side quickly knocked Diok away, grabbed the short ax in the opponent's right hand with his left hand, and at the same time shot him twice in the chest with the revolver in his right hand.  The man fell to the ground and died without a word.  "Terrible guy!" Diok looked at the corpse on the ground and whispered. He turned to Zhang Qi and asked: "Master Zhang, what should we do now?" "Keep moving forward and occupy the armory!" Zhang Qi replied  : "If we succeed, we will hold on until tomorrow morning. If we fail, then we will have to withdraw from the city and go to Lord Chen's military camp outside the city." "You are right!" Diok looked a little tired.  , he reached out and patted the other party's shoulder, and whispered: "Then I will leave everything to you! Remember, you must catch that Song Shen and hang him in the square in front of the palace!" "  Yes, Lord Regent!" Zhang Qi stood up straight and gave Diok a military salute.  Song Shen witnessed this tragic defeat. He personally led people to deliver the only two British-made eight-pound cannons to the barricade. When the defeat occurred, he evacuated the battlefield under the protection of his men, as if  It was as if some god was protecting him, even though the bullets on the battlefield wereIt flew, but he didn't even scratch his oily skin.  When Song Shen returned to the armory, he immediately asked the people who had not yet been fully reorganized to leave the armory and asked them to take away as many weapons as possible, leaving only the two hundred people who had been organized and himself ready to hold on, because the armory  The area is limited, and it is useless if there are too many people. It is better to spread some seeds. Even if you fail here, your career will have a chance to revive.  When Zhang Qi¡¯s troops arrived in front of the armory, it was already about two o¡¯clock in the morning. He immediately ordered his men to bombard the outer wall of the armory with eight-pounders to open a gap for the attack.  The rebels in the armory fired back with fierce volleys of guns, but people kept falling under the bombardment of the eight-pounder cannon.  Finally, the gunfire from behind the wall gradually subsided.  Zhang Qi stood up, carefully observed the position and width of the gap in the wall for a while, then turned around and ordered: "Everyone put on their bayonets and start moving forward when they hear the first whistle! At the second whistle, they will fall down and fire a volley.  Fight back, start charging on the third call! Remember, the armory is full of the most stubborn gangsters, their hands are covered with the blood of their brothers, don¡¯t take prisoners!¡± The soldiers responded in a low voice, Zhang Qi  He looked at the gap where the smoke gradually dissipated, picked up the whistle from his neck, put it in his mouth and blew it hard.  The soldiers of the Shun army came out of their hiding places, formed two loose skirmish lines, and began to advance at foot.  At this time, the battlefield suddenly became silent, with only a few sporadic gunshots.  Zhang Qi walked back to the two Gatling cannons, staring at the gap with a nervous expression.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Uprising Three

    Suddenly, there was a burst of gunfire from behind the wall. Someone among the slowly advancing soldiers of the Shun army fell down immediately. Zhang Qi immediately blew the whistle and then violently waved his arm. Almost at the same time, the two Gatling cannons immediately fired.  There was a roar, and the two fire dragons immediately licked the wall and knocked down the exposed human body.  After a while, Zhang Qi saw that the gunshots on the opposite side had become much less frequent, and then he blew the whistle for the third time. The Shunjun soldiers lying on the ground immediately jumped up from the ground, shouting loudly and rushed towards the armory.  .  In the armory, a black-faced man was saying something loudly to Song Shen, as if he was arguing with him. This black-faced man's nickname was "Ghost Shadow" and he was one of the many little bosses under Song Shen.  "No!" Song Shen shook his head violently: "I called on people to take up arms and fight for the land to the end, but now you want me to leave my brothers and escape alone. This is impossible!" "Everyone.  We have our own positions, ours is to fight to the death here, and yours is to get out of here alive and continue fighting with the remaining people!" Guiying replied loudly, his voice was so loud that  Even the dense gunfire and shouts of death outside could not suppress it.  "I have appointed leaders to the remaining brothers. They can continue to fight without me!" Song Shen's muscles twisted in pain as he tried his best to retort: ??"Besides, the regent's dogs have surrounded the armory.  Rather than being caught and hanged when escaping, it¡¯s better to die here with the brothers!¡± ¡°No!¡± Guiying grabbed Song Shen¡¯s shoulders and stared into his eyes.  His eyes were like lightning: "The leaders you appointed are all fools. Without you, they will fight among themselves and nothing can be done. I bet that the regent would rather let all of us out.  , I don¡¯t want to leave you alone. Boss, you must live for me and the two hundred people who are about to die in the armory. There are so many poor people in Bagan now, and they all know that there are guns.  Your name, as long as you can go among them, thousands or tens of thousands of people will follow you to fight, and you can occupy Bagan, Mandalay, and the entire Myanmar, so that all poor people have their own land.  Eat the food you grow!" Song Shen looked into Guiying's eyes. He was convinced by the other party's great enthusiasm and eloquence. At this time, there was a violent shouting outside the armory. The two looked back.  It turned out that soldiers from the attacking side had broken through the wall and were engaging in fierce hand-to-hand combat with the insurrectionists at several gaps in the wall.  The ghost shadow violently pushed and pulled Song Shen to the back of the armory. There was a small ventilation window about five meters high on the back wall. He moved a wooden box and placed it under it while urging loudly: "  Hurry, boss, the enemy's troops are not many, otherwise they will not attack the armory from one side, you must escape!" Song Shen was almost pushed out of the window by the ghost shadow. Finally, he turned around and faced the ghost shadow.  Said: "Goodbye!" "No, boss, I don't want to see you again, at least not for a short time, because I am going to die!" Ghost Shadow watched Song Shen's figure disappear in front of him, and then said in a low voice  The voice said to himself: "Song Shen, our two hundred lives are on you. You must live, you must survive!" At the door of the armory, the final and most cruel battle is going on.  .  For fear of detonating a large amount of gunpowder stored in the armory, the soldiers of the Shun army were ordered to prohibit firing after breaking through the wall. The form of combat regressed back to the era of semi-cold weapons. If you want to find an identical example, you must go back  In the era of cruel sieges like Zhang Xun's defense of Huaiyang and Hou Jing's siege of Taicheng, we can trace back to the "hand-to-hand battles" that lasted until the seventeenth century.  This kind of battle occurs when the fortress is invaded through an open gap. As a veteran said, "During this kind of attack, the smoke from the mine explosion has not completely dissipated. The soldiers on the attacking side carried hatchets and  Shield; carrying torches and gunpowder bags, groping in the dark and crowded gaps, breathing the spicy air, enduring the rain of arrows and projectiles, breaking through the defenders' blockade, and seizing these positions! "The situation of the attacker is!  It is very scary that the possibility of being besieged was taken into consideration when the armory was built. Not only are the four walls made of solid granite and bricks, but the only way to enter is through a winding and narrow corridor.  Enter the warehouse.  The soldiers struggled in this intestine full of obstacles and resisters, where a person's forehead would touch the wall, his feet would be full of debris, and his eyes would encounter darkness.  Soldiers and rebels fought in such an environment, as if engineers and soldiers from both sides met in a tunnel battle, or two ships connected in a naval battle, and the two sides slaughtered each other with axes on the middle deck.  People were fighting here as if they were in a tomb. When the first batch of soldiers rushed in, the entire corridor was filled with explosions of fire, as if they were underground.There was a lightning strike.  The attacking party answered lightning strikes with lightning strikes, and then steel collided with steel, and lead bullets answered lead bullets. Anyone who touched these swords and guns would be killed.  The torches in people's hands dimly illuminated this horrific scene.  It was impossible to see anything clearly in the passage; darkness shone with red light all around; whoever came here became deaf and blind, deafened by the deafening noise and blinded by the smoke of the explosion.  The fallen people fell among the corpses. People trampled the dead people, pressed the wounds, and smashed the broken limbs. The wounded soldiers who were stepped on let out sharp screams, and the dead people bit the foot that was on his chest.  From time to time there was silence, but this was even more terrible. People were pulling each other and rolling on the ground. The terrible gasps of the combatants were heard, and then the sounds of gnashing of teeth, the groans of the dying and curses.  Then, the roaring sound of fighting started again, and a stream of blood flowed out from the corner of the door, and it also radiated heat.  Diok stood outside the door. His face was a little pale. The attacking soldiers had changed twice. The ones who went in were fresh and strong young men, and the ones who came out were corpses with broken limbs. The door of this armory is  It's like a monster's huge mouth, swallowing people in, chewing them up and spitting them out.  The gunshots, explosions, and fighting sounds inside came out through the walls, making them particularly gloomy and terrifying.  Zhang Qi¡¯s face was like the wall of the armory, dark and terrifying. He waved his arm again, and twenty soldiers carrying pistols, gunpowder bags, and sabers rushed in again, and the brutal battle began again.  Although the resisting side has not wavered, the attacking side's numerical advantage is finally starting to take effect. No more than thirty people can still fight after escaping into the armory. With the increase in physical strength and casualties, the rebels have to  They retreated steadily, and in the end, only ten people were left resisting. The bravest among them was the black-faced man who persuaded Song Shen to escape. He quickly waved a Malay Knife, a sharp weapon.  The light reflected like flowing water under the firelight, and suddenly he slashed hard. The sharp blade cut off the barrel of a soldier of the army, and then left a three-inch-long strip on the other's face.  The soldier let out a shrill scream and fell down. Just as he was about to rush forward and take the enemy's life, he heard a cry of killing, and saw another group of enemy troops rushing in. He looked back.  But there were only five or six people left on his side who could still stand on their own. Knowing that they were outnumbered, they shouted, turned around and fled into the armory.  Diok walked through the aisle and walked into the armory. Several soldiers were pulling bayonets out of several twitching corpses. Whether it was the previous order or the current situation that was already red-eyed, the soldiers were  Never show any mercy to your enemies.  Diok's cheek twitched, and he turned to Zhang Qi beside him and asked: "Master Zhang, where is that Song Shen?" "Our people are searching, he must not be able to escape!" Zhang Qi's voice was cold and hard.  Like granite beneath his feet, he turned around and repeated the order to the soldiers who were pouring into the armory behind him: "Execute them all, take no prisoners!" The soldiers poured into the armory and quickly began to search, stabbing with bayonets.  Every wounded person they met and the corpse of their companion they were carrying out just now had made their hearts become cold and hard.  Suddenly, a soldier shouted: "Someone wants to escape through the window!" People's eyes suddenly looked in the direction of the soldier's finger, and saw a man quickly climbing up several stacked wooden boxes and heading towards the high ground.  Climb out of the window.  Zhang Qi grabbed the rifle of the soldier beside him, aimed at the man and pulled the trigger. With the sound of a gunshot, the figure swayed twice by the window and fell down.  Zhang Qi threw the rifle to its original owner and walked quickly towards the place where the man fell. When he got closer, he saw that it was the ghost shadow lying on the ground. He was lying on the ground after being shot, struggling in pain.  , blood was gushing out from his chest, and bloodshot eyes were flowing out of the corners of his mouth. It was obvious that Zhang Qi's shot had penetrated his lungs.  Zhang Qi recognized at a glance that the man on the ground was not Song Shen. He pulled out the pistol from his waist and pointed it at the other person's head, and asked in a low voice: "Song Shen?" Guiying looked at the muzzle of the gun pointed at him without fear.  , suddenly burst out into a burst of mocking laughter, blood gushed out from his mouth with his laughter, Zhang Qi frowned, and was about to ask the interpreter to come over for better questioning, when the black-faced man suddenly turned over and fell down.  It stopped moving on the ground.  Zhang Qi was stunned and quickly asked the soldiers to turn him over. He squatted down and saw that the man had a dagger in his chest and had committed suicide.  Zhang Qi stood up, his originally cold and hard face softened a little, revealing a low level of irritability. The stubbornness of the resisters made him a little confused. Like all people who have been in the military for a long time, he has a narrow-minded mind.  People always have an attitude of disgust and avoidance towards things that are beyond their understanding.  At this time, Diok came over from behind, his face a little ugly.  "Master Zhang, have you seen Song Can?"??¡± ¡°No!  "Zhang Qi turned around and revealed the body behind him: "This is just a small boss!  "    "I do not have either!  Diok's face became even more ugly: "It seems that he has escaped. Maybe he never escaped here from the beginning!"  Otherwise, he would have been beaten to death in a corner where we didn't find him at the vegetable market!  "    "No!  Zhang Qi shook his head firmly: "The bandit leader must have escaped here and personally directed the battle."  Lord Regent, you have never led soldiers, so you don't know what the soldiers think.  If the officer himself ran away first, the soldiers would not fight so tenaciously!  " At this point, Zhang Qi spat on the black-faced man's body bitterly and cursed: "Damn guy, fifty good men lost their lives!  " "Master Zhang, don't worry, I will give fifty taels of silver to each of them, and double that for officers!"  Diok hurriedly replied that he had seen the battle just now. The New Army soldiers trained by him could not intervene at all. The final attack was all due to the Shun army. Now all his wealth and life are maintained by Zhang Qihe.  The soldiers under him cannot be stingy with money.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Uprising 4

    "Thank you for your grace, Lord Regent!" Zhang Qi saluted Diok, then turned around and ordered his soldiers to search the armory again to avoid missing anything.  When Diok saw the soldiers walking away, he asked in a low voice: "Master Zhang, the rebels are so rampant, do you think this armory can be defended?" When Zhang Qi heard this, he knew that Diok felt guilty at this time.  , I already have doubts about whether I can persist in the armory.  He hesitated for a moment, but he was deeply impressed by the amazing courage and sacrifice spirit of the insurrectionists along the way. Can the remaining hundreds of people really persevere?  There are countless such mobs in Bagan city!  Moreover, the message Mr. Chen sent to him outside the city told him to save Diok's life, and he could do everything else on his own. The meaning behind his words is really thought-provoking.  Thinking of this, Zhang Qi whispered: "Lord Regent, I still have more than a hundred soldiers. If there is enough food and water, there will be no problem in guarding the armory until noon tomorrow, but I'm afraid I won't dare to say anything after that!" "Tomorrow!  At noon?" Diok muttered, thought for a moment, and finally shook his head and smiled bitterly.  "I can't take such a risk. If the Shun army can enter the city tomorrow, then I can follow them into the city quickly; if they can't enter the city soon, it will be useless for me to stay in the city!" Diok turned around fiercely and said: "  Let's leave the city right away! As for these weapons!" He turned around and looked at the wooden box behind him, and then quickly replied: "Take as many as possible, blow up the rest, and don't leave them to the rebels!  "Yes, Lord Regent!" Song Shen ran with all his strength. At this time, his mind was blank, only echoing what the ghost shadow said to him not long ago.  Suddenly, he felt a pain in his foot, and he couldn't help but fall out. He rolled several times on the ground before he stopped.  After a while, Song Shen got up and looked around. He was alone in the dark alley. Suddenly, he fell to the ground and cried silently.  Suddenly, there was a violent vibration on the ground, and then there was an explosion in the air. Song Shen quickly raised his head and looked towards where the sound came from. He saw a ball of fire rising from the ground, making the night sky red. It was  Direction of the Armory.  "Ghost shadow!" Song Shen lowered his head in pain, rubbing his fingers on the rough ground, leaving red blood stains, as if this could reduce the pain in his heart.  Although when he escaped from the armory, he knew that the hope of survival for those who stayed was slim, but there was still a little thought deep in his heart, hoping that he was not the only one to survive, but this explosion had finally  This thought was also cut off. Apparently Guiying and the others used the last bit of strength in their lives to put up a desperate resistance.  I don¡¯t know how much time passed, but Song Shen got up from the ground, limped towards the depths of the alley, and soon disappeared into the darkness.  Yangon, British Consulate.  "Major Duncan, please tell me what is your mission as the detachment commander this time?" Gillings sat at the desk and asked seriously to the upright Duncan standing in front of him.  "Mr. Consul, my mission is to punish the arrogant Shun people accordingly, destroy their expeditionary force, force them to recognize the British Empire's rights and interests over the entire Kingdom of Burma, compensate the empire for its losses, and punish the parties involved!" "Very good!"  Gillings stood up, walked behind Duncan, suddenly patted him on the shoulder, and whispered: "Let me remind you, Major Duncan, shame can only be washed away with blood!" "Yes, Your Excellency, Consul!"  Duncan's muscles all over his body tightened immediately, and from Gillins's angle, he could just see the two veins on the back of his neck beating violently.  Listening to the heavy footsteps of Duncan leaving in the corridor, Gillings sighed and sat down on the seat behind the desk. At this time, he felt extremely tired. After writing letters to London and Calcutta, he  Invested in preparations for future punitive wars: sent envoys with diplomatic notes to the Shunguo Expeditionary Force attacking Bagan; extracted two battalions of infantry and corresponding artillery, engineers, and cavalry from the Yangon garrison.  A small task force; ordering enough shoes, medicines, tea, rum, and biscuits hard enough to kill people from local businessmen in Yangon and India. It is impossible to tell what they were before they were made.  of cured meat, these were prepared for the incoming Indian reinforcements.  For the British Empire, a war is not only a war, but also a business. Bankers, colonial officials, factory owners, grain merchants, shipyard owners, and military officers can all make profits from it. Among these Englishmen, the only unlucky one is  The ones who were directly involved in the war were the good boys (soldiers) of England. When the soldiers ate bacon that was old enough to be compared with their grandfathers, and wore ill-fitting shoes, they trekked in the jungle or the desert, risking their lives.  When the bullets rain down, the pockets of the above-mentioned beneficiaries will fly at a rapid pace.The speed increased, and the last ones to pay the bill were naturally the conquered Asians.  Isn¡¯t there an old saying in England?  ¡ª¡ª"Let these guys have bad luck! Who told them to lose?" Gillings was no exception. In England in 1885, wealth was the most obvious external manifestation of a person's noble status, greedily grabbing with one hand.  , and then use the other hand to give generously, this is the only way to climb up.  While serving the king, he also does not forget to do good for himself and his friends. This is the secret of a true British gentleman's success.  While Gillings was in the office calculating his possible profits, the door was suddenly pushed open heavily. He looked up and saw Howard.  Tessen rushed in from outside. Judging from his flushed face, he looked like an enraged wild boar.  A secretary hurriedly ran in and said to Gillings: "Mr. Consul, Mr. Theson rushed in without permission. I tried my best to stop him -" "Okay, you can go out first!" Gillings said to him.  The secretary gestured to the other party to close the door.  He stood up, stretched out his right hand to Teson with a smile, and said with a smile: "Mr. Teson, welcome!" "Put away that fake smile of yours, it will only make me sick!" Teson was rude.  interrupted Gillings, he put his hands on the desk angrily, leaned his upper body forward, and stared into Gillings's eyes. Their faces were so close that Gillings could feel  The hot breath exhaled from Teson's mouth.  "Excuse me, Mr. Theson, but I really don't know what made you so rude. I wonder if there is any misunderstanding among us!" "There is no misunderstanding! There is no misunderstanding!" Teson said: "You Judas,  You betrayed me and betrayed His Majesty the Marquis! You will be punished accordingly, I swear, you will!" "Your Majesty the Marquis?" Gillings was stunned for a moment, and then he realized that the Marquis that Tessen was talking about was now.  The Prime Minister of the British Empire, the Marquess of Salisbury, couldn't help being stunned and replied: "I don't know what you mean!" Theson's appearance was calmer at this time: "Are you giving some to the House of Commons?  Did the congressman write to them about what happened in Myanmar? "Yes! They are all my father's friends. I hope they can support our war to punish the Chinese in the House of Commons!" "Very good!" Tesen suddenly laughed!  Standing up, the muscles of his jaw twisted with a frightening smile, like a devouring tiger: "You want them to support your war in the House of Commons to punish the Chinese? Well, look at how they support you.  !" At this point, Theson took out a few newspapers from the leather bag on his right hand and threw them in front of Gillings. If Arthur Balfour was in this office now, he would definitely recognize that these newspapers were not long ago.  The newspapers pointed out to him by the former Marquess of Salisbury.  Gillings picked up the newspapers and read them one by one, his face becoming increasingly ugly.  "Your letter became the best reason for Greyston's lackeys to bark at His Majesty the Marquis! They shouted 'shame' and 'Old England is crying' in every newspaper, seizing every opportunity to  Weakness goes hand in hand with the Marquis. You are betraying the Prime Minister!" Tessen yelled angrily: "Mr. Consul, you may be able to launch this war as you wish, but you will never get rid of this betrayal.  No benefit will be gained from it, absolutely!¡± Gillings looked at Theson in stunned silence. He had no idea that his behavior would have such a result. He himself has always been a conservative, both in terms of his family and himself.  Powerful friends are naturally Conservatives.  But the problem was that he had been in Burma all year round and did not really understand the political situation in England at that time.  Although the Marquess of Salisbury defeated the famous Liberal leader Greyston in his first government formation, he only took over as leader of the Conservative Party after the death of the great Disraeli and had not yet had time to establish enough power within the party.  Prestige, the victory of the election destroyed the fragile unity within the Conservative Party. Some Conservative MPs who were dissatisfied with the status of the Marquess of Salisbury actually conspired with Greyston, hoping to overthrow the Marquess of Salisbury.  , seizing the position of party leader, and there happened to be such a person among the people who received Gillings' letter. Gillings' letter was nothing less than a bombshell to them.  "Mr Theson, please listen to my explanation!" Gillings said dryly. He naturally knew the weight of what Theson just said. The Marquis of Salisbury was an old-school aristocratic politician who was very concerned about character.  He values ????very much, and superficiality, exaggeration, cleverness, and disloyalty will arouse his great disgust, which can be seen from his harsh comments about the French Emperor Napoleon III - "He is a hypocrite!" If you are painted by such a person,  The label of "traitor" basically means that it will be difficult for Gillings to get ahead in England's political circles.  "There is nothing to explain!"Mattson cut off the other party's excuse: "I will tell you the news now. Yes, because of your betrayal, the Prime Minister had to launch this war that should not have been launched, but as a traitor, you have nothing to lose from this war."  If you don't get any benefits, a person who takes your place has already set off from London. He is the Marquis's nephew, Mr. Arthur Balfour, and you will get on the next ship and return to London in despair.  This is the fate of traitors!" After Tessen finished speaking, he walked out of the door without looking back and slammed the door.  "It's over!" Gillings sat back in his seat. The thunderbolt of the Prime Minister's envoy just now completely defeated him. The goddess of fate who was smiling at him a second ago suddenly turned her face away. Jilin  Si now realized what Napoleon felt at that moment when he saw Bl¨¹cher's Prussian army on the battlefield of Waterloo.  All my efforts in Myanmar over the years have been in vain. It is conceivable that Mr. Arthur Balfour will get the support of the entire Indian garrison and the Far East Fleet to solve all problems neatly and beautifully, and he will  After being splashed with all the dirty water, I was rushed back to London to be "frozen". A mediocre career as a civil servant awaited me. I was afraid that I would spend the rest of my life as an ornithologist like my grandfather.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 52 Chapter 52: Uprising Five

    While Gillings was struggling with his troubles, Duncan had no idea.  As an imperial professional soldier who has been in the colonies for many years, his heart is like a piece of rough granite, hard and cold. He has a contemptuous and contemptuous attitude toward the local indigenous people, including the Shun people.  It is not difficult to imagine how he must have felt after being attacked and forced to flee Mandalay back to Yangon.  So when he was appointed by Gillings, he was like an English bulldog with the leather muzzle untied from his neck. He immediately rushed to his two battalions, loaded his soldiers and equipment on the ship, and marched to Bagan.  .  As the commander of the advance detachment, Duncan's plan was very simple: sail up the Irrawaddy River and destroy all resistance encountered until the Shun people accepted the empire's demands.  He knew very well that Gillings had persuaded the Prime Minister's special envoy Mr. Tessen and made a request to Calcutta and London to expand the scope of the war. Soon a large number of army troops and warships would arrive from Calcutta and Singapore to launch a comprehensive attack on Shunguo.  He had no doubts about the final outcome of the war. Great Britain would win another victory.  Bagan.  The sky was already getting dark, and Song Shen leaned against the wall tiredly. If his chest hadn't risen slightly, he would have been no different from the corpses that could be seen everywhere on the road.  Now he is sure of his safety. According to the previous agreement, turning a corner ahead will be one of the five rendezvous points in the city. The rebel leader who escaped from the armory will meet again at these five rendezvous points.  Make connections and keep fighting for a great cause.  Song Shen leaned against the wall. Hunger and pain had greatly consumed his already strong physical strength. Due to the battle, he had not eaten anything since yesterday morning. It was as if there was an invisible hand in his stomach.  I was kneading it so hard that it hurt.  Song Shen groped in the corner, grabbed a handful of moss and stuffed it into his mouth. A bitter feeling immediately filled his mouth. He forced himself to swallow it, and his stomach felt better.  After a while, Song Shen felt better, got up, and limped toward the date.  Song Shen walked around the corner, and the date place appeared in front of him. There was no one there. The sudden and huge disappointment almost knocked him down immediately.  "Maybe I came too early. It's still daytime, and the brothers may have to wait until dark to arrive!" Song Shen said to himself. He took a few steps forward, hesitating about which place to go first.  Find something to eat, or find a different date location.  At this time, his arms suddenly tightened, but he was held hostage by two people. Then he heard someone behind him ask in a deep voice: "Who are you? Who asked you to come here? Tell me quickly, I am not patient enough."  Great!" Almost at the same time, Song Shen suddenly felt a sharp object pushing against his ribs, causing severe pain.  "Is it the regent's dog? Probably not. Only less than thirty people who escaped know this location. They are all good and trustworthy men!" Song Shen was thinking, but the people behind him already cursed impatiently.  , turned it around violently.  Both of them were suddenly stunned.  "Chief, why are you like this?" A strong man suddenly opened his eyes. Song Shen in front of him had a haggard face and sunken eyes. He seemed to have aged ten years suddenly. Suddenly he heard a sound, but it was  An iron awl that the man was holding fell to the ground.  "Haha!" Song Shen laughed silently and bitterly. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but his vision went dark and he fell backwards. The man quickly held him up with one hand and turned around and shouted loudly: "What are you still doing?  , hurry up and get some hot water, and some food, hurry up!" Song Shen was leaning on a haystack, holding a bamboo tube in his hand and drinking water. There were two uneaten baked potatoes on the ground.  .  There were more than a dozen men sitting or standing around, all looking at him with concern.  Seeing that he had eaten well, the capable man asked with concern: "Chief, are you feeling better now?" "Much better! Earthwalker!" Song Shen wiped the water on his mouth and saw  The people around him asked a little embarrassedly: "Have you all eaten?" "We have all eaten!" The face of the man nicknamed "Turkey" became serious: "Leader, stay behind.  "My companions in the armory?" "They all died!" Song Shen showed a sad expression on his face: "We resisted with all our strength, but Hua Gou and the others bombarded the wall with cannons, and many people were killed.  , in the end Ghost Shadow pushed me out, I should have died in the armory with the others!" "They are all real good men!" Earth Walker's face was also full of sorrow: "Ghost Shadow did the right thing!  ! If I were in that position, I would do the same thing. If you, the leader, die, everything will be over and they will die in vain. Now that you are still alive, you can lead us to continue our work, dead brother.?The Kingdom of Heaven will also bless our career!  " "Yes, leader, you take us, Hua Gou and those noble lords and continue to fight until the end!"  " "Guiying and the others will not die in vain. You have to lead us to do their share!  " Listening to everyone's words, Song Can only felt that his exhausted body was filled with inexhaustible power, as if the dead people had poured their lost lives into his body. He struggled to stand up  , said: "Everyone is not discouraged, that's good!  The Buddha said that all living beings are equal. Even the ants on the ground and the fish in the water are just ordinary to the Buddha, let alone us and those noble lords.  We are all human beings, so why can they live in a big house, eat rice, and ride on sedans and elephants without having to do anything? But we have to work in the fields all year round and live in low-rise buildings.  In their hut, they don¡¯t even have enough rice bran and taro to eat every day, and they have to do endless labor for them?  The monks said that these are the sins of our previous lives, so we should work hard to do good deeds and accumulate virtue, so that we can live a good life in the next life. However, those nobles and kings who did many evil things all donated fields to the monks in the temple, as well as the Buddha  Tower, so that they can be noble masters and kings in the next life, and continue to ride on our heads.  And as long as we accidentally do something wrong, we may go to the animal realm or the Asura realm in our next life, and will never be reincarnated.  Is this fair?  We must take up arms and build the Kingdom of Heaven wherever we can see it, so that all poor people can live in houses built with their own hands and eat white rice grown by themselves!  "    "right!  Live in a house built with your own hands and eat white rice grown by yourself!  "    "right!  Cut the throats of those noble lords, and we can live a good life without waiting until death!  ¡± Song Shen¡¯s passionate speech aroused a warm response from the insurrectionists. In Myanmar, in addition to the huge consumption of supporting the nobility and feudal bureaucrats, monks, a very large religious parasitic group, also have to support the life of Myanmar farmers.  Farmers in ancient China were even more miserable. Bound by religious ideas, Burmese nobles exploited farmers even more unscrupulously, reaching an alarming level. Myanmar is located in a subtropical region with fertile land and abundant rainfall. Three-season rice can be grown in many places, and the agricultural resources are very rich.  , but at that time, the vast majority of Burmese farmers had to rely on rice bran, taro, cassava and other miscellaneous grains to make a living all year round. The white rice was taken away as taxes. Once disaster weather occurred or the rulers intensified exploitation, large-scale famine would occur locally.  The local farmers would starve to death like ants in droves. In order to build a new army, the puppet king Meng Ji cruelly plundered the last drop of blood and sweat from the farmers, making it impossible to continue basic reproduction, thus tearing off maintenance.  As the last thread of the old feudal order, once the established army was destroyed by the shun army, it was inevitable that resistance at the bottom would break out. Seeing that the morale of his subordinates had been boosted, Song Shen immediately dispatched his men to contact several others.  Point, establish contact with the rest of the people, and count the number of existing people and guns, and at the same time send smart and reliable people to contact the New Army that has mutinied, and win the support of those soldiers. You must know that most of these New Army soldiers  Before joining the army, they were all farmers, and they were inextricably linked to the farmers who fled to Bagan because they could not make a living. Now that a mutiny had occurred, it was not difficult to bring a considerable number of them over. In the end, Song Can returned.  He sent the five most dexterous men outside the city to investigate the movements of the Shun Army outside the city. He had been a soldier with the Shun Army, so he naturally knew how terrifying this army from its powerful neighbor in the north was. The blood of the rebels was  It is very precious. It would be a crime to act recklessly without fully understanding the surrounding situation. By noon, the envoys sent came back in twos and threes. From their mouths, Song Shen learned that the situation in the city was very chaotic: the officers in the army were either  Being executed by the angry soldiers, or hiding, the soldiers who lost their officers were gathering in the barracks, arguing about the next move. Song Shen walked back and forth for a few steps, suddenly stopped, and whispered: "  I'm going to the military camp!  "No, this is too dangerous. Those soldiers are like a group of wild boars without a leader. They can do anything!"  "The Earth Walker retorted loudly. He had been a smuggler and part-time bandit for a period of time in his hometown, and he often dealt with soldiers. "Yes, that's why I want to go to the military camp!  Song Shen said: "They are accustomed to obeying the orders of their superiors. It is impossible to maintain this chaotic state for a long time. If I don't go, these soldiers will fall into the hands of the nobles and monks again."  Then they will be used against us!  " "Chief, this is too dangerous!  Those guys have guns in their hands, and a single shot of buckshot can kill you!  Why don't you let me go for you, and you stay here to hear the news!  " "Dear brother!  "Ode"He hugged the earthwalker tenderly, hugged him, and interrupted his persuasion: "Everyone with eyes in Bagan knows who Songcan is. You can't replace me this time. As for the danger,  My life was bought by the two hundred brothers in the armory. They died for me so that I could continue to work with you, instead of hiding in a bed and dying somewhere."  At this point, Song Shen turned around and shouted to everyone: "If I can't come back this time, the cause of justice cannot be interrupted because of my death. Earthwalker is my successor, and you must obey me as you do."  "Obey him!" "Yes, chief!"

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Uprising 6

    People echoed in unison.  Song Shen turned around and glanced at everyone's face, as if he wanted to imprint everyone's appearance firmly in his mind, and finally walked out.  There was a lot of noise in the military camp. More than 3,000 soldiers were sitting around the reviewing stand. They were watching with interest a middle-aged man on the stage giving a loud speech. It was obvious that the middle-aged man was not very used to facing such people at the same time.  Many people were talking. After just a few words, they stammered and couldn't continue. Soon they ran off the stage amidst the cheers of the soldiers in the audience.  Immediately, several more people came to the stage to give speeches, but these people were worse than the previous ones. They often turned red as soon as they came on stage, became speechless, and fled off the stage in a panic, causing the soldiers in the audience to burst into laughter.  , seeing such a scene, the candidates in the back were even more afraid to come on stage, and for a while they became silent.  Seeing this scene, the onlookers all showed impatient expressions. At this moment, the crowd outside began to commotion. It turned out that a group of monks were walking towards the reviewing stand. The soldiers in their path quickly got out of the way.  , many soldiers hurriedly knelt down and saluted the monk Luo Bai devoutly, just like the tide of the sea.  The group of monks just bowed their heads and chanted sutras while marching to the reviewing stand. They seemed not to notice the crowds of people on both sides who were paying homage to them. Not only did their behavior not arouse the resentment of the soldiers, but at this time of panic and loss,  , but it has become a kind of psychological support. After all, Myanmar is a Buddhist country. Almost all soldiers can see the portraits of Bodhisattvas and the sound of chanting sutras from the moment they open their eyes. The respect and belief in monks have almost penetrated  of their marrow.  The monks came to the reviewing stand and sat down in four corners. The leader stood in the center of the stage and chanted sutras with his hands clasped together. The soldiers under the stage quickly lowered their heads and chanted sutras as well. Some of them who did not recognize the monks on the stage whispered to the people beside them.  The companion asked: "Who is that on the stage?" "It is the former abbot of Mohe Bodhi Temple, Samantabhadra. In the past, even if the king went to the temple to worship, he might not be able to see it. I heard that the Buddha never failed to answer his prayers.  , It¡¯s so effective, I didn¡¯t expect to see you today!¡± ¡°Shut up and be respectful, be careful of the Buddha¡¯s fault!¡± The face of Master Samantabhadra was very pale, as if he had not seen the sun for many years, but his expression was  It is dignified and has a special charm.  Finally, he finished reciting the "Diamond Sutra", raised his head, and swept the crowd with sad eyes. Strangely enough, the thousands of Burmese soldiers who were watching felt that Master Samantabhadra was looking at them, and they couldn't help but be in awe.  lowered his head.  "Myanmar is a country of Buddhism. It has been protected by Buddhism from generation to generation. This is why the country is prosperous and the people are well-being. The reason why Buddhism is respected is because of the protection of the King's Dharma. The long-lasting of the King's Dharma depends entirely on the maintenance of Buddhism. Since the spread of Buddhism  When I came to Myanmar, although there had been wars, it had never happened before when bullets hit the threshold of the temple, the Buddha's hall, and the royal palace were attacked like yesterday. Is it really the end of the world mentioned in the scriptures?  , all kinds of evil demons and heretics will come out to disguise themselves as Buddha to deceive people's hearts, and even the Buddha's teaching itself will be destroyed, and the whole world will fall into the red lotus fire and be burned up?" Master Samantabhadra's voice was low and sad.  The sky above the school grounds echoed, and the soldiers in the field all turned pale with horror when they heard this. "Red Lotus Fire", "Evil Demons and Heretics" and other words of disaster in Buddhist scriptures are things they have heard since childhood. At this time  When it was said through Samantabhadra's mouth, it became even more shockingly contagious.  Many people thought of the raging fire last night, the deafening shouts of death and the sound of bullets, and couldn't help but feel an inexplicable fear. Their upper and lower teeth couldn't help but fight. Those who were close could even see the eyes of Master Samantabhadra.  He closed his eyes tightly, his pale face was already full of tears, and his solemn face looked like a god under the sunlight. He was so frightened that he knelt down and kowtowed again, and begged loudly.  The pleadings of thousands of people merged into one, and the voices became louder and louder, as if they were going to fill the sky.  After about twenty minutes, Master Samantabhadra raised his hands again, and the chanting gradually stopped. Thousands of soldiers held their breath, quietly waiting for the low voice from the reviewing stand: "The Buddha once said:  If a person is about to suffer bad luck, there will be demons that confuse his mind and do unforgivable evil. Although Myanmar is located in a remote place, it is a country where the descendants of gods are king and where you are protected by the Buddha.  They are soldiers of the king, and they take up arms to safeguard the king's law and the Buddha's law. As the saying goes, there are four kinds of kindness in the world, namely the kindness of heaven and earth, the kindness of parents, and the kindness of all living beings. Among them, the kindness of court is the most important.  , "The whole world is not the land of the king," so even the monastic saints and hermits uphold the Buddha's teachings and do not violate the imperial orders. What about you soldiers who eat the king's food and wear the king's clothes?  The weight of your kindness is greater than thousands of white jade; the depth of your kindness is greater than the red silk washed and dyed thousands of times, how can it be easily discarded, not to mention that gods and Buddhas do not tolerate incest?  Those who have mastered the King's Dharma and the Dharma can offer the most generous gifts to the Buddha.I'm afraid it's difficult to get forgiveness from gods and Buddhas. Is there anything in the world that can be more terrifying than this?  " "What nonsense!  ¡± Suddenly a voice from the crowd interrupted Master Samantabhadra¡¯s words. Everyone on the campus looked towards where the sound came from, wanting to see who dared to openly criticize Master Samantabhadra, a famous monk from Mohe Bodhi Temple.  At this time, the soldiers at the east entrance of the school ground quickly moved out of the way, and a ragged figure appeared, walking towards the reviewing stand. ¡°He must be possessed by a demon, and he dared to criticize Master Samantabhadra!  " "Yes, it must be possessed by a demon. Be careful, don't be possessed by a demon later. Those who will be sent to the endless hell after death!  "    "yes!  Yes, be careful!  " There was a whisper in the crowd, and the soldiers all made way to the reviewing stand. The man was already approaching. I saw that the man who spoke was in ragged clothes, with a shabby beard and a haggard face. He started to walk.  He was still a little lame on the road, but he had a pair of eyes that were so clear that people dared not look at him. It was Song Can who had just arrived here. As soon as he arrived, he heard Samantabhadra's sermons on the stage and couldn't help but be filled with anger.  I couldn¡¯t help but refute loudly, ¡°Amitabha!  "Master Samantabhadra heard Song Shen's rebuke, but he was not angry. He whispered: "You are talking nonsense like this. You must be deceived by inner demons. You should follow me to the temple to practice hard, otherwise you will be dead when the time comes.  But I regret it!  "    "Um!  " Song Shen just snorted coldly when he heard Pu Xian's words, but did not answer. He walked up to the stage, but ignored Pu Xian, turned around and faced the soldiers, and said loudly: "I am Song Shen,  When Master Ne Win entered the city that day, I stood in front of him, and it was I who chopped off the British man's head.  After Master Ne Win was assassinated by the nobles, it was I who carried his body to the palace gate and asked the regent for an explanation.  We all have brains. Listen to what I say later, and then listen to what this respected teacher said. Think about it for yourself, and you will know who is right!  " When several monks on the side of the stage heard this, they stood up and tried to drive Song Shen down and carry him away. However, Samantabhadra raised his hand and said, "What do we fear from him when we uphold the righteous Dharma? Let him say it!  "This Samantabhadra can be said to be an extraordinary talent in the Bagan Buddhist world. He could read the scriptures in the temple thoroughly before he was thirty years old. He was also ranked among the top three in the hundreds of years of history of Mohe Bodhi Temple. Later,  He also traveled to Dashun and other countries in India. He was very knowledgeable. He was a first-class eminent monk in terms of education, knowledge and practice. Seeing that Song Shen was just an ordinary farmer, how could he be afraid of him? Naturally, he did not bother to use these means to oust him.  Song Shen sneered, but did not thank Samantabhadra, and said directly: "Honored Master, did you just say that 'the reason why Buddhism is revered is because of the protection of King Dharma?'" "Yes, so what?"  " "Not long ago, the British trampled the monks of your temple to death, which was clearly a violation of Buddhist law. Why did the king's law not only not punish the British, but also protect them?  Is this also protecting the Dharma?  " "It is precisely because Meng violated the Buddha's law that he was not protected by the Buddha's law. Although he had guns and cannons, he still died. Doesn't this confirm what the poor monk said before, "The reason why the king's law lasts all depends on the maintenance of the Buddha's law"?  " When Song Shen heard Samantabhadra's answer, he couldn't help but suffocated. He knew that if he compared words with this famous monk in the temple, he would only die. He quickly changed the subject and said: "Honored Master, after Meng arrived in Bagan, he  Excessive taxation and expropriation, asking for food and young men from every village; many families were destroyed as a result. Farmers were busy from January to December every year, tilling the fields, transplanting rice seedlings, weeding, harvesting, threshing and milling rice; they never got a day's rest.  But the family can't even eat enough rice bran. The grain and young men they want are not enough if they miss a grain of rice and wait for half a day. Otherwise, the village elder will be hanged from a tree by the roadside, and even the body will not be recovered.  Go, but in the end they have to watch the heavy rice rotting in the ground because of lack of labor. The whole village has no choice but to flee to the city to survive and become bandits.  The Buddha said that all living beings are equal, and even the ants on the ground have a life. However, in the eyes of those noble lords, we are not as good as the ants on the ground. At least the lords will not take away the food from the ants' mouths, and will not let them  The ants work for them in vain, but they can't even repair the house that collapsed or the fence that was broken. Does Buddhism also protect such people?  Can¡¯t Buddhism protect poor people like us?  " Song Shen's passionate speech aroused a huge response among the soldiers. Perhaps his words were far less elegant and tame than Samantabhadra, and his voice was too hoarse, but the content trumped everything. Almost every soldier could sing the song  We can find our own reflections in Shen's words: heavy taxes and labor; numb and skinny parents and family members tortured by hunger and poverty; worried lives without any hope of improvement. These are the lives of most soldiers before joining the army.  days, and when they leave the army, this life is still waiting for them and their children, and nothing will change if it doesn'tIf things get worse.  Although they have been taught since childhood that all this is destiny. The nobles live a prosperous life because of the merits they accumulated from their previous lives. The only way to change all this is to work hard.  Obey the superiors and pray to gods and Buddhas, so that you can change your destiny in the next life, and even get rid of the suffering of reincarnation and enter the realm of nirvana.  But as long as one has not been wiped out by the suffering of religion and life, the last trace of blood and rationality has been wiped out, and the person has become an animal without the slightest spirituality, he will show an instinctive disgust and resistance to this kind of preaching, but religion and reality  The huge pressure makes most people bury this kind of disgust and resistance deep in their hearts to avoid bringing disaster to themselves and their families.  But now the situation has changed. Every soldier sees the same emotion on the faces of his companions. The huge number of companions gives them great courage, and now reality no longer has more power than them.  "It's not that Buddhism doesn't protect the poor! As long as you¡ª¡ª" Samantabhadra saw something was wrong and hurriedly retorted.  But Song Shen didn't let him finish, and retorted: "I just won't bless you in this life, right? You can only get the reward for your good deeds after death. As for now, all you can do is endure,  Watch your parents, wife and children starve to death, because this is the will of the Buddha, isn't it?" At the last sentence, Songcan suddenly raised his voice loudly, and Samantabhadra couldn't help but shuddered instinctively and retreated.  He took one step and was speechless. At this time, Songcan's eyes were like lightning, and his voice was like thunder, as if the ancient god came to the mortal world and possessed him.

 Volume 3 The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Uprising 7

    Song Shen glanced at Puxian disdainfully and walked to the reviewing stand. The soldiers in the first row closest to him were at his feet, and he could even reach out and touch his shoes.  Songcan cleared his throat and said loudly: "Buddha was originally a noble prince, but he pitied the sufferings of the world, so he put on the clothes of the poor and went to practice, hoping to find a way for everyone to get rid of troubles.  , so he founded Buddhism. In today's Myanmar, those who have shed their last drop of sweat in the fields cannot even own the land under their feet, and cannot eat the white rice they grow; those who do nothing have  He has so much land that even he can't count it, and the dogs and horses he feeds are all fed with the best food. Is this what the Buddha liked? Which scripture or passage of scripture contains this?  What about words? Wouldn¡¯t it be more appropriate to take back the excess food and land from these people and give it to those hard-working and hungry people so that they can have their own land so that they can no longer starve and live happily?  Did the Buddha originally mean that?" As soon as Songshen finished speaking, the entire square was drowned in deafening cheers, with thousands of arms waving, like a forest.  The soldiers' faces turned red and they shouted slogans that they didn't even know what they meant!  The soldiers closest to the reviewing stand rushed forward, and fell on their knees at Songshen's feet, kissing the soles of his shoes and the corners of his clothes, as if what stood before them was no longer a person, but a projection of the Buddha, a demigod.  Half-human existence.  Pu Xian was pushed aside by the soldiers who rushed up. At this time, he was in a state of despair. Song Shen's eloquence seemed to smash his whole body into pieces. In his past life, believers also worshiped him crazily, but  Such an explosion of ecstasy from the heart was something he had never encountered before. He seemed to be a blind man, but suddenly he regained his sight and saw the sun for the first time. This sight of wandering in the light and land not only did not make him  He was happy, but it made him feel terrified and desperate. It was the first time he felt like this, as if the whole world had collapsed.  "Respected Master, respected Master! Are you okay?" Several monks who came with Samantabhadra hurriedly crowded over and protected him to prevent him from being crushed by the surrounding soldiers.  Puxian was shouted at a few more times, and he pressed his eyes with his hands. After a while, he opened his eyes, as if he had just woken up from a dream.  One of the burliest monks looked at Song Shen in the crowd and whispered: "Honored Master, what should we do now? Do you want to¡ª¡ª" When he said this, he turned his eyes to Song Shen and made a downward slash with his right palm.  gesture.  Puxian thought for a moment and replied in a low voice: "Forget it, it's too late! Doing this now will only bring disaster to the temples in the city!" He looked around and found that no one was paying attention to them, and whispered  Said: "Let's go back to the temple quickly and tell the elders about the situation here so that we can be prepared. Also, I heard that the regent left the city to go to Shunjun in the morning, so we will also send someone there  , tell them that as long as they are willing to help us pacify these thieves, we are willing to accept Dashun as our superior state and recognize the newly established majesty!" "This? Honorable Master, it will be difficult to get them out after the Shun army has entered the city.  It's easy to ask the gods but hard to give them away!" "Confused!" Puxian shouted, looking at the puzzled eyes of his disciples, he sighed and explained: "No matter how powerful the Shun Army is, they are still outsiders, and sooner or later they will be defeated in Myanmar.  As long as we don't offend their taboos, they won't offend the temple. But look at these heretics, if they gain power, they will even demolish the Mohe Bodhi Temple!" Disciples looked carefully!  Thinking about it, everyone couldn't help but sweat was pouring from their foreheads, and they all said in unison, "Yes, my respect for the master's vision is beyond our reach!" Outside Bagan, next to the pier.  After these days of remediation, the Shun Army has turned the dock into a semi-fortress with the dock as its core. Having seized a large amount of materials stored in the dock area, the Shun Army has enough ability to hire hungry people near Bagan to build fortifications.  The core of the fortress is the fort built by the British army that protrudes into the river. After re-expanding the ammunition depot, gun positions, retaining walls, and communication trenches, the four six-inch cannons captured from the British army on this fort can fire  Half of the river covered the three flat-bottomed gunboats for attack operations.  In order to ensure that the British army could not follow the old trick of the Shun Army and launch an attack at night, the Shun Army built a lighthouse at the entrance of the pier for lighting, and built a two-story fortress at the end of the trestle.  Thirty soldiers were deployed in the fort, as well as a Gatling gun and a six-pounder mountain gun to prevent the enemy from rushing from the trestle into the dock area.  On the landward side of the dock area, the Shun Army established a defense system with four multifaceted forts as the backbone. Breast walls were connected between the multifaceted forts, and there were channels for the infantry to counterattack in columns. Anyone who wanted to attack  Any attempt in the dock area will be flanked by multi-faceted artillery fire. Simply put, if the enemy does not have the support of large-caliber heavy artillery, even with three to four times the strength, it will be extremely difficult to capture this fortress.  Because of the protection of the core fort, the side of the fortress area close to the river bankCompared with the other side, it is relatively safe, and because it is easy to obtain domestic water, Shunjun's camp and warehouse are located on the edge of the river where the dock is located, forming a half-moon shape.  Chen Zaixing's apartment is in a temporary wooden house less than 300 meters away from the trestle. It is very convenient to get to the trestle and separated by an earth wall, which makes it quiet and safe.  Batu knocked on the door twice and whispered: "Resurrection!" Chen Zaixing's voice came from inside the door: "Is it Brother Zhenwu? Come in and talk about anything!" Batu opened the door and came in.  , I saw Chen Zaixing sitting in front of the desk and standing up. There was a thick stack of documents on the table. There was a letter open under the light. It was obvious that the other party was reviewing it when I came. I thought to myself that he must be  There are hidden stakes buried in Mandalay. Otherwise, the military affairs in this military camp are all in his own hands. How could he have so many documents to deal with.  "Resurrection, another messenger came from Bagan city, asking us to lead the army into the city." Batu took out a document from his arms and handed it over.  Chen Zaixing took it apart and took a look, and couldn't help but praise: "What a beautiful hand in thin gold regular script, there are not many in Hongwen Hall." He was the second choice of the late emperor at that time, and Hongwen Hall was also known as the place of Dashun Prime Minister.  There are quite a few famous calligraphers in it, and those who can catch his eye are naturally the best among them.  Batu was stunned after hearing this, and said: "I heard from the sender that this letter was written by Master Puxian of Mohe Bodhi Temple. I thought it was in Burmese, so I showed it to you in the resurrection, but I didn't expect it to be used."  "It's in Chinese!" "Not only is it written in Chinese, but the diction is also very elegant!" Chen Zaixing had already finished reading the letter and said with a smile as he handed it to Batu: "Look, Zhenwu, this Master Samantabhadra is really rare."  !" Batu took the letter and saw a few lines of thin gold regular script coming into his eyes. He saw that the stroke was like a dagger, the handle was like a cutting knife, the vertical hook was slender, and the lines between the words were like gossamer. They were already in thin gold.  The charm of the body; although he is far less knowledgeable than Chen Zaixing, he attended a private school at a young age and attended a martial arts lecture hall for four years in Hanking, a cultural gathering place. How could he not see the beauty of it?  He couldn't help but praise: "What a Burmese monk. I didn't expect that he would be so deeply immersed in Chinese culture. I would like to make friends with him if I have the chance!" After appreciating the calligraphy for a while, Batu began to read the content carefully. He just read it.  After two lines, he couldn't help but praise: "Resurrection, if this monk were in my Dashun, I'm afraid he would also be a roll call outside Donghua Gate!" After saying that, without waiting for Chen Zaixing's reply, he read loudly: "Today  There are crazy people everywhere in the country, heresies and heresies, deceiving people's hearts. Foolish men and women are all carrying food and holding staffs. If they succeed, I'm afraid that the bamboo forest monastery where the eminent monks preached the Dharma in the past will be turned into a habitat for foxes and wolves.  ; The Egret Jade Pond will only be overgrown with weeds; the jade stones that have retreated from the world will also be decayed and covered with moss; the famous temples and temples in Myanmar will also be abandoned and no monks will live in them; the Mahayana and Hinayana scriptures will also be inhabited.  The box rots into ashes; how can any person with a human heart not lament this end of the world? There is a rumor from the Shangguo: "There is a subjugation of the country, and there is a subjugation of the world. How can the subjugation of the country and the subjugation of the world be debated?"  , it is said that the country is subjugated, benevolence and righteousness are full, and the beasts eat people, and people will eat each other, it is said that the people who protect the country are their rulers and their ministers, those who eat meat plan it, and those who protect the world are humble and responsible.  "Today's Burma is about to collapse. Although the poor monks are outsiders and should no longer interfere in worldly affairs, their food and clothing come from the donations of believers, so how can they stay out of it?"  Here, Batu smiled and said: "This monk's article is really good, and our family is a little eager to try it. Resurrection, do we want to be his thugs and go to the city?" "No!" Chen Xing did not raise his head, and was determined.  replied.  "Why?" Batu asked in confusion: "Now that Diok is in our hands, this Samantabhadra should also be the first-class monk in the city. With their support, we don't have to be afraid of the British at all. We can  "Brother Zhenwu!" Chen Zaixing hesitated for a moment and finally decided to reveal part of his ambition to Batu. After all, in his future plans, this person  It occupies a very important position.  Chen Zaixing walked to the door. After confirming that no one was eavesdropping outside, he carefully closed the door, returned to the table and motioned for Batu to sit down. He whispered: "Brother Zhenwu, in my future plans, there is no such thing as Di."  "What?" Batu almost thought he heard wrongly: "No position? Do you want them to-" "That's right!" Chen Zaixing nodded.  , and then explained: "Of course it is not up to us, at least most of them are not up to us!" "What exactly do you mean?" The more Batu listened, the more frightened he became. He had also read history books, and naturally knew that China had dealt with vassals since ancient times.  They all have civil and military methods, using both soft and hard tactics; they always fight hand in hand against the upper echelons of the vassal, just like what Chen Zaixing just said??If you don't give a way out and eliminate them all, it will force them to form a group and form a strong joint force, which is counterproductive.  "Use the power of the mob in the city to eliminate all these monks and high-level nobles. At least they will no longer have the power of a group in Myanmar and prepare for our next plan!" Chen Zaixing whispered, and he picked up the  He put away the letter written by Samantabhadra on the desk and put it aside. He casually took out a blank piece of paper and put it in front of him, and began to write quickly.  "What are you doing?" "Write a reply to that monk Puxian!" Chen Zaixing replied without raising his head: "I want him and the abbot of the important temple in the city to give me an oath, both in Chinese and Burmese.  "The abbots of all important temples must put their fingerprints on the oath!" "What do you want this for?" Batu asked in surprise, feeling an ominous tone from Chen Zaixing's calm words!  mega.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Uprising 8

    "Of course I'll give it to Song Shen, the mob leader!" Chen Zaixing had already finished writing his reply, and while drying his ink, he replied with a smile: "I will have people send some weapons to those big monasteries.  They temporarily stored it for us and took in high-ranking officers, thinking that the inside and outside would be harmonious. Then I would ask someone to tell Song Can the oath and the list of monasteries with weapons, so that Song Can would know what these so-called eminent monks had done behind his back.  Borrow his knife to clean up all the blood for us!" "What?" Batu's eyes widened in surprise. He was frightened by Chen Zaixing's plan. Chen Zaixing stood up and patted his companion comfortingly.  On his shoulder, he whispered: "Although we have an advantage militarily, we are foreigners after all, and we are weak. Compared with these Buddhist temples and nobles, they have hundreds or even thousands of years of foundation in Myanmar.  The whole body. So we have to let low-level people like Song Shen rise up, let them fight among themselves, and then we can clean up the mess, so that we can get twice the result with half the effort!" "Then you are not afraid that Song Shen will not be able to lose his power.  "No?" "Haha, people like Song Shen got their start by relying on the lowest level of the mob, and they are the same as Taiping Dao and Huang Chao. When they started, everyone was united and unstoppable; but with a little success, the leaders above them.  We are just greedy for comfort, and without that indomitable spirit, there is nothing left to do. If we don¡¯t beat these monks and noble gentlemen to pain, they will not follow us wholeheartedly!  If it doesn't work with the British, we will unite with the British and destroy them!" "How is this possible?" "What's wrong with that?" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "The British have a saying;  There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. Dashun and Britain are now at odds to compete for Myanmar's interests. But if Myanmar is strong enough to threaten the interests of both countries, the two countries can naturally put aside their old grudges and eliminate these.  It's better to keep fighting than to get nothing!" Batu thought for a while and finally sighed: "Oh! I really don't understand, forget it, everything will go according to your plan.  "By the way, how are you going to hand over the list and the oath to that Song Can?" "Just ask Zhang Qi to go to the city and hand it over directly to that Song Can!" Chen Zaixing saw Ba's puzzled look in his eyes.  Explained: "I will directly tell that Songshen that I will enter the city in five days. If he doesn't believe it, he can go to the temple and search to confirm whether the oath and the list are true or false?" "Would that Songshen know that?  Let the monastery go and unite with them to resist foreign enemies? " "Impossible. It would be possible if it were just Song Shen alone, but now he has a group of the most radical mobs, and they rely on their hatred of the old forces to connect him.  If we don't use the blood of the nobles and monks who colluded with us to quench the thirst of the mob, I'm afraid I have to use his own blood. Song Shen will definitely find this out, otherwise the mob will tell him with actual actions.  , but it¡¯s not that easy to get away then!  " Hearing this, Batu stood up silently, walked out, and closed the door. Chen Zaixing listened to the heavy footsteps gradually disappearing for a while, then lowered his head, and started writing quickly at his desk. That night, Samantabhadra  Then I received a personal reply from Chen Zaixing, who praised the paintings from the Yunnan-Guizhou Jiedu Envoy¡¯s Office in Dashun and went to protect Burma¡¯s military affairs. In the letter, Mr. Chen first warmly praised Master Puxian¡¯s foresight and courage, and said  They will definitely deploy troops as soon as possible to enter the city of Bagan and restore order to prevent the mob from infringing on the temple and citizens. Immediately, Mr. Chen expressed his concerns about the number of mobs, their weapons and equipment, and their organization. He hoped that the righteous people in the city would be there.  Finally, he euphemistically expressed his hope that the nobles and monks who supported them would leave their oaths and lists so that they could gather in the Puxian Monk's room to ask for help from Emperor Dashun and the King of Myanmar in the future.  After listening to the contents of the letter, the monks were all excited. Master Chen's attitude gave them great courage. Many of them began to talk about the possibility of receiving official positions and awards after the incident was completed. "Take the things."  come in!  " Following Samantabhadra's voice, a monk came in and placed a wooden box in front of everyone. When he opened it, he found twenty-five revolvers neatly placed inside, with a thick layer of yellow underneath.  Orange bullets. Everyone let out a burst of exclamation: "These are what Mr. Chen asked the messenger to bring back!"  Puxian whispered: "He said that the situation in the city is unpredictable. These bullets are for me to use for self-defense in case of emergencies. If I need more, please make a list and I will send them next time."  Bring back the messenger of the oath!  "    "Very good!  If you have a gun, you won¡¯t be afraid of these mobs anymore!  "Countless hands reached out to the wooden box at once, and pairs of hands that usually chanted Buddha's words and prayed for it?The firearm is made of steel, and its charitable face also shows a bit of ferocity.  Puxian looked at these familiar faces and couldn't help but sigh. A thought suddenly flashed in his mind: "Did I do something right or wrong this time?" "Master, let's get a few more, just in case something happens.  Even if something goes wrong, there will be someone to take care of you!" A voice interrupted Puxian's thoughts.  Pu Xian opened his eyes, and what he saw was the expressions of eagerness on the faces of several disciples.  He sighed in a low voice and said: "Hey, the world is changing. If a disaster strikes, what can these guns do to stop it? Maybe it is the source of the disaster." "Master is right!" Those few guns  The disciple saw that other people attending the meeting were holding one or two pistols in their hands, and some were busy loading the pistols. Everyone's face was full of contentment, and they felt a little itchy in their hearts.  Seeing their appearance, Puxian didn't know what they were thinking. He sighed, turned around and walked out.  When the disciples saw that their master had left, they looked at each other, and then rushed towards the companions who had two pistols, shouting: "You are so greedy, you have violated the precepts, and you still don't give me one."  !" He said and got into a fight.  Two days later, Zhang Qi carefully crossed a street, turned right, and walked to the end of an alley.  A simple two-story building appeared in front of him.  This old and decaying building can almost be used as a blueprint for historians to describe the slum buildings in Bagan at that time: the crumbling walls seem to be covered with hieroglyphics, and many parallel small cracks reveal strips of mud walls.  Horizontal or diagonal wood or straw.  Even the lightest vehicle passes in front of the house, and every piece of wood inside shakes in its tongue and groove.  The roof of this old building is triangular to prevent the house from being washed away by the abundant rainfall in the area; but years of wind and rain have caused the roof to become somewhat deformed.  The roof protruding three feet toward the street protected the steps from the rain. At this time, a Burmese soldier carrying a rifle was standing lazily at the door. There was a regular round hole in the wall beside him.  The owner had casually nailed a piece of wood inside, the result of a solid round fired during the recent mutiny, to block the prying eyes of curious eyes from the street.  On the roadside outside the door, dozens of local citizens in different colors were queuing up, waiting to be received by the owner of the house.  "Kabu, are you sure this is the place that the person who asked for directions told us before? Song Shen lives here?" Zhang Qi grabbed Kabu next to him, his face was slightly dark, and it was not difficult to hear in his deep voice  He was a little annoyed at this time.  "This, it should be here, I hope it won't go wrong!" Kabu's answer was also a little uncertain at this time.  The house in front of me is so dilapidated that even a decent Bagan citizen would be a little shabby.  Song Shen now controls thousands of New Army soldiers and has become the de facto master of Bagan City after Diok escaped from the city. How could he live in such a dilapidated and unsafe place?  "Hmph! Go over and ask. This is a major matter personally ordered by Mr. Chen. There must be no mistakes, otherwise, you and I will not be able to bear it!" Zhang Qi whispered, and Na Kabu nodded quickly.  He ran towards the house at a trot, asked a few people at the end of the queue, and then ran back quickly, his face full of joy.  "Sir, yes, Song Shen is in this room!" Kabu replied happily: "These citizens all have something to ask to see him. If you want to see him, you only need to line up outside.  You can go in and see him when it's your turn! " "Really? That's great!" Zhang Qi rubbed his hands happily and frowned as if he had something difficult to decide.  .  He took out two silver coins from his arms and said to Kabu: "Go and tell the sentry that we are in an emergency and let us go to the front. These are his." After that, he took the two silver coins.  Give the silver coin to Kabu.  Kabu hurriedly ran back to the sentry and whispered a few words. The sentry looked at Zhang Qi who was standing not far away, weighed the silver coins in his hand twice, stretched out his right hand and spread his fingers.  He gestured to Kabu.  Kabu nodded to him repeatedly, and then ran back to Zhang Qi and said, "Sir, that guy wants five yuan!" "Humph, you greedy guy, just give him five yuan!" Zhang Qi sneered, walked over, and walked over.  He took out three more silver coins from his pocket and placed them in the sentry's hands.  The sentry weighed the silver coins in his hand, and after confirming that they were not counterfeit money, he walked up to the first few citizens and said a few words. The citizens in line stepped back a few steps, and then the sentry pointed to the front position.  Zhang Qi shouted.  Only then did Zhang Qi reach the front position.  After a few minutes, the door opened and a citizen came out. The sentry shouted to Zhang Qi and pointed to the open door. Zhang Qi walked into the door knowingly.  As soon as he entered the door, two soldiers came over and searched him. After finding no weapons, they led him up to the second floor and walked to the nearest staircase.In a house in ??.  There is a man sitting behind the desk facing the door, it is Song Can.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 56 Chapter 56: Uprising 9

    "Please sit down!" Song Shen habitually pointed to the chair next to the door, but Zhang Qi's familiar face made the smile on his face freeze: "Master Zhang, why are you here?" He was surprised.  Instinctively, I used the few fluent words I learned in Shunjun!  "I'm here, and Kabu is here too!" Zhang Qi deliberately slowed down his speaking speed, and at the same time stretched out his finger and tapped the bottom to indicate that Kabu was downstairs.  Song Shen shouted twice to the people downstairs. He raised his head and looked at Zhang Qi in surprise. The look on his face was as if a mythical spirit emerged from the void. A moment later, Kabu was also captured by a soldier.  After being brought up, he first bowed to Song Shen Heshi, and then bowed to Zhang Qiye. The atmosphere in the room was very strange.  "Song Shen, I am here under the order of Mr. Chen. He asked me to bring you a letter." Zhang Qi spoke very slowly so that Kabu beside him could translate his words into Burmese.  After this period of life in the Shun Army, Kabu has become a passable translator, and Song Shen can also speak a lot of Chinese.  After Kabu finished translating, Zhang Qi took out a letter from his arms, handed it to a Burmese soldier next to him with both hands, and returned to his seat to sit down.  Song Shen received the letter, and there were two lines of Burmese written on the envelope in beautiful handwriting, but he didn¡¯t know a word of it¡ªlike most Burmese farmers, he was illiterate.  He frowned, carefully placed the letter in the corner of the desk, and asked in a low voice: "Master Zhang, did you do anything else besides delivering letters to Bagan this time?" "No, Master Chen asked me to put this letter in."  Send the letter to you personally, and then take the reply back!" At this point, Zhang Qi's face showed a happy look: "To be honest, I didn't expect to see you in person so easily." "It's so easy.  "See me in person?" Song Shen frowned in confusion: "I don't understand what you mean. Anyone who is not malicious can see me. Of course, he has to wait a while!"  I'm so surprised!" Zhang Qi nodded: "Now you have thousands of people and actually control Bagan City. I thought you would live in the most beautiful house in the palace, with hundreds of the most beautiful women around you.  , and something else!" "How is that possible?" Song Shen frowned: "I am not a king or a noble lord. I and all the soldiers took up arms not to change the owner of the palace, but to change the owner of the palace.  In order for everyone to have food and clothing, I live here so that everyone can walk into this house and see that Song Shen is eating the same food and sleeping on the floor like them.  Apart from a piece of clothing and a gun, as well as a bowl and chopsticks for eating, there is nothing else." As Kabu stuttered in translation, Zhang Qi's face gradually became serious and he looked at Song Shen.  His eyes changed from teasing to admiration.  As a veteran, although Zhang Qi could not fully understand Song Shen's ideals, he still felt sincere admiration for his behavior of not seeking wealth and wealth and sharing the joys and sorrows with the soldiers.  At this time, a man in neater clothes walked into the room. Song Shen handed him the letter. The man opened the letter and read it for a moment, then his expression changed drastically. After reading it hurriedly, he whispered to Song Shen in a low voice.  After a while, Song Shen stood up, walked out of the room, and said a few words loudly.  Then several Burmese soldiers with guns rushed into the house and guarded the doors and windows.  Immediately, a burst of rapid footsteps and voices were heard outside, and a few minutes later, people were heard running outside the house. It was obvious that Song Shen was arranging people and horses to take action.  Zhang Qi listened, and although his expression was unchanged, he was very shocked in his heart. He knew that in the previous incident, all the British officers and middle- and low-level officers with noble backgrounds in the Burmese army had been wiped out.  For an army, it is almost a spine-breaking blow. These thousands of Burmese soldiers should be in a state of paralysis. Judging from the current situation, the basic superior-subordinate relationship has been restored in the Burmese army, and the response  It's not slow. He can no longer be treated as a mob. When Song Shen was under his command, why didn't he see that he had such abilities? It's really a pity.  While Zhang Qizheng was thinking, he heard footsteps outside. Song Shen pushed the door open again and came in. The Burmese soldiers who were guarding the doors and windows withdrew again. Only Song Shen, Kabu and Zhang Qi were left in the house.  Song Shen picked up the letter and asked: "Master Zhang, Master Chen said in the letter that Master Samantabhadra of Mohe Bodhi Temple united with monks from other temples to write a letter inviting the Shun Army to enter the city and suppress us, and also asked for firearms from the Shun Army.  , is this true? " Zhang Qi sneered: "I'm just a messenger, what's the use of asking me? Since the letter said that we asked our army for firearms, we will send them another firearm today.  Go and search, if you find the firearm, it will be real!" After hearing Zhang Qi's answer, Song Shen didn't say anything, and just stared at him fiercely.  At this time, he was thinking secretly in his heart. Could it be that his assassination of Ne Win happened, soOnly the wise master and the others would collude with the shun army outside the city to deal with them; but if they find out that they assassinated Ne Win, they only need to expose the matter and they will only die, and there is no need to collude with the shun army outside the city.  Then why did Shunjun hand over the letter of request for help from Master Samantabhadra to him? Could it be that he and the temples in Bagan wanted to kill each other?  .  Assassinating Ne Win was Song Shen's only worry. Deep in his heart, he was always afraid that if the incident happened, all his subordinates would turn their guns on him, so he would take every slightest sign.  It is connected with Ne Win's death, let alone this matter.  The trouble in front of him was entangled with his mental illness, like a huge knot, giving Song Shen a splitting headache.  "What if you can't find the firearm?" "Can't find it? It's possible that the monks hid it well!" Zhang Qi said with a smile: "For the sake of working together in the past, I will remind you again, so as not to  You don¡¯t even know how you died. The first batch of firearms sent into the city was handed over to the monk who delivered the message. There were a total of twenty-five revolvers and 1,500 rounds of ammunition, packed in a wooden box containing rifles.  Here. You didn't see the way that bald donkey was checking the gun. He was loading bullets into the gun, his hands were trembling, and he was still chanting. I don't understand what you did.  If you offend these monks so much, they will blow your head off even if you break the precepts!" Song Shen did not speak, his eyes were fixed on Zhang Qi for a moment, but Zhang Qi sat there as if nothing happened!  On the bench, he looked confident, and the time passed minute by minute.  I don't know how much time passed, but suddenly there was a burst of rapid footsteps and shouts outside. Song Shen stared at Zhang Qi fiercely and walked out of the door quickly. After a while, he returned to the house again, with his hands already in his hands.  Two more revolvers.  "Tell me, why did Mr. Chen do this?" Song Shen's voice became much softer. Just at that moment, something seemed to happen, and an invisible thing disappeared from his body.  "Do you think Mr. Chen will tell me this kind of thing?" Zhang Qi said with a smile: "I am just a messenger carrying a letter. It is my task to deliver the letter to you!" "You, Mr. Chen, want to  We Burmese people are killing each other!" Song Shen suddenly roared. He grabbed one of the pistols, rushed in front of Zhang Qi, raised the pistol and pointed it at Zhang Qi's eyebrows, shouting with red eyes: "Don't think I don't know.  , He wants us Burmese to kill our own people, let our blood flow all over the city of Bagan, and let us use our blood to desecrate the sacred temple. Your Mr. Chen is a devil, a devil!" The silence in the room was scary at this time.  Suddenly he heard a bang, but Kabu beside him was so frightened that he couldn't stand still and sat down on the floor.  Song Shen, however, didn't notice the movement at all. He just stared at Zhang Qi fiercely, and his index finger on the trigger sometimes tightened and sometimes relaxed.  "It's you Burmese who want to kill each other. It's none of our business!" Zhang Qi suddenly replied: "Isn't it the monk Samantabhadra himself who wrote a letter asking us to go into the city and destroy the 'heretic thieves'? You guys  The regent also came to the camp to ask our Lord Chen to send troops into the city to destroy the rebels. That night at the armory, it was the regent who asked me to lead the troops to put down the rebellion. Even if we didn't care, they would still find the British and  The French, whoever comes to kill you. Besides, if it weren't for the nobles in Burma who wanted to fight for the throne, kill each other, lead wolves into the house, and even burn down the palace of the Burmese Protector in Dashun, what would happen to us in Dashun?  Will we send troops to fight here? After our Dashun sent your two majesties back to Mandalay, we only attacked the British outside your city and did not take the initiative to fire a shot at you Burmese people. It was your master and monk.  They wrote to ask us to help them calm down the chaos! Now we, Mr. Chen, tell you the truth, but you say that it is us, Mr. Chen, who is instigating discord. Is there any truth in the world?" Following Zhang Qi's words, his tone changed.  It also got higher and higher, and in the end, it was no different than a roar.  In contrast, Song Shen's gun muzzle was getting lower and lower, and finally it was pointed at the floor. His face was red and white. Suddenly Song Shen raised the pistol in his right hand, pointed it at the roof and fired six shots,  All the bullets were fired.  A lot of dust suddenly fell from the roof, covering the heads and faces of the three of them.  "Bang!" With a sound, Song Shen dropped the empty gun on the floor and walked out of the door quickly.  Only Zhang Qi and Kabu were left in the room. After about half an hour, Kabu got up tremblingly and asked: "Sir, which song do you think this song is from?" "Which song is it?"  "Kabu, your Chinese has improved in these days!" Zhang Qi said with a smile: "I don't know which song he sang. I only know that it is going to rain in Bagan. It will be bloody!"  "Blood rain?" Kabu stuttered as he muttered these two unfamiliar words. He looked out the window and saw that the sky was already covered with dark clouds, and it was about to rain.Here comes a sudden muffled thunder. He couldn't help but shiver and almost sat down on the ground again.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises from the Southern Kingdom Chapter 57 Chapter 57: At Mohe Bodhi Temple

    Mohe Bodhi Temple, Bagan's Mohe Bodhi Temple was built in 1215 AD by the king of Myanmar at the time, imitating the Mohe Bodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India. Bodhgaya was the place where Buddha Sakyamuni attained enlightenment. In 3 BC  The famous King Asoka of India built the Mohe Bodhi Temple in the 19th century to commemorate the Buddha's life and enlightenment.  It is famous for its grand scale and exquisite sculptures. The Mohe Bodhi Temple in Bagan was built during the heyday of the Bagan Dynasty in Myanmar. Its scale and exquisite sculptures are almost as large as the original temple in Bodh Gaya.  Among them, the fifty-meter-high pagoda is covered with exquisite reliefs and scriptures. It has extremely high artistic and cultural value and is a symbol of the entire Bagan.  But today, this usually quiet and peaceful temple, always smelling of sandalwood and reciting scriptures, was shrouded in another tense atmosphere. Groups of soldiers with live ammunition blocked the exit of the temple, making all attempts to enter or  Those who left the monastery were driven back with shining bayonets and rifle butts.  The usually respected monks were surprised to find that the soldiers who usually knelt down on both sides of the road and kowtowed to them to pray for them when they saw them looked at them fiercely, waved their weapons, and made fierce noises.  Cursing, what on earth is going on? Is it really like what is written in the Buddhist scriptures that the end of Buddhism has come to an end?  Song Shen stood more than 20 meters outside the gate of Mohe Bodhi Temple. Surrounded by dozens of men with guns, they were all insurgents and were Song Shen¡¯s staunchest and most trustworthy support.  By.  Song Shen stared at the towering temple not far away, with a look of pain on his face.  Finally, a deep voice sounded in his ears: "Boss, let's start!" Song Shen shook his head and whispered: "Wait a little longer, Earth Walker, I am not afraid of falling into hell after death, but this is Mo  Hebodhi Temple! We rushed into the sacred temple with guns and bayonets, and let the blood stain the temple! This is really terrible!" Tu Xingzhe gently patted Song Shen on the shoulder and whispered: "  Boss, think about the dead brothers, Guiying and others in the armory. Why did they fight with those obedient soldiers until their last breath? The people in Mohe Bodhi Temple want to destroy our cause and destroy it.  Guiying and the others are willing to protect the cause with everything, what do you think we should do?" Hearing the name of "Ghosting Shadow" and the armory mentioned by the Earth Walker, the wavering on Song Shen's face disappeared and became cold and cold.  Hard, like steel.  Song Shen nodded gently and said: "You are right, Earth Walker. My life was bought by Ghost Shadow and the others with their own lives. I can't stop here, even if my father's grave is in the way."  They must be leveled in front of me!" At this point, he turned around and ordered to the officers in front of him: "Give the order and immediately ask the Mohe Bodhi Temple to open the door and hand over Master Samantabhadra and his disciples.  Come. If anyone dares to resist, he will be shot. If a soldier disobeys, the squad leader will execute the soldier; if the squad leader disobeys, the platoon leader will execute him; if the platoon leader disobeys, the company commander will shoot the platoon leader; if the company commander disobeys," he said.  Here, Song Shen pulled out a gun from his waist and whispered: "I'll shoot him!" "Yes!" In the Mohe Bodhi Temple, on the surface, it still maintained the tranquility of the past. The monks were still walking and chanting as usual.  Sutra and worship.  The hundreds of years of honor and stability since the temple was built have given the monks enough confidence. No matter how the outside world changes, Mohe Bodhi Temple is still a pure land. No matter who ascends the honorable throne, they can't do without Buddhism.  The protection of the Buddha, the Dharma is the king's Dharma, no one dares, and no one can break the tranquility in the temple.  But this time the monks' self-confidence was shattered. The growing noise from the other side of the gate broke everything. More and more monks had to raise their heads from the Buddhist scriptures and looked at them in surprise.  Looking in the direction where the commotion came from.  Who dares to break the taboos of Buddhism and bring the complexity of the world to the holy land named after the place where Buddha Sakyamuni attained enlightenment? Is this still Myanmar known as the "Buddhist Country"?  In the monastery, a wisp of light blue sandalwood flowed out from the mouth of a delicate incense burner and slowly floated upward. More than a dozen monks sat down on the futon, holding their breath and listening to Pu who was leaning on the couch.  Xian preaches scriptures.  This burst of urgent shouting came from the corridor outside the monastery!  "Respect the master, respect the master!" A frightened voice broke the tranquility of the monastery. Puxian frowned slightly and opened his eyes. He saw a young monk standing in front of him with a face full of panic. Puxian  He sighed slightly and asked in a low voice: "What is it that makes you so panicked?" The young monk was still panting. As soon as he entered the room, he felt a dozen dissatisfied eyes focused on him. He knew that  He rushed into a rare lecture meeting, his face suddenly turned red, and his voice immediately dropped an octave.  ¡°Honored Master, what¡¯s wrong is that the thug named Song Shen from the city has led his troops into the temple!¡± ???What?  Called in?  " "This is the Mohe Bodhi Temple, a holy land of Buddhism. How dare he come in with a knife and a gun?  " "It's lawless!  After death, he will definitely be cast into the realm of animals and will never be able to turn around again!  ¡± There was a sudden noise in the room, and almost all the monks who were listening had incredible expressions on their faces. A peasant with a very low status led the troops to break into the Mohe Bodhi Temple. This has happened in the history of hundreds of years.  Although it cannot be said to be unprecedented, it is certainly unprecedented. Even the famous tyrant of the Toungoo Dynasty, Mang Yingli, imposed tyranny internally and even dared to offend the then giant Ming Dynasty externally, but he was still very respectful to the temples in the country.  Not to mention a large temple with a special status like Mohe Bodhi Temple. ¡°Silence!  "Puxian patted the armrest of the couch, and the room suddenly became quiet. He motioned to the young monk who reported the news to sit down, and asked: "There must be a reason why Songcan led the troops into the temple!  Did he say something?  " "Reporting to your respected master, Na Songshen said that there are people in our temple who colluded with the obedient army outside the city, trying to lure the obedient army into the city, and also smuggled weapons in an attempt to harm the rebel army.  So he demanded a search for weapons and the arrest of the monks involved!  " "Bold maniac!  "When a monk heard this, he could no longer suppress the anger in his chest. He jumped up and said loudly in front of Samantabhadra: "Not to mention the profound practice of the monks in Mohe Bodhi Temple, there will never be any collusion with obedient dogs outside the city.  , not to mention smuggling weapons.  Even if there are such scum, according to hundreds of years of practice, if a monk violates the law, the king will forgive it, and the respected master in our temple will deal with it according to the law. This is the right of 'no entry, no entry' in our temple.  , how could he be able to break it with just a small mob?  Master is determined not to agree to this!  " "What senior brother said is true!  Master, please don't agree to that!  " "The poor monk seconded the suggestion!  " Seeing the monks in the room responding one after another, Samantabhadra showed a wry smile on his face. The loudest among the monks listening were those who didn't know about the collusion between Mohe Bodhi Temple and the army outside the city. Those who knew  The person who knew the inside story, and who might even have a pistol in his waist, kept silent, his eyes flashed, and he was obviously feeling guilty. At this time, Puxian only had one thought in his mind: "Who, who on earth revealed this secret to that Song Shen?  Let him knock on the door so quickly!  " "Stay here!  " Samantabhadra raised his right hand slightly, signaling the disciples to stop talking. The monks quickly stopped talking and returned to their futons to sit upright, waiting for the master's speech. "Everyone, Mohe Bodhi Temple is an ancient temple built by the previous king.  The place where Buddhism is devoted to spiritual cultivation must not be polluted by the secular world.  "When Samantabhadra said this, the faces of the monks with erratic eyes showed joy, thinking that Samantabhadra would then express his intention to take a tough stance against Songshen. After all, Myanmar has been a country based on Buddhism for more than a thousand years, and it has no respect for Buddhism.  Faith has long been integrated into life, and respect for monks has been regarded as a matter of course. Those monks are determined not to believe that Song Shen can really use violence to deal with Mohe Bodhi Temple. As long as Samantabhadra can take a tough stance, they will not  Worried. But Samantabhadra then changed the topic: "But now is the end of the world, and Buddhism is declining. We cannot be stubborn and destroy the Mohe Bodhi Temple that the sages passed down to us for our own selfish purposes!"  Someone is coming!  Get my cassock, I'm going to meet that Song Can myself!  " As soon as Samantabhadra finished speaking, the expressions of all the monks in the room changed drastically. Especially those monks who knew the inside story were terrified. Could it be that the respected master had changed his mind again and planned to compromise with Song Shen and hand over his weapons?  Will I be handed over as a scapegoat? I am not as prestigious and famous as Master Samantabhadra. The soldiers' fanatical performance in the square that day is still in front of me. I will not fall into the hands of Song Shen.  What a good ending. But under Puxian's prestige, they could only bow their heads and say yes like other people who didn't know the inside story. After about half a cup of tea, Songshen and his party came to Mohe.  The main building of the Bodhi Temple is in front of you. The general structure of the Bodhi Temple in Namohe is similar to the main temple in Bodh Gaya. The main body is a pyramid-shaped pagoda about 50 meters high. The bottom is a square with a side length of 15 meters, and the upper part is gradually  Shrunken, the top is cylindrical, with a copper spiral dome erected on it. There are four smaller pyramid-shaped towers on the four corners of the first floor and one in front of the east gate of the temple.  There are Buddhist niches on both sides of the stone archway and the main hall of the temple. There are more than 60 2-meter-high stone fence pillars on the other three sides of the temple, covering every floor of the pagoda.  Wind chimes and Buddha statues made of gold, silver or various jewelry were donated to Mohe Bodhi Temple by successive Burmese kings and nobles. When the breeze blows, the tower makes a crisp sound, like the sound of nature.  Seeing such a spectacular sight, the group couldn't help but stop. Many insurgents simply put down their guns, clasped their hands, and paid homage to the magnificent pagoda. "Boss, let's stop here!"  "When the Earth Walker saw that the situation was not good, he hurried?Muttered to Song Shen in a low voice.  "Well, that's all we can do!" Song Shen's eyes swept around. At this time, the surroundings were already filled with monks, probably no less than a thousand in number. Although they did not make any hostile move towards Song Shen and the others, they just kept a low profile.  The chanting continued, but this invisible pressure still made Song Shen and the others feel like they could hardly breathe. Fortunately, the more than 300 people Song Shen brought into the temple were all the most determined insurgents, otherwise they might not have taken action yet.  , most of his men put down their weapons and turned against each other.  The soil traveler quickly raised his right hand and shouted a few words loudly to the rebel soldiers. The soldiers put down their rifles, formed a small square formation, and sat down.  At this time, there was a crowd of people next to the pagoda, as if someone important was coming. As soon as Songshen stood up, a young monk ran over quickly and shouted to him: "Master Samantabhadra is here, please come."  Don¡¯t you get up to greet me?¡±

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises from the Southern Kingdom Chapter 58 Chapter 58: Under the Mohe Bodhi Temple

    A moment later, Samantabhadra was seen walking over surrounded by a group of young monks. Songshen came to greet him, and Earth Walker quickly picked up a pistol and followed him.  After the two sides bowed, Samantabhadra asked: "Mr. Songshen, Mohe Bodhi Temple is a pure land of Buddhism. Why did you lead troops to break in today?" "Master Samantabhadra, I entered the temple today because I received news.  : Someone in Mohe Bodhi Temple colluded with the compliant soldiers outside the city to lure the compliant soldiers into the city and massacre the New Army soldiers. They also secretly transported weapons into the city. They wanted to harm me personally, so I led the troops into the temple! ¡± Pu!  When Xian heard this, he couldn't help but feel a thump in his heart. What Song Shen said at this time was the same as the situation during the secret meeting that day. It was obvious that he had obtained practical information and was not just trying to make excuses. But now he could only grit his teeth and hold on.  Thinking of this, Samantabhadra recited the Buddha's name and said: "Amitabha, the monks in this temple have always understood the Buddha's teachings. They are not doing ordinary things, let alone colluding with the army and smuggling weapons as you said. Mr. Songshen, you still have to do it."  Hurry up and exit the temple. The temple will conduct self-examination for what you said!" Puxian said these words, which has already given Songcan a lot of face. It should be noted that even if the monks in the temple violated the law in Myanmar,  The officials usually hand it over to Mohe Bodhi Temple and let them handle it according to the temple's precepts.  Song Shen looked at Samantabhadra, who was wearing a gorgeous cassock and a solemn appearance. He gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice: "Honored Master, I have solid evidence. There are people in the temple who are smuggling weapons and plotting against evil. There are also people in Bagan who are involved in the conspiracy.  There are a lot of people involved. I must take those involved back for strict interrogation and catch all the evil thieves!" A young monk next to Puxian couldn't bear it anymore and sneered: "Bring the monks back from the temple!  ? Songshen, you are so majestic. It should be noted that even the kings of Myanmar have never brought back the monks of Mohe Bodhi Temple for interrogation. Today you dare to say such things. Please note that this is Mohe Bodhi Temple, not you.  A place to act wild!¡± The young monk¡¯s words were like a spark, igniting the anger of the monks. All the monks pointed at Song Shen and shouted loudly. Song Shen calmed down at this time, and he turned a deaf ear to the monks¡¯ scoldings.  After making a gesture, the soil traveler led the soldiers and pushed the two monks over. The soldiers behind him also carried two wooden boxes and placed them in front of Samantabhadra. When he opened them, he saw that they were full of short guns and yellow bullets.  Songshen pointed to the two monks and the wooden box and said: "Honored Master, when these two monks were handing over weapons to the Shun army outside the city, we caught them, and they both got the loot. They also had the Mohe Bodhi Temple with them.  He also claimed to be a monk in the temple." Puxian looked at the two exhausted monks. It was obvious that they had suffered a lot after being caught by the soldiers, and he couldn't help but feel confused. He had also thought about it before.  The situation may be very bad, but at most it is just a lawsuit. I never expected that Song Shen would be caught and he would get all the stolen goods. These two monks are his disciples. Even if he had the shame to deny it to his face,  There were so many acquaintances nearby who couldn't hide it, let alone these bullets. There was no way he could hide it.  Thinking of this, Puxian could only lower his head and whispered: "Mr. Songshen, yes, these two people are the disciples of the poor monk. However, the poor monk has no idea what they did. It should be their unauthorized actions.  Mohe Bodhi Temple is a pure place of Buddhism, and there are no weapons. These two people have violated the Buddhist rules. The poor monk has kicked them out of the temple and left them at your disposal. The poor monk has nothing to say!"  At the exit, everyone in the venue, including Song Shen and the two disciples, were stunned.  Song Shen was surprised because he did not expect that the other party would put all the blame on these two disciples and completely separate himself from the other monks in the temple; while the two disciples did not expect that the master would buy them so cleanly.  Liliu, the two of them were able to participate in such confidential matters. Naturally, they were quite trusted among Puxian's disciples and were quite shrewd and capable in handling matters.  One of them was so anxious that he pointed at the monks beside Puxian and shouted loudly: "No, no, I contacted the army outside the city, and I did not do it on my own to transport weapons into the city, but because I was respected.  The commander ordered. There are many people involved in the conspiracy. You guys, Powu and Huhun, have a lot of money in your waist, and you still have the pistols I brought back last time. Don¡¯t think about getting rid of yourself! " Everyone immediately followed that!  Looking in the direction of the monk's finger, sure enough, the monks pointed by his finger looked frightened, and subconsciously covered their waists with their hands.  The earth traveler reacted very quickly, snorted coldly, and then led a few soldiers to press towards the monks.  Pu Xian was about to say something when he heard a gunshot. The monk he had just identified covered his chest, shook his body, and fell to the ground motionless.  There was chaos in the square. The gunshot seemed to be a signal, and the gunshots rang out like a barrage of cannons. Some monks and soldiers fell to the ground. People in the square immediately cried for their fathers and mothers and fled in all directions.  Only Puxian stood in the middle, looking numbly at the crowds of people running around and shooting, with a dull expression on his face.?It was like living in another world, turning a blind eye to the fighting and dangers around him. Finally, his good intentions ran out, and a bullet hit him. Puxian's straight body shook a little, and he extended his right hand.  He waved twice, as if trying to catch something, and then fell to the ground, dead.  His gorgeous cassock stood out among the many corpses on the ground.  The moment after the first gunshot was fired, Song Shen was thrown to the ground by Earth Walker.  He only heard the intensive gunshots and the familiar yelling of Tu Walker in his ears. After about two or three minutes, Tu Walker resumed effective command of the soldiers and led the soldiers to cover Songchen Xiang Temple.  He retreated outside and looked at the corpses scattered around the square. Songshen couldn't help but feel a little confused. He never expected that there would be such a result. He actually shot in the Mohe Bodhi Temple, a holy place in the eyes of the Burmese people. Those who he respected in the past  The monks of the gods are actually like noble lords, betraying their companions, killing people and silencing them, acting dirty and shameless, even the Samantabhadra Master is the same. What on earth is going on in this world?  "Boss, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Tu Xingzhe saw Song Shen's face pale and absent-minded, and hurriedly greeted him in a low voice.  "It's nothing, I'm fine!" Song Shen shook his head. After a while, he asked in a low voice: "Trail Walker, I didn't expect these monks to be like this. Today really surprised me!" "Nothing strange.  "Yes!" The soil traveler sneered: "These monks eat whole grains and poop out like ordinary people. Is it different if they wear cassocks? They are different from the nobles."  The only difference for those who have to work for rice is that the nobles put a knife on our necks and robbed us, but they used other methods to coax and deceive us. "After listening to the words of the soil walker, Song!  Shen lowered his head and said nothing. Tu Xingzhe's words made him feel a feeling he had never felt before. Although emotionally he didn't like the other person's evaluation of the monk, but these days' actual experience told him that Tu Xingzhe's words were right.  At least it is consistent with reality to a considerable extent.  The knowledgeable and personable Master Samantabhadra and the extremely vicious and tyrannical King Meng Ji were on the same boat. In other words, they were like demons with several heads in mythology. Master Samantabhadra was the one with the smile.  The head, and King Meng Ji is the one with the big mouth. Although it looks very different, these heads are actually on the same body. They are the source of all the disasters for poor people like them. If they want to live a good life,  In the future, I will have to smash both heads.  "Earthwalker, you are right! They are the same, growing on the same body!" Song Shen said suddenly. He turned around and looked at the man who was a little overwhelmed by his sudden words.  Earth Walker hugged the other person affectionately and said, "Dear brother, thank you for removing the fog from my eyes and letting me see the truth!" Although Earth Walker didn't quite understand the meaning of Song Shen's words, he still  Feeling the other party's warm feelings, he also tightened his arms and reciprocated the other party's warm feelings.  After a moment, the two people let go of their arms, and Tu Xingzhe asked in a low voice: "Where are we going now?" "Let's leave here first and join the main force, and then we are going to leave the city and leave Bagan!" "Leave Bagan?" Tu Xingzhe  The traveler was stunned. He looked back at the soldiers behind him and lowered his voice: "Boss, why are you leaving Bagan City? Are you afraid of those monks? If you leave the city, how can these thousands of people get enough food?  Not to mention the salt and other things, not to mention that the brothers will feel that there is no hope, I am afraid that most of them will disappear in two days! " "You are right, it is true that we will not be able to get enough food if we leave Bagan City."  Song Shen nodded. Just as what the earth traveler said just now, most of Myanmar was still in the Middle Ages at that time. The surplus of agricultural production was very limited. Only a few such as Mandalay, Bagan, and Yangon served as religious and religious institutions.  Only cities that are political and economic centers or important ports have a large amount of surplus food and other materials. If the rebels leave Bagan, they will have neither the money to buy food nor the support of civil institutions along the way, plus the frustration caused by leaving the city.  , will soon be reduced to a bandit group and forced to disintegrate.  When Tu Xingzhe saw that Song Shen did not insist on leaving his opinion, he breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly smiled and said: "Actually, those monks are also good at chanting sutras. The brothers just saw clearly who fired the first shot. They really moved.  I'm not afraid of them anymore!" "Don't say it. It's better to discuss such a big thing next time than to just think about it here!" "That's right!" "That's right!  In front of the old house where we are, there are two to three hundred men standing or sitting in different colors. The only thing these men in different clothes have in common is that they all have a white or red rope tied around their necks.  strips of cloth, which representsThey are all officers and backbones of the insurrectionists.  In the past few days, Song Shen divided the soldiers who participated in the uprising into more than forty squads according to their place of origin. Then, through the recommendation of the squad soldiers, squad leaders and deputy squad leaders were produced, thus establishing a basic command system among the mutinous soldiers.  The first thing he did when he returned from Mohe Bodhi Temple was to summon the captains and vice-captains of all the teams to discuss the next move of the rebels.  Song Shen walked out of the door, and there was a sensation in the crowd. Those sitting on the ground quickly stood up to show respect for the arrival of the leader.  Song Shen's eyes swept over everyone's faces and said: "Brothers, the sentry at the city gate captured two monks from Mohe Bodhi Temple this morning. In their luggage, the sentry found a large number of bullets. After interrogation, these  The two monks confessed that they were ordered by the Samantabhadra of Mohe Bodhi Temple to go outside the city to request the Shun army to enter the city and massacre us. These weapons were given to them by the Shun army to deal with us! "  As soon as the voice fell, the crowd of onlookers immediately began to whisper among themselves. Due to time constraints, only some officers knew the details, and most of the remaining people knew nothing about everything. They heard that the monks who usually believed in the faith actually colluded with the aliens to deal with them.  Most of them forgot about the curse for a while and just stood there dumbfounded!  "In order to confirm that everything was true, I took the two monks to Mohe Bodhi Temple for a confrontation not long ago, but Puxian and other monks in the temple saw what happened and shot at us. We had no choice but to fire back and exit the temple.  "Having said this, Song Shen stepped aside.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 59 Chapter 59: Exit

    The insurgents finally woke up at this time. Several people who participated in the recent gun battle raised their arms and loudly shouted slogans against the temple, while some of the insurgents started arguing loudly with them.  For more than a thousand years, Buddhism has penetrated into the marrow of the Burmese nation and has become an inseparable part of the Burmese people. In the eyes of a considerable number of Burmese people, carrying weapons into a sacred place like Mohe Bodhi Temple is a violation of law, no matter what the reason.  Such blasphemy, let alone shooting inside the temple, is simply unjust.  "Quiet!" Earthwalker took a step forward, shouted loudly, and at the same time pulled out the pistol on his waist and fired a shot into the air.  The sound of gunfire calmed the scene, and he shouted to the insurrectionists with a dark face: "Is it a heinous crime to enter the Mohe Bodhi Temple with weapons? Well, if we didn't go in with weapons today, our eyes will definitely be red now.  If you are pecked by crows, as for you fools, you will be hanged by the Chinese on the big tree on the roadside, just like what Meng Ji did to the elders and village chiefs who couldn't hand over food!  The curses calmed down the insurrectionists, and those who had just cursed the blasphemy lowered their heads in shame.  The Earth Walker snorted coldly, put the pistol back into the holster, and retreated behind Song Shen. Song Shen stepped forward and said loudly: "We are not willing to desecrate the holy place, but this does not mean that we should be at the mercy of those monks.  After all, monks are people who serve gods and Buddhas. They should not interfere too much in secular affairs, let alone collude with the Chinese. Now there are two ways before us: First, occupy the temples in the city and connect them with the city.  Capture the evil monks from the Waishun Army and hold on to Bagan City; second, leave Bagan City as quickly as possible! Now please make a decision!" No one from the rebels responded immediately, they just whispered among themselves.  Song Shen didn't speak, just waited patiently. He had now seen through Chen Zaixing's plan.  The reason why Chen Zaixing told him that the monks and nobles in Bagan asked him to enter the town to suppress the rebels was not because of any good intentions, but because he was trying to use the rebels' swords to uproot the deep-rooted nobles and religious forces in Bagan.  rise, then lead troops into the city, and then suppress the reputation of the riots, eliminate the rebels, and achieve the purpose of controlling Bagan and even the entire Central Myanmar region.  Now that the opponent's intentions are understood, the countermeasures are also very clear - Song Shen has spent time within the Shun Army and knows that with these thousands of unorganized soldiers, it is impossible to resist the well-trained and well-equipped Shun Army.  military.  The only way for the rebels to survive is to voluntarily leave the city of Bagan and go to the countryside where the enemy is weak.  As for the difficulty of being unable to resupply that the Earthwalker had raised before, it could only be solved by dividing the troops. But in order to do so, we must first obtain the sincere support of most of the rebels.  "We should hold on to Bagan City!" one of the rebels shouted loudly: "We have several thousand people, we have enough food and bullets, and the city walls are very strong. If we want to recruit troops, we can have as many people as we need in the city. The maximum number of willing troops is two thousand."  People, as long as a few hundred of them are killed, they will have to retreat!" "Nonsense, when we were in Babu Village, we had tens of thousands of people, but we couldn't defeat the Shun Army, but now we can defeat a few thousand people?  In my opinion, you should leave here right away!¡± ¡°You coward, it¡¯s because of cowards like you that we lost the fight in Babu Village and let the Shun people come here!¡± ¡°Asshole, you dare to call me a coward!  I'll show you who is the real coward today!" Soon the argument turned into personal attacks and even a scuffle. The Earth Walker hurriedly stepped forward to pull him apart before it turned into a fight.  Even so, the person who was pulled away still stared at the other person fiercely, as if that person was his mortal enemy.  "In my opinion, we can't leave!" said a man in his forties, "You have never seen what happened when we attacked Siam. Once the army moved, there would be tens of thousands of civilians transporting food.  The rivers are tightly blocked by boats. Although we don¡¯t have that many people now, there are still more than 3,000 people. We need to load several boats with food every day, as well as salt, shoes, clothes, and livestock feed.  There are some in the warehouse in Bagan City, but once you leave, how much can you take with you? This is a big problem!¡± This middle-aged man¡¯s words were like a bucket of cold water poured on everyone¡¯s heads.  , such a picture appeared in front of everyone's eyes. Thousands of people were walking in the desolate wilderness. Hunger and the scorching sun tortured the people. On both sides of the road where the team passed, emaciated corpses were scattered everywhere.  This situation is all too familiar to them.  Compared with the bullets and cannonballs of the shun army, hunger is a more terrifying enemy, because neither courage nor guns can repel the attack of this invisible enemy.  "Yes, stay in Bagan!" "I also want to stay in Bagan, even if I die, I will be a dead ghost!" People's opinions quickly unified, and the earth traveler said to Song Shen with a happy face: "Boss  , see?Everyone agrees to defend Bagan City!  " Song Shen did not answer the soil walker. He took a step forward and asked the middle-aged man before: "Gray Eyes, you are a veteran. You have fought the most wars among us. What do you think of Bagan City?  Can you hold it?  " Gray eyes scratched the back of the hairless head. He was actually only thirty-six years old, but his wrinkled forehead, sunken cheeks, and slightly stooped back made him look much older than his actual age. Maybe he was.  Because of his mixed race, his eyes showed a unique light gray color, which is why he got this nickname. Facing Song Can's question, his gray eyes answered very cautiously: "Boss, I have never participated in Babu Village.  battle, but judging from the descriptions of the brothers who escaped and the recent battle to attack the dock, it is difficult to resist the Shun army's attack in Bagan.  It is true that the city wall of Bagan is very strong, but the Shun army captured the heavy artillery at the dock.  In a war, there are always more cannons, and the one with the bigger cannons takes advantage!  " When the earthwalker on the side heard this answer, he couldn't help but became anxious. He rushed forward and asked, "Is there no other way?  " "This is not impossible!  The only way is to let the infantry charge, but this will kill many people, and if the enemy has built breastworks and trenches, it will be almost impossible.  To deal with cannons, it¡¯s best to use cannons!  " "We also have cannons here!  " Gray eyes replied with embarrassment: "But our gunners are not good. If you want the cannon to fire accurately, gunners are very important. They have all gone to school and can write and do calculations. Almost all of them are students of aristocrats and church schools.  They all fled after the mutiny!  " "What can we do?  Are you just waiting to be beaten?  "The Earth Walker held his head in despair and squatted down. "Then leave Bagan. If there is not enough food, we will disperse into many small teams, so we don't have to worry about finding food!  Song Shen replied loudly. "Leave Bagan?"  " "Scattered?"  " When the rebels heard this proposal, they couldn't help but whisper among themselves. Everyone had a hesitant look on their face. It's no wonder they gave up the city they had controlled, gave up the warehouses full of food, and spread out.  This is not a good idea. If the speaker is not Song Can, who already has considerable prestige in their hearts, the rebels may have started to make noise. "Yes, Bagan is good, but we cannot hold it. If we continue to stay.  , will become a mouse that falls into an oil bottle and will be eliminated by the Shun people.  The only way to survive is to leave Bagan.  .  " "But after leaving Bagan, where should we go?  "An insurrectionist asked loudly: "Also, if we are divided into small teams, then the strength of each team will be weaker. Wouldn't that weaken our own strength?  " "Let's leave Bagan and go to the countryside, to everyone's hometown!  Songcan replied confidently: "Everyone takes up arms for the poor, for those who are as pitiful as us. When we return to our hometown, we can distribute the land of the nobles and temples to the poor so that they can eat  Grow your own rice and live a happy life.  If we don't spread out, how much area can we control? If we divide into small teams, we can control a large area of ??the countryside and collect enough food and supplies to survive.  Now there is no king's army in Myanmar, only the army of Shunguo. They are strangers and are not familiar with the roads of Myanmar. It is impossible for them to disperse into small groups and pursue us like us.  As long as we occupy all the rural areas and prevent rice from being sent to Mandalay and Bagan, the Shun people will have no food to eat. No matter how many cannons they have, it will be useless!  " "Yes, Leader Song Shen is right!  "An excited insurrectionist echoed: "Let's all go back to our hometowns, kill all those hateful masters and their henchmen, and distribute the land to the poor people in the village. This way there will definitely be more people.  Those who support us are not like staying in Bagan city and having to guard against the constant conspiracies of noble lords and monks!  " "But the Shun people will not just stay in the city and starve. They will come out of the city to grab food. We have few people and few guns, so we will definitely not be able to defeat them!  "Someone asked worriedly. "We can spread out and let the boys shoot at them behind the bushes and in the woods. They are not familiar with the terrain and cannot pursue us; we can also let the villagers block the wells and put the food away.  and salt were hidden, leaving them with nothing to eat and no water to drink, so that they would soon have to return to the city.  ¡± The lively discussion among the rebels soon came to a conclusion. They decided to follow Song Shen¡¯s suggestion: leave Bagan as soon as possible, and divide into dozens of teams according to their respective places of origin, return to their hometowns, and gather the nobles and the temple officials.  The land was distributed to the poor people, and they agreed on secret orders and slogans for liaison, vowing to defeat the invading Shunguo and the British and establish a"A new Myanmar where everyone is fed and warm, and no one is hungry or cold." Just as the rebels made the decision to leave Bagan and return to their hometowns and put it into effect, the British advance detachment commanded by Duncan also left from Yangon  Going north along the Irrawaddy River, we arrived near Bagan. There was another participant in this game that originally involved three parties (Shun army, Burmese nobles and monks, and rebels), and the situation became more complicated.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South, Chapter 60, Chapter 60: Ambush Part 1

    When Duncan crossed the gangplank and stepped onto the land again, he couldn't help but feel slightly dizzy.  This was the result of twelve consecutive days on a rocking ship.  Since there was no stable supply of coal along the way, all the ships of this small expeditionary force did not use steam engines, but relied on weak and unstable winds to sail upstream. Of course, there was a less famous rumor in the army: No.  The real reason for running the steam engine was to save money. The money to buy coal had already been stuffed into the pockets of the governors. The stingy colonial governors would not spend an extra penny on unnecessary things, especially if this penny was not enough.  Most likely put it in your own wallet.  Especially when the soldiers gnawed on hard bread full of maggots and corned beef that was as dry and tasteless as a mummy, they believed this message even more.  As a professional soldier who has been in the colonies for almost twenty years, Duncan has a very clear mind, although he really wants to follow the customs of their great ancestors and chop off the heads of the Shun people who attacked him not long ago and hang them on the eaves.  Let dry beforehand.  War is war. You must put aside your personal feelings, observe and think calmly, and make correct conclusions. Only in this way can you win.  He docked at a river bend twelve kilometers away from Bagan City and asked soldiers to go ashore to build trestles, forts, and military camps.  At the same time, they sent student officers from the Burmese missionary school to collect various intelligence and get as much fresh food as possible. This was very effective in restoring the morale and health of the soldiers under their command.  By the morning of the second day after landing, Duncan had received quite detailed information: the Shun army was still at the dock and had fortified it, and had not occupied Bagan city, the recent disturbances in the city, the incident at Mohe Bodhi Temple, and the rebels  Have left Bagan city.  After half an hour of calm thinking, Duncan came to the conclusion: During this period of time, the Shun Army did not receive a large amount of reinforcements from the country, otherwise they would not still be at the dock outside the city. Although from a military point of view,  Look, Bagan City is not an ideal fortress, but from a political and religious perspective, controlling Bagan City means controlling the entire Central Myanmar. Since the Chinese have put those two fledgling children on the throne, they will never  Will give up halfway and leave it at that.  The constant chaos in the city shows that the local forces in Bagan are still very unstable. What they should do now is to show the presence of the British Empire here and bring as many of them to their side as possible, and at the same time request reinforcements from Yangon.  , prepare for the battle ahead.  And whether it is to test the strength of the Shun army or to show the power of the British Empire, it is necessary to fight a battle first, at least to show its existence.  Thinking of this, Duncan stood up and shouted: "Let Lieutenant Alexander come to me!" Ten minutes later, a young man in his twenties with light yellow hair and blue eyes walked into Duncan's tent.  , the straight military uniforms and beautiful boots formed a sharp contrast with the somewhat messy tent. He saluted Duncan and said: "Major, Lieutenant Alexander reports to you!" "Hello! Do you want whiskey?" Duncan poured it for himself.  A glass of wine, while making a questioning gesture to the young man.  "Thank you!" The young man took the wine glass. Duncan returned to his cot and sat down. He motioned for the other party to sit down as well and said, "Lieutenant, I came to you to ask your company to perform a mission." "I am willing to serve!  Alexander Company is willing to be the first unit to attack Bagan City!" Alexander stood up excitedly, spilling the wine in his glass, and a lot of it fell on his straight pants, immediately showing an ugly wine stain.  .  "Relax, relax! Lieutenant, you are not going to attack Bagan this time, it's just a parade, understand? It's just a military parade!" Duncan smiled and waved his hand, putting the drained wine glass on the coffee table aside.  .  "Military parade? I'm sorry, Major, I don't quite understand what you mean!" Alexander had a confused look on his face.  "Yes, a military parade!" Duncan explained with a smile: "You know, Lieutenant, we only have two battalions here this time, plus a few flat-bottomed gunboats. With this small force, it is impossible to defeat the Shun Army and conquer Burma.  The current situation is that the Shun Army is still staying at our dock and has turned it into a fortress, while the city of Bagan is in chaos. What we should do now is to win over the local Burmese people as much as possible.  Let's come over here, isolate the Shun army, and then kill all these sons of bitches when the follow-up troops arrive! Do you understand?" Alexander asked hesitantly: "Major, I don't understand, win over these Burmese people.  What does it have to do with military parades? " "Lieutenant, you don't understand these monkeys in Southeast Asia!" Duncan said impatiently: "They are cunning and cruel animals. You can only show your strength to make them subdue you.  , they will crawl at your feet. Do you understand? A military parade, let these monkeys see the emperor.How powerful!  " "Yes, Major!  "Alexander nodded. "Then, Lieutenant, let's set off at seven o'clock tomorrow morning. I wish you all the best!  "Duncan stood up, indicating that the meeting was over. "Yes, Major!  "Alexander stood up quickly. He hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "Major, I don't think it's so troublesome. We don't need the support of these Southeast Asian monkeys at all!  " Duncan's face suddenly became stiff: "Lieutenant, you should go back to your company now and think carefully about how to do everything you need to do tomorrow!  " "Yes, Major!  "Alexander stood up straight in a panic, saluted to Duncan, and quickly exited the tent. Duncan looked at the other person's leaving back and cursed in a low voice: "These noble idiots will stay at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy for three years.  , learn how to choose shirts and shine shoes, and then join his regiment as a second lieutenant. In two years, he will be a lieutenant. If he is lucky, he may be faster.  Then the lives of fifty to a hundred good young men were put in the hands of these idiots. This is really a ridiculous thing!  "It turns out that in Britain at that time, because there had not been any major social changes, the military was still very conservative. Officers, especially mid-level and senior officers, were generally a restricted area for nobles. Officers were often promoted not because of their ability, but because of their origin, connections,  Wealth. It was not until 1871 that the decadent military purchase system was abolished. Even so, in the United Kingdom at the end of the 19th century, the aristocrats in the army were far better than the civilians in terms of starting point and promotion speed. The aristocrats in the British army  Officers often did not spend time and energy on studying military skills, but on riding horses, dancing, hunting and other aristocratic luxury life. The next morning, Alexander set off with his company. The British soldiers in this company were dressed in traditional clothes.  Wearing red uniforms, high hats, long boots, and carrying Lee-Enfield rifles, they formed a four-way column and started marching along the road to Bagan City. Lieutenant Alexander rode his beautiful Arabian horse.  In the middle of the team, to be honest, his equestrian skills are quite good. He only needs to occasionally change his body's center of gravity and pinch the horse's belly with his legs, and the Arabian horse will be tame and walking beside the marching team.  At about ten o'clock, the Alexander Company had reached the side road leading to Bagan City. At this time, they were still about six kilometers away from Bagan City. This road was built on the edge of a large rice field, and the rice fields had been harvested on the left side of the road.  It shows a beautiful scenery. A large number of waterbirds are looking for missing ears of grain and small fish in the rice fields. From time to time they make sweet chirping sounds. When someone approaches them, these waterbirds will fly together with a "plop" sound. They have various  The wings of colors are connected together, as if pulling up a colorful curtain. On the right side of the road, there is a large bush, which extends to the foot of the hills further away, where there are tall trees.  There are two trenches for drainage on both sides of the road. When it rains heavily, the rainwater that falls on the road will flow into the trenches and then drain into the rice fields to prevent people from digging the trenches.  The soil was thrown to the side of the ditch, forming small mounds. The small mounds close to the bushes were covered with a small thorny shrub. The locals called this small shrub gorse.  This kind of gorse grows very densely, and the branches are covered with sharp thorns. After a year or two, they will become a natural hedge that even rabbits can't get through. However, their branches, leaves and fruits are very good.  Local farmers like them very much. They plant a lot of gorse on the mounds, which can provide fodder and serve as fences to prevent passing pedestrians and wild animals from damaging their crops. Alexander is sitting on horseback.  He felt a gust of north wind blowing from the dry inland air on his face, which made him feel very uncomfortable. He licked his chapped lips and took out his pocket watch.  Look, he ordered to the old sergeant Gulson beside him: "Rest for fifteen minutes!  " "Yes, Lieutenant, but why not just go a little further ahead and rest?"  Something is too dangerous here!  Gulson replied in a low voice. He is a man in his thirties with a medium build. The hot wind and sun in the subtropics have tanned his skin as dark as the locals. Gulson has served in this battalion for eleven years.  In 2000, he was physically strong and very skilled in military affairs, and enjoyed high prestige among the soldiers. Alexander stood up from his horse and looked around, only to see the bushes not far away blowing regularly in the wind.  Shaking as if nodding his head, there was no trace of human presence. He turned his head and said to Sergeant Gulson: "Don't worry, there is no trace of human presence around here. Our bayonets can repel any enemy!"  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 61 Chapter 61: Ambush

    "Yes, Lieutenant!" Gulson did not insist anymore. He turned around and shouted to the soldiers with a loud voice: "Everyone is here, stop advancing, sit down and rest for fifteen minutes! You can drink water!"  ¡± Following his orders.  Under the command of the non-commissioned officers, the English soldiers in red clothes stopped and sat down to rest on the road.  Gulson then turned around and wanted to help Alexander dismount. Suddenly he heard a gunshot. Alexander's body swayed on the horse and fell down.  The gunshot seemed to be a signal. There was a gunshot in the bushes, and the British soldiers on the road suddenly fell.  A sharp scream came from the crowd.  "Ambushed!" "Damn it!" "Officer! Where is the officer?" Sergeant Gulson rushed to Alexander's horse and helped him up from the ground. He saw a wound on the lieutenant's chest. He hurriedly  Pulling open the red uniform, the blood stains on the white shirt were rapidly expanding.  He quickly tore his shirt and tried to bandage his wound.  "No need to waste time, I'm done!" The severe pain that touched the wound woke Alexander up. He shook his head feebly. Blood was pouring out of his wound, and his rosy cheeks were quickly turning pale.  .  As a veteran, Gulson knew that the lieutenant was right. The bullet should have penetrated his heart. In five minutes, ten minutes at most, the lieutenant would go to see God.  "Command the army in my place! Charge with bayonets! Kill the bastards!" Alexander said the last words feebly, and then passed out.  Gulson stood up, closed the lieutenant's eyes, and shouted loudly: "Children, fix your bayonets, all turn to the right, and charge in a horizontal line!" The old noncommissioned officer's thick voice suddenly restored the British soldiers' composure.  These brave men in red clothes fixed their bayonets and rushed towards the bushes that fired at them.  Because the United Kingdom adopted a volunteer system at that time, unlike other European countries at that time that used a conscription system, although the British Army was small in size at that time, the quality of its soldiers was the highest. Coupled with the determination and tenacity of the British national character, they  They often dare to use two horizontal lines to resist the impact of the opponent's infantry columns and even cavalry.  Because the British Army traditionally wore red uniforms, it was known as the "Thin Red Line" at the time.  Behind the bushes, Song Shen was lying on a mound, observing the battle situation through the gaps in the bushes.  Beside him lay Gray Eyes and Earth Walker.  When they saw that the ambushed British troops quickly launched a bayonet charge towards the insurrectionists behind the bushes, through the gaps in the bushes, a row of shining bayonets could be clearly seen charging towards this side. It was heart-stopping, hidden in the  The insurrectionists in the bushes began to retreat instinctively.  Seeing all this, Song Can shouted: "Let the reserve brothers go up!" "No!" Gray Eyes calmly replied: "There are trenches and bushes, and the British cannot rush through them. After a while, they will  They are about to escape, then let the backup people go up again!" As expected by Gray Eyes, the British soldiers quickly crossed the trench, but the dense bushes blocked their way, and these prickly gorse trees were simply  The natural barbed wire screamed when the British soldiers tried to cross. The British soldiers only had bayonets in their hands, but no tools such as broad-bladed machetes or axes. It was impossible to clear a road enough for them to pass in a short time.  .  The insurgents, who were still a little panicked, saw that the enemy could not cross the bushes, so they shot at the British with confidence.  The exchange of fire between the two sides was very detrimental to the British army. These ambushers generally wore gray or black clothing and hid behind the bushes, making it impossible to separate them from the bushes. The British soldiers wore bright red uniforms, which were very conspicuous;  Moreover, there were no obstacles on the open road, and there were muddy paddy fields behind it. Some British soldiers who ran there and wore high boots immediately got stuck and could not move, becoming easy targets for ambushers.  This one-sided ambush lasted only twenty minutes, and the party that was ambushed abandoned nearly fifty corpses and a large number of weapons and fled.  "Long live!" Seeing the fleeing figures of the British troops, the rebels stood up, waved their weapons, and cheered loudly.  There is no doubt that this was an overwhelming victory. Less than two hundred insurgents ambushed about a hundred British troops and killed fifty of them. The insurgents' losses were only three minor injuries and one serious injury.  We must know that in history, the armies of the Western powers relied on their weapons and organizational advantages to often face enemies that were several times or even dozens of times more powerful, and were still able to achieve overwhelming victories. To win this victory, for the vast majority of uprisings  For readers, it is almost like a dream.  "Gray Eyes! You did a great job, I can't believe this is true!" Song Shen hugged his companion in ecstasy - the real mastermind of this ambush, it was he who was working in the uprising.When leaving Bagan, the outpost discovered the British and quickly chose a favorable terrain to ambush the enemy.  "Chief, we are actually very lucky this time!" Gray Eyes seemed a little uncomfortable with Song Shen's overly affectionate behavior. He gently broke away from Song Shen's embrace, pointed to the battlefield and replied: "The British officer is nothing.  Because of their experience, he did not send out soldiers in front and on both wings of the army, otherwise they would not be ambushed; secondly, they did not understand the terrain in this area, and they did not know how insurmountable bushes like gorse would be after they grew up.  , and don¡¯t understand that the current rice fields are muddy; in the end, they should not launch an attack recklessly, making the soldiers in front of the bushes a living target. They should set fire first. It has been more than a month since the rainy season, and the bushes  The bushes are ready to be ignited. If they do this, we must retreat and be exposed to their guns. " "Then you mean it will be different next time?" Song Shen heard what Gray Eyes said but didn't say it out loud.  the meaning of.  "Yes, boss, if we were on the plains, we would be the losers now. The British would tear us apart with the first impact. My father fought against them during the first Anglo-Burmese War.  , those British people can still form a neat formation even in the hail of bullets, charging towards you with bayonets drawn. They will learn from this lesson next time and send out sentries to familiarize themselves with the local terrain, so I think they should do it as soon as possible.  Clean up the battlefield and get out of here!" "You're right, I'm so lucky to have a smart person like you as a companion!" Song Shen nodded, and then he turned to look at the British soldiers who were busy searching.  The men who took the money and shoes shouted loudly: "Hurry up, let's get out of here as soon as possible!" That night, the British camp.  "What did you say? Lieutenant Alexander's company was ambushed? The lieutenant himself died in the battle, and more than seventy people were lost?" Duncan stood up from his seat angrily, and his green eyes turned dark due to bloodshot eyes.  It was a sign of his rage. "Yes, Major! We were ambushed on the road leading to Bagan City. The enemy hid behind the bushes and opened fire on us. Our terrain was very unfavorable. There was no hiding place on the road. Behind us  It's the harvested rice field. The lieutenant was shot at the beginning. He ordered to attack the enemy in the bushes with his bayonet, but -" Sergeant Gulson, who was standing in front of him, couldn't help but take a step back. He was very worried.  Knowing the temper of this old officer, he was also stuck in his speech.  "But what? Don't tell me that the enemy repelled our bayonet charge?" Duncan waved his hand impatiently.  "But the bushes on the side of the road are very dense and covered with small thorns. Our soldiers can't get past them, and the enemy can hide behind and keep firing at us!" "Damn it!" Duncan yelled angrily.  "Why don't you send outposts at the front and on the wings when you march? Why do you rest in such a terrible place? Why does the lieutenant ride his beautiful Arabian horse? Doesn't he know that this is the fastest way to die?"  Any good enemy shooter would find out where the officer is and shoot his head open?" Duncan's rapid-fire questions made Sergeant Gulson shut up, not knowing how to answer.  Duncan stared at his old subordinate fiercely. After a while, the anger on his face gradually faded.  "Okay, old man, I know it's not your fault. That noble boy who graduated from Sandhurst won't listen to you at all. He is the head of this company!" Duncan shook his head sadly.  Big head with hair: "Gulson, this is our tragedy, power is always in the hands of those who don't know how to apply them, while the experts can only stare from the side. Please forgive me just now  It's not fair to be angry with you! " "No, Major, if you were in my position, you would stick to your opinion, so that seventy good guys wouldn't die on that road!"  Gulson lowered his head in shame. The veteran's usually resolute and solemn face was now full of shame and self-blame: "Lieutenant Alexander has redeemed his mistakes with his life, and I am still alive. Failure requires  Someone is in charge, and I am ready to accept any punishment!" "That's enough, Gulson. Everyone's strength is valuable now, especially veterans like you. The soldiers need you." Duncan patted the other party's shoulder:  "Now tell me, who ambushed you? The Burmese or the Shun people?" "It should be the Burmese!" Gulson thought for a moment and then replied: "If it was the Shun army, their shooting would not be so chaotic.  , and I noticed that they didn't have any artillery, and the soldiers were very poorly dressed. The most important thing is that if I were the commander of the ambushers, I would launch an attack when we finally retreated, so that we could all be wiped out.  be there instead of hiding in the irrigationThe man behind the bushes kept firing cold shots at us!  This doesn't look like an organized army!  " After hearing Gu Ersen's answer, Duncan nodded: "Very good, thank you for your answer. You can go back and rest first!  "As he said that, he stood up. Gulson gave Duncan a military salute, then picked up his hat and put it on, turned around and went out.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 62 Chapter 62: Internal Conflict

    When Gulson walked out and Duncan was the only one left in the tent, Duncan's face became solemn. As a professional officer who has been in Myanmar for many years and personally participated in the construction of the new army, he is one of the very few who can  The Burmese soldiers at that time had an objective and in-depth understanding of Westerners.  Duncan knew very well that the vast majority of Burmese soldiers were farmers before joining the army, and 99% were illiterate. Like most farmers in the world at that time, they were slow, ignorant, short-sighted, undisciplined, and in most cases  Still timid at the time.  The method of turning them into obedient soldiers and forming a unit was the same as King Frederick the Great treated his Prussian soldiers: using strict discipline to restrain them, and then using sticks and whips to eliminate any signs of it.  , giving officers unlimited power, allowing them to treat soldiers like prisoners, until the soldiers become machines without their own minds and thoughts, relying entirely on conditioned reflexes to fight.  Of course, it is impossible to expect that such an army can fight in the form of skirmishers, be able to attack proactively, and be able to repel enemies who attack resolutely with bayonet charges. But at least it can advance in an orderly line and destroy the enemy's organization with violent volleys of guns.  Duncan decided that was enough.  But what made Duncan better than most other colonial officers was that he also recognized another side of the Burmese soldiers. These people were simple and strong, accustomed to the hard life of farmers, with a little grain and salt, plus three pence a month.  They can be satisfied by paying low military salaries; they are familiar with the local geography and climate conditions; they have an instinctive respect for their noble-born officers and are used to obeying orders without compromise; if they are given the opportunity to learn new knowledge, these seemingly  Very stupid people often surprise their arrogant teachers.  Sometimes Duncan feels that most Burmese soldiers are not as stupid as they appear. The main reason why they pretend to be like this is because thousands of years of experience tell them that acting stupid will avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble. Those novel things may  It will bring them some benefits in a short period of time, but in the final analysis, the noble gentlemen will always take away the extra benefits, and the gentlemen will not like farmers who act too "smart".  Then why should I risk being "smart" for that little benefit?  As for the timidity of the soldiers, it was mainly caused by the incredible greed and stupidity of the nobles. They made a mess of the army's logistics and did not even spare the small piece of land in the soldiers' homes.  If taken individually, Burmese soldiers are at least no more timid than soldiers of any nation in the world. This is what they have proven in the first and second Anglo-Burmese wars. In those two wars, the Burmese army  The soldiers showed an amazing spirit of sacrifice. Many calmly faced their inevitable fate and fought until the last moment of their lives.  If this ambush was not an accident, it would not be good news for the invading British troops, because it marked a change in the way the Burmese army fought. Their officers were no longer stupid and greedy.  The aristocratic gentlemen have begun to learn to proactively use all their advantages to fight against the enemy.  After all, no matter how good the equipment of the British Army is and how excellent the officers are, the long distance determines that the British Army will always be a minority in Myanmar. Their resources are extremely limited, and the loss of every bit of personnel and weapons will last for a long time.  It is irreparable in time.  In the process of fighting, Myanmar's mountains, rivers, lakes, and even every tree and every crop will become allies of the Burmese. In such a war of attrition, the cost of the British's final victory is very staggering. Perhaps  Still unacceptable in London.  "So is this just an accident or a representative beginning?" Duncan murmured to himself. He walked back and forth in the tent a few times, and finally stopped: "I should first learn as much as possible about what happened in Bagan City before.  Everything, understand the situation of Shunjun near Bagan, and then make the right decision!" Just as Duncan was thinking about the next step in the tent, Chen Zaixing was also faced with a difficult decision.  What triggered all this was a letter from Mandalay. The content of this letter was very simple. There were only twelve words on it: "The early state power has arrived in Mandalay. I hope you can return soon!" "The early state power has arrived in Mandalay."  Arrive at Mandalay? Didn't I already write to my mentor to delay his journey to the country? Did he enter Myanmar alone? What was the situation in Mandalay before I left?  Why can't Kong Zhang cope with the arrangement? The letter is so simple. Could it be that Kong Zhang has been controlled?" Chen Zaixing sat at the table, with questions popping up in his mind, but he didn't even have an answer.  .  "Resurrection! Resurrection!" Batu's voice came from outside the house. Chen Zaixing hurriedly hid the letter. At this juncture, he did not want to leak the news and cause any mishaps.  At this time, Batu had already walked into the room and shouted: "Resurrection, the British vanguard is here!" "?Chinese?  "Chen Zaixing frowned and stood up. It seems that trouble also likes to gather in groups. "Exactly, according to the news sent by the monastery that surrendered to us, the British are in the river twelve kilometers away from Bagan.  There were about a thousand people on the shore and began to build camps and trestles.  Their gunboats began to patrol the river. I have ordered our three small gunboats not to leave the port casually to avoid conflict with the British. After all, our sailors are not as good as them.  "Speaking of this, Batu's face showed a gloating smile: "Resurrection, let me tell you another good news. Just yesterday, the British patrol was ambushed. I heard that many people died, including the leader.  The officers are dead!  The ambushers stripped all the bodies of the British who were killed. The ambush point was on the road leading to Bagan City. Many locals in Myanmar saw it!  " "Ambush?  Chen Zaixing, who was a little confused, asked: "Who did it?"  Isn¡¯t it our army?  "    "of course not!  Batu replied decisively: "Most of the troops are in the camp, and a small number of troops are also north of Bagan city. How could they ambush them so far south of Bagan."  "At this point, Batu's expression became a little strange: "According to Burmese peasant legends, the people who ambushed the British were local mobs. They set up an ambush beside the road and ambushed about a company of British troops.  More than two-thirds of the enemies were killed!  " "Is it a mistake?  "Chen Zaixing had an incredible look on his face: "How powerful are those mobs?  " "I don't think it's possible either!  Batu nodded and expressed his agreement with Chen Zaixing's view: "This is a field battle, not hiding behind fortifications. If the British launch a hand-to-hand attack, even the Burmese army, which is three times their size, can be easily defeated. The rest is  Chased.  I have sent a few capable soldiers to the battlefield. When they come back, they will understand what is going on!  "    "Um!  "Chen Zaixing nodded instinctively, as if he was distracted. Batu on the side didn't notice, and kept talking excitedly. After a while, he realized that the other party was in a strange state, and asked in a low voice: "Resurrection,  What¡¯s wrong with you?  "    "fine!  Chen Zaixing was stunned, and hurriedly concealed his smile and said: "I just heard you say that the British army was ambushed. I was thinking about what we should do in the next move, but I got distracted. Zhenwu, forgive me!"  " "Resurrection!  Batu's face became solemn: "Since the British have sent troops, there will be a battle sooner or later. There are only more than two thousand people here. How can we defeat it? We should write a letter back to the country and urge Mr. Zao to enter as soon as possible."  Myanmar, let¡¯s all work together and deal with the British first!  " "Brother Zhenwu said it is true!  Chen Zaixing's face remained as usual, but he was secretly angry: "It was obviously you and me who risked our heads to conquer this piece of property, but now you have to hand it over to that early state power. You don't care, but I have worked hard for half my life."  We have already lost it all here, how can we watch it go to waste?  Seeing that Chen Zaixing did not express any objection, Batu immediately showed a smile on his face: "I originally thought that you would object to my doing this. After all, you have paid the most to enter Myanmar this time -" "No need to say more!"  I'm not ignorant!  "Chen Zaixing interrupted Batu: "The situation is critical right now, state affairs are top priority, and I can still distinguish the priorities!  "    "well!  I feel relieved when you say this to Fu Sheng. Together we can make Dashun as stable as a mountain in Myanmar!  "Batu waved his arms excitedly. "Brother Zhenwu said exactly what he said!  Chen Zaixing responded with a smile, but his heart was cold: "It seems that this person is not the same person as me!"  " A while later, Chen Zaixing sat alone in the room, his face as pale as water. He had never felt so isolated and helpless as he did now: there were British forces in front of him, and behind him, there were early state powers who had official positions and seniority far above him to seize power.  , but Batu next to him is not trustworthy. Chen Zaixing simply feels that there are countless pairs of malicious eyes around him, looking at him. As long as he shows a slight flaw, countless enemies will pounce on him and tear him apart.  It felt terrible to be surrounded by powerful enemies but unable to do anything. He suddenly grabbed an ivory pen holder on the table and threw it to the ground. The exquisite pen holder groaned and cracked into a long strip.  Long cracks ¡°What to do?  what to do?  "Chen Zaixing stared at the ivory pen holder on the ground, as if that was the difficulty in front of him. There are too few trustworthy chess pieces in his hand. Is it possible to just watch the foundation he built with great difficulty be married to others?  Clothes? Chen Zaixing shook his head, ¡°Mandalay, I must go back to Mandalay immediately!  Chen Zaixing said to himself: "Yes, there is no point in staying here. That is your battlefield!"  "Chen Zaixing walked out of the house fiercely. As soon as he took a step, he suddenly felt a pain in his foot. When he lowered his head, he saw that it was theThe ivory pen holder had been trampled on by himself. He snorted coldly and used force under his feet to crush the pen holder.  "What? Are you going back to Mandalay immediately after resurrection?" Batu opened his eyes in surprise.  , "That's right! Mr. Zao is a superior appointed by the imperial court. When we arrive in Mandalay, you and I are both members of the Burmese Protector's Office, so we have to pay a visit. If you want to lead troops here, you won't be able to leave. If even I can't leave,  It doesn¡¯t make sense if you don¡¯t go there, right?¡±

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 63 Chapter 63: Internal Conflict

    "That's true!" Batu nodded: "Master Zao is a powerful figure in the Southern Kingdom. He is an elder in Dashun's military circles. I have admired him for a long time, but I really can't leave here! I have to ask Fusheng to do it for me.  Your Excellency, I apologize!" "That's natural!" Chen Zaixing responded with a smile: "It won't be too late. I'll leave in a moment. Lend me the Pharaoh and we can sail up the river quickly.  Some; secondly, let Mr. Zao see the British gunboat we captured, and show off your martial arts in front of the master!" "Okay, Fusheng, you go back and pack your things first, I will let the sailors on the boat prepare it, and have dinner!  Let¡¯s sail!¡± Mandalay, six days ago.  More than three months have passed since the Battle of Babu Village. The city has recovered a lot from the trauma caused by the war. In addition, not long ago, the Shun army went south and killed the puppet king Meng Ji, breaking its hold on Mandalay.  The blockade confirmed the newly enthroned king's right to rule the entire Myanmar, and restored Mandalay's connection with the product-rich Lower Myanmar region. A large amount of food and other materials were re-flowed into Mandalay along the Irrawaddy River.  The beautiful city soon regained its vitality and vitality, and regained its dazzling splendor.  In the palace, Luo Lin and Luo Qin were sitting at the desk, listening to a monk explaining Buddhist scriptures. Luo Qin, who was a little tired of listening, had begun to lose focus. His attention had shifted to the two beautiful tits on the tree outside the window, and he began to be careful.  She moved her butt, trying to sneak away without attracting her sister's attention.  "Brother, what do you want to do?" Luo Qin's actions did not escape his sister's attention.  "Me, me!" Looking at his sister's majestic gaze, Luo Qin felt guilty and replied wisely: "I need to pee!" "Yes!" Luo Lin raised his head and ordered the attendant standing on the left: "Take your majesty down.  It's convenient!" Then she stood up and saluted the monk Heshi who was teaching Buddhist scriptures: "Master, please stop for a moment!" "Yes, Your Majesty!" The monk hurriedly returned the greeting. These days, Mandalay's  It has long been known in the upper class circles that of these two majesties, the eldest princess is strong-willed, intelligent and benevolent. She must not be underestimated just because of her young age.  Luo Lin returned to his seat, gently closed his eyes and rested for a while.  These days, meeting, studying, reading letters, and replying to letters, this series of things has filled her life with almost no gaps. Now her life is not so much that of a young girl, but more like that of a weaver in Manchester.  A female factory worker who works fourteen hours a day almost feels like she is falling apart when she goes to bed every day.  But she did all this willingly. The life of escape made her understand how dangerous the throne is. Since God was destined to wear the crown when she and her brother were born, she should try her best to be a good king.  Just like what is written in the books - kind, brave and wise, he was praised by the people and nobles. After his death, his name was engraved on the pagoda of the temple and has been passed down for thousands of years.  At least he had to hold on until his brother was old enough to wear the crown.  "Then what happens after my brother ascends the throne?" A question suddenly jumped into Luo Lin's mind. She had never thought about this question these days. No, it should be said that she didn't let herself think about this question these days.  As a woman, if she waits until her younger brother reaches the age of sixteen and ascends the throne, the answer will be obvious - choose a good husband and be his good wife, then who should he marry?  Luo Lin immediately felt her cheeks getting hot, and a name almost jumped out of her head. She lowered her head instinctively, as if the person next to her had peeked into the secret of her heart.  The girl's shyness filled her heart with unspeakable joy - he was so wise and strong, better than all others. If he could also respond to her love, how happy he would be!  "Sister, sister, I'm back!" A voice broke Luo Lin's reverie. She opened her eyes in shock, and saw her younger brother Luo Qin standing in front of her, looking at her face curiously, and she couldn't help but feel guilty.  He asked: "You are back, why are you looking at sister like this? Is there anything wrong?" "Sister's face is so red! Could it be that she has a fever?" Luo Lin was a little confused by his younger brother's innocent and concerned words.  She opened her mouth in embarrassment and replied: "No, it should be because I lay down on the table and took a nap just now!" "Oh, that's it!" Luo Qin nodded in understanding,  Then he smiled and said: "Then I'm relieved, but sister, you look so good like this. I've never seen you look so good!" "Don't talk nonsense! What do children know?" Luo Lin quickly interrupted his brother,  On the one hand, he revealed how confused he was at this time.  At this time, there was an announcement from an attendant outside.  "Your Majesty, Dashun's envoy is here to ask for an audience.Waiting here!  " "The envoy of Dashun wants to see you?  Could it be that Mr. Chen is back?  Luo Lin's heart beat several times unsatisfactorily. She could almost feel the blood in her body flowing to her face. She quickly lowered her head to cover it up. She took two deep breaths, raised her head and asked, "Which one is it?"  Sir, please see me?  " "Your Majesty, this is Mr. Liu Zhixing. He said that a new Mr. Zao has arrived in Dashun, and he wants to pay homage to your majesties!  " "Morning sir?  Luo Lin frowned: "Then let them come in!"  " "Yes, Your Majesty, the eldest princess!  "The attendant retreated. Luo Lin stood up with Luo Qin and saluted the monk who was giving the lecture: "Honored Master, I'm sorry, there are envoys from Dashun who want to meet, so today's Buddhist scriptures have to stop here.  !  "The monk hurriedly returned the gift, and then followed the attendants on the side to retreat without mentioning it. Luo Lin then sat down and thought: "Isn't there already Master Chen here?  Why did Dashun send another adult from the country?  " Zao Guoquan followed a palace attendant, half a step behind him, followed closely by his confidants Qu Duan and Liu Zhixing. They were on a long corridor. The floor was made of fine teak wood and was carefully decorated.  It was polished and painted, showing a beautiful yellow-brown color in the sun. He had stayed in Annan for many years and did not wear shoes like Liu Zhixing and Qu Duan. Instead, he wore slippers and bare feet like a Burmese, and the teak floor was familiar.  The smoothness and elasticity spread from the soles of his feet, making Zao Guoquan feel very comfortable. The palace attendant who was leading the way suddenly stopped, pointed to a house in front of him and said with an unskilled smile: "Three adults,  The eldest princess and the king are waiting inside, please come in!  " "Thank you for your guidance!  "Zhao Guoquan replied in proficient Burmese. He looked at the attendant's wide eyes and explained with a smile: "I was born in Annan. I stayed there for many years and can speak Burmese, Vietnamese and Thai.  It¡¯s a multi-ethnic language, so please forgive me if there¡¯s something wrong with what I just said!  " "Don't dare!  "The attendant hurriedly bowed to thank you and said: "Your Burmese is very good, really very good!  " Zao Guoquan laughed and walked towards the house in front. After walking four or five steps, he bowed to Luo Lin and Luo Qin, who were sitting upright, and said loudly: "  Foreign Minister General Guoyi, Tejin, Kaifu Yitong, the School Inspector, the Burmese Protector School Captain, and the Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar¡¯s military forces have paid homage to Your Majesty!  " Behind him, Qu Duan and Liu Zhixing also hurriedly knelt down and reported their names and official positions one by one. "Three adults, please rise!  Give seats to three adults!  "Luo Lin replied, but in her heart she was confused. After this period of study, she also had a preliminary understanding of Dashun's official system. Although she did not know the special Jin, the Kaifu Yitong Third Division, and the School Inspector  I understand too well, and I also know that they should be some honorary titles, without any special power; but General Guo Yi is at least a fourth-level official, and the Colonel Protecting Burma and the Commander-in-Chief of the Burmese Military indicate that this person is the highest representative of Dashun here in Burma.  What about Mr. Chen? Could it be that he is going to be transferred back? Thinking of this, the girl couldn't help but feel a little panic. "So, if the emperor sends such famous officials to the country, we will be able to rest easy!"  Luo Lin replied with a smile, and then she carefully probed: "But since Mr. Zao is here, what use does the original Mr. Chen have?"  " Zao Guoquan smiled slightly but did not answer. Liu Zhixing stood up and replied: "Your Majesty does not know. According to our Dashun official system, Mr. Chen is only the shogunate of the Yunnan and Burma Jiedushi Mansion. Quan knows the Burmese Xiaowei Mansion.  Everything.  Now that the imperial guard appointed by the imperial court has arrived, Mr. Chen's power is naturally relieved. Mr. Zao has the authority to open the government. There are no other appointments for Mr. Chen in the imperial edict. Presumably Mr. Chen is walking under the curtain of Mr. Zao.  .  "    "I see!  "Hearing that Chen Zaixing would not leave Myanmar, Luo Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief and no longer had any interest in the middle-aged man in front of him. After all, this was just a courtesy visit and the two parties were only performing a ceremonial bow.  Just give it up. After a few minutes, Zao Guoquan stood up and left. ¡°Sir, what do you think we should do next?  Qu Duan asked in a low voice in the chair cage on the elephant's back. Zao Guoquan was leaning on the soft cushion, his face as calm as water. After a while, he replied in a low voice: "Let's wait and see what happens!"  " "Sir, we came here lightly this time. Although we seized the opportunity, we have no soldiers after all. In this foreign land, if we have no soldiers, something may happen in a hurry!  "At this time, there were only two people, Qu Duan and Zao Guoquan, in the cage. The mahout was a Burmese who didn't understand Chinese, so Qu Duan didn't have many worries about what he said. "You want to capture the soldiers first?  " "Yes, sir, do you remember what happened when we were in Kunming?  That Mr. Wu puts off and delays everything, obviously to buy time for his disciple. Since you sent someone there??Isn't it just to seize this opportunity by pretending that there is no movement, but traveling lightly into Myanmar?  Now that we have entered Mandalay and met the Burmese King and the eldest princess, the next step is to recruit troops!  " Zao Guoquan smiled and said: "Oh?  Are you trying to press forward step by step?  "The smile on his face is unpredictable. "Yes, everything in the world is like chess. If you don't force others, others will force you after they calm down.  That Chen Zaixing is not a good character either. He is colluding with that Mr. Wu and only thinks about doing things in Myanmar.  In my opinion, if you want to make a career here in Myanmar, you must first put this Chen Zaixing in order!  "There was no one else around at this time, and Qu Duan's face showed a ruthless look, not the pure and honest Confucian scholar he had just been.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 64 Chapter 64: Internal Conflict

    "Forget it, you can take care of him if you want! I'm a little tired, let's sleep for a while!" Zao Guoquan suddenly showed a look of boredom on his face, turned over, and fell asleep with his arms and legs spread out.  Qu Duan looked like he was used to it. He bowed to Zao Guoquan, turned around, shouted twice to his slave, and went down to the elephant.  When Naqu carried the elephant down, Zao Guoquan suddenly turned over and sat up, saying to himself: "Chen Zaixing, Chen Zaixing, judging from what you did before, you are not an ordinary character, but if you are someone who just wants to fight,  This Burma-protecting captain, let Qu Duan take care of you. Anyway, there are many people in the world who want to be officials, and Chen Fusheng is not the least of them! If you are a person, then a certain family will let you go.  What's wrong with the horse?" "Have the people who went to Mr. Liu's house not come back yet?" At this time, Kong Zhang's forehead was already shining with sweat. In Myanmar, which has entered the cool season, this is not enough.  It came out in a hurry.  "Tell me, sir, I'm back and waiting outside the door!" When Kong Zhang heard this answer, he almost jumped up and shouted: "Let him in quickly, hurry up!" "Yes, sir!" After a moment,  A middle-aged man came into the room. Kong Zhang didn't wait for him to kneel down and salute, and shouted hurriedly: "Tell me, what did Mr. Liu reply?"  After the time has passed, I will naturally go back and forth to ask for your forgiveness!" "Liu Zhixing, the thief, was indeed fooled by the resurrection!" Kong Zhang cursed bitterly.  It turned out that since Chen Zaixing went to Bagan, he had followed Chen Zaixing's instructions before leaving to monitor Liu Zhixing. However, as time passed, everything was normal on Liu Zhixing's side, and there was no news about the imminent dispatch of the army from the business travelers from the country.  He gradually became slacker.  Suddenly two days ago, the nail he left with Liu Zhixing suddenly came back with news that a group of people from China came to pay homage to Master Liu. After Master Liu saw the invitation, he immediately stepped back and met the group of people in person, and these people  That night he stayed at Liu Zhixing's house.  Kong Zhang immediately felt something was wrong, and went to see Liu Zhixing in person the next morning, but was rejected. The gatekeeper said that Mr. Liu was not here, and he and yesterday's guests had gone to the palace to see the King of Burma and the eldest princess.  After hearing this, Kong Zhang was already 70 or 80% certain that the person who came was the Mr. Zao from China whom Chen Zaixing mentioned. Otherwise, he would not have left early and late, so he happened to visit the King of Burma on the same day.  After getting the confirmed news from "Nail" at night, Kong Zhang immediately sent an envoy to Bagan City to inform Chen Zaixing of the news. At the same time, he sent someone to invite Liu Zhixing to his house as a guest, hoping to get some more valuable information from the other party.  When the envoy to Bagan set off, Kong Zhang returned to his residence and just sat down. The words Chen Zaixing said to him before leaving suddenly flashed in his mind: ""When I went to Bagan,  Will take away most of Mandalay's loyal troops.  I already have more than a dozen confidants in the newly formed Burmese army. Before I leave, I will leave a secret order to those leaders. If you suddenly arrive that morning, you will let the newly formed Burmese army cause a riot in the city.  , those confidants can take the opportunity to take action and kill him¡ª¡ª" "Ah!  "Thinking of this, Kong Zhang couldn't help but screamed and trembled all over. It seemed that Chen Zaixing's face was full of murderous intent and he was slashing with his palms. When he thought of this, Kong Zhang subconsciously looked towards the bookshelf by the wall.  There was a folded piece of white paper underneath the emerald lion on the third floor, which was the list of military henchmen that Chen Zaixing had written to him when he was leaving. Kong Zhang stood up, walked to the bed, and looked at the emerald lion.  The Emerald Lion stretched out his hand, but his right hand seemed to be carrying an invisible weight. His movements were surprisingly slow, and sweat was pouring from his forehead. "Master Zao is a descendant of the founding lord, a third-grade military attach¨¦.  If he really takes this step, there will be no way out.  " "But if the resurrection is over, those millions of taels of silver will naturally be wasted. Is there any way out?  " Kong Zhang stood in front of the bookshelf, his right hand hanging above the emerald lion. His fingers stretched and contracted, and veins popped up on his forehead, as if he was carrying a heavy load. Suddenly, a voice came from outside: "Master  "The sound woke him up. Kong Zhang quickly stuffed the white paper into his arms and hid it, turned around and shouted loudly: "I'm here, what's going on?  " The attendant who followed Kong Zhang to Burma quickly walked up to Kong Zhang, bowed to him, and said, "Master, someone outside said that he wants to see you?  "    "see me?  "Kong Zhang was stunned when he heard this, and then said angrily: "There is nothing good to see at this juncture, it's gone!  It must have been you who accepted that guy's bag and came to speak for him. I'm going to take care of your skin!  " Seeing this, the follower quickly complained: "Master, the conscience of heaven and earth, if this villain takes a penny of his benefits, let the sky thunder strike him to death, and bury him in this place full of miasma, and be a lonely soul.  Ghost, you are not allowed to return home!  ¡± Kong Zhang and his entourage have gone through many hardships.? I also had some feelings. When I saw him swearing like this, I started to believe it a little bit, but I refused to give in. He snorted coldly and said: "Don't make these oaths about toothache. You must keep your head up."  There is a god. If you talk nonsense, be careful that it will come true for you. Don't blame me for not telling you. You said you didn't take advantage of him. Let me ask you, who is the person who wants to see me outside? Is it a beautiful woman?  You are so easy to get along with." "The master is joking again. The man outside is a middle-aged man in his forties. I think he is also of Chinese origin, so I talked to him in a nice manner. I don't know how powerful he is.  Very, just let me pass it on, the master will not blame me." "A man in his forties, a very imposing man?" Kong Zhang was stunned when he heard this.  There are not many people who meet the above three criteria. They are all Dashun's businessmen in Myanmar. However, these three people have met them before, and they don't speak in such a loud tone.  While he was thinking about it, the attendant suddenly patted his head and said with a smile: "Look at my head. The guy finally said that his surname is Zao and he just came from Dashun!" "My surname is Zao? I just came from Dashun!"  ?" These two sentences were like two muffled thunders hitting Kong Zhang's head, almost knocking him unconscious on the spot.  He grabbed the heel of the attendant's clothes and cursed viciously: "You bitch slave, why didn't you tell me this from the beginning? Do you want to die?" The attendant was so frightened by Kong Zhang's evil image that he stammered: "I,  I just remembered it!" Kong Zhang cursed angrily: "You useless slave." He pushed him aside and rushed towards the courtyard gate. After taking only four or five steps, he turned back.  He turned around and shouted loudly: "Bring me my robe quickly and put it on for me!" Above the main hall, there was a faint fragrance of tea.  Zao Guoquan was sitting at the top, leisurely tasting the fragrant tea in his cup, while Kong Zhang, who was dressed in fine clothes, looked at him nervously, not daring to say a word.  As soon as Zao Guoquan tasted the tea, he suddenly smiled and said: "Well, this tea is good!" As soon as Kong Zhang heard Zao Guoquan's words, he jumped up like a wind-up toy: "Hou Yemi  I like it. I still have some tea. I will send some to my house later for the Marquis to taste! "No need, a certain family is in a good mood today. It is a talent that can produce such a wonderful taste. If you change it,  Life situation, I'm afraid it's far different!  " Zao Guoquan waved his hand, rejected Kong Zhang's solicitude, and said solemnly: "I came to you today to ask you to do something for me!  " Kong Zhang immediately stood up straight, lowered his head and said, "Please give me your instructions!  " Zao Guoquan waved his hand, motioning for him to sit down, and said: "It doesn't have to be so formal. It's a very simple matter. You can give Mr. Chen Zaixing a message and tell him that I, Zao Guoquan, want to meet him face to face and ask him to do it as soon as possible.  Come back to Mandalay.  " "This -" Hearing Zao Guoquan mention Chen Zaixing's name in front of him, Kong Zhang immediately broke out in cold sweat on his forehead. He felt that the white paper in his arms was hot, and his whole body seemed to jump up.  . Before he could tell, Zao Guoquan smiled and said: "Don't think you are just a businessman, and you only have some business dealings with Mr. Chen and have nothing to do with him.  Although some people dare not say that they know everything about your affairs, they still know about four to five points. You can send a letter to him. I, Zao Guoquan, have no ill intentions with him!  " Kong Zhang still wanted to open his mouth to tell the difference, but as soon as he looked up, he saw Zao Guoquan's eyes looking over him. It seemed that it was straight to his heart, and what he wanted to say turned into: "I obey, villain!  "    "Um!  Then I'll look forward to good news!  "Zhao Guoquan stood up with a smile and walked out the door. Kong Zhang hurriedly followed to see them off. When the two of them walked to the door, Zao Guoquan turned around and said with a smile: "That's it. By the way, we still have to wait for today.  Thank you for the great tea!  " "The villain is scared!  "Kong Zhang hurriedly bowed and thanked him. Zao Guoquan smiled slightly, turned around and walked out. When Kong Zhang stood up, the figure of the other party had disappeared among the four or five guards. Only then did Kong Zhang feel that he was carrying  It was cold and soaked with sweat to the touch. "Quick, get ready, sir, I want to go out!"  Kong Zhang turned around and shouted loudly, and the entourage followed him and asked, "Master, where are you going?"  Only after I explain the villain clearly can I be ready!  " "Bagan!  Get ready for the boat, I'm going to Bagan!  "Kong Zhang shouted loudly, walking quickly into the house while talking. "Bagan?  Didn¡¯t the master just send a messenger to Bagan to ask Mr. Chen to come back?  If you also go to Bagan, won't you and Mr. Chen get separated on the road?  "    "Shut up!  "Kong Zhang stopped and cursed sternly: "It doesn't matter if he strays or not, it's good to leave Mandalay anyway. Damn, there is still a place for people to stay here. Maybe someone will shoot him randomly one morning.  I won¡¯t even know if I beat him to death!  "It is already evening on the Irrawaddy River. On the mountains to the west, the setting sun is casting its last ray of light onto the river, dyeing the river intoBrilliant red, exceptionally beautiful.  Chen Zaixing leaned on the railing and stared at the churning water at the stern of the boat. At this time, he seemed exceptionally calm, as if all the troubles he had experienced these days were flowing away like the rolling river.  ¡°Sir, the wind is strong on the river, please come in and rest!¡± The captain walked up behind Chen Zaixing.  Chen Zaixing did not look back. He looked back at the setting sun in the west and whispered: "Let me stay alone outside for a while!"

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 65 Chapter 65: Linjiang Immortal

    "Then let me send you some windproof clothes!" Seeing that Chen Zaixing did not object, the captain turned around and whispered a few instructions to the sailor on the side. After a while, a sailor gave him a woolen coat.  Come over, Chen Zaixing put it on his body, and he immediately felt much more comfortable. He looked at the river and the mountain shadows on both sides of the river that were getting dim under the increasingly faint light, and recited in a low voice: "The rolling Yangtze River flows eastward, and the waves wash away.  All heroes. Whether success or failure is gone, the green mountains are still there. The white-haired fisherman on the river is always happy to see the autumn moon and the spring breeze. Many things in ancient and modern times are all laughed at.  The sound was not loud when he started to raise his head, and became deeper and deeper as it went on. By the end, it was almost as thin as a gossamer and almost inaudible.  It turned out that since he happened to meet Batu escorting the escape team of the Burmese prince and princess, Chen Zaixing had hardly stopped in the past few months. Every minute he was thinking about how to fight with internal and external opponents, even in his sleep.  I often wake up suddenly, tossing and turning, and can't sleep at night.  But this time he returned to Mandalay by boat, which suddenly gave him some free time. After all, sitting on the boat, he knew nothing about the current situation in Mandalay, and even if he wanted to worry about it, he didn't know where to start.  He was originally an intellectual with profound knowledge of traditional Chinese culture. Standing on the bow of the ship, looking at the sunset over the river, he couldn't help but think of the popular song "Linjiang Fairy."  "The Rolling Water of the Yangtze River Passes East".  This poem was originally the opening line of the third paragraph of "Twenty-one Historical Tanci" written by the former dynasty scholar Yang Shen, "Speaking of the Qin and Han Dynasties." Later, when Mao Zonggang and his son commented on "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", they placed it at the beginning of the volume, and it became widely circulated.  This word expresses the emotions of life by narrating the rise and fall of history. It is bold but implicit, high-pitched but deep, which is exactly in line with Chen Zaixing's mood at this time.  Chinese scholars like Chen Zaixing were deeply rooted in Confucian education.  What he pursues all his life is nothing more than the three immortal human beings of "establishing virtue, meritorious service, and establishing reputation."  However, in the late 19th century, China was violently attacked by Western powers. These scholars faced "great changes unseen in three thousand years." The old Confucianism could no longer solve the emerging problems.  How to find new doctrines, or how to improve Confucianism to adapt to the new environment, this is the question facing Chen Zaixing and others.  Faced with this situation, the scholars represented by Chen Zaixing chose various ways out. They ran around shouting during the day, but whenever they dreamed back at midnight and were alone, the traditional Confucianism they had received when they were young would reappear.  Crawled out from the depths of their hearts and tortured them - "A hundred years from now, how will the history books review themselves?" "Right and wrong, success or failure has turned away, the country is still there, and the sunset is red several times!" Chen Zaixing whispered.  What I have done during this period, whether it is success or failure, will be like a handful of loess a hundred years later. The Irrawaddy River is still the Irrawaddy River, the green hills on both sides of the river are still green hills, and the people who live here are still wearing these black cloth-tied heads and bare feet.  Tattooed Burmese.  It's just that in the history books of later generations, his operations are among the countries and he makes profits from them. I'm afraid his reputation will not be much better.  I am afraid that the reputation of the Chen family in Hanjing for more than a hundred years as a "farming and studying heirloom" will be destroyed in my own hands.  Even though Chen Zaixing was ambitious and as bold as a fight, he couldn't help but feel depressed when he thought about the historical writings of later generations.  At this time, a sailor behind him said: "Mr. Chen, dinner is ready. Please come into the cabin to eat!" "Yes!" Chen Zaixing nodded, turned around and walked towards the cabin. At this time, a burst of water came from the starboard side of the ship.  There was a sound, and he turned his head and looked around, only to see a speedboat heading towards him, going down the water. The two boats were facing each other, and the speed of the boat was even more astonishing, like a galloping horse.  "You are sailing so late at night and not stopping at the shore to rest. It seems that you are a busy person like me!" Chen Zaixing thought of this, shook his head, and turned around to walk into the cabin.  Kong Zhang was sitting at the wooden table. There was a fish and a plate of vegetables on the table, and he only moved his chopsticks two or three times.  The entourage on the side looked at Kong Zhang and asked cautiously: "Why did you eat so much today? Is it possible that you are not feeling well somewhere?" "No, I just have no appetite!" Kong Zhang sighed and looked at the entourage.  Looking at the fish and vegetables on the table, he stood up and said, "I'll go to the deck to get some fresh air, and you can eat!" As soon as Kong Zhang walked out of the door, he heard loud chewing and swallowing sounds from inside the cabin.  "This guy is a lucky general. He always has a good appetite!" Kong Zhang smiled bitterly and shook his head. At this time, a fast boat came across the river, and then the lights on the bow could vaguely see that it was a flat-bottomed boat.  At this moment, a thought suddenly flashed through Kong Zhang's mind: "Could it be that Mr. Chen is also on this boat? Didn't those two people go astray?" Then he shook his head and smiled: "How can there be such a coincidence in the world? On the river.  After boarding so many boats, how could it be on that boat? " At noon two days later, the "Pharaoh" was already docked at the dock outside Mandalay. Chen Zaixing came ashore and looked around.  The expected figure of Kong Zhang did not appear, and I couldn't help but feel a thump in my heart.?Isn¡¯t it that the hidden chess move that I stayed in Mandalay has been pulled out?  Chen Zaixing thought for a moment and said in a deep voice: "Come here, prepare your carriage and horses. I want to attack to meet Her Majesty the Princess!" Chen Zaixing leaned on the back of his chair, the bamboo sedan chair under his feet swaying rhythmically, and his heart was equally unhappy.  stable.  It was almost nine days from the time Kong Zhang sent the urgent letter to the time he rushed back to Mandalay. During these nine days, he had no idea what happened to Mandalay and what the situation was.  There is no trace of the trustworthy Kong Zhang. Is it the right choice to rush to the palace now?  "Stay!" Chen Zaixing suddenly stepped on the sedan and shouted loudly. He stuck out his head and said loudly in Burmese to the sedan bearer who turned his head in confusion: "I'm not going to the palace. I'm going to the barracks outside the city immediately!"  The bearer nodded, shouted orders to his companions, sang a rhythmic chant, and walked quickly in the direction of the barracks.  When Chen Zaixing was still half a mile away from the barracks, he got off the sedan, asked the bearers to take off all their clothes, and asked himself and a few guards to change into them. Then he walked towards the gate of the barracks.  When he was about to arrive at the gate of the barracks, two Burmese sentries carrying rifles came up. They took off the rifles from their backs, pulled the bolts menacingly, and shouted loudly as they walked towards Chen Zaixing and his party.  .  "It was your commander who asked us to come here today. He said he had something for us to do!" Chen Zaixing pretended to be serious and shouted in Burmese: "You'd better ask your commander to come here.  Otherwise, he will definitely beat your butts!" The two Burmese sentries looked hesitantly and looked at Chen Zaixing and his party. One of them turned around and walked towards the door hesitantly. After a while, he took another  The Shun Army officer came over. The Shun Army officer was full of doubts. He was still more than ten steps away and asked loudly in Burmese: "Who are you and what do you want from me?" "It's me!" Chen Zaixing whispered in a low voice.  He said: "Bai Doubin, do you still recognize me?" "Master Chen?" Bai Doubin recognized Chen Zaixing, his face changed drastically, and he quickly bowed to him and said, "Master Chen, why are you dressed like this?  What's the matter?" "No need to salute!" Chen Zaixing reached out and grabbed Bai Doubin's right hand to stop him from saluting, and whispered: "I just came back from Bagan. It's not convenient to talk here. Please take me to your place now.  Go to his residence!" Seeing Chen Zaixing's appearance, Bai Doubin guessed a little and hurriedly whispered: "Master Chen, come with me!" Then he turned and walked towards the camp.  After half a cup of tea, Chen Zaixing was already sitting in Bai Doubin's tent. He asked in a deep voice: "Please tell me what has happened in Mandalay these days." "Master Chen, if you talk about Mandalay these days,  What happened in Dele? The biggest thing is that Mr. Zao came from China. I heard that the imperial court has appointed Mr. Zao as the captain of the Burma Guard, and he will be in charge of the military affairs of Myanmar. This is the biggest thing. " "  Well!" Chen Zaixing nodded, but his face was as gloomy as water. He knew what Bai Doubin said more than half a month ago, so he ran to Bagan to take advantage of the early national power to conquer Myanmar.  Everything was done and became a fait accompli, but I didn't expect that the national power would come so quickly this morning, and even his mentor who was holding him back in the country didn't hold him back.  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but feel upset.  "I see, are there any signs of instability in Mandalay City?" "Inside Mandalay City?" Bai Doubin was stunned when he heard this, and after thinking for a moment, he replied: "There are no signs of instability.  Thanks to Mr. Chen and Mr. Ba who pacified the puppet king in Bagan, rice and tribute were shipped in boats. The price of rice and salt in the market, which was still rising, has dropped. Who will rise up to cause trouble?  ? The guns in our hands are not fire sticks!" At this point, Bai Doubin couldn't help but laugh. He felt that Fang Cai's words were indeed good, and he not only expressed his credit, but also patted Chen.  Your flattery really kills two birds with one stone!  Chen Zaixing did not speak, but nodded. Seeing the other party acting like this, Bai Doubin also shut his mouth obediently.  After a while, Chen Zaixing suddenly asked: "Have you had any changes in the army since your Excellency came?" "This?" Bai Doubin was stunned, and his mouth started to moisten.  Seeing the other party's appearance, Chen Zaixing slapped the armrest of the chair fiercely and shouted: "Speak quickly!" Bai Doubin was frightened by this shout and his whole body trembled, and he quickly replied: "Tell me, sir, there was a song two days ago."  Master Duanqu and Master Liu Zhixing came to the camp. Master Naqu claimed to be the counselor of the Lieutenant's Mansion protecting Burma. He was temporarily in charge of military affairs. He brought more than a dozen officers with him and immediately made some personnel changes. Now the camp is like this  Mr. Qu makes the decision. " "Humph!" Chen Zaixing snorted, stood up and walked around the room. Bai Doubin stood there, feeling at a loss.When he was at ease, Chen Zaixing suddenly stopped and asked, "Go and help me find a few people to come to your place. Don't mention my name. Just say that you have taken a fancy to a Burmese woman outside."  I want to invite everyone to have a drink and have some fun!"

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 66 Chapter 66: Strategy

    Bai Doubin nodded quickly and said: "I understand! I will never leak out the fact that the adults are in the villain's tent!" "Well, that's good!" Chen Zaixing nodded and named seven or eight people.  , let Bai Doubin remember them one by one, and then prevented him from going out. After Bai Doubin came out of the tent, Chen Zaixing thought for a moment and hid behind the tent with the accompanying guards.  After about half an hour, Chen Zaixing heard a burst of human voices not far away, which were vaguely the voices of several of his confidants left in the camp. The stone in his heart finally fell to the ground. If this Bai Doubin  I bought it myself when I went out. I'm afraid it wasn't my confidants who came, but a group of Burmese soldiers.  Chen Zaixing turned around and made a gesture to relax his guard to the men behind him who were holding revolvers. He took two steps forward, stretched out his right hand and gently opened the curtain, and looked into the tent.  "Old Bo! You really made a fortune in silence!" A black-faced man said with a smile: "Others say you are honest, but they didn't expect that you quietly found a Burmese girl and asked her to be your mistress.  "Come, come, come! Why don't you come out and give me a toast? Are you still shy?"  If you call us, we won't put in a good word for you!" "That's right, then don't blame us for not being honest." Everyone agreed, and Bai Doubin had a wry smile on his face, and he was shouting.  He explained that all the officers did not listen to him, they just made noises and asked the Burmese girls to come out and have a look. In the midst of the rush, a voice suddenly came out from behind the tent: "There is no Burmese girl, I asked him to invite you here!"  It suddenly became silent. In the stunned eyes of everyone, Chen Zaixing walked in from behind the tent, bowed his hands to everyone, and said with a smile: "Just now, in order to invite you all to come, I asked Bai Doubin to tell a lie.  Please forgive me!" "I don't dare, I see you, sir!" Everyone woke up from a dream and hurriedly bowed down. Chen Zaixing helped everyone up one by one. The smile on his face faded and he suddenly asked: "Do you know why I  Are you coming back from Bagan suddenly?" All the officers looked at each other, and their hearts were clear: "You, Chen Zaixing, won't come back sooner or later, why are you coming back from Bagan at this critical moment?" But he didn't say anything.  As he spoke, Chen Zaixing looked at everyone's expressions and suddenly asked: "Has Mr. Kong in the city come to see you in the past few days?" "No!" "I haven't received any news from Mr. Kong!" Hearing everyone's unanimous answer  , Chen Zaixing frowned. Could it be that Zao Guoquan attacked Kong Zhang first?  But wouldn¡¯t this mean breaking up the relationship first?  After all, his master is still in the position of Yunnan-Burma Jiedushi, is it necessary to break up like this?  Judging from his previous official reputation, Mr. Zao shouldn't be such a domineering person, right?  When the officers saw Chen Zaixing thinking about something, they didn't dare to say anything. They just stood there and waited. After about half a cup of tea, a bold man whispered: "Sir, that Lord Qu Duanqu is in the camp now.  Are you going to see him?" "In the camp?" Chen Zaixing was stunned and immediately understood what the officer meant. He must have brought him here in order to control the new Burmese army.  They placed people in key positions, which naturally harmed the interests of the original officers. Presumably they also wanted Chen Zaixing to drive away these outsiders.  "Forget it, I'll meet Master Qu for a while!" Chen Zaixing immediately made up his mind.  That Mr. Zao was a genuine Burmese Protector Colonel appointed by the imperial court, and was in charge of all Burmese military affairs. As a powerful person who knew all the affairs in Burma, I could not confront him head-on. However, this army was nominally a new army formed by the vassal state.  The relationship between the Burmese Colonel's Mansion and the Kingdom of Burma is still unclear, and many aspects are still undecided. However, I can have a foot in the middle.  "Okay, great. Master Chen is back. We have a backbone!" "Master Chen is back. We must give those northern barbarians some good looks!" When all the officers heard that Chen Zaixing was going to have a meeting, they all geared up.  You have to look good to those foreign officers.  It's true that they traveled hundreds of miles during the rainy season, defeated tens of thousands of mobs, and finally opened up a situation. Suddenly, a dozen guys from China were trying to climb on top of their heads with an inexplicable sign.  Fu, no one would be happy to change. Now that someone is leading them to cause trouble, they are naturally willing.  "Wait!" Chen Zaixing stretched out his hand to stop everyone who was about to leave, and asked: "What do you want to do? Is being a military law child's play?" All the officers were stunned and stared at Chen Zaixing, their eyes full of questions.  Chen Zaixing asked calmly: "The new officers in Quduan must not understand Burmese, right?" "That's natural, these guys are new"It means you can say a few words 'yes', 'no' and so on!  " "In this case, just let the Burmese soldiers below make trouble, and don't come forward yourself. Don't leave a chance for Master Qu to establish his authority!  "    "yes!  "Only then did everyone understand what Chen Zaixing meant, and smiles appeared on all their faces. "Also, this is the royal army of Myanmar after all. We are all just guest officers who temporarily train and command the army for the king of Myanmar.  I'm going to the palace to meet the eldest princess now. You two can connect us and wait until dinner time to make trouble again. Do you understand?  " "It's clear under the mark!  " Palace. " Your Majesty, the lesson for today has been completed. Do you have anything else to ask?  "A monk wearing a red cassock asked respectfully to Luo Lin, who was sitting behind the desk. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the bamboo curtains on the window and shone on Luo Lin's face, which made her skin even more fair, as if she were the most beautiful.  It was like exquisite white porcelain. The monk who had been practicing for many years couldn't help but secretly sigh in his heart for the celestial beauty of Her Majesty. But today Luo Lin was a little strange, just sitting there in a daze, as if he didn't hear the monk's words.  When asking, Luo Qin on the side was already impatient, stretched out his hand to push his sister's arm, and whispered: "Sister, today's class is over!  "    "oh!  Luo Lin finally came to his senses and hurriedly saluted the monk: "Luo Lin, Luo Qin, thank you, Master, for your hard work!"  " When the monk retreated, Luo Qin looked at his sister strangely and said, "Sister, what were you thinking about just now?  I can¡¯t even hear what my revered master is talking to!  " "No, it's nothing!  A thin layer of crimson appeared on Luo Lin's face: "Maybe I'm a little tired. I walked for a while to relax!"  " "It turns out that my sister can also get distracted!  Luo Qin scratched the back of his head, with a pleading look on his face, and asked carefully: "Sister, class is over, can I go play for a while?"  " "Go!  Don't hurt yourself!  "Luo Lin patted his younger brother's shoulder and looked at Luo Qin's running back. Luo Lin's face showed a trace of blush. "Dashun sent Mr. Zao to be the captain of the Burmese Guard. What should Mr. Chen do?  Woolen cloth?  Will he be transferred back to China and given another appointment?  "The girl's heart is full of sorrow. She is well-educated and has been to Dashun. Naturally, she knows that in the eyes of the Chinese, her country is the "Celestial Kingdom", and neighboring countries like Myanmar are just places of smog.  In ancient times, barbarian lands were just harsh places for exiles of prisoners and disgraced officials. In the eyes of Dashun officials, she was just the daughter of a chief of a larger tribe in a barbaric land.  If Mr. Chen returns to China, it would be difficult for him to see him again. "Your Majesty, Mr. Chen, please see me outside the palace!"  " The guard's voice interrupted Luo Lin's thoughts. She could hardly believe her ears and asked in a low voice: "Master Chen, which Master Chen is it?  " "It's Master Chen Zaixing. He said that he had just returned from Bagan and wanted to see His Majesty immediately!  " "Quick, send him in quickly!  " Luo Lin covered his face, completely unaware that his voice was trembling when he just answered. The girl quickly ran to the mirror, and a beautiful girl appeared in the mirror, with bright eyes, crimson cheeks, and snow-white  He bit his lower lip gently with his teeth, his face full of anticipation and uneasiness. "Is this dress of mine too ugly?"  Luo Lin looked at himself in the mirror with some dissatisfaction, stretched out his hand to smooth the wrinkles on the long skirt, and then shook his head: "That's it, there's not enough time!"  " "The foreign minister pays homage to His Majesty the Princess and His Majesty the King!  "Chen Zaixing bowed to Luo Lin and Luo Qin, who were sitting on the throne. "Master Chen, please get up!  Before her sister could speak, Luo Qin said first, "Mr. Chen, my sister missed you very much these days when you went to Bagan. Do you miss your sister?"  " "Luo Qin!  "At this moment, Luo Lin almost wanted to strangle his talkative brother to death and hurriedly drank to stop his nonsense. But deep in the girl's heart, there was still some expectation - how would he answer this question? Chen Zaixingwen  Yan couldn't help but feel a little surprised. He raised his head and began to look at Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess carefully. He was surprised to find that during the time he left, Luo Lin had completed the transformation from a girl to a young girl, just like you window  Like the cuckoos in front of her face, the inconspicuous flower bones last night turned into stunning flowers the next morning. Her cheeks that were slightly baby fat disappeared, and her pair of bright black eyes became even bigger.  Quite a bit, her slender body also has some graceful curves. When the shy girl cast her inquiring eyes towards him, Chen Zaixing's heart couldn't help but beat a few times. "Thank you, Your Majesty, Princess, for your concern."??The foreign minister also misses His Majesty the Princess and the King every day in Bagan!  " "Mr. Chen, thank you for your hard work in Bagan!  "Luo Lin tried her best to answer in a calm tone. When she heard Chen Zaixing's answer, although she understood that the person above him could not give the answer she wanted, she was still slightly disappointed in her heart: "If Mr. Chen can  How nice it would be to replace 'Your Majesty the Princess' with 'Luo Lin' and then remove the four words 'Your Majesty the King'!  " "It is the duty of a foreign minister to be loyal to the state!  "Chen Zaixingqian thanked him and said: "The foreign minister came back from Bagan to meet with your majesties this time, but it was for an important matter, and I asked your majesties to agree to it!  " "Mr. Chen, please speak!  "At this time, Luo Lin had completely controlled her emotions. When she heard Chen Zaixing's words, she couldn't help but have a hunch in her heart. Mr. Chen, who had always been omnipotent, was asking for her help. For all this, she  There was a voice in his heart shouting: "Mr. Chen is asking Luo Lin for help. Luo Lin is finally able to do something for Mr. Chen.  "As for why Chen Zaixing asked for his help and what the specific matter was, Luo Lin didn't know at this time and didn't want to know.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 67 Chapter 67: Enter the Rebellious Soldiers

    "Your Majesty, after the late king was killed by the rebel Meng Ji, the Burmese royal army was captured by the rebels. After our Dashun army defeated Mandalay, for a long-term plan, we transferred capable generals from our army and recruited strong men.  , preparing to rebuild the royal army. By the time the foreign ministers went to Bagan, the royal army had already reached a large scale, with three battalions, nine brigades, twenty-seven posts, and eighty-one teams, with a total of more than 6,000 people and equipment being gradually added!  After the whole territory of Myanmar is wiped out, it can be handed over to the two majesties." Chen Zaixing paused for a moment as he said this: "But a few days ago, the foreign minister suddenly received news in Bagan that someone suddenly claimed to be the Colonel Protecting Myanmar.  Lord Zao's confidants came to the Burmese king's army and appointed and dismissed generals at will, breaking all previous rules. The foreign ministers had to rush back to Mandalay to deal with the matter!  Shocked, after going through the chaos, she was no longer the innocent girl in the palace in the past. She knew that her throne and even her life depended on the swords and guns in the hands of soldiers. When she heard Chen Zaixing say that there had been changes in the army, her whole body  I immediately became nervous.  "Yes, the foreign minister also rushed back from Bagan overnight after receiving the urgent message from Mandalay. He met with the two majesties as soon as he got off the boat, for fear that something would happen and disturb the two majesties!" "I think he is concerned.  Mine, otherwise why would I be working so hard?" Luo Lin couldn't help but feel a sense of sweetness in his heart when he saw Chen Zaixing's dusty appearance. At this time, Luo Qin on the side intervened: "Mr. Chen, since someone is messing around in the army,  Then why don't you just go to the army and arrest that guy?" "This!" Chen Zaixing showed a look of embarrassment on his face: "Your Majesty doesn't know. According to reports from foreign ministers, that guy is in the army.  It is true that Mr. Zao was appointed by Mr. Zao. He must be a newcomer and a little eager for success. After all, the foreign minister is a subordinate of Mr. Zao. It would not be good if he directly complained about his colleagues in front of his superiors!  That's it!" Luo Lin had already heard what Chen Zaixing meant. He must be a confidant of the new Mr. Zao. Even Mr. Chen couldn't speak directly and wanted to convince the new Mr. Zaixing through himself.  Come early sir.  Thinking of this, Luo Lin nodded solemnly and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Chen. I will recruit Mr. Zao into the palace tomorrow and mention this matter to him, do you think so?" "Your Majesty is wise!" Chen Zaixing arrived.  Considering the purpose of his trip, he quickly bowed down and bowed down.  Seeing that Chen Zaixing had a dusty face and looked exhausted, Luo Lin hurriedly said to the attendant on the side: "Mr. Chen, it's been a bumpy journey. Please give me a seat and serve tea!" Chen Zaixing hurriedly thanked him.  The attendant had just brought tea and towels. Before Chen Zaixing could sit firmly, an attendant rushed in from outside and said loudly: "Your Majesty, it's not good. There is loud gunfire in the military camp outside the city. I'm afraid there is a military coup."  " "What?" Luo Lin and Luo Qin were shocked. Luo Qin grabbed his sister's arm, his eyes were already watery, and he was about to cry.  "Oops, that guy must be messing around in the army and disrupting the morale of the army!" Chen Zaixing stood up in excitement, cupped his hands to Luo Lin and Luo Qin, and said: "Your Majesty, please wait a moment, the foreign minister will go immediately  Barracks, let¡¯s see if we can suppress the situation!¡± He turned around and left.  "Mr. Chen, wait a minute!" Chen Zaixing turned around and saw Luo Lin hugging his younger brother Luo Qin, kissing his forehead, and walking towards him, with a look of determination on his face.  "Mr. Chen, I will go to the military camp with you!" "No, your majesty, the eldest princess, you have a body of thousands of gold-" "What's not allowed!" Luo Lin interrupted Chen Zaixing's words. At this time, her white face  A brave light radiated from his cheeks, making people dare not look at him: "What happened was the Burmese royal army, and it is my family's business. How can it be that there is something going on in my family, and you, an outsider, should come forward, while I hide aside?" Chen  Sir, there is no need to say more, here you go! Prepare the ceremony, I want to go to the military camp with Mr. Chen!" Chen Zaixing looked at Luo Lin's somewhat frail back, as if he was meeting the girl in front of him for the first time.  "Have I always underestimated these two siblings?" Chen Zaixing thought to himself. At this moment, he suddenly felt that letting Batu kill Maung Ook was a very wise choice. Otherwise, the two siblings would have someone they could trust.  Heavy people may not be able to control them when they return to Myanmar.  "Mr. Chen! Get ready, let's go!" After giving the order, Luo Lin turned around and smiled at Chen Zaixing. Perhaps because she was too excited just now, a blush appeared on her fair cheeks, and even more  She looked exceptionally beautiful. Even if Chen Zaixing had other thoughts at this time, he couldn't help but secretly admire that the eldest princess was indeed an outstanding beauty.  "In this case, the foreign minister has no choice but to go with your majesty!" Chen Zaixing had already considered the pros and cons at this time. In fact, it would be good for Luo Lin to go with him. At least with this big flag, he would be able to defeat Qu Duan.  They eat together to death, after all, this is Myanmar, no matter whatDashun, the king and the eldest princess are the real masters here. Even the morning captain can only obey orders on the surface.  The Burmese army camp outside the city was already in chaos. Groups of Burmese soldiers surrounded the general arsenal, shouting loudly and waving sticks and stones in their hands. In comparison, the entrance to the arsenal was  The number of officers and soldiers was much smaller. They fearfully held rifles and pistols to intimidate the approaching rebels. Some even fired guns into the air from time to time to intimidate those who came too close. But as time passed,  The mood of the rebels became more and more agitated, and a bloody conflict was about to happen.  The arsenal was already a mess. Qu Duan, who had been appointed as a judge and coach, was like an ant on a hot pot. Sweat was pouring from his forehead while sitting in front of the desk. He brought more than a dozen people to the side.  The officers were already very anxious and noisy, but the other military officers who were serving as coaches stood around in groups and looked at them coldly. The atmosphere was very strange.  "Lord Qu, the situation is critical now. There are more than two thousand rebels outside, and the number is still increasing. We only have two or three hundred people. We are very outnumbered. Once they rush in, we will be destroyed. The only solution now is to let us protect them.  I'll wait for you to rush out and make your own decision!" "Fuck you, what's your bad idea? The firearms of thousands of Burmese soldiers in the camp are in this arsenal. If the rebels outside have guns, what's the point?  You're going to be shaken! Your Majesty's troops are still in Yunnan. It will take at least ten days and a half to arrive. What are you going to do with these Burmese soldiers?" "Then bring Mr. Ba back. I don't believe that.  There are more than two thousand soldiers on the side who can't defeat these Burmese soldiers? "What if I don't want to do it? What if the British come over and blame me?" "It won't work either way.  , what do you think we should do? Just stay here and wait for death. There are thousands of rebels outside! " "That's enough, you guys, shut up!" Qu Duan suddenly roared.  The confidant officer immediately shut up and stood there in silence.  His eyes swept across the arsenal, and other Jun officers and soldiers stood up one by one.  Qu Duan suddenly pointed at an officer of the Shun Army not far away and asked: "You, what do you think we should do now?" The officer lowered his head in astonishment and stammered: "I don't know.  , Just listen to your fate!" "Well, what about you?" Qu Duan pointed at the other person next to him.  "I don't know what the bid is, I don't know!" The man also lowered his head.  "You?" "I don't know!" The fingers of Qu Duan seemed to have a strange magic. Every time they pointed at someone, that person quickly shook his head and lowered his head.  Seeing that no one could help him solve his problems, Qu Duan only felt a pain in his chest. How could things become like this?  "Come here, prepare your firearms and escort me out!" Qu Duan suddenly ordered.  "Yes, sir!" The confidant officer on the side quickly stood up straight, then came to his senses and asked in a low voice: "What should we do with so many firearms and gunpowder in the arsenal? What a big deal it is for the rebels to have these!" "  Leave the fuse for twenty minutes, we will blow it up after we rush out, and we will not leave it behind for the rebels!" Qu Duan ordered fiercely, he already wanted to kill these Burmese soldiers who had forced him to this point.  All of them had their skin and bones fried.  "Yes! Sir!" The officer was frightened by the ferocious look on Qu Duan's face and quickly raised his hands in salute.  He was about to turn around and execute the order when he heard someone in the arsenal shouting: "No!" "Who, who said no?" At this time, Qu Duan was like an angry cat, shouting angrily.  , at the same time, his eyes scanned the crowd in the arsenal, looking for the person who just spoke against him.  "It's me! This is a random act, I don't think so!" An officer came out.  "Bai Doubin, do you dare to disobey?" Qu Duan's thin lips were almost broken by his own anger: "Whoever comes, take them down quickly. Anyone who disobeys in front of the battle will be shot on the spot!" "Who dares to come?  ! Your grandfather's gun doesn't have eyes!" Several Jun army officers beside Bai Doubin pulled out their pistols from their waists and pointed them at several of Qu Duan's cronies who wanted to come forward. Those people also quickly drew out their guns.  There was a sudden intimidation and the sound of bullets being loaded in the arsenal, and a fire was about to break out.  "Don't mess around!" Bai Doubin signaled his companions to calm down and said loudly: "Master Qu, it's not that I want to disobey the order, but that you are clearly messing with the order. The weapons in the arsenal belong to the Myanmar New Army, and the soldiers outside  We are also members of the new army of Myanmar. We are just guest ministers training the new army for your majesties. Although Myanmar is our Dashun vassal country, we can't act recklessly here.As people say, the arsenal was blown up. Your two majesties reported it to the Han Dynasty and the court blamed it. Can you bear the responsibility?  " Qu Duan's face looked a little better, and he said coldly: "Humph!  There are rioters outside. If there are guns, they will hurt your majesties. I destroyed the weapons to protect your majesties. It is a merit and no fault. How can your majesties blame us?  Go get ready and don¡¯t say anything!  "

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 68 Chapter 68: The Rebellion of the Soldiers

    However, Bai Doubin still did not move and said loudly: "Master Qu, from what I see, it is better not to burn down the arsenal in such a hurry. After all, people cannot be resurrected after death! At this time, someone should be sent to inform the two majesties in the city to appease them.  The soldiers outside are the best. After all, they were all good and tame before! " "Huh? So you mean that this mutiny was caused by my failure to control it properly? " Qu Duan's eyebrows are immediately in danger.  Wrinkled.  Bai Doubin smiled slightly, stopped answering, and simply acquiesced.  The atmosphere in the arsenal became dangerous, and other officers also heard the flavor of the conversation between the two.  Qu Duan and Liu Zhixing came to the army a few days ago, and they immediately adjusted the personnel in the army, placed their confidants in important positions, and tried every means to seize power in their own hands.  These new officers did not understand the local situation and did not even speak Burmese. However, they were arrogant in front of the original officers. Naturally, the old officers had conflicts with them.  Bai Doubin also contacted many people before the incident. At this time, other officers naturally stood aside and said nothing.  "Bai Doubin, you are committing the following crime!" Qu Duan shouted sternly: "Come here, shoot this guy down and lock him up. When he gets out, I will report it to your lord tomorrow morning so that he can be dealt with harshly!"  At the sound of shouting, two of his confidants pounced on him. As soon as he took two steps, a few arms stretched out from the side, grabbed him, unloaded his gun, and kicked him back.  The person on the other side immediately yelled and cursed, and the two sides faced off with guns raised, and a fight was about to begin.  Bai Doubin stretched out his hand to signal his companions to put down their guns, and said with a smile: "Master Qu, now we are grasshoppers on the same line. If there is a fight inside and the rebels outside rush in, we will all be finished together. Look, everyone  Why don't we put down our guns together first?" Qu Duan looked at the smiling face of Bai Doubin opposite him, then looked at the cold faces of the officers around him, compared the strength of both sides, snorted coldly, and signaled to his confidants on both sides to do the same.  Putting down the gun, he said in a cold voice: "Bai Doubin, what do you think we should do now?" "Master Qu!" Bai Doubin replied very respectfully: "How can I know what to do, but this place is not far from Mandalay.  The sound of gunfire can also be heard in the city. Lord Liu Zhixing, Lord Zao, and the two His Majesties should all know the situation now. Those of us who are subordinates only need to guard the arsenal and prevent the situation from happening.  Just expand it, so why do we need to do so much?" As soon as Bai Doubin said this, everyone couldn't help but nod secretly, no matter which side they were from.  As the saying goes, "Do more and make fewer mistakes, do less and make fewer mistakes, and do not do better!" This is true in officialdom at all times and at home and abroad. They are just small and medium-sized officers who obey orders. Even if there is a problem in the future, they will only make mistakes.  Why should I step forward when it comes to Bao Doubin who made suggestions?  Thinking of this, the atmosphere in the venue also relaxed.  Qu Duan looked around and felt that things were beyond his control. Even if he forced himself to do so, his confidants might not obey his orders, let alone those other people. He couldn't help but feel resentful in his heart.  He is different from those small and medium-sized officers. This incident happened in his own hands. Just as Bai Doubin said just now: "Those Burmese soldiers never got into trouble sooner or later. Why did something happen to you as soon as you took office? Could it be that something happened to you as soon as you took office?"  Isn't it the reason why you were incompetent in doing things?" This accusation of "poor handling and triggering a mutiny" cannot be escaped no matter what. Even if Mr. Zao Guoquan protects him, it will be a big stain on his resume.  .  "Bo Duizheng, I haven't seen you as a person these days in the army! Qu really has those eyes in vain, he deserves to be picked up by an owl!" "Don't dare! I'm just an ordinary military officer.  , Don't do it!" Bai Doubin quickly bowed his head and thanked him. Even so, he still felt Qu Duan's eyes staring at him fiercely, like a knife, and he couldn't help but feel frightened, knowing that the other party already hated him.  If I fall into his hands in the future, even ten lives will go with him.  Qu Duan snorted coldly, and just as he was looking for an opportunity, he managed to dispose of the team in front of him piecemeal.  An officer ran in from outside and shouted with surprise and joy: "It's good now, Her Majesty the Princess and Master Chen are here, the rebels have calmed down!" "Master Chen?" Qu Duan's figure swayed slightly,  He asked in a low voice: "Who is Mr. Chen?" The officer did not sense Qu Duan's mood and replied loudly: "It's Mr. Chen Zaixing. He just came back from Bagan and went to the palace to meet with the two majesties. He happened to encounter this incident.  I came here with Her Majesty the Princess!" When Qu Duan heard that Chen Zaixing was back, he was shocked and angry: "Damn it! Chen Zaixing must have been responsible for this mutiny, and maybe it was him who was responsible for this mutiny.  The informant who stayed in the army, it's a pity that my time was too short, otherwise I should have driven all these remnants out of the army!" He is indeed a talent in internal fighting. He found out the truth with just a few facts and intuition, and gained the arsenal with his own eyes!  Everyone inside had a look of surprise and joy on their faces, knowing that now was not the time to break up with each other.?, with a livid face, he said: "Everyone, quickly go out with a certain family to greet Her Majesty the eldest princess!" Outside the arsenal, Luo Lin sat on the back of a gorgeously decorated white elephant, in front of which were dozens of solemn noble young men in honor guards.  Opening the way, the musicians in the honor guard played solemn music with brass trumpets, announcing the arrival of the king.  When the rebels saw the white elephant representing the Wang family, they stopped sieging the arsenal. Many soldiers put down the stones and sticks in their hands and bent down to worship the white elephant.  On the white elephant, Luo Lin saw people kneeling to him like a wave. Just as he was about to stand up, Chen Zaixing, who was under the elephant's back, whispered: "Your Majesty, as a king, you must have the dignity of a king! These people  It is not you who is kneeling down, but an idol in their minds, and your task is to try your best to play this idol well. This is the king. If you act too close to them, then they will find that you are no different from yourself.  , maybe people will feel close to each other for a while, but in the long run, they will feel resentful!" "I understand, sir!  "Luo Lin nodded and sat firmly on the elephant's back again. He just raised his right hand to give a slight greeting to the people who were kneeling. When the soldiers saw it, they burst into even louder cheers. "Very good!  Chen Zaixing said in a low voice: "That's it. Treat the people like wild beasts, with whips and food, so that you can firmly maintain your position as king!"  " At this time, the white elephant had already entered the military camp. The soldiers spontaneously made way for a road, and people were kneeling beside the road. The soldiers kissed the footprints where the white elephant walked to show their respect and obedience to the royal family. Chen Zaixing walked in  In the procession, I carefully observed the fanatical people on both sides, and couldn't help but think to myself: "How should I implement my plan in this country that worships the king so much?  ¡± Soon, the white elephant had arrived at the door of the arsenal and stopped. The musicians in the honor guard played exciting notes, which meant that the king on the white elephant was about to speak. The crowd quickly calmed down, prostrate on the ground, and waited.  The king's speech: "Soldiers!  I am your master, the eldest princess Du Luolin (Burmese people have no surnames, and they often add "Du" before the names of women with status or old age to show respect)!  I am here today on behalf of my brother, the King, to listen to your requests and bring them back to the ears of the King.  Now, you can state your demands!  " Luo Lin's clear voice spread, and there was silence in the open space at the entrance of the arsenal. The soldiers knelt on the ground in fear, not even daring to breathe. After about five or six minutes, a soldier boldly replied: "  Your Majesty, your Majesty the Princess, we have only one request today. We are soldiers of the King of Myanmar, and we serve the King of Myanmar who is protected by gods and Buddhas, not the Emperor of Shun in the north. Therefore, we ask that we no longer be oppressed by the officials of Shun.  , drive them out of the military camp!  "The soldier's cry immediately aroused a response. This is not surprising. Just like most armies at the end of the 19th century, the methods used by Shun Army officers to train Burmese soldiers were very rough and simple. Sticks, fists and kicks were the  Punitive running and being forced to stand with bricks under the scorching sun were extremely common. What was even worse was that the cultural differences between the two sides and the different social stages they were in deepened the conflicts between the two sides.  Before becoming soldiers, they were the middle class in the city or the children of the bourgeois rich peasants in the countryside. Even those who were from poor backgrounds were left. Since China's domestic commodity economy was much more developed than Myanmar at that time, the people of the Middle Ages  That kind of rural commune has long been disintegrated. Although they are also farmers, China's individual farmers who operate as family units are far more civilized than the farmers in Myanmar who are still in the state of village communes, and it is easier to adapt to the new environment.  It is conceivable that these Burmese soldiers who were farmers not long ago were torn out of their familiar closed environment and suddenly thrown into a new and unfamiliar environment. They were treated roughly and the resentment and fear in their hearts can be imagined.  Knowing. Luo Lin glanced at Chen Zaixing, who was dressed as an entourage, with the corner of his eye. When he saw the other party nodding slightly, he replied loudly: "I can agree to your request, but first you must return to your barracks.  , restore order!  " When the soldiers heard that Her Majesty the Princess agreed to their request, they gave a burst of cheers. The crowd began to move slowly. Chen Zaixing, who was standing in the crowd, couldn't help but nodded secretly. It seemed that everything was moving in the direction he originally planned: First of all  He instigated the Burmese soldiers to rebel, and then took this opportunity to take back the military power from Zao Guoquan's confidant on the grounds that the army was ineffective. Finally, he indirectly controlled the army through the princess so that he could arm-wrestle with that Zao master. This series of schemes  Linking one link after another, hiding oneself behind the scenes, even if the person who had grown up earlier had a high position, he would still have to suffer a loss in this unfamiliar place of Myanmar.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 69 Chapter 69: Changes

    The atmosphere in the arsenal became dangerous, and other officers also heard the flavor of the conversation between the two.  Qu Duan and Liu Zhixing came to the army a few days ago, and they immediately adjusted the personnel in the army, placed their confidants in important positions, and tried every means to seize power in their own hands.  These new officers did not understand the local situation and did not even speak Burmese. However, they were arrogant in front of the original officers. Naturally, the old officers had conflicts with them.  Bai Doubin also contacted many people before the incident. At this time, other officers naturally stood aside and said nothing.  "Bai Doubin, you are committing the following crime!" Qu Duan shouted sternly: "Come here, shoot this guy down and lock him up. When he gets out, I will report it to your lord tomorrow morning so that he can be dealt with harshly!"  At the sound of shouting, two of his confidants pounced on him. As soon as he took two steps, a few arms stretched out from the side, grabbed him, unloaded his gun, and kicked him back.  The person on the other side immediately yelled and cursed, and the two sides faced off with guns raised, and a fight was about to begin.  Bai Doubin stretched out his hand to signal his companions to put down their guns, and said with a smile: "Master Qu, now we are grasshoppers on the same line. If there is a fight inside and the rebels outside rush in, we will all be finished together. Look, everyone  Why don't we put down our guns together first?" Qu Duan looked at the smiling face of Bai Doubin opposite him, then looked at the cold faces of the officers around him, compared the strength of both sides, snorted coldly, and signaled to his confidants on both sides to do the same.  Putting down the gun, he said in a cold voice: "Bai Doubin, what do you think we should do now?" "Master Qu!" Bai Doubin replied very respectfully: "How can I know what to do, but this place is not far from Mandalay.  The sound of gunfire can also be heard in the city. Lord Liu Zhixing, Lord Zao, and the two His Majesties should all know the situation now. Those of us who are subordinates only need to guard the arsenal and prevent the situation from happening.  Just expand it, so why do we need to do so much?" As soon as Bai Doubin said this, everyone couldn't help but nod secretly, no matter which side they were from.  As the saying goes, "Do more and make fewer mistakes, do less and make fewer mistakes, and do not do better!" This is true in officialdom at all times and at home and abroad. They are just small and medium-sized officers who obey orders. Even if there is a problem in the future, they will only make mistakes.  Why should I step forward when it comes to Bao Doubin who made suggestions?  Thinking of this, the atmosphere in the venue also relaxed.  Qu Duan looked around and felt that things were beyond his control. Even if he forced himself to do so, his confidants might not obey his orders, let alone those other people. He couldn't help but feel resentful in his heart.  He is different from those small and medium-sized officers. This incident happened in his own hands. Just as Bai Doubin said just now: "Those Burmese soldiers never got into trouble sooner or later. Why did something happen to you as soon as you took office? Could it be that something happened to you as soon as you took office?"  Isn't it the reason why you were incompetent in doing things?" This accusation of "poor handling and triggering a mutiny" cannot be escaped no matter what. Even if Mr. Zao Guoquan protects him, it will be a big stain on his resume.  .  "Bo Duizheng, I haven't seen you as a person these days in the army! Qu really has those eyes in vain, he deserves to be picked up by an owl!" "Don't dare! I'm just an ordinary military officer.  , Don't do it!" Bai Doubin quickly bowed his head and thanked him. Even so, he still felt Qu Duan's eyes staring at him fiercely, like a knife, and he couldn't help but feel frightened, knowing that the other party already hated him.  If I fall into his hands in the future, even ten lives will go with him.  Qu Duan snorted coldly, and just as he was looking for an opportunity, he managed to dispose of the team in front of him piecemeal.  An officer ran in from outside and shouted with surprise and joy: "It's good now, Her Majesty the Princess and Master Chen are here, the rebels have calmed down!" "Master Chen?" Qu Duan's figure swayed slightly,  He asked in a low voice: "Who is Mr. Chen?" The officer did not sense Qu Duan's mood and replied loudly: "It's Mr. Chen Zaixing. He just came back from Bagan and went to the palace to meet with the two majesties. He happened to encounter this incident.  I came here with Her Majesty the Princess!" When Qu Duan heard that Chen Zaixing was back, he was shocked and angry: "Damn it! Chen Zaixing must have been responsible for this mutiny, and maybe it was him who was responsible for this mutiny.  The informant who stayed in the army, it's a pity that my time was too short, otherwise I should have driven all these remnants out of the army!" He is indeed a talent in internal fighting. He found out the truth with just a few facts and intuition, and gained the arsenal with his own eyes!  Everyone inside had a look of surprise and joy on their faces. Knowing that now was not the time to break up with each other, they said with a livid face: "Everyone, quickly go out with a certain family to meet Her Majesty the Eldest Princess!" Outside the arsenal,  Luo Lin sat on the back of a richly decorated white elephant. In front of him were dozens of solemn noble young men leading the way. The musicians in the honor guard used copper horns to play solemn music, announcing the arrival of the king.  When the rebels saw the white elephant representing the Wang family, they stopped sieging the arsenal. Many soldiers put down the stones and sticks in their hands and bent down to worship the white elephant.  On the white elephant, Luo Lin saw waves coming towards him like waves all around.The people who were worshiping were about to stand up when Chen Zaixing, who was standing behind the elephant, whispered: "Your Majesty, as a king, you must have the dignity of a king! The person these people are kneeling to is not you, but an idol in their hearts.  , and your task is to try your best to play this idol, this is the king. If you act too close to them, then they will find that you are no different from yourself. Maybe people will feel close to you temporarily, but in the long run  , but it will produce resentment!¡± ¡°I understand, sir!  "Luo Lin nodded and sat firmly on the elephant's back again. He just raised his right hand to give a slight greeting to the people who were kneeling. When the soldiers saw it, they burst into even louder cheers. "Very good!  Chen Zaixing said in a low voice: "That's it. Treat the people like wild beasts, with whips and food, so that you can firmly maintain your position as king!"  " At this time, the white elephant had already entered the military camp. The soldiers spontaneously made way for a road, and people were kneeling beside the road. The soldiers kissed the footprints where the white elephant walked to show their respect and obedience to the royal family. Chen Zaixing walked in  In the procession, I carefully observed the fanatical people on both sides, and couldn't help but think to myself: "How should I implement my plan in this country that worships the king so much?  ¡± Soon, the white elephant had arrived at the door of the arsenal and stopped. The musicians in the honor guard played exciting notes, which meant that the king on the white elephant was about to speak. The crowd quickly calmed down, prostrate on the ground, and waited.  The king's speech: "Soldiers!  I am your master, the eldest princess Du Luolin (Burmese people have no surnames, and they often add "Du" before the names of women with status or old age to show respect)!  I am here today on behalf of my brother, the King, to listen to your requests and bring them back to the ears of the King.  Now, you can state your demands!  " Luo Lin's clear voice spread, and there was silence in the open space at the entrance of the arsenal. The soldiers knelt on the ground in fear, not even daring to breathe. After about five or six minutes, a soldier boldly replied: "  Your Majesty, your Majesty the Princess, we have only one request today. We are soldiers of the King of Myanmar, and we serve the King of Myanmar who is protected by gods and Buddhas, not the Emperor of Shun in the north. Therefore, we ask that we no longer be oppressed by the officials of Shun.  , drive them out of the military camp!  "The soldier's cry immediately aroused a response. This is not surprising. Just like most armies at the end of the 19th century, the methods used by Shun Army officers to train Burmese soldiers were very rough and simple. Sticks, fists and kicks were the  Punitive running and being forced to stand with bricks under the scorching sun were extremely common. What was even worse was that the cultural differences between the two sides and the different social stages they were in deepened the conflicts between the two sides.  Before becoming soldiers, they were the middle class in the city or the children of the bourgeois rich peasants in the countryside. Even those who were from poor backgrounds were left. Since China's domestic commodity economy was much more developed than Myanmar at that time, the people of the Middle Ages  That kind of rural commune has long been disintegrated. Although they are also farmers, China's individual farmers who operate as family units are far more civilized than the farmers in Myanmar who are still in the state of village communes, and it is easier to adapt to the new environment.  It is conceivable that these Burmese soldiers who were farmers not long ago were torn out of their familiar closed environment and suddenly thrown into a new and unfamiliar environment. They were treated roughly and the resentment and fear in their hearts can be imagined.  Knowing. Luo Lin glanced at Chen Zaixing, who was dressed as an entourage, with the corner of his eye. When he saw the other party nodding slightly, he replied loudly: "I can agree to your request, but first you must return to your barracks.  , restore order!  " When the soldiers heard that Her Majesty the Princess agreed to their request, they gave a burst of cheers. The crowd began to move slowly. Chen Zaixing, who was standing in the crowd, couldn't help but nodded secretly. It seemed that everything was moving in the direction he originally planned: First of all  He instigated the Burmese soldiers to rebel, and then took this opportunity to take back the military power from Zao Guoquan's confidant on the grounds that the army was ineffective. Finally, he indirectly controlled the army through the princess so that he could arm-wrestle with that Zao master. This series of schemes  Link after link, he hid behind his back. Even if the elder had a high position, he would still suffer a loss in this unfamiliar place of Myanmar. Just when Chen Zaixing was secretly proud, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted: "  Everyone, stay here. The officers who injured our brothers are in the weapons depot. We can't let them go so easily. We must drag them out and kill a few of them to vent our hatred!  " As soon as the man finished speaking, there was a chorus of agreement from the crowd. Chen Zaixing's expression changed drastically. He originally just wanted to drive that Qu Duan away. If the trouble really broke out, even those who stayed in the Burmese army would be killed.  All the officers were driven away. How could he control this new army? Just when Chen Zaixing was racking his brains and considering how to control the situation, he heard a roar in his ears. The sound was deep and loud, soaring into the sky.  The noise?They were all suppressed.  "Soldiers! As the regent princess, I cannot allow you to taint yourself with rough behavior. You are soldiers, not thugs. Now I order you to return to your barracks immediately. Order must be restored in the barracks." Luo Lin  The crisp voice echoed over the military camp. Chen Zaixing looked at the beautiful figure on the elephant's back in surprise. It was the first time he saw such rare qualities in this foreign girl - noble yet strong, gentle yet brave.  For a moment, he was not only a little absent-minded.  The soldiers were quiet for a while, and then began to act according to the eldest princess's order. At first, there were two or three, and then more and more people began to walk towards their barracks. It took less than half an hour.  , the originally crowded open space in front of the arsenal became empty again, leaving only abandoned sticks and stones scattered everywhere.  "Foreign Minister Qu Duan pays homage to Her Majesty the Princess!" Qu Duan knelt in front of the white elephant and sang loudly. He was sweating profusely just now in the arsenal. The Burmese Princess finally dispersed the rebels and saved her life.  He lost his life, and now he recited these eulogies with sincerity.  "Lord Qu!" Luo Lin came under Bai Xiang, with a frosty face. She was already fluent in Chinese, and her level improved greatly during her escape. She didn't need an interpreter at this time, and said loudly: "You've done a good job!" "Wai  Minister, foreign minister!" Qu Duan was suffocated by Luo Lin's momentum and was speechless, stammering only a few words in his mouth.  Luo Lin glanced at him with disdain, turned his head, and loudly ordered in Burmese: "Come here, drive this guy out of the military camp. I will go and talk to you sir." After saying this, he flicked his sleeves.  Two Burmese servants stepped forward and twisted Qu Duan's arms and dragged him up. Qu Duan, who still didn't know what was going on, shouted for help, but the original officers had already separated from him, so naturally they would not step forward to help him. There were several  A sharp-eyed person also saw Chen Zaixing standing behind the princess, and understood what was fishy, ??and even pretended not to see it; his dozen or so confidants had just escaped from the rebels, and were still in shock, and they did not dare to step forward to cause trouble.  Duan was dragged aside like this.  After Qu Duan was dragged away, Luo Lin said to the remaining officers of the Shun army: "Dear instructors, you have made great contributions to the reorganization of the new army these days. But you have also seen what happened just now. There is a language barrier between Shun and Myanmar.  , have different cultures, and if you are not careful, big troubles will occur. If I come later today, it will cause a catastrophe. In my opinion, the new army must send someone who is familiar with Myanmar's internal situation to take charge.  What do you think, chief assistants and adjutants who are familiar with military affairs? "What else can the officers say at this time? They can only salute in unison: "Your Majesty, the princess is right!" Luo Lin nodded!  He nodded and said with a smile: "Since you all agree, that's good! I will leave a few capable servants to temporarily maintain the situation in the military camp. You also stay here. After I discuss with the morning captain, I will take the  Come up with a complete solution!" After that, Luo Lin waved his hand, and a dozen servants came out behind him, saluted Luo Lin, and stood aside.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Disposal

    Protecting the Burmese school captain's mansion.  The renovation project of this mansion did not stop during Chen Zaixing's trip to Bagan, and a large part of it was repaired.  After Zhao Guoquan came to Mandalay, he lived in a newly built mansion. There were not many people traveling with him. There were only six or seven scribes in the palace, and more than a hundred guards who were responsible for guarding. They lived in separate houses.  There are wing rooms on both sides of the yard and a yard next door.  He lives in seclusion on weekdays, not going anywhere and not knowing what he is doing.  In the hall, Zao Guoquan crossed his legs leisurely and sat on a chair sipping fragrant tea. Qu Duan knelt beside him and cried loudly: "That eldest princess is so domineering. Although I am just a humble official, I am still a big one after all."  Shun's envoy, she dared to dismiss the villain casually and drive him out of the army. This is not a slap on your face, sir. No, is it a slap on Dashun's face? Sir, you must do it?  You must be fair¡ª" "That's enough!" Zao Guoquan put the tea cup on the table aside: "Get up!" Qu Duan's crying stopped immediately, and he stood up and stood obediently.  Early state power aside.  Zao Guoquan stood up and walked around the room for a few steps. He suddenly stopped and said with a smile: "Chen Fusheng, Chen Fusheng! I didn't expect you had such a trick. Even the eldest princess of the feudal kingdom became a card in your hand."  , Okay! Okay! He is indeed Mr. Wu¡¯s favorite disciple!¡± ¡°Chen Fusheng?¡± Qu Duan was stunned when he heard this. He thought it was Chen Zaixing at first.  Ghost, but later when he saw the mutiny subsided under Luo Lin's comfort, he began to doubt his initial judgment. After all, Chen Zaixing did not get military power, and the scale of the mutiny was too large and involved too many aspects. It was not like  It was the other party's instigation.  "Hmph! Don't you know? Yesterday, a flat-bottomed steam gunboat from Bagan arrived at the pier. Now, apart from the British, there are only three steam gunboats on the river that were captured not long ago, all in Bagan. Do you think there are other steam gunboats besides that guy?  Who can use this ship?" At this time, Zao Guoquan's face was full of sneers: "I bet that this guy is probably next to the eldest princess now. Maybe he has just made up as the princess's attendant.  You are personally conducting the command in the crowd!" "Chen Fusheng! I am incompatible with you!" Hearing this, Qu Duan gritted his teeth, his eyes were bloodshot, and he almost squeezed out the words from his teeth.  "Don't worry, I want to see what he did for in the end?" Zao Guoquan was still calm and composed: "Anyway, he is also the second-ranked man. He was born as a bachelor of Hongwen Hall, and his future was not that good back then.  If you can say no, then don¡¯t do it. Is it possible that I have committed the same old habit again this time, that I don¡¯t love the country and the beauty, so I want to be the husband of the Burmese king?¡± Qu Duan said fiercely: ¡°Humph! As a minister of the imperial court, how dare you collude?  The vassal country has ulterior motives. You must report it to the court and get involved!" "That's it!" Zao Guoquan waved his hand with a smile: "Mr. Qu, haven't you understood the court's intentions?  Chen Fusheng finally managed to create a situation in Burma, but the imperial court issued an edict. Instead of removing the word "quan" from his "authority" to know all affairs in Burma, the imperial court's purpose was to send an immediate superior from thousands of miles away.  It's obviously a strategy of "controlling the big and the small". I am full of resentment even in his position. If I take advantage of him, Mr. Wu will definitely protect this disciple. If the two sides start a lawsuit, they can only  You are following the wishes of the big guys in the cabinet!" Having said this, Zao Guoquan stood up, faced the direction of Hanjing in the northeast, and sighed: "The young master is suspicious of the country, and the ministers in the DPRK have no master.  The high-ranking ministers can only play with these petty tricks!" When Qu Duan heard this, he could only remain silent. In such a power struggle and checks and balances at the top of the imperial court, he could only keep silent.  Now that the emperor is still young and unable to govern personally, the central power of the imperial court is in the hands of the foreign ministers headed by Lin Zhaorong, Bingbi Chengzhi, and the Grand Scholar of Tianyou Palace.  In this case, the central government naturally gave special favor to those ministers who had heavy military strength, wealth and power. Therefore, a few years ago, Zao Quanquan defeated the French invasion at the Annan Protectorate and forced the French to give up central Annan.  Huddled in several southern provinces, he was famous all over the world, but he was promoted and demoted secretly. He was transferred to Hanking and became a salary officer.  This time he was finally released to Myanmar. Naturally, he had to tie an extra rope around his neck to prevent the beast from biting its owner. Chen Zaixing was also the rope. In this case, no matter how early Guoquan intervened,  If Chen Xingxing is reborn, the court will naturally not transfer him away.  "Then what should we do?" Qu Duan asked cautiously.  "What to do? Just do whatever you have to do!" Zao Guoquan said with a smile: "Isn't Chen Zaixing hiding behind the eldest princess? I pretended not to know, but he can't hide from me, his boss, for the rest of his life, right?  !" "Yes, if you want to take something first, you must give it first, sir, you are really smart!" Qu Duan gave him a gentle slap on the butt, and then his expression changed.It became ugly to look at him: "However, my lord, if we just forget about this matter this time, would it be too cheap for Chen Fusheng?" "Of course we can't just forget about it!" Zao Guoquan said with a smile: "Someone, do it for me.  Change your clothes and prepare to enter the palace to apologize to the eldest princess and His Majesty the King!" After giving the order, Zao Guoquan turned to Qu Duan and said with a smile: "Mr. Qu, I have to endure some hardships for you to put on a good show today!  They took a look!" There were crowds of people at the main entrance of the Myanmar Palace. People onlookers were whispering to each other and asking each other what happened.  "What happened at the palace gate? Why are so many people crowded here?" "I heard that it seems that a high official of Shun State is kneeling there to apologize to the eldest princess and His Majesty the King!" "A high official of Shun State?  Are you kneeling there? Asking for forgiveness? What is going on? "Hearing such exciting content, the questioner suddenly became excited.  "It seems that this high-ranking official of Shunguo did not do his job well and caused trouble for the eldest princess and His Majesty the King. Her Majesty the eldest princess took away his official position. After he returned home, he felt ashamed and had no place, so he went shirtless and carried a bundle of bamboo sticks on his back.  , Kneel down in front of the palace gate and ask for your majesty¡¯s forgiveness!¡± ¡°Oh! This high-ranking official of Shunguo is indeed extraordinary. If we are an official from Myanmar, no matter how bad his performance is, he will still feel ashamed.  As long as you become a noble master, you can become an official. I heard that officials in Shun Kingdom are all obtained through examinations. Even if your ancestors are farmers, there seems to be a saying that those who are knowledgeable and capable can become officials.  "What is it like to be a farmer in the morning or climb up in the evening?" At this point, the idle man got stuck and stood there scratching his head and ears, unable to say anything.  "You will be a farmhouse minister in the morning, and you will ascend to the emperor's hall in the evening!" A person next to him who couldn't stand it took over with a smile.  "Yes, yes! That's it, haha! In fact, I have almost figured it out!" The man before laughed twice, but this man was indeed very thick-skinned, and then asked: "Then they can just apologize, why bother?"  Shirtless and carrying a bamboo stick? The weather is not warm anymore, and the wind is quite cold on your body!" The man next to him was very patient and explained loudly: "You don't understand, this is them.  The way people in Shun country plead guilty is to bear a bamboo stick on their backs, and let you beat him with the bamboo stick to show your sincerity in asking for sin and repentance! " "So, that's it?  The Shun people are really full of tricks, and their emotions are full of twists and turns! You know so much, you are really a scholar!" Qu Duan was kneeling on the ground with his back bare, and the sounds of people talking on both sides were heard.  When it reached his ears, even though he didn't understand Burmese and couldn't understand the meaning, he still felt ashamed and wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl in.  But Zao Guoquan, who was standing aside with his hands folded, acted as if the people around him didn't exist. He looked at his nose with his eyes and his heart with his nose.  "Get out of the way, get out of the way, stop looking!" More than a dozen palace attendants walked out of the palace gate and drove away the crowd of onlookers. The leader came to Zao Guoquan, cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Zao  , Why are you doing this? Your Majesty, please come into the palace as soon as possible!" "My subordinates acted shamelessly and ruined your Majesty's important affairs. I am really ashamed!" Zao Guoquan bowed to the leading attendant!  Shili said.  "That doesn't have to be like this!" The leader of the waiters stumbled and said: "Sir, come into the palace quickly, your majesties are waiting for you!" "That's troublesome!" Zao Guoquan turned to Qu Duan behind him and said:  "Why don't you follow me into the palace!" In the palace, Luo Lin and Luo Qin were sitting on thrones side by side. Zao Guoquan brought Qu Duan up to the palace. Qu Duan hurriedly knelt down. Zao Guoquan said to them  He bowed and saluted: "Foreign minister, please see your majesties!" "Your majesties, please rise early!" "Your majesties, my subordinates have acted recklessly and provoked a mutiny. As his superior officer, I also have the responsibility to know people.  For unknown crimes, I will report it to Han Jing tonight. As for this guy, I don¡¯t dare to deal with it at will, so I will bring him here today and ask your Majesty to deal with it.¡± At this point, Zao Guoquan turned around and said:  Qu Duan said coldly: "I still haven't apologized to your majesties!" "The foreign minister deserves to die, please deal with it, your majesty!" Although Luo Lin is talented and has experienced a lot in her life as a fugitive, she is still young after all.  , I have never seen such a battle before, and Luo Qin was even worse. He felt a little pity in his heart when he saw Qu Duan, who was bare back and carrying a bamboo stick, kowtowing and confessing repeatedly.  Luo Lin sighed and said: "My lord, please let Mr. Qu get up. He is also a country without a heart. You can only punish him with two months' salary! Don't make it too difficult for him!" "Elder Princess  Your Majesty is indeed kind!" Zao Guoquan praised him, turned around and shouted: "Why don't you thank your majesties quickly?" After Qu Duan thanked him, he retreated.  Early in the morning Guoquan sat down and said in a deep voice:"Your majesties, the foreign minister would like to say something extravagant. The affairs of the new army are of great importance. You must be careful when choosing people. I wonder who your majesties want to use to take charge of the new army next?" Luo Lin pondered for a moment,  He replied: "General Office, I plan to choose an elder from the royal family. However, there are very few skilled modern military talents in Myanmar, and there are even fewer who are trustworthy, so I plan to ask an assistant from the superiors to help." "The eldest princess's office  That's true!" Zao Guoquan nodded and said with a smile: "This assistant must be carefully selected, but does your Majesty have someone he likes?" When Chen Zaixing, who was hiding in the back of the palace, heard this, he knew something was wrong.  Sure enough, I heard Luo Lin reply: "I think Mr. Chen Zaixing, who used to go to Guoquan to know everything about Burma, is good. I wonder what Mr. Zao thinks?" "The eldest princess really has good eyesight, and Mr. Chen can certainly do it!" Zao Guoquan took charge.  He smiled and said: "But he is still in Bagan to supervise the division. I will send an envoy to Bagan immediately and ask him to come back and take charge of training the new army!" "Bagan?" Luo Lin was stunned for a moment, and then he came to his senses.  Chen Zaixing should have secretly returned to Mandalay secretly. The master in front of him probably didn't know that he was already in Mandalay at this time. He was hesitating whether to tell the truth when he heard Luo Qin's voice beside him:  "Master Zao, don't you know? Mr. Chen came back yesterday and is in the palace now!" As soon as Luo Qin finished speaking, there was a sudden silence in the palace. Zao Guoquan pretended to be surprised and asked: "Your Majesty  , how did you know?" Chen Zaixing, who was at the rear, knew that he could no longer hide, so he had to step out and said politely to Zao Guoquan, "My lord, sir!" "It turns out you are here too, Mr. Chen!"  Guoquan surrendered his hand. He had a surprised expression on his face, but he was happy in his heart. He finally pulled out the guy who was hiding behind the scenes and shooting secret arrows at him. Now both of them are on the bright side.  With his official position as captain of the Burmese Protector and Commander-in-Chief of the military in Burma, the other party could not defeat him no matter what. As for the two siblings sitting at the top now, in the eyes of early Guoquan, they were just two puppets.  Can be ignored.  Zao Guoquan was extremely affectionate. He grabbed Chen Zaixing's right arm after taking a few steps and said with a smile: "Master Chen, I heard about you when I was in Hanking. You have been practicing in Myanmar for many years. Once you make a move, the whole world will be shocked."  , It turns out that he is the Wushuang of the country, he is indeed the famous Wuxu Shi! You and I, brothers, are going to get close to each other later!" Chen Zaixing was about to break free, but he felt that the opponent's right hand was like an iron pincer.  Normally, his arm hurt from pinching him, but he heard Zao Guoquan whisper in his ear: "It's better for you and me to go back to Xiaowei's house and explain things clearly!" Chen Zaixing had no choice but to nod slightly.  Zao Guoquan laughed, let go of his right hand, turned around and cupped his hands to Luo Lin and Luo Qin, who were leading them, and said: "The foreign ministers still have some trivial matters to discuss with Mr. Chen, so I won't disturb your majesties anymore today!"

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South, Chapter 71, Chapter 71: Returning to China

    In the Hu Burian School Lieutenant's Mansion, Zao Guoquan was sitting at the top, and Chen Zaixing was sitting on the right side, both of them holding a tea cup. The difference was that Zao Guoquan was calm and relaxed, and had already replenished tea twice.  ; But Chen Zaixing didn't touch it at all, just sitting there in a daze.  "Mr. Chen, how long are you going to take, why don't you say anything?" The one who spoke was Qu Duan. He had been struggling outside for a long time with his bare back and carrying bamboo sticks on his back today. He even disgraced the eighteenth generation of his ancestors.  Deep down in my heart, I wanted to eat Chen Zaixing's flesh and sleep on his skin. At this moment, seeing the other person sitting there without saying a word, I couldn't bear it anymore.  "It would be wrong to say anything more at this time. Of course I have to keep silent!" "Chen Zaixing!" Qu Duan shouted sharply and rushed to Chen Zaixing. His finger almost poked the other man's face and said sternly: "You think you are pretending to be deaf?  Can a dumb person escape this situation? Tell you, there is no way!" "Qu Duan!" Qu Duan looked back and saw Zao Guoquan's face was watery, and said in a low voice: "Back off!  "Good morning, sir!" Qu Duan had no choice but to bow and retreat.  Zao Guoquan coughed, stood up, walked to Chen Zaixing, and whispered: "Master Chen, there are only you and me in the hall now. What you and I say can only be known by heaven and earth. You know and I know."  I can tell you with confidence that I won¡¯t bother you about what happened yesterday, so you can say it with confidence. ¡°You won¡¯t bother me,¡± Mr. Chen raised his head.  , looked directly at each other, and saw Zao Guoquan with a smile on his face, looking like an honest and trustworthy old farmer.  Chen Zaixing lowered his head again and whispered: "Why is that? You clearly know that I secretly planned what happened yesterday!" "I also know that you don't believe it, but I have something to say here! It's not that I don't care about you,  But I can't help you!" Zao Guoquan returned to his seat with a smile: "The imperial court keeps you here just to let you restrain me. This is called the 'big and small system', between the two of us.  Like two grasshoppers on a thread, neither one can live without the other. Even if I take you down, there might be another person to control me.  It¡¯s even more troublesome. What do you think I¡¯m doing with you?¡± Chen Zaixing is such a smart person. He immediately reacted to Zao Guoquan¡¯s reminder. He looked at the other party with bright eyes and sneered, ¡°Isn¡¯t that why Mr. Zao?  You're such an easy talker, right? Even if you can't help me, you still can't be so lenient to someone who offends you. You can still do it by giving me little shoes to wear and letting me suffer. " "Yes, I wouldn't do it if it were someone else!  Give him a good look!" Zao Guoquan stood up, his eyes shining brightly: "It's just that you are Chen Fusheng. I want to make a career in Myanmar. If I make trouble, I can't do without you, so I treat you like this.  Be patient!" At this point, Zao Guoquan said: "Don't you believe it? Don't you have a confidant here named Kong Zhang?  Shang, it seems that you and him have gone awry!" "Kong Zhang?" Chen Zaixing was stunned, then nodded and said: "Yes, I will send someone to inquire when I get back, and it turns out that he has gone to Bagan.  We missed it on the way!" "That's good! Chen Fusheng, you are also a smart person, and you know the current situation very well. In Myanmar, we both benefit from cooperation, and we are both enemies and friends.  The decision is made!" Chen Zaixing pondered for a moment, stretched out his right hand and high-fived Zao Guoquan and said, "Okay, I will join forces with Mr. Zao to deal with the outside world!" "Bagan, the British army camp.  Duncan sat at the desk, his thick right hand covered with ink stains, and knives, quills, and lead ink bottles scattered on the table.  The commander of the British advance team was writing a letter to the rear in Rangoon.  "Mr. Gillings, as your loyal subordinate and the supreme commander of the advance team, I have to admit to you that the situation in Bagan is very complicated and bad. In the past eight days, we have had seven conflicts with the enemy.  Six officers and forty-five soldiers were lost in the conflict, twelve of them were killed, thirty-four were wounded, and the rest were missing, you know, in this terrible place, almost missing.  and death are synonymous with each other. In addition to the losses suffered by the ambush, our advance team has lost 15% of its personnel forever. This is a very shocking loss. What is more important is that almost all of these losses were caused by the Burmese.  Also, because of the bad surrounding conditions, I had to reduce the scope of the patrol and increase the size of the patrol team, which made it difficult for the soldiers to get enough fresh vegetables and meat. I couldn't let the boys just  Many soldiers who relied on corned beef and hard biscuits had begun to have bleeding gums and swollen feet. If the situation did not improve, without Chinese bullets, the epidemic would eat us all.  I asked for a lot of citrus to improve the health of my soldiers, as well as reinforcements equipped with heavy artillery and gunboats.?We can capture the Chinese barracks that has been turned into a fortress. Their damn fort is in a very favorable position and can straf most of the river. Under the cover of this fort, their gunboats appear on the river from time to time to attack our supplies.  fleet, and the Chinese can also obtain sufficient supplies from the rear through water transportation without any hindrance. It is impossible to attack this fort from the water.  We need to tighten the siege of the barracks from both land and water, then use zigzag trenches to approach the barracks, and finally use large-caliber mortars to open the gap, while launching shelling from the waterway, and finally occupy or destroy the fort.  The above are my requests, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.  Your faithful Duncan.     wish all the best!  " Duncan carefully folded the letter paper, put it in the envelope, sealed it with melted wax, pressed it hard with his seal, and shouted outside the tent: "Old Jack, please hand over this letter.  To Lieutenant Dick of the Navy, let him take the first boat tomorrow morning back to Rangoon and hand it over to Consul Gillings himself, got it?  " "Yes, Major, the first boat back to Yangon will be handed over to the consul of Jilin City himself!  Old Jack, who was lame in his right leg, gave Duncan a military salute, carefully took the letter and put it away, then asked: "Major, what do you want to eat tonight?"  " "What should we have for dinner?  Duncan smiled bitterly and said, "What else can there be?"  Corned beef and beans and dry bread, or corned beef and beans and biscuits?  Is there any other choice?  I swear to God, those Bedouin dogs in the desert have better food than we do!  " "Major, I think you have other choices today!  Old Jack suddenly blinked at Duncan mysteriously and lowered his voice and said: "The navy brothers got some very delicious river fish from several Burmese nobles, as well as a deer and a few pigs, so -!"  " "Old Jack, you are always so well-informed!  "Duncan happily clapped his men on the shoulders. To be honest, the food of British soldiers is really terrible. Even for a Scotsman who grew up in a country known for boring food, it is difficult to live entirely on these.  It was a terrifying experience when Duncan returned from Captain Dick's service in the Navy. The delicious fried fish and British sausages filled his stomach so much that he couldn't even bend when he walked down the gangway.  It was very difficult to lower my waist and I had to hold on to the right armrest with my hands. ¡°Maybe I ate too much!  "Duncan thought to himself. He looked at a paper bag in Old Jack's hand behind him with satisfaction. Inside were two large pieces of venison pie, which he was going to use for his breakfast the next day. When he thought of this, his mood changed.  Even better. Old Jack, who was following Duncan, asked with a smile: "Major, I want to ask you a question!  " "Say it, old Jack!  " "Colonel, why did this Burmese noble named Basong give us fish, venison, and pigs, and seemed to welcome us very much?  And the other Burmese were doing the exact opposite, hiding behind bushes and shooting at us?  Aren¡¯t they all Burmese?  "    "this?  "Duncan was slightly stunned. He didn't know how to answer Old Jack's question for a while. He hesitated for a while and replied: "I don't know very well, but I think just like Britain, there are differences among the Burmese people.  "

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Master Basong

    Two days ago, on the outskirts of Bagan, in Ne Win Village, Master Basong¡¯s manor.  Like the estates of most Burmese nobles, Master Basong's estate consisted of a pagoda, a waterwheel, a mill, a rice warehouse, a blacksmith shop, a carpentry shop, a stable, his own residence, servants' residences, and many other buildings.  In short, this manor can provide Mr. Basson with most of the necessities of life except for a few that cannot be produced in his own territory.  In addition to Ne Win Village, Master Basong is also the owner of twenty-two nearby villages.  As a member of the Burmese royal family, Mr. Basong spent most of his time in more prosperous places like Mandalay. He would only return to his manor every New Year. After staying for a while, he would return  To the city, this distinguished gentleman is like a migratory bird, traveling back and forth between his territory and Mandalay every year.  But 1885 was a special year. Master Basong returned to the manor in July uncharacteristically. He stayed there for more than two months and had no intention of leaving to return to Mandalay. There was a rumor circulating among the people in the village that  There was a riot in Mandalay. The king was beaten to death. The nobles and monks were also hanged on the trees on both sides of the road. The thugs divided the property of the gentlemen. For this reason, Mr. Basong fled back to the manor.  of.  This terrifying rumor made people in the village panic. For these simple farmers, nobles and monks were sacred and inviolable existences. Not to mention killing them, even the slightest disobedience to their will would be punished by the gods.  The Buddha's terrible punishment was that he would not only be whipped and hanged while alive, but also fall into the animal realm after death and never be reincarnated. This is the most terrifying thing.  So although Master Basong increased the burden of labor and taxes, the villagers still endured it in silence. Since this has been the case for thousands of years, won't it continue to be like this in the future?  Basong sat at the dining table. The hard teak tabletop was filled with exquisite dishes, including carefully cooked fish, birds, and game.  A fine silver goblet lay beside his right hand.  Judging from the round and rosy cheeks of this middle-aged man, he is a guy who knows how to enjoy life. At this time, he is chewing and swallowing delicious dishes, and his broad forehead shows a happy and carefree look.  .  After nearly forty minutes of eating, Basson finally let out a sigh of contentment. As if regretting that he could not continue eating, Basson put down his chopsticks, picked up the wine glass and shouted loudly with his loud voice.  : "Here, pour me a glass of sugar cane wine to wash down the food. I bet the eel meat and roe are already stuck in my throat!" "Yes, sir!" A man stood nearby.  The thin man stepped forward and filled Basong's glass with wine. Basson drank it all in one gulp and shouted with some dissatisfaction: "One more drink. As the saying goes: 'Good things come in pairs!'" "Yes, sir!"  The man quickly refilled Basson's glass.  Basong took two sips, smacked his mouth, and complained with some dissatisfaction: "Oh, why does this wine taste a bit thin? Damn it, that damn wine merchant actually dares to sell inferior wine as good wine.  I, when I return to Mandalay, I will beat his back to pieces with a whip!" Basong complained, while drinking a few more glasses of wine to calm down his anger at being deceived, and finally he was full.  When the meal was finished, he put the wine glass aside and asked the man next to him who was pouring the wine for him: "Yu Qie, my butler, how much have we received from the rent now? The newly built granary is full."  "Sir, the twelve villages are still not fully loaded. The newly built granary is about one-third full!"  , and isn¡¯t there an open space in the northwest corner of the manor? Build another granary there to store the newly collected taxes!¡± ¡°Yes, sir, I¡¯ll let the servants do it tomorrow!¡±  He replied: "As for last year's old rice in those warehouses, should all be sold to merchants as usual to make room for new rice?" "No!" Basong pondered for a moment before shaking his head and vetoing the official's request.  Suggestion: "Looking at the situation, the British and Chinese are still going to war, a big war, and they won't be able to stop for a while. As long as there is a war, the price of rice will continue to rise. If you stock up on old rice, it will double by next spring.  "Yes, Master!" Yu Qie nodded, wrote down the Master's order in his notebook, and continued to ask: "But if the newly built granary is to be filled according to your order, then I'm afraid  There won't be much surplus food left in the villages, and people may starve to death. After all, when King Meng Ji recruited troops in the summer, he took away many young men. Many families did not plant the third season of rice due to lack of labor.  Even if you plant it, the harvest will be much less than in previous years. Do you want to give it a break? " "Starving to death?" Basong hesitated for a moment, but finally shook his head and said:"Then mix the old rice and chaff in the warehouse over the years and give it to the worst villages. Three buckets per family is enough. I will lend it to them to survive the spring famine and return it next year. During the war years  , the food can be sold at the highest price, this time my house in Mandalay will definitely be destroyed, I must make up for the loss from here!" At this point, the fat on Basong's cheeks swayed, obviously the loss not long ago made him suffer.  He was heartbroken.  "Master, master, it's not good!" At this moment, a servant walked in quickly from outside the door, holding a letter in his hand and shouting repeatedly.  Basong frowned and shouted in a low voice: "What's going on? Are you in such a panic? Did the man repairing the granary fall and get injured?" "No, no!" The servant looked panicked, handed over the letter, and said:  "Master, look, there are robbers!" "Robbers?" Basong was surprised and took the letter. It is true that after Meng Ji raped the Mingqi area, a large number of robbers appeared near Bagan, but these robbers  The targets of robbery are usually passing business travelers or relatively weak villages. After all, the scale of the robbers is not large, only one or two hundred people at most.  There are more than a hundred strong servants in Babu's manor, sixty or seventy firearms of various kinds, and the houses are very strong, plus there are more than twenty villages nearby.  There are two to three thousand young men at random. Who dares to snatch him without opening his eyes?  Basong unfolded the letter in confusion, and saw the following words written in cursive handwriting on the rough paper: "Dear Master Basong, I heard that there are six large barns in your manor, each with three floors.  Gao, five or six families are big, and the food in them is enough to feed the people of the village for five years. Now there are hungry children crying loudly in every village, but the women have nothing to eat, not even taro.  Distribute the food to these poor people. With them, there will be endless food in your granary. Show mercy! "At the end of the new chapter, there are two crossed scimitars, and the inscription is "  Merciful man¡±!  "What's going on? Tell me what's going on?" Basong threw the letter aside angrily and asked angrily.  The servant trembled and replied: "Dear Sir, I just passed by the cattle shed. You know that there is a small road over there. It is narrow and dark. Usually no one passes by it. I am scared every time I pass by there.  "I'm shaking all over -" "That's enough, you verbose guy!" Basong finally exhausted his patience with the servant's verbosity, and he shouted loudly: "I swear to the gods, Buddhas and ancestors, if you dare to continue talking nonsense,  I will make you tremble right now - not from fear, but from the whip. If I leave a good piece of meat on your spine, I will let you go to hell alive!" "  Master, Master!" The servant was so frightened by Basson's threat that he knelt down and shouted loudly, raising his hands in the air: "When I passed by the barn, two people came out of the shadows and asked me to bring this letter to the master.  , and threatened me with a pistol and a knife. I swear to gods and Buddhas, all this is true, they have guns and knives!" At this point, the servant fell to the ground, trembling all over.  "Are there pistols and knives?" Basson was attracted by the servant's words. He stood up, pulled the servant up from the ground, and asked in a low voice: "Are you sure you read it correctly? They have pistols and knifes."  "Is there a knife?" "I swear to gods and Buddhas, I am absolutely right!" The servant's face was filled with tears, and he was obviously frightened by what just happened: "The middle part of the gun in the hands of the two men was bulging, like  It was like a small wheel. I could see clearly. The muzzle of the gun was only a hand away from my eyes. "It's a revolver!" Basson's face became solemn. He turned around and walked into the house. After a while, he came out.  There was already a small cloth bag in his hand. He opened the bag, pointed at the Webley revolver inside and asked, "Is this the thing?" "Yes, yes, exactly the same as this!" "You go down first.  ! Don't talk about this matter everywhere!" Basong waved his hand, and his expression immediately became gloomy after the servant stepped back.  The bandits at that time were not without firearms, but they were generally outdated muzzle-loading guns and single-shot guns. There were very few modern firearms. Even if there were a small number, they were basically rifles, not such revolvers.  Because this kind of revolver is usually equipped with officers, there are very few people living among the people. What's more, this kind of pistol is far inferior to the rifle in terms of power and range, so it is rarely seen among bandits.  It is really strange that such a gun suddenly appears now, not to mention that there are bandits in the world who rob money, food, and people. But there is no such thing as not wanting anything, as long as you take the food  What about the villagers who have nothing to do with them?  At this time, Yu Qie whispered: "Master, I think there is something fishy in this matter!" "Something strange? Say?Look!  " "Master, think about it, more than 20 villages around here are your territory. If a group of strangers come and want to eat and drink, how come you don't have any news at all?  Moreover, the road over to the stable is dark and narrow. If it were an outsider, who would be blocking people there to deliver messages?  " "You mean a traitor?  "Basong will understand. "Exactly, sir, think about it. Even if the thieves outside want to rob, they are robbing money and women. How can they rob food? Food is heavy and cheap. Let them pick and choose.  How many to pick and go?  Not to mention that we have to distribute it to farmers. They also know how many granaries we have and how big they are. This is obviously an insider.  It must be a few cunning people who picked up the pistol somewhere and came up with such a cunning trick to make a profit from it!  "    "that's right!  Basong gave a light high-five and said with a smile: "Thanks to you, otherwise I would have almost fallen into the trap of these bastards, kind man?"  snort!  When I, Basong, catch you, I will let you know what "mercy" means!  "While talking, Basong's fat palms clenched tightly, and the exquisite silver wine glass in his hand slowly twisted and deformed. Yu Qie said with a flattering smile: "Master, in fact, if you want to find these guys, it's hard to find them.  Not difficult!  "    "oh?  If you have a solution, tell me quickly!  " "Master, there are usually no outsiders in the manor. They are either servants who have been here for generations, or they rarely go out. Even if you have the courage, there is no place to get guns and knives.  Only young men were recruited from several nearby villages to build the granary, and I heard that some of them were deserters from the New Army. These guys had seen a lot outside and were wild-minded. They must have come up with this idea.  of!  " "Yes, it's the people among them!  "Basong said bitterly: "I learned bad things outside and came back to my territory to cause mischief.  Okay, let me show you the difference.  housekeeper!  "

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 73 Punishment

    "Master!" Yu Qie immediately bowed his body.  "Gather the workers immediately during dinner tomorrow morning. I have something to say to them!" "Yes, sir!" Yu Qie quickly bowed to accept the order, then raised his head and smiled: "I asked the servants to  Get ready early!" "Well, you can figure it out!" Basong nodded with satisfaction and laughed.  In the early morning of the next day, more than forty or fifty young and strong men stood in small groups at the open space in the northwest corner of the manor, waiting to have breakfast.  After breakfast, they will begin to dig the foundation where Master Basson will build a new barn.  The men stamped their feet to keep themselves warmer, stretched their necks in the direction of the manor, and chatted in low voices.  "It's so late, why hasn't the food delivery guy come yet?" "That's right, we're not going to work today." "Stop dreaming, do you know what this is going to be built? Master Basong is going to build a new big barn.  To hold more food! "What does he need when he already has so much food?" "What do you know, Master Basong?"  Food is for sale. There is a war outside right now, and food becomes valuable when there is a war. He can sell so much food for several times the price in the spring! " "No wonder everyone is having such a hard time now, and the master still wants to collect it.  Food, what can we do?" There was a sigh from the crowd, and the pressure of reality knocked these young people down at once. Hunger was like an ever-shrinking noose tightening their throats.  Leave them breathless.  "Here we come, Buddha bless us. Breakfast is finally here!" A sharp-eyed young man jumped up, and a group of people walked over from the road. The leader was vaguely the manor's housekeeper Yu Qie.  People stood up one after another, moved to the side of the road, and bowed to the steward at the front.  As the visitors approached, people were surprised to find that they did not bring porridge buckets or bamboo baskets with tableware, and some of them had guns on their shoulders. The butler Yuqie's face was full of murderous intent, and he was not a normal person at all.  It looks like the deputy is bringing food.  "Master Butler!" The oldest man in the crowd stepped forward tremblingly, wanting to make some excuses.  But before he could finish his words, he heard Yu Qie yelling: "Everyone is not allowed to move and squat on the ground, otherwise don't blame me for being unkind!" Almost at the same time, more than a dozen men with guns came past him.  Zhuang Ding spread out, surrounded the people, took off the rifle hanging on his shoulder, and pointed the black muzzle at the crowd.  "Spare your life!" Immediately there was a scream in the crowd. A few timid ones squatted down immediately, and the rest were in a mess. One of them, who was frightened and fainted, ran out. After just two steps, he ran out.  He was knocked to the ground by Zhuang Ding's rifle butt, rolling on the ground dripping with blood, screaming in agony.  The oldest man was so frightened that his face turned pale, but he still had the courage to raise his hands and asked Yu Qie: "Master Butler, what are you doing!" "What are you doing?" Yu Qie sneered and said loudly  : "There are robbers among you. Master Basong has given an order to capture the robbers from among you and hang them!" "Robbers?" There was a discussion in the crowd immediately. People glanced at each other with doubtful eyes. That man  He smiled apologetically and asked: "Mr. Butler, the people here are from several nearby villages. Many of the children were raised by you. How come there are robbers? Is it a mistake?" "There is no mistake!" Yu Qie  He snorted coldly: "You know people but don't know their hearts. Who knows who has lost his conscience and actually extended his evil hands to the master's house? It's really ungrateful. If Master Basong didn't take you in and give you fields, a place to live, and food to eat, you would have been there long ago.  They starve to death on the roadside and become food for wild dogs. Haven't you seen those guys hanging from the trees on the roadside? They are all poor people who were driven out by the masters and they wanted to make a living by doing bad things.  , and ended up like this!¡± The high-pitched voice of the housekeeper echoed over the open space, and people lowered their heads in awe. For these poor people, although Master Basong has a high status, he only appears in the manor a few times a year.  Yuqie, the butler who directly manages them, is their god. He can let them live, kill them, or make life worse than death.  His voice was, if not more worthy of awe than Master Basson, at least as worthy of awe.  From their past experience, if they don't show enough respect now, they will pay the price of being whipped or even their lives. "It seems that something was exposed last night. What should I do?" A young man in the crowd asked his companions in a low voice.  He said that he and his companions looked no different from the people around them in appearance. They were both thin and dark. If there was any difference, their eyes wereNot full of fear and awe like others, but full of passion and strength for resistance.  The young man's companion was a little older. He still kept his head down and replied in a low voice: "Don't move around, just let them recognize it. It was so dark last night, that bitch couldn't recognize him."  It's for both of us!" "Well, don't worry. It's just that the leader has a lot of things to do. It's my idea to come in one night and kill Master Basong and all his thugs. Why bother?" "Shut up?  Mouth, so you are not the leader! We are not bandits, and we are not asking Basong to make money for ourselves. Do you understand? " "I don't understand, but it doesn't matter. I just do what the leader says!" the young man said cheerfully!  the voice answered.  The corners of the mouth of the companion on the side were slightly raised, revealing a smile. Just as he was about to say something, several villagers ran over quickly. The leader walked up to the steward, handed a small cloth bag to it, and whispered  A few words.  The housekeeper stopped cursing and cursing the robber, carefully opened the cloth bag, took a look, and nodded with satisfaction.  He suddenly shouted loudly: "Come here, catch Buji and Kubu from Ne Win Village!" As soon as the housekeeper's voice fell, four villagers with guns on their backs rushed in like wolves and tigers.  He entered the crowd, pushed the two young men who had just spoken to the ground, and dragged them out.  People watched in astonishment as Buji and Kubu struggled desperately with the villagers. However, due to the large number of people on the other side, they were finally dragged out and pushed to the ground.  The housekeeper walked up to the two of them and made a gesture. Zhuang Ding asked the young man named Buji: "Tell me, how many of you are there, who is your leader, and why did you use a gun to threaten the master last night?"  "Servant?" "Bah!" Buji angrily pointed a mouthful of bloody spit at the housekeeper. Yu Qie quickly moved away the spit and made a gesture to Zhuang Ding, who knowingly hit Buji with the butt of his gun.  With a slight sound of bone cracking, Buji passed out.  The housekeeper walked up to Buji and opened his mouth. Four or five broken teeth fell out of his mouth. "Next!" Yuqie took the handkerchief handed over by the servant behind him and wiped it with a disgusted expression.  Wiped his bloody right hand.  Kubu, who was held hostage by two villagers, asked: "Tell me, how many more people do you have and who is your leader, if you don't want to have teeth to eat in the future!" "I don't know what you are asking, we just  Come to the manor to build a barn for the master!" Kubu tried his best to reply in a calm tone.  "Really?" A smile suddenly appeared on Yu Qie's face: "Then what are these? Do you want to use these to repair the barn for the master?" Yu Qie's voice suddenly became high-pitched, and he held a pistol in his right hand.  and a sheathed dagger.  "These are all found from the straw you slept on, tell me! Otherwise I will hang you both!" Seeing that his hidden weapons were found by the housekeeper, the trace of fear on Kubu's face disappeared.  Or maybe these cowerings were just an act of his.  He stopped struggling, straightened his back, and replied loudly: "Yes, these guns and daggers belong to us!" "That's right!" A satisfied smile appeared on the steward's face: "Okay, tell me you guys  How many people are there, where do the guns and knives come from, who is the leader, and where is it? As long as you tell the truth, the kind master Basong will not only forgive your fault, but also reward you with three hundred kilograms of rice."  A disdainful smile appeared on his face: "Our people are like the stars in the sky, innumerable; our leader is the servant of the saint, the bravest and smartest Songcan. He is outside, and he will lead him immediately  My brothers came in and distributed the food to those poor people. I don¡¯t need Basong¡¯s forgiveness, let alone his reward, because his things were taken from us!¡± Kubu¡¯s voice seemed to have a certain tone.  The farmers in the open space listened dumbly. They had never heard of or even thought about such a thing: disobeying the will of the noble masters and taking back the grain taken from them. How crazy and cruel this was.  Sweet words!  Where did Kubu and Buji, two young people who have watched everyone grow up, hear this?  "Rebellious, robber, guy obsessed with the devil!" The butler's voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. He looked at Kubu fiercely, and Kubu looked at him without fear. After a moment  , the housekeeper had to move his eyes away. The invisible power in the other person's eyes made him feel guilty.  "Listen, both of them are rebellious, betrayed their masters, and were possessed by the devil! According to the teachings of the Buddha and the king's law, such people must be beaten with whips first, and then burned with fire.  If they die, their ashes will be poured into earthen jars filled with snakes, and they will not be allowed to sleep in the ground. Their souls will be driven into the Asura Hell.??Suffer tens of thousands of years of punishment to atone for their sins!  "The housekeeper yelled fiercely to the crowd. Behind him, Kubu and Buji were tied to the tree, and two villagers were beating them with whips. The clothes on these two strong men were already gone.  They were torn, and bright red blood oozed from inside, but they still suppressed the screams to avoid being thought to be showing weakness to each other. The muffled sound of the whip hitting the muscles was heard, and the farmers came one after another.  They lowered their heads unbearably, as if these whips were hitting them. It was the first time for these people, who had been numbed by suffering and the burden of life, to feel such anger and pain. These two brave but unfortunate young people  People were enduring torture in front of them, and a more terrible fate was waiting for them, and it was all for them, for all the poor people. Why was this so kind to these two young people?  The beating was over. Both Kubu and Buji had passed out. Blood was flowing from their bodies. A large pool of blood had formed at their feet. The oldest of the farmers looked at the housekeeper and asked.  Looking at the two unconscious young men, he gritted his teeth, took two steps forward, and bowed to the housekeeper Yu Qie: "Master housekeeper, you see that Kubu and Buji have been beaten like this, even if  Even the most stubborn animals have been defeated, please spare them this time!  Both of them are from Ne Win Village. They grew up under your watch, so they have accumulated some virtue!  "    "snort!  Is this a matter of merit?  It's not that I must kill them, but they are so stubborn. Even the Buddha cannot forgive such stubborn devils. Stop talking!" "Just show mercy!  The middle-aged man knelt down to the housekeeper: "It's a pity that both of their parents only have one boy. If they die here, who will be there to bury their parents?"  It is the most pitiful thing for a person to be old but have no children. Please show mercy to me, Mr. Housekeeper!  " The middle-aged man's begging woke Kubu up. He said in a weak voice: "No, don't beg for anything from the master and his thugs.  I die here today, and naturally my companions will take revenge on them.  There is no need for us to reason with them. We can only give blood for blood and an eye for an eye!  " "Devil, stubborn devil!  " Kubu's weak voice made the housekeeper angry and scared. He yelled at the middle-aged man viciously: "Did you see it?  It¡¯s not that I won¡¯t spare their lives.  Come here, prepare a rope and hang these two guys to death!  "The two villagers quickly tied two rope loops on the branches of two big trees, moved a few benches, stood on them and put the rope loops around the necks of Kubu and Buji, who had their hands tied behind their backs.  Then he kicked the bench violently. The human body hanging in the air struggled violently for a few times, and soon stopped moving. The body was slowly shaking in the air according to its original inertia. "See, this is resistance, sir.  The end!  "The housekeeper stood under the tree, pointed at the corpse in the air and shouted to the farmers, his voice hoarse.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 74: Justice

    Babu's residence.  "They died like this?" Under the light, Babu looked at the housekeeper who was standing in front of him with some doubts. On the coffee table beside him were the pistol and the sheathed dagger.  The housekeeper Yu Qie replied respectfully: "Yes, these two guys are very stubborn. I will follow the master's instructions. After whipping them, they will be hanged from the tree. This will also teach the farmers a lesson and know that resisting the master is a bad thing."  What's the end?" "Yeah!" Mr. Babu nodded, but his expression was still serious: "Well done, but according to what you said, these two guys are very stubborn, and they claim to have many accomplices.  "Sir, this is just a false threat. If they really have many accomplices, why don't they call them directly and ask for money and food? I will reward them as appropriate. Why bother to play these tricks? This is not selfish."  Are you asking for trouble? " "Although what you said makes sense, I still feel that something is wrong!" Babu seemed a little uneasy. His intuition told him that these two people were completely different from the bandits he had encountered in the past.  Yes, what these people want is not money, food, or women, but a new thing that cannot be solved by the old methods in the past. This new experience makes Basson feel very uneasy.  He sighed: "Hey, it's all the blame on that damn rebel. If he was the one who caused the chaos, how could he have attracted the Shun army to attack and make a mess everywhere. If this kind of thing happened in the past, the best he could do was hide in Bagan.  Or if we go to Mandalay, even if there is trouble in the territory, we can just borrow some troops to settle the matter. But like now, everything is lost and we don¡¯t know who to borrow troops from!¡±  Smiling, he stepped forward and whispered: "Master, I heard that a group of British soldiers arrived a few days ago. They are on the riverside. The royal army is gone, so we can just borrow troops from them!" "This can work.  Those British soldiers have yellow hair and blue eyes, and they look really scary!" "Sir, I heard that those British soldiers just arrived and have been hiding in the camp all day. They must be short of fresh vegetables and meat tomorrow.  Just let people send some fish and game to their officers. They will definitely like it. Once it is cooked, won't it be easier to talk? As long as they lose, it is nothing more than a matter of money. The British are also human beings. How can they be human?  "It's free!" "That's right!" Basong slapped his thigh and said, "No one wants money! It's better to go tomorrow! It won't be worth it if you go late!"  , With the guns and cannons of the British soldiers, let¡¯s see who dares to mess with me!¡± In a valley fifteen kilometers away from Master Basong¡¯s manor, the hillsides on both sides are covered with bushes and small trees. These are the nearby villages.  The farmers obtained an important source of fuel and fodder. During the day, while the cattle were feasting on the juicy grass leaves and twigs of the bush, the young cattle herders would break off their woody branches and tie them into bunches.  At that time, the returning cattle would be laden with bundles of firewood, which would be placed behind the houses to be dried by the hot subtropical sun and become good fuel.  At night, this place will once again become a paradise for wild animals in the mountains and forests. There is a shallow creek at the bottom of the valley, which is the main water source for nearby wild animals. Various carnivorous animals hide in the shade of trees during the day to avoid the scorching sun.  , and at night, they shelter next to the water source, preparing to ambush the prey that comes to drink. As they go upstream along the stream, the trees on both sides gradually change from small shrubs to dense and tall trees. For hundreds of years, this place has been covered with cattails.  It is one of several hunting grounds for Burmese nobles near Gan. In autumn and winter, Burmese nobles often go hunting along the valley bottom into the mountains.  However, today there was a group of uninvited guests beside the creek. About half an acre of shrubs and thatch bushes were cut down to reveal an open space. Thorny branches were inserted into the soil around the open space to form a simple fence.  ,.  People gathered around the bonfire, talking quietly, waiting for dinner on the bonfire.  The light of the fire and the low human voice scared away the animals that came to drink water, and also made the hunters in the darkness angry.  Around a fire in the middle, five or six people gathered together. The earthwalker was impatiently playing with the taro in the fire to see if these crude foods were cooked. Suddenly he whispered: "Chief, four days have passed.  There is no news from Kubu and Buji. We are about to run out of food! Let¡¯s go down the mountain!¡± ¡°Turkey, are you worried?¡± Song Shen smiled: ¡°You can still eat it for at least three days.  Kubu is a very smart guy. He will get things done. We should be more patient!" "It's not that I don't believe Kubu!" TuWangZhe frowned: "We have more than three hundred people now, and we can do it in one day.  If we have to eat four to five hundred kilograms of grain, in my opinion, we should just go to the manor and ask for the gun from Mr. Basong. There are so many of us, but he won¡¯t give it to us!¡± ¡°Then we are not bandits?¡± Song Shen smiled.  He retorted: "From the beginningI said from the beginning that we are rebels, not bandits.  We ask the gentlemen to provide food and land not for ourselves, but for all the poor.  In this case, we should be polite before fighting, allowing the nobles to have a choice, and letting all the poor people see who we are.  If you do this, all the poor people will regard us as robbers, and will side with the noble lord instead!  " Earthwalker frowned and spread his hands helplessly: "You always have a point, but don't forget, and after the brothers ambushed the British, they have been hiding in the mountains except walking. If this continues,  No, you have to find something for them to do.  " "I understand what you mean, Earth Walker!  Song Shen patted his companion's arm and laughed softly: "Believe me, there will be news soon!"  " At this time, a sharp whistle came from the distance. Song Shen and Tu Walker immediately stood up. Tu Walker shouted in a low voice: "Someone is coming, put out the bonfire and prepare to fight!  "People quickly extinguished the flames with earth, picked up the firearms set aside, and hid in the darkness around them. Obviously, after this period of training, the insurrectionists had gradually completed the transformation from stragglers to an organized and disciplined army.  Change. The Earth Walker whispered: "Don't worry, leader, there are twenty men on guard at the mountain pass in front. The terrain there is very good, and the gray eyes are watching them. There will be no problem!"  " "Twenty people are too few. You can bring another fifty people over to support Gray Eyes!  "Song Shen ordered in a low voice. It turned out that in order to prevent sudden attacks, Song Shen set up two hidden sentries on the only access road from the bottom of the mountain to the camp. He also built parapets and trenches at strategic points behind the hidden sentries.  , for the soldiers who block the attack. When the secret whistle detects someone heading to the camp, it will use the whistle to control the rebels in the camp to avoid being raided. "Yes!  "The Earth Walker responded, looked around, called the names of the two young leaders who had gathered his subordinates, and was about to set off when he heard three more whistles, two long and one short, and the Earth Walker made a pause gesture.  ¡ª¡ªThis is the signal to cancel the alarm. ¡°What¡¯s going on?  "Turkey asked with a frown. "Maybe the secret whistle made a mistake and misunderstood the late returning cowherd as the enemy.  Song Shen smiled and shouted to the insurrectionists: "Okay, it's okay. Let's continue to rest!"  " People put down their weapons in confusion, returned to the fire, and began to think of ways to find the dying bonfire again. Many people began to curse the secret whistle in a low voice, because his carelessness caused them to die.  Without delaying dinner, Tu Xingzhe and Song Shen sat back by the fire. For the two of them, this was just a small interlude. After a while, Tu Xingzhe and Song Shen were struggling to peel.  The taro was not yet fully roasted, and several people walked towards them through the camp. The leader was the gray-eyed man who was supposed to be on the parapet of the mountain pass. They saw this man who was usually taciturn and a bit dull.  Shi's face was full of anger. He was still six or seven steps away from Tu Xingzhe and Song Shen when he whispered: "Chief, someone is coming to the manor!  " "Let me get it right!  Kubu and Buji are both good guys, and they will definitely not make any mistakes!  Song Shen jumped up from the ground excitedly, holding a half-peeled taro, but he did not see Kubu and Buji among the people who came, only a middle-aged man who was almost forty and a man who was thirteen or fourteen years old.  Song Shen, a half-grown man, stopped in confusion and asked: "Where are Kubu and Buji?  Are you two¡ª¡ª?  " "Dead, all dead!  "The middle-aged man's face was full of grief: "This morning when we were having breakfast, Master Basong's housekeeper Yu Qie led people to find a pistol and a knife in the shack where we lived, and tied the two of them up.  Get up, say that the two of them are robbers and villains possessed by the devil, and have them whipped severely with whips.  ¡± The scene suddenly became dead silent. At this time, Song Shen could feel the blood vessels on his temples beating violently, as if two invisible drumsticks were beating there hard. He used  Instead of asking the middle-aged man: "Then what?" A kind of calmness that surprised me.  How are Boogie and Kubu doing?  " "The steward said that as long as you tell the number of people and guns in your camp, and repent, Master Basong can forgive them.  But the two of them refused to let go no matter what, and as a result, they were whipped like bloody men.  In the end, I saw that they were dying, so I begged the housekeeper to spare their lives, but Kubu was still unwilling to beg for mercy. As a result, the result-" "What happened?  "Song Shen grabbed the middle-aged man's arm and urged loudly. "In the end, the housekeeper Yuqie hanged the two of them on two trees on the west side of the manor!  Their bodies were burned and their ashes were thrown into the water.Kubu finally said, tell the leader, tooth for tooth, blood for blood!  " "Tooth for tooth, blood for blood!  Song Can almost groaned and repeated these eight words. He suddenly shouted to the insurrectionists who had gathered around him: "Did you hear it clearly?"  What were Cube and Boogie's last words?  " "Listen clearly!  "A neat roar broke out from the crowd. "At first we just asked for food, food that would prevent the poor from starving to death!  But the noble gentlemen answered our demands with whips and ropes!  Song Shen shouted loudly: "Well, thank you Master Basong for teaching us this lesson, now we know what to do!"  Then use bayonet against bayonet and bullet against bullet!  Every drop of blood shed from Kubu and Buji must be repaid. Now I give an order. Everyone is ready to hear it immediately. Take turns to rest. At dawn tomorrow, we will set off with the goal of Master Basong's manor.  I want to hang Master Basong and Butler Yuqie on the two trees where Kubu and Buji died!  "    "yes!  "The next day, it was around 11 o'clock at noon. "For most Burmese nobles like Master Basong, early morning is a strange word. Because he neither needs to cultivate early like a farmer, nor does he need to work hard like a businessman.  Calculate gains and losses, unlike monks who are bound by Buddhist precepts. These lucky people have gained huge wealth and power because of their noble status. They only need to lie down on a soft and comfortable bed and wake up leisurely, and then whisper orders, and naturally they will  The attentive servants and maids turn their wishes into reality, and the only thing they need to do is close their eyes and enjoy themselves. For such lucky people, the biggest trouble is that the day is too short.  , his stomach is too small to accommodate so much delicious food. So when Master Basong opened his eyes today, the personal servant on the side quickly opened the curtain carefully, allowing the warm sunshine and fresh air from the window to enter the house.  Two well-trained maids brought warm water and towels to wash Master Basong. When everything was done, the personal servant carefully walked to Master Basong's ear and asked in a low voice: "Master, can you have dinner?"  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 75: Revenge

    "Yes!" Basong nodded casually. In fact, he had not yet fully woken up from his hangover. He gestured to the maid aside, and the clever maid immediately brought a cup of hot water soaked in lemongrass.  Come on, this is pretty good for treating hangover headaches.  Basong drank a cup, closed his eyes and leaned on the soft pillow. When he opened his eyes again after a while, he felt much better - the lemongrass tea had an effect. He looked around and asked in a low voice.  He said: "Where is Yu Qie?" "The housekeeper set out early in the morning. He took some game and a deer to go to the British!" "Yes!" Basong nodded, and at this time he had recalled  After remembering what happened yesterday, he moved his body with great effort and tried to get off the bed. The two maids hurriedly came over and supported his plump upper body.  With the help of the two of them, Basong finally got out of bed, put on a pair of exquisite deerskin slippers, and ordered as he walked out: "Later, go and give each villager three measures of rice and a piece of cloth.  Also, give three buckets of rice to each of the poorest families in each village. We must hurry up and try to finish it within these two days! " "You understand, give each villager three buckets of rice and a piece of cloth immediately. But why.  Distributing food to the poor people in each village?" the servant asked with some confusion.  "You know what happened yesterday!" Basong sneered: "The two robbers deceived people and said they wanted to distribute food to the poor. Although they definitely couldn't do it, it's hard to say whether anyone in each village would move.  You know, if someone takes the lead in making trouble, it will be troublesome. I can't hang all the farmers, otherwise who will be farming next year?" "High, it is really high!" The servant raised his thumbs and praised  Said: "The master is indeed very wise. He distributed rice to the poorest people first. Naturally, these people will not get up and make trouble. Even if a few thorny heads jump out, just let Zhuang Ding catch them.  No one can fault the master!" "Well! You should hurry up and do this sooner rather than later!" Basong nodded, and then he stopped the valet who had already walked to the door and said, "Wait a moment.  Well, you can mix the old rice and bran in the warehouse and use it as rice to distribute to the poor. Do you understand? " "Yes, sir! To be honest, these mud legs are worthy of eating.  Damn it, the master has already praised them!" After handling these matters, Basong walked to the restaurant with the support of the two maids with satisfaction. The table was filled with various dishes waiting for him to taste.  Basong comfortably stuffed his fat body into the teak dining chair and began to gulp down the dishes carefully prepared by the chef. At this time, he had forgotten all his troubles. Isn't that how it should be?  I have made perfect arrangements, so what else can I worry about?  While Basong was enjoying his lunch, Song Shen's revenge team had also arrived at the outer wall of the manor. They set out at six in the morning and only rested for half an hour in the middle. Exhaustion had already filled everyone's bodies, but  Anger and the desire to avenge their companions gave them endless strength. These sun-tanned people lined up in a dense formation, breathing heavily, waiting for Song Shen to issue an order for revenge.  "Gray eyes!" Song Shen whispered to his deputy who was standing silently: "Compared to me, you are better at military affairs. You will be the one to command this attack!" After that, he said  He took a step back and stood behind Gray Eyes.  "How can this be done? You are our leader!" Gray Eyes widened in surprise. He was about to refuse, but Song Shen stretched out his hand to stop him: "We are different from the noble Lord's army. It is not right for everyone to pick up weapons."  For the prosperity and wealth of a certain person or a certain family, but for the benefit of all poor people, in our team, everyone has the same status, but they do different jobs, just like when building a house,  Some people have to saw wood, and some people have to work with plaster. Since you are better at commanding the army than me, you should be allowed to command the army, so that the brothers will shed less blood." At this point, Psalm!  Shen paused and said loudly: "Gray Eyes, I order you to serve as the commander in this battle. Everyone, including me, must obey his orders. You must attack Master Basong's manor and seize it."  All the food and weapons, and capture Master Basong and the housekeeper Yuqie alive, do you understand?" After saying this, Song Shen walked to the team, took a rifle, and stood at the first position.  "Understood!" Gray Eyes was convinced by Song Shen's eloquence. He stood up straight and began to mobilize the troops. Everyone held their breath and listened to the order carefully. Only one person was staring at Song Shen.  Looking at the back with gray eyes, that is the Earth Walker.  As one of the first rebels to join the Song Can team, Earth Walker is one of those people with an extremely sensitive sense of smell. It is true that he has almost noHe was illiterate without any education, but with his innate sense, he quickly realized the great enthusiasm and potential in Song Shen. By following this man, he could get rid of the humble background of his origin.  Social class, climbing to a level that was unimaginable in the past.  After recognizing this, Earth Walker followed Song Shen wholeheartedly. In order to achieve that goal, he was willing to endure all pain and risk all kinds of risks, and was loyal to Song Shen. After all, Song Shen was his star.  And he is just a planet. If you want to become brighter, the only way is to make your star shine even more. For this purpose, what can't you give and what can't be sacrificed?  But now everything has changed subtly. Song Shen has shown that in this career, everyone, even himself, is just an equal member, and has set an example with his own actions.  What's more important is that Gray Eyes, a latecomer, has already subtly seized the position of the second person in his organization.  Coming from a refugee class, he really knows the important position of force in the struggle for power. If the high-level struggle between nobles and monks is covered with a veil of tenderness, the lower level is much more straightforward, with daggers, bayonets and clubs.  Much more powerful than words, Earth Walker has seen too many things that started with quarrels and ended in fire.  Could it be that all the hard work he had done before was in vain?  He couldn't help but ponder.  "We will act like this later. If anyone still doesn't understand, you can start asking now!" A voice woke up the earthwalker from his meditation. He raised his head and saw gray eyes patiently explaining to a little boss.  Details of the military operation, he realized that he had just missed announcing the action plan. He quickly turned to the deputy beside him and asked in a low voice: "Did the commander just ask us to attack the main entrance?" "No, boss, you  Didn't you hear clearly just now? The commander asked us to rush to the side door first, lurk in front of the door, and then start attacking when we hear the gunshots!" The deputy replied, feeling a little a little worried about his usually very capable boss suddenly becoming like this.  Surprised.  Earth Walker quickly covered it up and said, "Oh, I just thought about the tragic death of Kubu and Buji, and I was a little distracted. Fortunately, you heard me, otherwise you would have missed the big deal!" The simple deputy did not see through Earth Walker's lies and replied: "  So that¡¯s it, I hate that noble master and the housekeeper as much as you do. It¡¯s best to wait until those two bastards fall into our hands, and then we must give them two hundred lashes with our own hands to avenge our companions!¡±

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 76 Attack

    Outside the main entrance of the manor, two villagers carrying rifles were standing guard.  To be honest, the two villagers were not very vigilant. After all, the distance between this area and Bagan was far enough to avoid the recent war, and close enough to avoid the plundering of large groups of lawless bandits on the border.  Now they stretched their necks and waited for the arrival of their companions who had changed their posts for lunch, while chatting about interesting topics - Master Basson had just announced the rewards for the poor.  "Don't you think it's a little strange? How could the master be so kind and take out the grain from the warehouse to give to others?" "Maybe the Buddha appeared? In the dream, the Buddha said to Master Basong that if you don't give the extra grain to others,  If you give it to the poor, you will be sent to hell, so - " "The master still won't give out the food. At most, he will give some food to the monks in the temple, and let those monks pray to the Buddha on his behalf.  The Buddha changed his mind! " "Haha! You are right, I swear to the gods and Buddhas, this is the kind of person I am. Even the almighty Buddha cannot take away a grain of rice from his granary. So why this time?  What will he do? " "Friend, the master will only take things out of the warehouse under one condition, and that is to take back more in the future! Look at these poor people who have eaten the master's rice.  I will vomit all my intestines next year, the master¡¯s rice is not for free!¡± The two villagers were chatting enthusiastically, and the three of them walked towards the gate.  A villager took off the rifle from his shoulder and shouted loudly: "Stop, what are you doing!" The three people stopped. The man in the front took two steps forward. He was the middle-aged man who reported the news to the valley yesterday.  He bowed to the villagers and said: "You two, we are here to build a new barn for the master. I am Somkid from Ne Win Village. Do you recognize me?" "Of course we recognize you!"  Zhuang Ding, who unloaded his rifle, asked: "But where are the two people behind you?" "They are also going to repair the barn. You know that the housekeeper hanged two people last night. Now there are not enough manpower, and the people above are in a hurry.  , these two people were hanged instead. "Who are they? Why haven't I seen them?" The middle-aged man replied cautiously: "You don't know, the two people who were hanged are good at craftsmanship.  There are carpenters here, and there is no one who can replace them in our village. These two were borrowed from the village to the west, so you haven¡¯t seen them before.¡± Zhuang Ding looked at the two people up and down for a while, and saw only two.  His fingers were covered with rough calluses, and he was obviously used to the job. Just like most farmers facing a strange environment, he had a naive smile on his face.  "Come in!" Zhuang Ding put the rifle back on his back and turned around.  "Thank you both!" The middle-aged man and the two people behind him bowed their bodies to express their gratitude.  "Okay, okay! Go in and do your work quickly, otherwise it won't be fun if you miss the master's mission!" The guard waved his hand impatiently to signal them to hurry up, especially the two people behind him exuded a strong smell.  The peculiar smell even made the two of them cover their noses.  At this moment, the two men who had been hunched over and silent suddenly rushed towards the two guards like tigers. Before the two guards could take their guns off their shoulders, they were knocked to the ground. Just as they were about to  After struggling, he felt a chill on his neck, which was already being forced by the dagger.  While the two were panicking, they heard a strange voice: "If you want to survive, don't move!" The two guards' struggle immediately stopped, and the hard objects on their necks that kept pressing told them that the other party was not a bear.  threaten.  Seeing that the guard stopped struggling, the middle-aged man quickly took the rifle aside. The two men picked up the guard's rifle, drove the guard to the corner, turned around and ran to the roadside and whistled. After a while, the bushes on both sides of the road  Dozens of men with guns emerged from the bush and rushed towards the gate.  "This guard is here to guide you. Your team will go to Master Basong's residence and capture the master and the housekeeper alive. Remember! If you want to capture those alive, you have a lot to ask them personally, and we have to announce their crimes in front of everyone.  Then execute them." Gray Eyes whispered to a small leader: "Go and occupy the granary and the weapons depot. When you arrive, seal the warehouse door with a seal and set up sentries behind the door. Without the leader's order, any  No one is allowed to take anything. It will be distributed fairly by the leader after the inventory is completed. Do you understand?" "Understood!" The two little leaders nodded.  "Action!" Gray Eyes suddenly waved his arm, and the rebels rushed into the manor. After the two small groups rushed in, Gray Eyes pulled out a pistol from his waist and fired a shot into the air.  "Clang!" Mr. Basong's hands trembled, and the delicate white porcelain spoon in his hand fell to the ground and shattered.  ¡°?Incoming gunshots?  "He asked the valet on the side in a trembling voice. "Some bastard must have accidentally misfired!"  "The personal servant tried to answer calmly. "Go and see, what is going on?  If any bastard gets mad, give him ten lashes!  Basong threw the chopsticks aside angrily and muttered in a low voice: "What kind of world is this? You can't even eat lunch in peace!"  " "Yes, sir!"  "The valet bowed to Basong and walked out quickly. Basong took the new spoon presented by the maid and took a sip of the Tom Yum soup that was just served. It is said that the shrimp in this Tom Yum soup is very fresh.  The chicken soup was made by a one-year-old hen that had been stewed on the stove over low heat since last night. The ingredients used were authentic and the cook was very skilled. However, when I drank the Bassoon, the taste in my mouth was not at all the usual.  , he raised his arm and swept the porcelain bowl containing tom yum soup to the ground, and cursed loudly: "What the hell is this?  It smells fishy, ??don¡¯t you want to do it?  " The maidservant was frightened by Basong's sudden attack and screamed. In fact, Basong was considered a kind-hearted person among many Burmese nobles. Apart from gluttony and greed for money, he had no other problems, not to mention eccentricities such as whipping and strangulation.  The explosion just now caused the servants in the restaurant to kneel on the ground. After a while, the head maid replied in a trembling voice: "Master, please calm down, I will ask the chef to make it again immediately!"  " Basong snorted coldly, moved his body awkwardly twice, stood up from the dining table, and wanted to go to the window to take a breath. The maid quickly stood up and carefully supported his fat arms. Basong had just walked to the window.  , I saw a person running towards the restaurant quickly, it was a personal servant, waving his arms to this side as he ran, shouting something, "Master, Master, it's not good, the robbers are coming in."  Got it!  " As if to confirm the shouts of the valet, a burst of intensive gunshots was heard not far away. At this distance, people in the restaurant could even clearly hear the screams of the person who was shot. There was chaos in the restaurant, and the man  Men and women were running around, and the sound of breaking precious vessels and the screams of women merged into one. Among them, Basson's furious shouting could be heard: "Don't run, don't leave me, I am your master!"  Come back to me!  "But no one paid attention to his shouting at this time. After a while, Basong was the only one left in the huge restaurant, and the only company he had was the swaying furniture and pieces of tableware scattered on the ground. "You can't do this,  You cannot leave me behind, I am your master, the king's decree will punish you, and the Buddha will curse you!  "At this time, Basong's voice sounded more like begging than scolding. This fat middle-aged man was wearing a nightgown and exquisite deerskin slippers. He stood alone on the teak floor of the restaurant, looking around in panic.  Everything, the gunshots in the distance gradually became sparse, replaced by shouts of death and begging for mercy. It was obvious that the rebels had defeated Zhuang Ding's resistance, and it was already a matter of time before they arrived here. Basong was panicking.  His eyes suddenly stopped, and the door of a cupboard in the corner of the dining room was slowly shaking. He ran to the cupboard tremblingly, got in with difficulty, and then carefully closed the cupboard door again. Basson's first time  He felt that he was too fat, and the space in the cupboard was so small for him that it was almost difficult to breathe. He was about to go out and find another hiding place when a heavy footsteps froze his movements.  He knew that this must be the attacker. The reason was very simple. In order to protect the exquisite teak floor of the restaurant, all the servants in the manor were barefoot when they entered the restaurant, and the current sound indicated that the attacker must be wearing leather shoes or  Other hard-soled shoes. ¡°I¡¯ll also try what the noble master usually eats!  "A rebel smiled and stretched out his hand to fish out two shrimps from the tom yum soup bowl and stuffed them into his mouth. The leather boots captured from the British army on his feet stepped on the fragments of porcelain, making a harsh creaking sound. Suddenly he  He screamed in surprise, pointed at the soup bowl and shouted to the little boss: "Boss, the noble master's life is really not bad!  Come and have some, too. I have never eaten anything so delicious in my life!  " "Eat, eat, eat, you know how to eat!  You must have been the reincarnation of a pig in your last life!  "The little boss strode over, knocked the subordinate hard on the forehead, and cursed: "Have you forgotten the commander's order?  Our mission is to capture Mr. Bassoon and the butler alive, not to fill your mouth that can never be filled, do you understand?  Go find someone quickly. Once you catch Mr. Bassoon and the housekeeper, you can find the cook and ask him to cook all the dishes for you!  "    "Really!  Then I'll go right away!  "The insurrectionist shouted with joy. He immediately stood up straight, turned around and ran outside. "You bastard, you just know how to eat!  "The little boss laughed and scolded, turned around and walked to the table, picked up a spoon, took a spoonful of tom yum soup and put it into his mouth. He suddenly exclaimed: "That kid really doesn't know what to do.Yes, this soup is really delicious!  "The little boss had just taken two sips when he suddenly heard a creaking sound. He quickly dropped the spoon, pulled out the pistol from his waist, and carefully looked at the movement in the restaurant. Suddenly, he found a piece of clothing exposed from the crack of a cupboard door.  It looked like very precious clothing material. He walked carefully to the cupboard door, pointed the pistol at the cupboard and said in a deep voice: "People inside, listen up, I'll count to three, if you don't come out, I'll fire."  Gun!  One, two¡ª¡ª" "Don't shoot, don't shoot!  I'll come out right away!  "A middle-aged man shouted from the cupboard. The little boss took a step back and shouted: "Slow down. If you have a weapon, throw it out first!"  " "No weapons, no weapons!  "There was a voice coming from the cupboard, and almost at the same time, the cupboard door was pushed open. A fat middle-aged man lowered his head and struggled to get out of it. But as soon as he got out halfway, he couldn't move. The reason is very simple.  His fat body was stuck at the cabinet door, and he couldn't get in or get out. Basong struggled twice, but the jam became tighter. He was afraid that the other party would think he was playing tricks, so he begged with a red face: "  Please forgive me. I didn¡¯t mean it, but I really can¡¯t get out. Can you help me?  "    "Ha ha!  You are so fat. I swear, the black bears in the woods are not as fat as you. I wonder what you usually eat?  "The little boss was already laughing to tears at the funny situation in front of him. While wiping away his tears, he called a few men from outside. With their help, he finally got Basong out of the cupboard.  Come out. "You are Master Basong, right?"  Looking at the fat on your body, I don¡¯t know how many poor people have absorbed the blood and sweat to grow like you!  "The little leader looked at Basong who was sitting on the ground and groaned, and asked with a sneer. "It's true that I am Basong!  " Basong quickly defended: "But I was born with this kind of body shape. I am a good-hearted person and the most merciful to the farmers in the territory. Just this morning, I just ordered my personal servant to provide food to the poor people in each village.  We distribute three buckets of rice to each family. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can go to the warehouse and see. The rice that should be distributed is already ready!  "    "snort!  Was this the case from birth?  "The insurrectionist who was the first to come in just now sneered and pointed at the dining table and said: "Look, your lunch is worth the food of a hundred poor families for a month. There is no farmer in your territory who can grow as well as  Are you the same?  Do you think we are fools?  " "That's right, you still claim to be a good Samaritan, then who whipped Kubu and Buji until their blood dripped with blood, and then hung them from the tree behind the manor?  " "This is all what the housekeeper Yu Qie did without telling me. I really don't know anything!  Basong screamed his injustice: "I live in Bagan and Mandalay all year round. I only live here for more than ten days every year. All things are done by the housekeeper. The farmers in these territories know that you  As soon as you ask, you will know that every injustice has its own owner and every debt has its own owner. Heroes must not make mistakes!  " The little leader looked at Basong's ugliness with disdain and interrupted his cry of injustice: "Okay, don't cry for injustice. When the leader arrives, you can complain again!  Now tell me where is the butler Yuqie?  " "He went out early in the morning to do errands!  Basson replied in a low voice. At this time, he couldn't help but secretly regret why he didn't go to see the British in person, so that he wouldn't fall into the hands of these bandits. "It's easy for this bastard, but one day he will definitely fall into the hands of these bandits."  In our hands!  "The little leader cursed lowly and called the names of his two men. Then two rebels came to both sides of Basong and held him hostage and walked out of the door. "Report to the commander!  The granary, weapons depot, and other warehouses have all been fully occupied, sealed, and guarded by the most loyal brothers!  "A small leader loudly reported to Gray Eyes. "Very good, you go back and wait for orders. Remember, these are the common wealth of all the rebels and the farmers in the territory. No one is allowed to touch them without orders!  " "Yes, Commander!  " "Report, Zhuang Ding, who was blocked in the east house, surrendered to us!  " "Very well, send those prisoners here. You can't privately execute those who have laid down their weapons!  " "Yes, Commander!  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 77 Execution

    Song Shen stood aside, watching with satisfaction as Gray Eyes gave orders majestically. Under his command, the rebels who captured the manor moved in an orderly manner. The entire manor quickly restored order, and there was no one here.  Massacres and looting often occurred under such circumstances.  "Chief, the military operation to occupy the manor has ended. Now I should hand over the command to you!" A voice woke Song Shen up from his reverie. He saw gray eyes standing straight in front of him, and he hurriedly patted him.  He looked at the other party's shoulder and said with a smile: "Brother, you did a good job, better than I imagined!" "This is not my credit, leader!" Gray Eyes smiled sheepishly: "You established this team  I can only make them do it as a team, whether they are armies or bandits, they should all be fighting each other for the spoils at this time!" "I can't do anything by myself!" Song Shen smiled and waved his hand, thinking with gray eyes.  Say something, and then a voice came: "Caught Basong, caught Basong!" "Okay, let us see the true face of this great master first!" Song Shen tugged at the gray-eyed clothes  Sleeve and walk towards the place where the sound comes from.  At this time, Basong only had one pair of exquisite deerskin slippers left on his feet, and the silk nightgown on his body was torn many times by the bushes on the roadside. His hands were tied tightly with ropes, and his neck was  A rope loop cover, the other end of the rope loop is in the hand of the middle-aged man who reported the news.  He was being pulled like an animal, walking and running in a daze. From time to time, he stumbled and fell to the ground. The middle-aged man immediately turned around and whipped his back and buttocks hard with a whip, as if calling an animal.  Shouting loudly: "Drive! Drive!" "Show mercy! Show mercy!" Basson shouted, exhausted.  ¡°Tooth for tooth, blood for blood!¡± the middle-aged man shouted, tears welling up from his eyes.  "Yes, tooth for tooth, blood for blood!" The insurrectionists on both sides of the road roared loudly, waving their rifles with bayonets in their hands, their eyes full of anger longing for revenge.  In this way, when Basong was brought to Songcan and the others, he was exhausted and bruised.  "Be merciful! You are also a Burmese! The Buddha warned us to be merciful. You can take away the food and money in my manor, just leave me a life! Please!" Basong pleaded.  "But the Buddha also warned us not to be lenient to demons! The food and money in your manor were taken from the hands of farmers, and they originally belong to farmers!" Songcan stared into Basong's eyes and retorted loudly: "You kill  Buji and Kubu died, and many farmers in your territory died of hunger and cold because of your greed. You are also responsible for these!" "It's not my fault. Buji and Kubu were killed by the steward. As for the farmers,  They were hungry. At that time, I was still in Bagan and had no idea about the situation in the territory. After I learned about it, I immediately ordered the distribution of food to the poorest people. You can ask the manager of the warehouse!" Basong knew that this was his only one!  A way out, he hurriedly argued loudly with his last bit of strength.  "Really?" Song Shen sneered. He pulled a sack from the side and opened the rope at the mouth of the bag. A large amount of rice bran flowed out from the mouth of the bag. Occasionally, a small amount of rice could be seen in it, and these rice  They are all old rice that has turned black.  "These are the grains you ordered to be distributed to the poorest!" Song Shen grabbed a handful of rice bran and put it in front of Basong's eyes. The strong and irritating smell made Basong instinctively turn his head.  "You let the poor people eat this! Even the animals you raise are better than this! Maybe in the eyes of the master, your four-legged animals are much more precious than two-legged people. Is this what it means?  "Is this what the Buddha taught you?" "This is not my order, these are all done by the steward behind my back!" Basong shouted in despair.  Song Shen replied coldly: "Really? Then please go to heaven and complain to the Buddha!" ??He waved his right arm fiercely and ordered: "Take him down and wait until you go to Nevin Village.  The farmers will be executed in public when they distribute food!¡± The next day, the road leading to Ne Win Village was full of ragged farmers. The poor people were carrying earthen jars and carrying burdens, heading towards the manor.  People's faces, which are usually numb and oppressed by the suffering of life, showed hopeful smiles, while the burdens of farmers leaving the manor were filled with full grains.  Yesterday, the rebels who occupied the manor announced that all farmers in the Basong territory can receive five buckets of grain from the warehouse for free to survive this difficult winter. There is even more shocking news. The rebels will divide the master's territory.  To each village community, from now on, these village communities will no longer have to pay a grain of grain to the nobles or temples, and all the grain will belong to the farmers.  Master Basong himself was whipped two hundred times after announcing his crime in front of more than a thousand peasants.Finally, he hanged himself from the big tree at the entrance of the manor.  Master Basong¡¯s death was like a spark that ignited a prairie fire of peasant uprisings and riots in the vast Central Myanmar region centered on Bagan.  This area was originally the area hardest hit by the recent forced expropriation by the puppet king Meng Ji, and the army, the main armed force in the hands of the noble lords, no longer exists. The anger of the farmers is like a compressed spring that was suddenly released.  Usually bursts out.  Led by the rebels who dispersed to the countryside, groups of peasants rushed into the manors of noble lords and monks and monasteries, opened granaries, and took away the food and materials inside. In many places, land divisions even took place in the nobility's territories.  Killing the nobles themselves, burning debts, land contracts and other actions, so in less than a month, the entire Central Myanmar region was like a boiling soup pot, boiling.  Bagan, Shunjun camp.  "Master Ba, the situation in Bagan is critical now. Bandits are rampant outside the city and people are in ruins. No matter the nobles or the temples, everyone has been killed. However, since the Bagan mutiny, the new army has disintegrated and is unable to suppress it. Please send an army to attack as soon as possible."  , Give Myanmar a prosperous world!¡± ¡°Yes, please send an army to attack!¡± In the room, several noble people in gorgeous clothes were pleading loudly to Batu, who was sitting at the top. These people were either monks or  They all seem to be prominent figures in Bagan City. Some time ago, whether Meng Ji killed Xipao to usurp the throne, or Meng Ji was killed by Diok, and the city was reduced to a pot of porridge, these nobles were hiding in their manors.  Nafu didn't bother to show up at all, but at this time, they ran to the Shunjun military camp one by one as if they were mourning for their heirs. This sudden change caught Batu off guard, and he didn't know how to deal with it for a while.  However, he also knew that he had to wait and see how this matter would turn out, so he pretended to be indignant and said loudly: "Everyone, Burmese and Burmese are one and the same. It is the duty of the Protector of Burma to safeguard the vassal state.  It is my duty to send troops, but I have a humble official position, so I have to inform my superiors before making any decisions. Please forgive me!" The nobles looked at each other, and the leader continued: "Sir, from Bagan to Mandeb.  It will take seven or eight days to exchange letters and documents at least. By then, I am afraid it will be too late, and it will also hurt the emperor's benevolent heart to protect the Burmese people. I am so sentimental that you will allocate two hundred soldiers to us to protect us and others.  This manor! I am here to thank you for the Bagan elders!" At this point, these nobles bowed to Batu Luo. Seeing that Batu Luo was still hesitant, the leader stepped forward and whispered: "What if?  Lord Ba is willing to send troops, and we have a little bit of kindness to offer!" "What's your intention?" Batu was slightly stunned. He naturally knew what these nobles meant, so he could answer in his own capacity.  Granting their request is just a matter of words, but now the British and the Shun army are facing each other across the city of Bagan, and there are all kinds of Burmese gangsters all around. The situation is extremely subtle and complicated. If I divide my troops, will it trigger any surprises?  What if unexpected changes destroy the chess game Chen Zaixing arranged before leaving?  Thinking of this, Batu hesitated for a while and said in a low voice: "Everyone, I'm not trying to push the envelope. It's just that the British and foreign troops are approaching, and I really don't dare to divide the troops. Let's do this. If you believe me, you can  Bring your family members to our army, and I will protect you." The Burmese nobles looked at each other, knowing that they would not let go, and finally they had to bow in unison and salute: "Thank you, sir!  "I don't dare, please forgive me!" Batu hurriedly stood up and returned the courtesy. He had spent a long time in Myanmar's captain's mansion, so he naturally knew the importance of the people in front of him in the local area. He did not dare to be rude and sent those people out personally.  Those people filed out of the door, and the last person sighed before leaving: "Sir, I also understand your difficulties, but I heard that the British have sent troops to 'protect' more than a dozen manors near Bagan.  In comparison, I'm afraid many nobles will fall to the British side!" "What?" Batu quickly grabbed the noble man and asked in a low voice, "What did you just say?" "Sir, what?  Some of those who came to you to ask for troops to fight against bandits and protect the manor naturally went to the British side. You refused to send troops, but the British were willing to send troops. Naturally, everyone went to their side! " "So that's how it is!  What's going on!" Batu was shocked. As far as he knew, the British troops were far smaller than his own, so how could they dare to divide their troops to protect the manor of the Burmese nobles?  Could it be that they received reinforcements from Yangon?

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 78: Enter the Ambassador Plenipotentiary

    Eight days ago, British Empire Consulate, Yangon.  "Mr. Gillings, let me introduce myself to you. My name is Arthur Balfour. This time I came to Burma under the entrustment of His Excellency the Prime Minister. As the plenipotentiary ambassador of the British Empire in Burma, I am responsible for handling all recent affairs. I hope that  I can get your cooperation!" Arthur Balfour held out his right hand to Gillings with great interest, looking at the young man in front of him who had caused big trouble to his uncle not long ago.  "It's an honor to see you here, Your Excellency Ambassador. For the benefit of the British Empire, I will do my best to cooperate with your work!" Gillings replied expressionlessly. In front of him was a beautiful young man of about his own age who was wearing a close-fitting hunting suit.  People's smiles made him feel very uncomfortable.  He stretched out his hand to shake Belfort's hand symbolically, and immediately took his hand back, as if this could avoid losing something!  "Okay, let's get started! Mr. Gillings, could you please introduce to me your fruitful work some time ago?" Belfort gestured and asked with a smile. It was not difficult to hear the sarcasm in his tone.  meaning.  Gillings nodded to Balfour as if he didn't hear it at all, then walked to the wall, opened the curtain on the map, pointed at the map with a wax stick and explained loudly: "After my respected  My predecessor and I have worked hard for a long time. In April this year, when the rainy season began in this country, a certain royal family member in this kingdom who was dissatisfied with the previous king launched a successful coup with the support of the British Empire and killed the previous king.  died, and seized the throne, thus giving the Empire an unprecedented opportunity to bring this territory about the size of three islands of Great Britain under the protection of Her Majesty. But unfortunately, the two children of the previous king were in.  With the help of members of the embassy in Mandalay, China escaped the pursuit of the coupers and successfully escaped to Chinese territory. After taking control of Mandalay, the coupers attempted to renege on their previous agreement and re-attach to the Chinese.  In exchange for the support of the other party, I used it as capital to balance the influence of the empire. So I had to take necessary measures to force the coup d'etat to give up this dangerous attempt-" "I'm sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Gillings!"  Balfour raised his hand and asked: "If I am not wrong, did you call the necessary measure to send people to attack the Chinese embassy in Mandalay?" Gillings seemed to have been hit unexpectedly.  With a straight left fist, his originally expressionless face immediately showed an expression of astonishment. He sent Duncan to bribe rogue soldiers to attack the Shunguo Protector's Palace and kill the Shunguo officials there. This has always been deep in his heart.  His secrets were cleverly concealed in his reports to Calcutta and London. The rogue soldiers involved were later secretly dealt with by him. Unexpectedly, this young man who looked like a young man was  The man grasped the truth so quickly, and he subconsciously replied: "Mr. Balfour, I think-" "Okay, I think I know what the truth is, Mr. Gillings, you can continue!  "At this time, the relaxed expression on Belfort's face has disappeared. It is obvious that he is now much more serious about Gillings and what he is going to say next.  "Yes, Mr. Ambassador!" Gillings nodded. He swallowed and whispered: "After that, the coup makers and I began to fulfill the treaty: the empire provided the other side with a batch of weapons to build a new army and sent out  Officers served as the backbone of the army and trained new officers; while the coup d'etat severed its affiliation with China, lowered tariffs on imported goods and exports of rice, sugar, teak and other products to the British Empire to 5%, and gave the British Empire  One-sided most-favored-nation treatment, extraterritoriality, and the rights of British citizens to travel, do business, and preach in Myanmar. However, the Chinese responded quickly and quickly formed a small but very capable expeditionary force with two of the former kings.  The child crossed the muddy jungle in the rainy season and quickly appeared next to Mandalay. The new king had to attack it with his untrained army. The Chinese won at Babu and occupied Mandalay.  The new king led the remaining troops to retreat to Bagan, where he began to recruit soldiers again, gather strength, and prepare to take back Mandalay! "Mr. Gillings! If I heard you right, the section you just crossed out.  It's all jungle. A Chinese team passed this road during the rainy season?" Belfort stood up and pointed to a red arrow on the map with a somewhat disbelieving expression, which represented China.  The marching route of the team.  "As far as I know, not entirely. The section from Wanding to Larong is fine. There are quite good sandy roads, but the road from Larong to Mandalay is not good. Once the rainy season comes, a lot of rain will turn the road into a  "That's why the coup will be scheduled in April, so that he will have five months to train the army and prepare for battle before the dry season!" Belfort interrupted.?His beautiful eyebrows wrinkled: "Mr. Gillings, I have to admit that the Chinese have a shrewd and capable general. He has seized time, the only irreparable thing in war!" "Yes, Ambassador  Your Excellency!" Gillings lowered his head. Deep down, he felt extremely humiliated and angry that he had to admit this.  "I roughly understand the following. After capturing Mandalay, the Chinese general took advantage of the victory to attack, defeated the unfortunate king again, and killed him. Now Bagan has fallen into his hands.  "No, the king was not killed by the Chinese, but by a close relative." "Oh! The king is always in danger. While resisting the sword from the front, you must also beware of the dagger behind you!"  Balfour shrugged nonchalantly: "But it doesn't make much difference. If he is defeated by the Chinese this time, he will be dead. At least he will no longer be able to live as a king!" "Yes, Your Excellency Ambassador!" Gillings agreed.  nodded: "But this time the empire has announced that the new king will be under protection, and sent gunboats to block the river, declaring the water to be a prohibited neutral zone, and the Chinese have broken this protection." "In my opinion,  "It's not the Chinese's fault!" "It's not the Chinese's fault?" Gillings could hardly believe his ears. He stared at Belfort in front of him with wide eyes.  "Of course, if I were in the position of the Chinese general, I would do the same!" Balfour replied: "You just sent three flat-bottomed gunboats and announced the protection of the king. This kind of protection is too cheap.  Well! If there is no guarantee of strength behind the words, it is better not to say it. " "Your Majesty, Ambassador, I don't quite understand what you mean!" Balfour stood up and said loudly: "Mr. Gillings, the reason for this is the promise of the empire.  The amazing effectiveness is not because Her Majesty the Queen has some mysterious power that can make the promise come true, but because the empire has strong force and is determined to use force to punish those people or countries that violate the empire's promise. In other words, if this is the case.  This kind of force no longer exists, and this protection will naturally collapse! "But the empire has enough force to punish the Chinese and has the ability to punish them!" Gillings retorted loudly.  "Yes, the empire has enough force, but that does not mean it has unlimited power." Balfour retorted coldly: "Mr. Gillings, your mistake is that you made a promise but did not show enough power.  To fulfill your promise, do you think that just empty words and three gunboats can stop the Chinese general? You know that this respectable enemy overcame such difficulties and defeated you cleanly not long ago. Obviously this is not a possibility.  Scare people with lies. Originally, if you sent four or five battalions from Rangoon to Bagan, you could scare the Chinese and make a decent peace with them, but now the empire has to invest more power.  To recover the damage caused by the broken promise, this is quite harmful to the empire's global strategy! " "You are right, Your Excellency, Ambassador!" Gillings's body trembled slightly, and the cold logic in Belfort's words made him uncomfortable.  Not admitting his mistake made him furious.  The young man in front of him had huge advantages in intelligence and power, which made him feel suffocated since he had been pretentious since he was a child.  "How many troops are there now?" Belfort asked after looking at the map carefully for a while, pointing to a small red square next to Bagan on the map representing the British Army.  "An advance team, about two battalions, and reinforced artillery units!" "Well, I'm afraid this is not enough. The Chinese have controlled Bagan for quite some time. I'm afraid their fortifications have been built quite well.  And the rainy season has been over for so long, and their large reinforcements from the country have already arrived!" Belfort had a solemn expression on his face.  "Yes, Your Excellency Ambassador!" Gillings whispered: "The latest letter from the advance team commander, Major Duncan, also mentioned that there was a fairly large-scale Burmese peasant riot in Central Myanmar. The rioters had quite good weapons.  , attacked them several times, and now even began to attack the estates of local nobles and monks, giving land and grain to Burmese peasants! "Oh! Jacgues Bonhomme!  It was an anti-feudal peasant uprising in France in 1358. It was one of the larger peasant uprisings in Western Europe in the Middle Ages. Zaclay was the derogatory name given to peasants by French nobles at that time, and the uprising got its name from this.)" Balfour opened his eyes in surprise.  Eyes closed: "The situation has become more complicated now. I think we should increase Major Duncan's army faster and let him solve the problem before the situation becomes uncontrollable!"  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 79: Exit the Ambassador Plenipotentiary

    "I agree with you, Your Excellency Ambassador!" "Mr. Gillings!" Balfour looked into Gillings's eyes: "Frankly speaking, one of the important tasks that the Prime Minister asked me to come to Myanmar is to solve the problems here on your behalf. He  I am very angry at you for telling the backbenchers what happened here without permission, and for giving Disraeli's gunmen the ammunition to attack the Cabinet. But I think it would be a disservice to the Empire in Burma if you were relieved of your duties now.  The interests have caused irreparable losses. Therefore, I hope to cooperate candidly during this period to serve Her Majesty the Queen!" At this point, Balfour extended his right hand to Gillings.  Gillings hesitated for a moment, but still squeezed the other person's right hand, and whispered: "Serve Her Majesty the Queen!" Belfort shook the other person's hand forcefully, sat back at the desk, and began to write letters fluently.  Gillings glanced curiously and heard Belfort's voice.  "Mr. Gillings, I am writing to Calcutta and Singapore, asking the Far East Fleet and India to send sufficient troops and warships suitable for inland navigation to Rangoon. You can now withdraw six infantrymen from the Rangoon garrison.  The battalion went to Major Duncan and was handed over to him for command. ""Mr. Ambassador¡ª¡ª" Gillings was a little frightened by what Balfour said just now. After he made a mistake, India's attitude towards him completely changed. Don't.  There were no Indian barracks, warships, or even small shallow-water gunboats and weapons to form a Burmese infantry battalion as originally agreed upon. Therefore, after Duncan took the advance team to Bagan, the follow-up troops never came.  But Balfour now suddenly asked him to withdraw six battalions of Yangon's garrison. You must know that Yangon's current garrison is only about six battalions, which is almost a waste of time.  "Mr. Gillings." Balfour finished writing a letter and looked up at Gillings who was staying there. He thought that the other party objected to him sending out too many garrison troops at once: "You don't have to worry about Yangon's defense. Before coming,  Your Excellency the Prime Minister has written to the Governor of India and the Commander of the Far East Fleet. Reinforcements from Calcutta and Singapore will arrive in two weeks at most! You can use this gap to arm the European expatriates as a transitional period." "Understood, I will go there immediately.  The garrison is ready to go!" Gillings turned and walked out. When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, turned his back to Belfort and asked: "Mr. Ambassador, why did you take such drastic action?  Mr. Disraeli of the Liberal Party? " "Mr. Gillings, it seems that you have been away from Great Britain for too long!" Balfour raised his head and said with a smile: "Did you forget that there was such a statement in the House of Commons?  ? 'If you are going to retreat, then pretend to be advancing! ' Now that Mr. Disraeli has blown the wind, who now shows a hint of weakness on the Burmese issue?  It means suicide, so the only thing we can do now is to be more radical than what he asked for. I can tell you now that Yangon is only the first stop of my trip to the Far East. The next stop I will go to is Japan and the Russian Far East.  "Could it be that the empire wants to fight with Japan and Russia?" Gillings opened his mouth in horror and stared blankly at Belfort behind the desk.  "Yes, Mr. Gillings! As you heard, once the snowball starts rolling, it is beyond our control. It will roll bigger and bigger along its own path, whizzing down, taking everything down.  Swallow it!" Balfour stared at the other party: "Now, Mr. Gillings, please work hard like a loyal servant of Her Majesty the Queen!" "Yes, of course!" Gillings hurriedly said to Balfour.  Bowing, he carefully exited the door, closed the door and went out along the corridor.  On the way, his heart was racing. Balfour's words just now contained very shocking news. In order to deal with the attacks from the opposition parties, the Prime Minister, the Marquess of Salisbury, decided to change his policy towards China and even the entire Far East. On the one hand, he increased military strength in Myanmar.  power, on the other hand, formed an alliance with Japan and Russia to use their power to contain China.  Such a huge change was triggered by a small coup he instigated. At this time, Gillings couldn't help but feel panic and excitement.  Mandalay, the Palace of the Protector of Burma.  Zao Guoquan meticulously finished the last stroke of the memorial, raised his head and said to Chen Zaixing with a smile on his face: "Master Chen, in this case, I will report to the imperial court and appoint you as the commander-in-chief of the school, and the commander-in-chief of the staff of the mansion."  , I wonder if that¡¯s okay?¡± Chen Zaixing took a step back and bowed: ¡°It¡¯s too shameful for Zaixing to be so valued by your lord. Shi Nai, the chief assistant of the school captain, has a heavy responsibility. Please think twice, brother Fusheng!¡±  I'm being too modest. You are the second-ranked person recommended by the late emperor. You have been in Hongwen Hall and you are already a talented reserve prime minister. You have also experienced so many years in Myanmar. It is really unworthy to be the director of the school.?It couldn't be more suitable, unless you feel that this position is not worthy of you, the second-ranked man, and you are underestimating your talent!  " "Your Majesty said so. No matter how anxious and frightened I am, I can only try my best, hoping that I will not be able to live up to your trust!  " Hearing this, Zao Guoquan put his palms in his hands and laughed, saying: "Okay, okay, okay!  As long as you and I work together, why should we be afraid of the British and foreigners jumping over each other?  Myanmar will definitely always be the southwest vassal state of the imperial court!  " "Chen should follow Sir Jiwei!  "Chen Zaixing bowed and said. The laughter of Zao Guoquan and Chen Zaixing echoed in the room, and there was a harmonious atmosphere. "Two adults, there is an urgent military situation with Mr. Baganba!  " The announcement outside the door broke the joyful atmosphere in the room. Zao Guoquan gently shook the front of his robe, resumed his upright sitting posture, slightly raised his chin, and said in a deep voice: "Bring it in!  " Qu Duan came to Zao Guoquan with hurried steps from outside the door. He bowed and presented the letter with both hands. Zao Guoquan reached out and took the letter. Qu Duan hurriedly and carefully walked to the door and stood with his head bowed. This  The confidant who came to Myanmar with Zao Guoquan lost the favor of his old master after being tricked by Chen Zaixing to seize military power. He became just an ordinary reporter. Zao Guoquan no longer allowed him to participate as before.  It's a secret. Zao Guoquan gently stroked his beard with one hand and read the letter carefully with the other. After a moment, he snorted coldly, handed the letter to Chen Zaixing, and whispered: "Fu Sheng, you should also read it.  look!  " "Yes, sir!"  "Chen Zaixing took the letter, read it carefully, and closed his eyes to think for a long time. At this time, Zao Guoquan did not urge him. When Chen Zaixing opened his eyes again, Zao Guoquan asked in a low voice: "Resurrection, do you have it?  What do you think?  " "My lord, what Brother Zhenwu said in his letter consists of two things: one is the frequent civil unrest throughout central Myanmar centered on Bagan.  The reason is that the king and his nobles did not care about the people and were eager to exploit them. After the changes in Mandalay and Bagan, their weapons were scattered in all directions along with the defeated troops. Among them, the powerful people used it to gather people to invade and plunder the four directions.  Due to the Red Eyebrow and Yellow Turban trend, many Burmese nobles and monks requested that the country send troops to conquer; secondly, in recent days, the British began to send a large number of troops to Bagan, and some Burmese nobles and monks defected to the British.  In order to protect their property, the British also had guides and eagles and dogs. They were no longer isolated and helpless as before, and they were quite active, just for fear that a war was about to break out.  " "Heroes see the same thing!  "Zhao Guoquan gave a high-five and praised: "It is true that the situation in Bagan is like 'a storm is about to come', so how should Fusheng deal with it?  " "Sir, I know very little about the situation between us and the enemy, and I don't know how to plan!  "Chen Zaixing replied: "But there are two things that must be done immediately. The first is to ensure the transportation between Bagan and Mandalay, so that they can attack and retreat; second, speed up the speed of transporting troops from the country, and strive to  In ten days, we will increase the strength of three troops in Bagan, and make up for the two troops of Mr. Ba. In this way, we will have a battalion of troops in Myanmar. I dare not say that we will win, but at least we can remain undefeated.  " "Resurrection is so impatient!  "Zhao Guoquan said with a smile: "Three bids in twenty days, and almost one bid of additional troops. Not counting the livestock leader, even the fighting soldiers will be almost 10,000. From Kunming to Wanding, and then from Wanding to  From Larong to Mandalay, it takes a month and a half no matter what.  " "This is all my fault for my previous actions, please forgive me!  "Chen Zaixing hurriedly bowed down. Both he and Zao Guoquan knew it well. Previously, Han Jing appointed Zao Guoquan as the captain of the Burmese Protector and the commander-in-chief of the Burmese military. As Chen Zaixing's advisor, Yunnan-Guizhou Jiedu Envoy Wu  The Han people have been playing tricks in deploying troops, but they didn't expect to shoot themselves in the foot. "That's it!  Zao Guoquan stretched out his hand to help Chen Zaixing: "I said that day that all the previous matters should be put aside. In fact, you can't be entirely blamed for this matter. Hanking transferred me to be the military commander who protects Burma.  My idea of ??"controlling the great and the small" is that the emperor is still young, and the power is in the hands of a few female officials in the palace. They like to use secret power to control people. You and I are of the same mind now!  " When Chen Zaixing heard this, he could only bow down and bow to Zao Guoquan: "Your Excellency, you have a broad mind, which is beyond the reach of Susheng!  " "Well, the current plan, resurrection, is to ask you to return to the country and take charge of the deployment of troops. Mr. Wu is your advisor, and no one is more suitable than you for this matter.  " Chen Zaixing was stunned when he heard this. He didn't expect that Zao Guoquan would drive him back to the country in just a few words, but he replied in a low voice: "I obey the order!  ¡± After a while, Chen Zaixing said goodbye. Zao Guoquan was escorted out of the door and sent down the stairs to see him off. He waited until Chen Zaixing had gone far before turning back. When he walked to the door of the house, he suddenly coughed and kept standing with his head bowed.  Qu Duan followed him in without saying a word and closed the door behind him. Zao Guoquan sat back at his desk and gently stroked his beard. He was speechless for a while, and Qu Duan also lowered his head.  Wait quietly, saying nothing. "Quduan, what do you want?"??Anything to say?  " "Sir, I have nothing to say!  " "You were listening at the door for so long, didn't you hear anything?  " "Although the villain has heard a lot, the adults have unpredictable ideas in their minds, and the villain does not dare to speculate!  " When Zao Guoquan heard Qu Duan's answer, a smile gradually appeared on his face, and he suddenly laughed loudly: "Okay, okay!  You have finally made some progress today. Since I am now the Colonel Protecting Burma, I certainly have to seize power, but in the final analysis I still have to do things. If I fail to complete my mission, what is the use of seizing power?  I know that Chen Zaixing has different intentions, and it is not something that a long history can contain, but as long as he is willing to use me to help me settle the situation in Myanmar, I can tolerate him and tolerate him.  Do you understand it?  " "The villain understands that from now on, the villain must act with sincerity, follow Master Chang Shi, learn more, see more, and do more, please rest assured!  " Zao Guoquan nodded and said with a smile: "That's right, you go down first!  " "Yes, sir!"  "Qu Duan bowed and saluted, then turned around and left. At this time, only Zao Guoquan was left in the room. His face gradually turned cold. In fact, with his experience and wisdom, he could not see Chen Zaixing's thoughts. It was just that he was in a  Having held a high position for many years, I know that most of the talented people in the world are often rebellious and rebellious. If the superior officials simply reject them because they have no tolerance for others, it will only drive fish away from the abyss and drive birds away from the bush. How can it be achieved?  Things. It took a lot of effort to get rid of the shackles this time. Just like a bird entering the mountains or a fish entering the sea, he can only use his ambition to do something big for people like Chen Zaixing. In the eyes of Zao Guoquan,  It's just an untamed fierce horse.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 80 Investigation

    Bagan, Shunjun camp.  "My lord Zao only asked you to bring a letter and nothing else?" Batu asked the messenger who had just returned from Mandalay in front of him, with a look of disappointment on his face.  "Yes, sir, I have nothing else to explain!" "Go down!" Batu waved his hands in disappointment, opened the envelope and looked at it carefully.  As he read, Batu's face became solemn. In the letter, Zao Guoquan told Batu straight to the point that for at least a month, he would not be able to get reinforcements from the country. The current Myanmar New Army  The combat effectiveness was not enough to participate in the battle against the British, so he gave Batu an instruction: first, to protect the traffic from Bagan to Mandalay and ensure the safety of the two thousand soldiers in Bagan; second,  If possible, ensure the safety of the camp and expand the Shun army's control over Bagan and even the entire Central Myanmar region as much as possible; third, send a small reconnaissance force to obtain detailed reports on the strength of the British army through confrontation and investigation; third,  Fourth, in the worst case, Batu is allowed to withdraw his army to Mandalay, but this can only be made under the worst circumstances and with no other choice!  " "It seems that the situation is much worse than what I saw!  "Batu sighed and stood up. In the past few days, the actions of the British army have become very frequent and aggressive. On the river, several British shallow-water gunboats appeared near the dock where the Shunjun camp is located.  On the water, they did not leave quickly until the six-inch cannon on the fort started firing. It was obvious that the British were testing the defense system and firepower intensity of the Shun army in preparation for future attacks; in terms of the army, the British troops also started firing from the beginning.  Huddled in the camp became a frequent presence around Bagan. More importantly, after protecting the estates of some Burmese nobles, the British army obtained enough manpower and animal power to establish a baggage force, as well as a fairly good army.  Guide, this greatly improved the range of activities and marching speed of the British army. You must know that in a subtropical country like Myanmar with abundant rainfall, vegetation grows extremely fast. If no one walks on it, a road will be destroyed in a few years.  It has become an impassable dense bush. Without local guides and porters and supplies from the local area, the British team with a rough map can only operate near the big rivers. If they go a little further, they will be lost.  The grassland in the dense forest became a live target for the guerrillas. In this way, Batu had to consider the possibility that the British troops would bypass the Shun army's camp through a road he did not know and follow the mainland.  It is not completely impossible to attack and defend the empty Mandalay. "My lord!  "An announcement came from outside the door, interrupting Batu's thoughts. He sighed and said: "Come in!  " An officer walked in quickly, gave Batu a military salute, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, there are British soldiers on the hill to the west of our camp. They should be here to survey and survey our artillery positions and  The officer on duty sent a detachment to fire at the fortifications. The British retreated after being attacked!  " "Have you caught anyone alive?  " "No, according to the soldier's report, there should be injuries. Blood stains were also found at the scene, but no one was caught alive!  " "Well, tell the officer on duty that I ordered mobile sentries and lurking sentries to be deployed outside the camp to capture the British top soldiers!  " "Yes, sir!"  "The officer paid a military salute to Batu again, turned around and exited the door. Batu stood up. The British action is most likely that the attack on the camp is getting closer. Of course, it may also be to cover up the attack on Mander.  However, Batu felt that the second possibility was unlikely. The reason was simple. If he were a British commander, he would attack here first to avenge the last failure here. This is what soldiers all over the world know.  A common idea. "The order is passed and all the Burmese hostages in the military camp will be transported to Mandalay. The steam gunboats on the dock will have their boilers burning 24 hours a day and be on standby at any time.  There must be two posts and two sentries on the fort to prevent sudden attacks by the British!  " "Yes, sir!"  "After a staff officer wrote down all Batu's orders, he bowed and left. Batu was left alone pacing back and forth in the room. "Should I retreat on my own initiative or stay to resist the British attack?  When there won't be any reinforcements within a month, it's militarily stupid to waste the precious mobile forces on hand at a location that has no strategic significance, but politically it's a different story.  , as long as this dock is still in the hands of the Shun army, it will give people the impression that Dashun still has an advantage in the fight with the British for Burma, and the Burmese nobles on both sides will still admit that the two children are theirs.  king.  And if he retreats without a fight, even if he can bring this army back to Mandalay intact, all kinds of rumors will quickly flood the ears of every Burmese noble.  ¡± Just like countless generals from ancient times to the present, Batu is at the right moment.?In the midst of a dilemma.  War is an activity in which two forces and two armies, under the leadership of their leaders, do everything possible to force the other party to obey their will. In order to achieve this goal, there is no price that cannot be paid, and no means that cannot be used.  , as long as you can win, everything you have paid before will be compensated a hundred times, and no matter what evil means you use, you will be forgiven afterwards.  Because of this, it becomes very difficult to judge the opponent's next move, because in war, the usual old rules no longer exist, and people are no longer human, but return to their original state.  of beast.  While Batu was caught in a dilemma, his enemy, Major Duncan, was listening carefully to his scouts reporting to him the situation in the enemy camp.  As an officer of civilian origin who has served in the Imperial Army for nearly twenty years, Major Duncan has a significant advantage over his aristocratic colleagues, that is, he knows more about the conditions of the soldiers under his command, and he also  To the vast majority of aristocratic officers in the British army at that time, the imperial army was just composed of a group of social dregs. It was the sergeant's job to manage the soldiers in peacetime. As a gentleman with status, he should  Caring more about your horses and hounds, and having too much contact with these vulgar low-class people is a sign of your status. As a gentleman, it is enough to be brave on the battlefield and elegant at the ball, let alone  Like Duncan, he listened carefully to the reports of several scouts covered in sweat and blood before the battle.  "Are you saying that the enemy's reaction was very fast? You just observed for a few minutes before the enemy discovered you, shot at you, and rushed towards you?" Duncan asked with a frown.  "Yes, Major!" A middle-aged man with flaxen hair replied loudly. He had a wound on his buttocks and his trousers were taken off. A military doctor was disinfecting him with strong alcohol. Severe pain hit his face.  His muscles were twitching, but he still replied nonchalantly: "You know, our military uniforms are red. They are very conspicuous here. They will be spotted a thousand yards away, and then the Chinese hunters will shoot at us."  , you know their marksmanship is very accurate!¡± ¡°Yes, Peter, I saw their marksmanship from your butt. Fortunately, the bullet passed through without damaging the bones, otherwise it would have been a big trouble!¡±  Old Tom, the military doctor, interjected. At this time, he had already cleaned the scout's wound with strong liquor and began to apply medicine on it.  "Thank you, Old Tom!" Pete replied with a smile: "But it would be better if you didn't waste those good wines on my ass, because the whiskey should go into the stomach." "Okay.  "Sergeant Pete, tell me what you saw. You will get your whiskey, but it depends on how much you see. The more you see, the more wine you will drink!" "Major, you are really an angel!"  "Pete said with a smile: "According to my observation, the Chinese defense line is divided into two sections. The southern section stretches from the river to a small mound, about 1,500 yards long, while the northern section stretches from the small mound.  The mound stretches to the river for about 700 yards. The two sections are at an angle of about 120 degrees at the small mound. The Chinese should have deployed mountain artillery on the mound. These two sections of defense line are filled with water.  Composed of water trenches, breastworks, and multi-faceted forts, their artillery had good shooting range and concealment, and ammunition depots and tunnels were dug on the sides and rear of the fort. Their core fort was about 2,500 yards away from the mound.  At this place, the Chinese cannons and field artillery can block the entire river bend and most of the river, and can also use artillery fire to bombard enemies attacking from the land. " "Very good!" Duncan listened to Peter's report.  Writing and drawing on a simple sand table in front of him, he suddenly raised his head and asked: "Didn't the Chinese fire at you with heavy firepower?" "Yes, Major!" Peter shook his head: "The guards are very  They were calm and did not expose their firepower. They just sent some hunters to drive us away. And I think they will increase the number of mobile sentries outside the trenches next. Our next batch of scouts will encounter more difficulties! " "You said!  Yes, I would do the same if it were you!" Duncan nodded solemnly. He stood up, pointed to the sand table in front of him and said to Sergeant Pitt: "Come here, come over and point out what you think the Chinese are most likely to do.  "A place with heavy firepower." "Yes, Major!" Sergeant Peter lifted up his pants, limped to the sand table, and pointed at a few places on the sand table with his fingers: "I think they will put Gatling on it."  The artillery is deployed here, the mountain artillery is deployed in these places, the field artillery and the cannons are deployed here, so that the best effect can be achieved! " "Yes, you are right, the best effect will be achieved here!  !" Duncan sighed: "It would be great if we didn't lose the cannon battery to the Chinese last time, so that the fort would not be such a big threat to our surface fleet. "   "Yes, Major." Sergeant Pitt shook his head and said with a smile: "But it's nothing, we still have bayonets!" When Duncan heard this, a smile appeared on his face: "You're right, old Pete!  In the final analysis, it depends on the bayonet! You can go down now!" "Yes, Major!" Peter stood up straight and gave a military salute to Duncan: "Long live England!" Duncan said.  Military salute, watching Peter limping back, he started looking down at the sand table again.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 81 Attack

    Two days later, the leading soldiers of the Shun army alerted Batu to the approaching British army. Batu issued a full alert order and shipped the last batch of hostages and unnecessary materials back to Mandalay.  In the letter between Zao Guoquan and Chen Zaixing, he expressed his decision to stick to the camp and proposed to strengthen Mandalay's defense as much as possible to prevent the British troops from bypassing the camp and attacking Mandalay.  At four o'clock in the morning on the third day, it was the darkest time of the day. The river water lapped at the wooden piles under the trestle, making a rhythmic sound. The sentinels of the Shun Army shrank their necks and tried their best to make themselves feel warmer. Although they were near Bagan,  The temperature in Japan is much higher than that in China, but in November, the sharp river wind blowing from the Irrawaddy River on people is still very unpleasant, but this is also a good thing, at least they will not doze off.  At this time, there was a sound of footsteps on the shore. The sentry cautiously took off the rifle from his shoulder, pulled the bolt of the gun, and shouted: "Banchao, the password?" "Thirty-six heroes!" A familiar voice came from the shore.  : "I am Batu!" "It turns out to be your Excellency!" The sentry quickly put the rifle back on his shoulder and saluted the figure walking in the darkness: "Greetings, Your Excellency!" "That's it!" Batu made a gesture to others.  He gestured to get up, looked at the boats on both sides of the pier, and asked in a low voice: "Is there nothing going on tonight?" "It's not bad!" "Well, don't be careless. If it weren't for these boats, we would be dead here.  !¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± It turns out that although the British troops have surrounded Shunjun¡¯s camp on land, the water surface cannot be blocked, and Shunjun can sneak out at night.  The British fleet had eight shallow-water gunboats and nearly twenty temporarily modified gunboats. The number of Shunjun troops was much smaller. There were only three shallow-water gunboats captured by the British army and six or seven temporarily modified rowing boats.  , so the Shun army chose to hide the ships in the river bend protected by forts to avoid a battle with great disparity in strength.  Right next to the trestle are all the navy ships owned by Shunjun.  Batu inspected the trestle for a while, and after confirming that there was no problem, he was about to return. Suddenly he felt something was wrong. He stopped again, listened for a while, and asked in a low voice to his followers: "Do you feel anything?  What's wrong?" Everyone listened for a while, with blank expressions on their faces, obviously not hearing anything.  Batu thought he was nervous, and was about to go back when the sentry said: "It's a bit strange indeed. It seems that the waterfowl on the opposite side of the river bend are a little louder!" "Yes, it's the waterfowl!" Batu immediately realized that it was not him.  Just then he felt that he was wrong, and he quickly ordered in a low voice: "The British must have come over. Quick, order the sailors to get on the ship, start the boilers, prepare to fire, and notify the forts on the top of the mountain to prepare for battle. All the muzzles of the guns should be pointed at  Over there in the river bend!" "Yes, sir!" On the opposite side of the river bend, six gunboats converted from dhows were driving slowly along the river bank. The trees and highlands on the river bank cast shadows on the water.  Hidden in the shadows, barely visible.  Like their British cousins, these shallow-water sailing ships are agile and high-speed, and have very low wind direction requirements. Even if the wind direction is unfavorable, they can move forward through a "zig-zag" route, which is very suitable for short-distance coastal shipping in changing wind directions.  And anti-smuggling, even at the end of the 19th century when steam engines were already available, there were many such ships in Yangon.  This time the British army recruited many such ships and installed small-caliber artillery or Hale rockets on the deck for patrols and ground attacks.  This time, the six gunboats were equipped with a large number of Hale rockets on the rear deck. After preparing to sneak into the river bend, they first used rockets to attack the shun army ships docked at the dock and the dock area, causing chaos, and then launched attacks from both land and water directions at the same time.  Attack the military camp and capture it in one fell swoop.  The British commander stood on the bow deck, trying his best to keep his eyes open and clearly see the shadow of the military ship near the pier in the distance. To be honest, it is not a good job to sail in the dark nearshore water. You must always be careful not to run aground or be hit.  When you go to the trees by the water, the chirping of birds and animals from the trees on the shore is also creepy. What¡¯s even worse is that in Bagan, there is a kind of venomous snake that likes to live on the trees by the water. These cunning hunters  They often hang on branches that extend into the water. In the dark, they look like sections of dead branches. But if any unlucky guy is bitten, he may not see the sun the next day.  When he thought of this, the commander couldn't help but cross himself.  "Thomson, please calculate how far we are from the trestle now!" the commander whispered to the lookout men on the side.  "Yes, Lieutenant!" The lookout took out his monocular telescope and examined it carefully for a while before replying in an uncertain tone: "The trestle is about 1,200 yards away from us, but sir, please forgive me, I can't be too sure.  "Absolutely!" "Well, I understand, it would be good to have one under these conditions!"He patted the lookout man on the shoulder tolerantly: "You go and signal the following ships to drop anchor, prepare to launch rockets at the pier, and wait for my signal. Attack the trestle first, and then attack the dock area!" "Yes!  "Yes, Lieutenant!" Thomson quickly ran to the stern of the ship, picked up a kerosene lamp wrapped in a towel, took off the towel, and circled three times behind the ship. After a while, one after another appeared behind him.  A bright spot circles around.  After confirming that all the ships behind had received the signal, the British commander issued the order to drop anchor and prepare to launch rockets.  "Quick, lazy fellows, take out the rockets from the bottom compartment and prepare to launch!" The British officer whispered to the soldiers and sailors, and the British sailors began to take the rockets out of the bottom compartment. It took about a try.  A black metal cylinder a foot and a half long and as thin as a calf, the Hale Rocket was a rotating rocket without a guide rod that Hale developed and patented in 1844.  Hale installed three inclined stable spiral plates on the tail of the rocket. The gunpowder gas ejected from the tail of the rocket causes the rocket to spin during flight and achieve stability. Compared with the balance rod used in the past, the flight trajectory of the Hale rocket is longer.  Much more stable.  The British Navy often uses it to attack larger fixed targets such as cities and fixed warships.  At this time, there was a rhythmic sound on the water. The experienced British officers and sailors immediately recognized that it was the sound of a steam engine running.  There is only one possibility for hearing this sound at this time. Shunjun has discovered his sneak attack for some reason. The sneak attack is no longer possible. After all, weapons with a high dispersion rate such as Hale rockets are very effective against launched warships.  The threat of moving targets is already minimal, and once the British army launches rockets, the huge tail flames will immediately reveal their location and become a living target for the army's gunboats.  "Adjust immediately, aim at the dock area and fire! After launching the rocket, abandon the ship and go ashore!" The British commander immediately issued an order.  Since the dock area and trestle of the Shun Army were built behind the hill where the fort is located, it was difficult for the British surface ships to attack there with artillery fire and rockets from the river. Since they finally managed to sneak in, after the Shun Army gunboats were launched, they wanted to  It is no longer possible to escape from the river mouth again. It is better to destroy the enemy's dock area first and then escape out of breath.  The British ship was only twenty or thirty meters away from the river bend. This distance made it very possible for British sailors to escape.  The British soldiers quickly carried out the officer's order. They roughly adjusted the direction and angle of the launcher, and lit the fuses of the rockets. With a piercing scream, the first row of rockets jumped up from the rails.  Thick tail flames cut through the dark sky and flew towards Shunjun Pier.  British soldiers hurriedly put the second rocket on the rail and prepared for the next launch.  "Discovered the enemy's position, 1,100 meters away!" The sailors on the "Pharaoh" responded immediately. The Pharaoh turned the bow and sailed towards the British ship. The Gatling gun on the bow immediately opened fire, continuously  The sound of cannons broke the silence of the night sky, and then a flash of fire flashed from the fort on the top of the mountain. It was a six-inch cannon shooting at British ships.  "Quick, move fast!" the British commander shouted loudly. Almost at the same time, a column of water rose up from the side and rear of the sailboat. That was the impact point of the six-inch cannon shell from the fort. The splashing shrapnel was mixed with water spray.  On the deck of the sailboat, the commander's body shook, and a large stain of blood quickly appeared on his chest.  "Lieutenant, you've been hit!" The first mate rushed to support the lieutenant and shouted back: "Medic, medic! Come here quickly!" "That's enough, first mate!" The lieutenant said with a dying breath: "Don't waste it.  It¡¯s time, I¡¯m done. Now tell me, have the rockets been launched?¡± The first mate¡¯s rough face was covered with water, not just sweat but tears. He looked back at the corpses scattered on the back deck and gritted his teeth.  He replied: "Lieutenant, it has been launched. All the rockets have been launched!" The lieutenant's eyes were scattered, and it was obvious that he did not have much time: "Very good, I have finally completed my responsibility. Now, you  You can order the soldiers to abandon the ship and put my body in the bottom cabin. I want to be with the ship!" "Yes, Lieutenant!" The first mate was already sobbing, and the lieutenant in his arms closed his eyes.  With no sign of life, the first mate tied the lieutenant's body to himself, shouted: "Everyone, abandon ship!" and then jumped to the water.  The two gunboats "Pharaoh" and "Thebes" have approached this section of the river. At this time, the distance between them and the British clipper has been shortened to only 600 meters. At this distance, the eight-pounder cannon and Gatling gun on the ship  The hit rate was very high. Although the British sailors on the sailing ship tried their best to fight back with the additional artillery and rifles, they were unable to compete with the "Pharaoh" and "Bottom" which were specially designed for water warfare in terms of firepower and armor.  Compared with the "Bisse", these fast sailing ships were hit by bullets and caught fire under fierce gunfire, and the British sailors jumped into the water one after another.??Éú.  At this time, there were also bursts of gunfire from the river. This was the British gunboat on the Irrawaddy River. After hearing the sound of the gunfire, it began to fire at the Shunjun fort. The Shunjun on the fort immediately turned their guns to attack the British troops on the river.  After hearing the return fire, the two sides began a fierce artillery battle.  The sun rose from the horizon on November 13, 1885, accompanied by the sound of cannon.  "Major, all six clippers that our army penetrated into the river bend have been lost. Lieutenant Montaigne, the commander, was killed in the battle. In addition, sixty-five soldiers and seven officers were lost! The remaining soldiers escaped from the shore,  There were no losses to the navy on the river. According to the soldiers' reports, the Chinese dock area was also heavily bombarded. As they left, fires could be seen rising from the dock area - "Author's words: Readers familiar with Weber know this.  I am a person who only focuses on writing books and rarely asks for votes, but online writers must have performance pressure. This is fate!  So if possible, please vote for more recommendations. The clicks are already very weak, otherwise I would be too embarrassed to meet the editor!

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 82: Bombardment

    "Okay!" Duncan gestured to the adjutant to stop reporting. He knew very well that the subsequent reports on the enemy's losses were very informative. Soldiers would always instinctively exaggerate the enemy in that situation.  Loss, after all, people are always unwilling to admit failure subconsciously.  In any case, the plan to eliminate the Chinese water power through raids has failed. An attack of this level is not enough to destroy the enemy's dock. He can only destroy the camp first before making the next attack. After all, a garrison will  It is very risky to conduct an expedition when the enemy is in a strong position and has water power to stay behind you.  "My order is as follows: 'In the afternoon, bombard the Chinese camps with artillery from both water and land directions. The main tasks of the eight-pound or more heavy artillery and surface ships are to suppress the Chinese forts, destroy the enemy's warehouses and camps, and kill and injure them."  Its personnel; the main mission of artillery under eight pounds and heavy mortars is to destroy its forward fortifications, kill its personnel, destroy its equipment, and open a gap for the next infantry assault. The ultimate goal is to eliminate the enemy in the camp. '" Duncan!  In a low voice, he issued a standard order to the adjutant, the same order that almost any Army officer in his position in the Western world would have issued at that time.  After the Prussians destroyed the French hegemony in Western Europe in the 1870 battle and achieved the unification of Germany, Clausewitz's teachings became popular throughout the world at that time.  The war doctrine of "Forcing the enemy to engage in a main battle, destroying its effective strength, and finally using force to achieve the country's political goals" has become the motto of most military personnel in the Western world.  Duncan was no exception. Although he had not read the immortal work of the Prussian, he was very clear about his position in this conflict between China and Shun - win the battle and then leave the problem to the people behind the scenes.  The civil servants will handle it.  Along the northern section of the army's defense line, the midday sun shines on the hay, emitting a pleasant aroma.  The soldiers of the Shun Army sat on the ground in small groups, gnawing dry food, drinking water or chatting in low voices.  Behind them is a parapet made of sacks filled with soil. The inside of the parapet is reinforced with rows of wooden stakes to prevent the soil from rolling down. On the outside of the parapet, there is a deepened and widened trench.  , and various roadblocks, which were built to prevent the enemy from using shock to break through the Shun army's defense line.  Zhang Qi walked quietly. As a veteran, he had a wonderful premonition that an unprecedented fierce battle was about to break out. Compared with this battle, everything he had experienced before was just a joke. He himself  The fate of the army, as well as that of the entire Shunguo Expeditionary Force, will depend on the outcome of this battle.  This made Zhang Qi feel very nervous, so he decided to come out to see his soldiers and relax himself.  "My lord!" "I have met your lord!" When the soldiers and officers saw Zhang Qi, they all stood up and saluted him, but Zhang Qi just waved his right hand slightly, indicating that they should sit down and continue to rest.  Unlike most of his colleagues who graduated from the military academy, his etiquette requirements for soldiers are not so high, and his attitude towards soldiers is much kinder. Perhaps because of this reason, Zhang Qi has a good reputation among soldiers.  Maybe it was because of the light rain in the morning that the ground was a little slippery and there were some mud spots on Zhang Qi¡¯s shoes.  Suddenly there was a sound of voices coming from the corner in front, and he stopped.  "Hey, tell me, from your perspective, what are the British doing?" "You can't see anything!" "What, you can't see anything? How could this happen?" "I'm standing too short, from this angle  , all I can see are those damn bushes and mounds of dirt! If I want to see clearly, I want to go to the hill in the middle!" Zhang Qi took a step forward and could see seven or eight soldiers or more from around the corner!  Whether sitting or standing, he raised his head and looked at a soldier standing on the ladder. The soldier was observing the enemy on the opposite side with the help of a monocular telescope.  "Damn it, since you can't see it, come down!" A stout soldier shouted impatiently. The people below also agreed. The soldier on the wooden ladder suddenly straightened his body and whispered:  "Don't make a sound, I saw it, I saw it!" The people below immediately held their breath, as if their breathing here would be discovered by enemies in the distance.  The soldier on the wooden ladder carefully turned the telescope and said to himself: "Finally, I saw the officer, the soldiers in a single column, and the artillery, it should be a four-pounder -" "Bang!" With a sound  The gunshot rang out, and the soldier on the wooden ladder fell down. Apparently, a British rifleman hit him, and there was chaos in the field.  "Get out of the way, let me see what's wrong with him!" When the soldiers saw that the person coming was Zhang Qi, they silently moved out of the way. The soldier who was shot was struggling painfully on the ground.It was just dirt. Zhang Qi held his body down, checked it carefully, and whispered: "Two people came to take him down. We were lucky. The bullet only penetrated the shoulder and there were no other injuries!"  A soldier helped the wounded man lie down on a wooden board and carefully lifted him down.  Zhang Qi turned around, and he immediately felt a strange atmosphere. The soldiers' behavior and expressions were a little stiff, and it was obvious that these soldiers were afraid.  "See, this is war. The bullet will hit this person or that person, it all depends on God!" Zhang Qi said in a hoarse voice: "But this is fate, understand? This is fate!" "Yes.  , Sir!" After listening to Zhang Qi's words, the fear on the faces of these simple people gradually disappeared, and a few even laughed rudely. A kind of primitive fatalism drove away their natural fear and regained control of them.  Yes, maybe a bullet will kill one of them in the next moment, but he will be hit by a carriage while walking on the road, he will be capsized and drowned in a boat, or he will even die lying in bed. Who knows?  Everything is arranged by God.  "That's right!" A smile appeared on Zhang Qi's face. He walked over, gently patted everyone's shoulders, and said with a smile: "If you are destined to die here, then be brave.  I will send your savings and pension to your home; if you don¡¯t want to die here, you can go back and add thirty acres of land, two cows, and live a good life!¡± The soldiers showed smiles on their faces, and their injured companions!  The gloom was lifted.  Zhang Qizheng was about to say a few more words when suddenly there was a strange vibration in the air. He instinctively threw himself to the ground. Almost at the same time, a British eight-pounder grenade exploded on the ground more than ten meters away. The gas generated by the explosion  The waves knocked the soldiers down, and there was a sudden scream.  This artillery shell seemed to be a signal, and there was a roar from the British army's position. Eight-pound mountain cannon, eight-pound field cannon, 12-pound field cannon, six-pound cannon, and all kinds of artillery shells rained down on the Shun army.  On the defense line, if you look from the hillock at the base of Shunjun's defense line, you can clearly see clouds of smoke and dust rising from Shunjun's defense line, as if an invisible giant is throwing soil and various debris into the air.  After a while, the roar of artillery was also heard from the Shunjun position. First it was the mountain cannon on the hill, and then the cannon on the fort on the top of the mountain. There was also a burst of gunfire and the scream of rockets from the river. That was the Irrawaddy River.  The British squadron on the mountain was using artillery fire to suppress the Shun Army's six-inch cannon on the top of the mountain. The British field artillery in front of the Shun Army also began to extend its firepower and began to suppress the Shun Army artillery that was firing. The remaining mountain guns and light artillery began to continue bombardment.  Shunjun's defense line opened a gap for the upcoming infantry assault.  "Bah, bah!" Zhang Qi spit out spittle filled with mud from his mouth and climbed up from the ground with difficulty. At this time, his ears were filled with buzzing sounds.  Zhang Qi's face was covered with blood, his steps were staggering, his whole body was swaying, and he stretched out his hands to hold on to the wall, as if he might fall again at any time.  "My lord, my lord! Are you okay?" A soldier rolled over and helped Zhang Qi up.  "Water, water!" Zhang Qi murmured in his mouth. The soldier quickly helped Zhang Qi to lie down beside the parapet, then turned around and started groping around. The shells kept exploding all around, but miraculously, until he found  A bamboo tube filled with water was not hit by a bullet or shrapnel.  "Sir, here comes the water!" The soldier carefully held the bamboo tube and ran to Zhang Qi's side. He carefully pulled out the stopper and poured the water into Zhang Qi's mouth. Zhang Qi coughed weakly and opened his eyes.  The soldier was startled by the blood on Zhang Qi's face and whispered: "My lord, my lord, your face is covered with blood!" "Oh!" Zhang Qi responded, and then he felt  Everywhere in his body and limbs were in pain. Zhang Qi moved his arms with great effort, supporting himself to sit up again. He carefully moved his limbs and head to confirm that there were only a few scratches on his body and on his head.  After there were no serious injuries except for a cut, he struggled to get up: "Help me go to the command post!" Seeing that the soldier was hesitant, he whispered in a commanding tone: "Quick!  "Yes, yes, Master Zhang!" On the British army's position, it was a different scene.  The four British colonial infantry battalions that served as the first wave of the offensive. The soldiers of these five infantry battalions were almost all from the Sikh ethnic group, which is famous for their bravery. Although these Indian minorities, mainly from Punjab, only accounted for a very small part of the Indian population,  However, they were famous for their bravery and prowess in warfare. In the face of their fierce resistance, perhaps even the most talented emperor Aurangzeb in the Mughal Empire was unable to conquer them, causing the Mughal Empire to turn from prosperity to decline.  When the East India Company conquered Sindh in 1843, there was only the last independent country left in the entire Indian subcontinent, which was the country of Punjab where the Sikhs lived. After the British army suffered great losses,, using the method of bribing enemy generals, Fang conquered the Punjab in 1849 after the two Sikh wars, completing the conquest of the entire subcontinent.  After that, the Sikhs became an important member of the British colonial army. Now these soldiers wear khaki military uniforms, follow their nation's traditional black cloth headbands, have thick beards, and sit on the ground expressionlessly, carrying their arms.  British officers commanding swords passed through their ranks, waiting for the bombardment to end.  The sound of artillery gradually faded away. Several British officers took out their pocket watches from their arms and confirmed that the time to start the attack was about to begin. They turned around and shouted to the soldiers: "Everyone stand up and fix your bayonets!" Sikh soldiers  They stood up from the ground, silently pulled out their bayonets, loaded their rifles, and formed a formation.  The British officers drew their pistols and command knives, jumped up the gentle slope, and led the soldiers towards the Shun army's defense line.  As the gunpowder smoke was blown away by the wind blowing from the Irrawaddy River, the Shun army also discovered the British infantry attacking them. The Shun army artillery on the hill began to fire at the enemy infantry. Soon, under the attack of the British infantry,  Pillars of smoke rose from the formation, which were traces of being hit by artillery shells.  However, the soldiers of the British Colonial Battalion firmly endured the damage from the artillery fire and kept moving forward in formation.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 83 Infantry

    Duncan did not distribute his forces evenly. He used four battalions to attack the northern section of the Shun Army's defense line, and only used one battalion to contain the right wing. The reason was simple: as long as the British army could break through the northern section of the camp, they would  They can directly attack the forts on the hills and occupy the docks and trestles. The British squadron can also enter the river bend to directly support the battle with artillery fire. The victory of the entire battle is just a matter of time.  The starting position of the British army was about 800 to 900 meters away from the Shun army's defense line. The British soldiers lined up in a sparse formation and began to move forward slowly at a speed of about 40 steps per minute, and then  It is the second wave and the third wave. The front width of each battalion is about 300 to 400 meters, and the length is about 200 to 250 meters.  When the British troops at the front advanced to a distance of about 400 to 500 meters, the gunshots on the Shun Army's position suddenly became denser. The British soldiers began to spread out into a skirmish line, facing the Shun Army on the position.  Fighting back, while taking advantage of the terrain to leap forward, the British light artillery also began to bombard the Shun army's positions, suppressing the enemy and covering the attack of their own infantry.  On the Shun Army's position, bullets were raining down, and smoke columns rising after being hit by enemy artillery shells continued to rise. Shun Army soldiers continued to be shot and fell.  Zhang Qi used a rifle without a bayonet as a crutch, limped behind the soldiers, and shouted in a hoarse voice: "Soldiers, children, calm down! Aim and hit the British guy on the head, they  No matter how many cloth bags are on your head, they can't stop our bullets!" At this time, a shell exploded in front of the parapet, and the splash of dust hit Zhang Qi's face, but he just spat, sticking out the gun in his mouth.  Ni Sha shouted loudly: "See, those who don't die will not die, and those who die can't run away. Behind us is the British gunboat, and there is no way out!" To be fair, the soldiers of the Shun Army  The resistance was very tenacious. They were all veterans. Even the youngest soldiers had already experienced some battles in Babu Village and later. The most experienced among them had participated in the Anxi Protectorate in the 1870s.  Fighting with Russians and Russian-backed nomads.  Even under the rain of British artillery fire and bullets, the soldiers still fired calmly at the British soldiers. However, as time went on, the enemy was getting closer and closer to the position, and the British eight-pound and six-pound artillery shells also  The parapets in some areas were destroyed. The British soldiers at the front were less than 200 meters away from the nearest parapet, and they were within striking distance.  "Damn it, what are the Gatling guns in the semicircle on the north side of the position doing? Why haven't they fired yet? Could they have been silenced by the British artillery fire?" Zhang Qi looked anxiously towards the semicircle located on the northernmost side of the position.  There are two Gatling guns deployed, where this continuous fire firearm can form a fatal flank fire on the enemy attacking the defense line. Of course, the British bombarded the semicircular fort with the most violent artillery fire from the beginning in an attempt to destroy it.  They threaten great firepower points.  Zhang Qi called two soldiers and ordered sternly: "You guys, go to the semicircular fort and see what's going on. Why don't you open fire?" "Yes!" The semicircular fort was filled with smoke.  This important firepower point located at the northernmost end of the Shun Army's front is very strong. It is composed of thick side walls and surrounding walls. All walls are made of solid wood and thick covering of soil. Even if it is directly hit by a twelve-pound artillery shell, it will be difficult to hit it.  destroy.  However, the British artillery had already used a large number of shrapnel and shrapnel, especially shrapnel. This new type of artillery shell, which was commonly used in European armies from the second half of the 19th century, was a combination of black powder and small steel balls, steel columns,  The steel arrows are mixed and then wrapped with a thin iron sheet. The warhead is equipped with a timing fuze. Before launching, the gunner measures the distance and sets the timing fuze time. When the shell flies over the target, it will explode, ejecting a large number of steel ball fragments to the enemy.  The dense formation caused a lot of damage.  These two types of shells caused considerable damage to the defenders inside the fort, not to mention the heavy casualties suffered by the soldiers on the parapet outside the dome.  "Is there anyone? Is there anyone?" The two soldiers walked through the tunnel and entered the interior of the fortress. The strong smell of gunpowder smoke made them cough loudly when they were not used to it.  "Who, what's going on?" A voice came out from inside the gunpowder smoke. A moment later, a stout man with unkempt hair walked out. One of the soldiers said loudly: "Master Zhang asked me to ask you, why are you here?"  Why didn't the Green Cannon fire? The British were almost here!" "What the hell, Mr. Bird Zhang!" The stout man scolded, "Don't you look at what I've done here with the British cannonballs?  He can still move. How can he fire without anyone?" One of the soldiers was startled by the other party's rude answer. He quickly recovered and replied loudly: "It's Mr. Zhang Qizhang, you are so rude, please be careful of military law.  Ruthless! " "The military law is a bird, the military law is a thief. I don't know if I can go back alive. I was a soldier when the late emperor was alive., stop scaring your grandpa with military law!  "The strong man cursed a few words, but when he heard that it was Zhang Qi's order, his voice was still a little quieter. He pointed to the smoke that had gradually dispersed and said: "It's not that we don't fire. Look, then.  A beam on the side collapsed, covering the gunner and the Gatling gun underneath. How to fight?  " "Then let's dig it out quickly!  "The three of them woke up a few survivors by kicking and beating them from the smoke, found shovels and hoes, and quickly cleared away the soil on the Green cannon. Fortunately, the broken beam only crushed the two gunners to death. Green cannon  The cannon happened to be in a cavity formed by the broken beam and the wall, and it was still intact. Several people hurriedly dragged it out, changed the nozzle, and started shooting at the British army who was about to rush to the front of the Shun army.  The position was at its most dangerous moment. The troops on the hill had already discovered the emergency and started firing with mountain cannons. However, this place was too close to the hill, and it was no longer the best shooting range for the mountain cannons.  . The Sikh soldiers with black cloths on their heads held out their bayonets and shouted unknown slogans, and rushed towards the Shun Army's position. Many people had already crossed the ditch on bamboo ladders, and even British soldiers in some areas  Having already rushed to the parapet and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the guards, Zhang Qi could almost see the beards of the enemies at the front. He gritted his teeth, pulled out the bayonet from his waist and loaded his rifle, preparing for the final hand-to-hand fight.  Suddenly, the first few Sikh soldiers fell down, followed by the soldiers behind them, one after another, as if they were a group of toy tin soldiers pushed by an invisible big hand.  Zhang Qi's eagle-like eyes clearly saw a string of small mud pillars rising at their feet as the enemies fell. He was keenly aware that the Green Cannon of Semicircular Fort had finally fired. "It's time to die.  !  Although it¡¯s a little late, it¡¯s better than never!  "The firepower coming from the side was like a fierce right hook hitting the British army's waist. Especially the officers and the bravest companies who rushed at the front were almost knocked down. They rushed to the army's position in the first wave.  There was a gap between the enemy and the second wave of troops behind who had just jumped out of the trenches. Zhang Qi keenly discovered this. He suddenly raised his rifle with a bayonet and shouted: "Come on, kill these bastards.  Get out!  " The soldiers of the Shun Army roared and rushed forward after Zhang Qi. Although the bravest Sikh soldiers resisted desperately, they were quickly stabbed down or killed by intensive bayonets, and the remaining soldiers began to abandon them.  The weapons fled towards their own position behind them. On a small slope in the center of the British position, Duncan was observing the progress of the battle with a telescope attentively. As he had expected, the resistance of the Shun army was very fierce.  They strengthened their artillery as much as possible, but the enemy still made full use of the time after occupying the dock and fortified most of the fortifications. They were not exposed during their previous reconnaissance, so the effect of the recent bombardment was not ideal.  "Let the two battalions of the second wave retreat first!  "Duncan turned around and ordered to the adjutant behind him. He had recently received a total of six battalions of reinforcements from Yangon. Including the two battalions in the advance team, there were only eight battalions in total. In fact, the number of troops was no better than that in the camp.  The main advantage of having more troops is that it has a decisive advantage in artillery and surface fleet, especially large-caliber mortars, which are a great weapon against the fortress-based defense system. According to a letter from Yangon, Gillings has already conquered Myanmar.  All the troops that can be spared from the region have been sent to themselves. Even the defense of Yangon is now handed over to temporarily recruited armed European expatriates. The next reinforcements will be sent from Calcutta, India and Singapore, and the fastest is  A month later, I had to conserve my troops. With the sound of brass horns that were characteristic of Sikhism, the soldiers of the British Colonial Infantry Battalion retreated to their starting positions, and the sound of gunfire on the battlefield gradually became sparse.  Get up. As the smoke gradually dissipates, people can see that the empty battlefield is full of colorful military flags and corpses. The open space originally filled with knee-deep plants has been filled with craters exposing black soil.  On the battlefield, one could clearly hear the screams of wounded soldiers and the moans of the dying not far away, just like ghosts. On the Shunjun battlefield, exhausted soldiers were sitting or lying down, while short Burmese servants were carrying stretchers.  , carried down the injured soldiers and corpses, delivered water, food and ammunition, and some began to repair the fortifications destroyed by the British artillery fire. The battle just now was actually not long, and it would not exceed four at most from the beginning of the shelling.  Ten minutes, but the high-intensity physical exertion and tense nerves squeezed the soldiers' physical strength completely. Once the battle was over, the soldiers almost felt like they were falling apart. "Get up, get up and eat something."  Something, drink some water!  "A few experienced old sergeants and officers yelled at the soldiers and kicked their butts. It took a while for the soldiers to get up lazily.When you get dry food and water, they taste like chewing wax, and you probably can't tell what they are chewing in their mouths.  While war takes away the lives of the dead, it also takes away many things from the living that normal people have.  "Sir!" Zhang Qileng, who was busy counting the number of casualties and replenishing the soldiers, accidentally saw a familiar figure in front of him. He quickly raised his hands and saluted: "Why are you here? There may be bombardment here at any time. No  "Safe!" "Nowhere is safe in the camp!" Batu returned the gift casually: "How is the situation here? The focus of the enemy's attack just now is here!" "It's not good!" Zhang Qi frowned and replied:  "I just did a rough count and found that there are more than 200 dead and wounded sergeants. In total, one-third of the people in the northern section are dead. Many places of the fortifications have been damaged, especially the northernmost semicircular fort.  , although a lot of effort was spent in advance and the enemy's artillery fire did not directly destroy it, the shrapnel still killed many people and caused considerable damage to the equipment, especially the Gatling cannon. One of the Gatling cannons was damaged by a falling beam.  Even the gunners were buried. Fortunately, they were dug out temporarily, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to hold on. " "Yeah!" Batu looked at the dull-looking soldiers on the left and right, as well as the corpses and wounded soldiers who were being carried down, and there were still bullet marks.  The tired parapet, the smell of gunpowder smoke and blood in the nose, did not speak.  Although he had previously observed the brutality of the battle with a telescope from the hill fort, it was completely different from seeing it with his own eyes while standing on the battlefield.  In his ten years of military career, he had not experienced bloodshed and battles, but this was the first time for him to have such a cruel and fierce struggle.  "What about the British?" "Look, they are all over there!" Zhang Qi pointed to the battlefield outside the parapet. Within fifty meters outside the parapet, nearly a hundred Sikh soldiers wearing their colorful national costumes were charging according to their instructions.  The formation was lying on the ground. This was a masterpiece of side fire from the semicircular fort on the far left. The bodies further away were sparse, but there were still many. At a rough calculation, there were probably no less than 400 people.  "It will only be more than ours. At least we have a parapet here to block it, but they have nothing!" At this point, Zhang Qi shook his head and sighed: "These British devils are really ruthless.  If you do this twice, we will be finished!" "No, if we do this twice, they will be finished first!" Batu replied firmly.  "Yes!" Zhang Qi nodded: "But the British guys are indeed different. These guys with their heads covered are rushing forward with their heads down, not caring about their fallen comrades, and their guns are also more accurate. They are no better than those Burmese soldiers.  How strong are you!" "These are not British soldiers!" Batu shook his head: "These are just Indian soldiers, a vassal of the British Empire. This time they came to fight with us. For example,  Let's start a war with the Russians, those Mongolians are just like soldiers!" "Are these just soldiers of the vassal state?" Zhang Qi couldn't help but clicked his tongue: "Even the soldiers of the vassal state are so good, I don't know how capable our own soldiers are!  "Well! The British soldiers are also rare in Europe. However, they have few people and use a volunteer army. The army is only 200,000, but the navy is the best in the world," Batu said!  When he got here, he turned around and said to Zhang Qi in a low voice: "Master Zhang, when I go back this time, I will suggest to the commander-in-chief that you go to the military academy for a short training. Your status is different now from the past. There are some things you must know!" "Thank you for your cultivation, sir!"  !" Zhang Qi hurriedly bowed to Batu. He was originally just a low-level officer. This time he entered Myanmar and suddenly rose to prominence. Although he had outstanding military achievements, he also knew that he had met a good boss. Otherwise, there would be a gap between military academy students and non-commissioned officers.  The invisible barrier between military cadets is not so easy to overcome.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 84: Tunnel

    "Get up! We have to get back alive from here first!" Batu smiled: "You are the frontline commander, do you think there is anything we should pay attention to!" Zhang Qi thought for a moment and replied: "Sir, I think  The British artillery poses a great threat to us, especially their artillery shells that can explode in mid-air and shoot out steel balls, which poses a great threat to the soldiers behind the breastworks and in the dome. Many of our soldiers are affected by their  Those who were killed by artillery shells, I think the soldiers should either hide in covered shelters or in trenches, so that they can avoid most of the shrapnel flying in the air." At this point, Zhang Qi walked over.  Next to a section of parapet, the inner side of the parapet was like a pockmarked face, full of small eyes. He pulled out a bayonet, dug out a small eye, blew away the loose soil in his hand, and a steel bullet the size of his index finger was revealed on his palm.  Batu took the steel bullet from Zhang Qi's hand, looked at the bullet marks on the wall seriously for a while, compared the distribution of the bullet marks, and said to Zhang Qi: "You are right, this should be a shrapnel, I am in the military academy  I heard from the instructor that this time fuse was used to control the explosive point. I didn't expect to encounter it here. You are right. Let the soldiers retreat to the tunnel behind the parapet and start digging a new semicircular trench immediately after dark.  A covered shelter must be built in the fort to accommodate the artillery! ""Yes, sir!" "Sir, it seems that the British have begun to dig tunnels!" an officer shouted to Batu.  "What?" Batu's face turned pale, and he quickly returned to the heights of the hill, where he could clearly see the British digging trenches. Unlike the trenches used for defense, the British army's  The trenches were not perpendicular to the direction of their attack, but at an angle to it.  As a well-educated mid-level officer, Batu immediately understood the intentions of the enemy commanders, who intended to destroy themselves using the classic Vauban siege method: first approaching the trench, then wicker baskets filled with earth and firewood.  The parapet composed of bundles, then the first parallel trench, then the approaching trench, and then the parallel trench; the zigzag trench will continue to approach the Shun army's camp. In the process, because the engineers are protected by the parapet and the earth, the defensive side  The threat from bullets and artillery was minimal.  Until the British trenches are close enough to use their large-caliber mortars, these guys who can fire heavy shells hide in the trenches and can destroy almost all fortifications. At this time, the only thing the Shun army can do is to surrender.  .  "It's Woban's siege method!" Batu put down his telescope, and his face turned as pale as a death.  It is difficult for the defenders' artillery fire to form vertical fire on small trenches, and the threat they pose is minimal; but if they rush out to attack, as long as the attacking party is well organized, the effect will be unsatisfactory, but the casualties will be heavy.  The only flaw of this offensive method is that it takes a lot of time, whether it is digging trenches or organizing manpower and material resources.  "Yes, time, time!" Batu suddenly raised his head, and he ordered to the adjutant on the side: "Calling all officers of the brigade and above to come here, there will be a meeting in thirty minutes!" "Yes, sir!" Thirty minutes later  , according to Batu's order, dozens of Jun army officers were sitting in the room, waiting for their superiors to speak with serious faces. It didn't take a very smart mind to tell from the stern look on the superiors' faces that what was coming was not going to be easy.  topic.  "Everyone, let me tell you some bad news: in twenty days, maybe only fifteen days, our camp will be destroyed by the British, and we will either die in battle or become prisoners of the British!" said  Here, Batu waved his right hand to signal the officers who were whispering by his shocking words to be silent, and continued: "This is not alarmism on my part, but an ironclad fact. The British have begun to dig zigzag trenches,  When they are close enough to use their mortars, we are not far from being finished. They should have such things on their ships! "What should we do? Are we just waiting to die here?" a loud voice said.  The officer stood up.  "In my opinion, you should rush out to stop them!" "You idiot, the British have so many riflemen and artillery. If you leave the cover, you will be beaten into a hornet's nest immediately!" The officers quarreled, and some  Some people advocated that active actions should be taken to stop the British, some advocated waiting and watching, while the vast majority of people sat there blankly.  Just a few days ago, they were an army that was constantly victorious, but now they are facing the threat of total annihilation. In war, the fate of an army is like a ship in a storm. It reaches its peak and then falls.  At the trough of the wave, no one knows what will happen in the next second.  "Quiet, quiet!" Batu shouted loudly. After the room was quiet for a while, he loudly said: "As soldiers of Dashun, what we can do is try our best to win. When fate is not favorable,  ???Then face adversity bravely.  Although the British army has surrounded us now, they should not have any extra troops to attack Mandalay. We should inform Mandalay what happened here and delay it as long as possible, so I need a few warriors now  , tonight we took advantage of the fact that the British encirclement had not been completely tightened, passed through their encirclement, rushed to Mandalay, and told Mr. Chen and Mr. Zao everything here!  "Having said this, Batu glanced at the officers, as if silently asking which one is the real warrior. "I do!  " "I am willing too!  " Soon, two people stood up in the crowd. Batu nodded with satisfaction: "Very good, Wei Sunan and Li Rong, you two go down now, have a good rest and eat, and then pick three capable sergeants to go with you.  .  At two o'clock this evening, I will send an army to attack the British at night. You will take the opportunity to break out from the other direction and head to Mandalay!  " It was late at night, and darkness once again enveloped the earth. Everything was silent, only the chirping of insects broke it. Simba sat cross-legged on the ground, his rifle aside, leaning against the parapet made of wicker baskets filled with soil.  Finally, not far in front of him was the half-dug trench. Simba was chewing flue-cured tobacco. This was his little hobby to refresh himself and avoid being captured by the god of sleep. As a sentry, this was a big taboo.  , was discovered by the officers, but he would be whipped. There was a rustling sound of animals running through the grass in the air. Simba leaned down warily, grabbed the loaded rifle next to him, and aimed at the sound.  The direction he came from opened his eyes wide and asked in a low voice: ¡°Who, or else I¡¯ll shoot!  " At this time, a familiar voice came from over there: "Simba, Simba!  " "It's Cindy!  "Simba quickly put away his rifle, straightened up, and walked out of the darkness a soldier similar to Simba's description. Judging from the reluctance on his face, it was obvious that he was not satisfied with getting up now. "It's me, platoon leader.  Let me change your whistle!  "Cindy said something, walked to where Cindy was sitting just now and sat down cross-legged. "Why is it so early today?  "

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises from the South Chapter 85 Sikh

    "The platoon leader said he was afraid that the Chinese would attack us while we were unfamiliar with the geography when we first arrived, so we were divided into three shifts. So I came to pick up your shift an hour earlier." Cindy held the rifle and moved her body.  Leaning against the parapet, she seemed to be looking for the most comfortable position to continue sleeping with him.  Simba on the side frowned in disgust and whispered: "Cindy, you idiot, why don't you come along the prescribed route? I almost shot just now. Also, you are a sentry now, so you have to  You look like a sentry. You have completely disgraced our Sikh warriors!" "Well, stop dreaming, my good Simba, we are just a group of poor men who work for the British!  , except for the clothes on his body and the shoes on his feet, instead of being a warrior, the Kingdom of Punjab has long since ceased to exist, so where are the warriors? Besides, even warriors have to eat and sleep!" Cindy muttered a few times!  sentence, turned around and prepared to continue his sweet dream.  "Nonsense!" Simba rushed forward angrily, grabbed his companion, and shouted: "The Kingdom of Punjab is not dead. As long as there is still a Sikh whose heart is still beating and blood is still flowing. There will always be  One day, the Sikh flag will fly over the Golden Temple in Amritsar again. You bastard, stand up, I will not allow a Sikh to be like you!" The two were fighting in the dark!  Suddenly several figures rushed out, swooped up, and pushed Simba and Cindy to the ground. Just as Cindy was about to scream, a sharp dagger was pressed against her neck.  Someone said in a low voice: "Don't move, or I will kill you!" Cindy immediately stopped struggling. He did not understand the other person's language, but this did not prevent him from understanding the other person's meaning, especially when he  After seeing Simba struggling violently beside him and passed out after being hit by a gun butt, he was even more grateful that his choice was correct.  Seeing that Cindy had stopped struggling, the attackers let go of him. One of them turned around and said a few words into the darkness. After a moment, a man came out of the darkness, looked at Cindy carefully for a while, and spoke in a low voice.  English asked: "Your name, the number of the unit you are in?" "My name is Cindy, his name is Simba, we are both from the 3rd Infantry Battalion of Punjab." "Very good!" The person who asked the question nodded with satisfaction.  Nodding: "Now tell me, is there a way through the British encirclement?" Cindy hesitated for a moment. He noticed the cold light in the eyes of the people surrounding him and his companions, and suddenly realized that if he answered no  , what will happen to it.  Thinking of this, he nodded: "Yes, I can take you through!" "Very good!" The person who asked the question nodded with satisfaction, took out a few things from his arms, and threw them into Cindy's hands -  ¡ªThey are small metal discs, probably gold and silver coins or something like that.  "These are rewards for you. When you lead us through the encirclement, I will give you more." "Thank you!" Cindy carefully stuffed the silver coins into her arms and lowered her head.  "Go this way!" Cindy whispered. Behind him, several black figures were walking quickly. On both sides of them, the British camp looked like a sleeping giant beast.  Since the British army had just completed the siege of the Shun Army camp, their encirclement was not complete enough. It would not be difficult to pass through if someone familiar with the situation led the way.  "Bang!" A gunshot was heard in the distance, followed by several more.  Cindy stopped and looked towards where the gunfire came from.  "Let's go!" Cindy was pushed in the back with a gun barrel, and she had no choice but to continue walking forward. This group of mysterious people seemed not to hear the sound of gunfire in the distance at all. Twenty minutes later, the group had passed through Ying.  Army camp.  The leader looked at Cindy and whispered: "You can go back now, but in order to prevent you from notifying the officers and letting them chase us after you go back, I will take your companion away and wait until we are far away."  Put him back!" As he spoke, the man pointed at Simba who was tied up like a rice dumpling.  Cindy nodded, and those people quickly disappeared into the night. About half an hour later, a panting person ran over from the direction where they disappeared. Cindy hurriedly rushed to meet him and hugged him.  He stopped, pressed his cheek against the other person's cheek, and whispered: "Simba, my brother, are you okay!" Simba didn't speak, he just touched Cindy's face indifferently, and then broke away.  Cindy's arms.  Cindy felt the cold attitude of her companions and asked in a low voice: "Are they Chinese?" "They should be, I heard a few sentences of them talking in their own language, but I couldn't understand them!" Simba shook his head,  Suddenly asked sharply: "Why do you want to serve the Chinese? They are our enemies. Just during the day, they just killed many of our good brothers." "They are just enemies of the British!" Cindy replied coldly.  : "We and those Chinese people?We have never met, and they have never disturbed our lives. It was the British who came to India from thousands of miles away, occupied our land, and forced us to fight for them and the Chinese!  " Simba looked at Cindy fiercely, but as time passed, the anger in his eyes gradually disappeared and turned into confusion: "What you said makes sense, but what you did went against the teachings of the respected master.  The teacher said¡ª¡ª" "Simba!  "Cindy interrupted her companion: "Master really taught us to be brave and live with dignity.  Faced with the threat of force, they would rather fight and die than live in contentment.  But all this is not for the greed of the British. They came here for the same purpose as they came to Calcutta, Delhi, and Punjab. The courage of the Sikhs is not used as an accomplice of bandits.  " In a forest clearing three kilometers away from the British camp, four men in black were sitting on the ground. Judging from their heavy breathing, they had exhausted a lot of energy. One of them was taking advantage of the dim moonlight.  , comparing the map and compass to judge the marching route: "We will walk another five kilometers south and cross the mountain. It will be almost dawn, and then we will turn west.  If the British send troops to pursue us, they will definitely think that we are heading north, so we are just out of step and will not be caught by them!  "    "Um!  The other three nodded. Seeing that his subordinates had no objections, the officer whispered: "Rest for fifteen minutes, and then move forward."  " Early the next morning, this small team had climbed up the mountain. Looking back, the Irrawaddy River Valley appeared in front of the escapees. In the distance, near the center of the valley, the city of Bagan stood against the mountain, with numerous Buddha statues.  The tower reflects brilliantly in the morning light. The entire city overlooks several avenues below. This topography makes the city of Bagan a key place in Central Myanmar. Looking up, this valley is famous for its amazingly fertile soil.  In front of everyone's eyes, the two sides of the valley are surrounded by shale mountains like an ancient Greek theater. The light red light is covered with dense arbor forests, and the quiet ravines on the hillside are vaguely visible.  There is a nearly circular wall with vast, soft rice fields stretching in the middle. The king of ancient Myanmar took a fancy to the dangerous terrain and rich products and decided to make his capital here.  The scenery adds a bit of life, which the Creator sometimes likes to use to add to the beauty of his great works. When people reach the top of the mountain, the rising sun has dispelled the white mist that often permeates the grass and shrubs in the early morning of this season.  The moment they turned back, an invisible hand lifted off the last veil covering the mountains, rivers and vegetation. This thin layer of smoke was like a translucent veil covering the pearl agate, making people impatient to think.  Want to see what happened. The officers and soldiers looked far into the distance. There was no silvery cloud in the vast sky, so it was hard to believe that this endless blue dome was the sky. It looked more like a satin canopy.  , supported by large and small peaks, spread out in the sky, sheltering this beautiful and beautiful field, grassland, stream, and green trees. The scenery of the countryside was so diverse that some people lingered for a long time before finally losing their sight.  On the various groves, a few yellow leaves with deep bronze tones are dotted among the green leaves. The jagged emerald-like grassland makes the woods more beautiful. Some people stare at the patches of light.  On the red land, bundles of cut grains stand in conical piles, like soldiers setting up their guns when camping; these plots contrast with the golden fallow land after harvesting.  The thatched roofs with wisps of white cooking smoke, as well as several winding, silvery and noisy streams on both sides of the Irrawaddy River, attract people's attention with their soft, fragrant and cool allure for some reason.  The strong autumn wind and the strong smell of the forest blow towards me like swirling incense, intoxicating the viewers. ¡°What a beautiful and fertile land!  "A soldier admired in a low voice. "Yes, compared to here, our hometown is really far behind!  "Another soldier nodded in agreement. This time, most of the Shun troops who entered Myanmar with Batu and Chen Zaixing were local farmers in Guizhou, Yunnan before joining the army. Most of them are costal landforms covered with rugged limestone. The terrain is rugged and the land is barren. Naturally,  It can¡¯t be compared with the fertile land on both sides of the Irrawaddy River. ¡°Stop looking, let¡¯s go!  "Wei Sunan was the first to wake up from the temptation of the beautiful scenery. As an officer, he understood the heavy responsibility he now shouldered. Judging from the gunshots he heard when passing the British defense line last night, Li Rong, who was traveling with him, should  It has failed. In a sense, the lives of the nearly two thousand robes left in the camp all depend on whether he can quickly deliver the information to Mandalay.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 86: Captured

    The soldiers walked tamely along the hillside to the west. The mountain road was very narrow and winding. In many places, it was only wide enough for one person. Both sides were full of dense bushes. Wei Sunan, who was walking at the front, used his cane to tap the bushes on both sides of the road to prevent them from being attacked.  Injured by the poisonous snake hidden within.  Suddenly there was a rustling sound from the bushes on both sides. Before the soldiers could react, six or seven gun barrels protruded from the bushes on both sides and pointed at them. A deep voice shouted in Burmese: "Hold up!"  "Get up, put down the gun!" "Do as they say!" Wei Sunan calmly observed the situation and ordered the soldiers. He can now understand some simple Burmese, and on this narrow mountain road  They have no other choice.  After a while, three or four Burmese people emerged from the bushes. They picked up the firearms on the ground. The leader looked at Wei Sunan's weapons and asked in accented Chinese: "Are you Chinese?"  "Yes!" Wei Sunan puffed up his chest. He knew that he could not hide this issue from them. Although he and his men were not wearing military uniforms, their behavior was still very different from that of the Burmese people. The locals could easily  They distinguish.  Wei Sunan took out a money bag from his waist and threw it on the ground: "I am a Chinese businessman. Because there is a war between the two sides here, I want to leave here and go back to the country. They are my bodyguards! I can give you all the money we have,  As long as you don't hurt us!" At this time, another person walked out of the bushes, and the ambushers stepped aside respectfully. It was obvious that the person who came out last had the highest status among them.  This man picked up the money bag on the ground, weighed it twice in his hand, threw it to the men beside him, stepped forward, and said in a deep accent: "Stop lying, you are all soldiers, you are soldiers."  ! I, the Earth Walker, have dealt with you many times, and I can smell your stink from a long distance away!" " Earth Walker?" Wei Sunan frowned. He had also heard of the reputation of this Burmese "gangster" and raised his head.  Come, patted his chest and said, "It's you, okay, shoot here and see if your grandpa frowns!" Earth Walker frowned, as if he didn't understand Wei Sunan.  Meaning, he turned around and said a few words to his men, and the ambushers swarmed up, tied up Wei Sunan and the others, and took them down the mountain.  Wei Sunan and his party passed through two mountain depressions and were escorted to a hidden valley. At the entrance of the valley, Wei Sunan saw artificial parapets and trenches. After the escort and sentry exchanged passwords, they were escorted into the valley.  Wei Sunan's face became solemn. It seemed that the rumors he had heard earlier were wrong. What the soil walker led was not an ordinary bandit, but more like an army.  "Now, tell me the purpose of your trip!" Earth Walker stared at Wei Sunan's eyes. Next to him, there was a monk who acted as a translator: "But it doesn't matter if you don't say it. Earth Walker can always make you speak.  !" When he said the last sentence, Earth Walker suddenly laughed, showing his white teeth, which reminded Wei Sunan of some kind of carnivore.  "Our army was surrounded by the British in Bagan, and we went to Mandalay to ask for reinforcements." Wei Sunan hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell the truth. After all, it was only a day's journey from the Shunjun camp, and it wouldn't take long for these things to happen.  The gangsters will know.  "Very good, I will send someone to confirm!" Earth Walker stood up and motioned to his men to take Wei Sunan and the others down to take care of them. Then he walked quickly to the inside of the valley. After a while, Earth Walker stood with one and the other  Outside the thatched hut, a voice whispered: "The leader, it's me!" "Earthwalker? Come in!" The voice of Song Shen came from inside the hut.  The soil traveler opened the straw curtain, got into the low thatched shed, bowed to Song Shen who was sitting on a simple wooden bed, and said: "Chief, the sentry ambushing on the path at the top of the mountain captured four soldiers from the army.  According to their confession, their camp at the dock has been surrounded by the British, and they are heading to Mandalay for help!" "Oh?" Song Shen made a gesture for the earthwalker to sit down: "What do you think they are talking about?  "Is it true?" "Yes, I think this is the truth, at least this part is the truth!" The soil traveler replied: "This is not far from Bagan. We only need to send a few people with fast legs to confirm what he said the day after tomorrow.  "Is that true?" "You're right!" Song Shen nodded: "Then what do you think we should do?" "Neither the Chinese nor the British are good people, no matter who gets the upper hand, they will treat us.  Let's do it!" Earth Walker said in a low voice: "In my opinion, it would be better if we take advantage of the fact that they are killing each other and destroy a few more noble manors to increase our strength!" "You are right!  Both people and the British are robbers! They are parasites sucking the blood and sweat of the Burmese people!" Song Shen nodded: "ThenWhere is the Shunjun soldier who delivered the message?  "    "them?  Just find a place to deal with it. Is there still a lack of big trees on the mountains here to hang the villains?  " "No, I think it's better to let them go!"  Song Shen said with a smile: "Since the robbers want to kill each other, why should we stop them?"  Let more Chinese bandits and British bandits die in the battle for stolen goods. The more blood they shed here, the less blood we will shed when we drive them away in the future.  " "You are right, chief!  Then I will go back immediately, let them go, and return their weapons to them.  " "No, there's no need to be in such a hurry!  Song Shen's eyes showed a light of wisdom: "You go back and give them better treatment. I asked the monk to write a letter to the Chinese, saying that we hope to be loyal to the orthodox king. If possible, I hope that the eldest princess  His Majesty gave us a title and allowed us to become part of the royal army and fight the British together.  If we can get recognition from Her Majesty the Princess, no one can take the land away from us.  " There was a look of admiration on Earth Walker's face. His huge head immediately understood the essence of Song Shen's plan. He lowered his head and said to Song Shen in a low voice: "Wise leader!  How could we fail under your command?  " Wei Sunan and several of his soldiers were like a few gamblers participating in Russian roulette. In these two hours, they deeply experienced the impermanence of fate. Not long ago, they were prisoners about to be executed. In the blink of an eye, they were prisoners.  They became the king's envoys and distinguished guests. The soldiers who guarded them moved them to a residence. Although it was still a straw shed, the hay mats spread on it had changed from a somewhat moldy straw mat to several worthless straw mats.  Fei's fur. While Wei Sunan and his men were wondering about their sudden change of fate in the hut, the battle was going on next to the Shunjun camp on the bank of the Irrawaddy River. The difference from before was that the weapons used in the battle were not  Instead of guns and cannons, groups of Indian soldiers were shirtless and sweating profusely as they dug traffic trenches. If someone standing on the edge of the battlefield looked over, he would be surprised to find that the empty battlefield was empty.  There are only a few trenches extending forward. The drizzle in the sky makes people feel the coldness in their bones. The drizzle that has been falling for more than two hours has completely turned the bottom of the trench into a quagmire.  From time to time, people passing by would bring up lumps of mud, which would splash on the soldiers leaning against the trench wall, often causing a burst of curses. Only Simba sat there silently, as if unaware.  Like a hermit who was doing asceticism, Cindy staggered over, his rifle hanging crookedly on his shoulder, holding two small bags wrapped in banana leaves, and he threw one to Simba.  : "Simba, go on, have something to eat!  "But Simba didn't reach out to take the small bag. The leaf package bounced on his knees and fell into the mire. Cindy sat down and opened her bag of food. When she was about to eat, she saw Simba's appearance.  , quickly put his bag aside, picked up the bag of food from the ground, wiped it twice with his clothes, and handed it over: "Simba, today is your favorite curry rice, and there is chicken in it.  " Simba took the food casually, put it aside, shook his head and said: "Thank you, Cindy, but I'm not hungry, you can eat first.  " Cindy looked into each other's eyes in surprise: "What's wrong with you, Simba? You must be sick!  " "I'm fine!  "Simba shook his head and turned around, with a strange light in his eyes: "It's just that after what happened that night, I thought about it for a long time -" "Shh!  "Cindy looked around, and when she found that no one was paying attention here, she whispered: "You madman, do you want to kill both of us?  If the British knew what happened that night, you and I would both receive a hundred lashes and then be shot.  " "I don't care whether I will be shot. Master teaches us to face danger and power -" "But I care!  I don¡¯t want you to be shot too.¡± Cindy interrupted her companion again. He stared into Simba¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t care what you and your master think, please remember the Kingdom of Punjab.  It no longer exists. You are no longer a great Sikh warrior. We are just two poor privates of the 3rd Punjab Infantry Battalion. I am not willing to die in this hell place just for fifteen pence a month.  military pay and daily bean soup.  Now, for the love of Lord Shiva, stuff your mouth with that delicious packet of curry rice before you cause trouble for us again!  " Simba stared into his companion's eyes, and finally bowed his head in surrender. He picked up his bag of food and started eating. Cindy looked at her companion with concern and tenderness in her eyes. After a while, she also lowered her head and ate.  Get up. ¡°Everyone stand at attention!  "  With the long-drawn shout of the sergeant major, the soldiers in the trench jumped up reflexively. A British officer in a lieutenant uniform proudly held a short staff under his arm and raised his chest.  The one with a protruding belly came over. He stood at the corner of the trench and nodded slightly to the sergeant major. The sergeant major immediately shouted: "Take a break!" The soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, and Cindy looked at it with distress.  Looking at his package of curry rice, which had become part of the quagmire in the hustle and bustle just now, he thought in frustration that it was too late to go to the cook to get another one. Until tomorrow morning, he would have to dig out the mud with an hungry stomach.  .  "Her Majesty's brave men!" shouted the British ensign. "Now I need two men, two real brave men, to perform a mission. To these two brave men, I will give five days' leave and fifteen pounds."  If anyone wants to be this warrior, take a step forward! "Fifteen pounds of bonus?" Cindy whispered: "We poor people can't even work for a year!"  With a salary of one pound, these stingy British guys actually gave them almost twenty years of salary, so there must be no living person who can come back to collect the money!" "Is there anyone?  Five pounds, a full fifteen pounds, aren¡¯t there two brave men willing to fight for money and honor? Well, I¡¯ll double the reward to thirty pounds, now it¡¯s thirty pounds¡ª¡±  But the soldiers still remained silent, and their dark faces always maintained the expressionless and dumbfounded look of tropical peoples.  The British officer showed an impatient look on his face and muttered in a low voice: "Cowardly inferior people!" "Oops!" Cindy saw the angry look on Simba's face and was about to reach out to grab him.  , but it was a step too late.  Simba took a step forward and responded loudly: "Second Lieutenant, the Punjabis are not cowards, nor are they an inferior race. You both fought in Mudji and Gilijanwala (both famous battlefields in the Sikh War, known for their tragic casualties).  I have experienced the courage of my ancestors, and I am willing to accept this task, but not for the reward, but so that the reputation and courage of the Punjab people will not be tarnished!" The British officer's fair cheeks turned red, and immediately he  Turning pale again, he gritted his teeth and said loudly: "Very good, there is already a warrior. Who else is there now? Who else is willing to come out? He can get the thirty pounds that this warrior does not want, plus himself  Yes, sixty pounds in total, sixty pounds!"

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 87: Captured

    There was a burst of voices immediately in the trenches, and the dull faces of the Indian soldiers finally showed a look of surprise. Before the pound was off the gold standard, the pound was quite strong. In the mid-19th century, one hundred pounds was enough to buy a piece of land in Australia.  There is fertile land as far as the eye can see.  For these soldiers, this is simply an astronomical amount of money, enough to change the fate of them and their families.  "I, I am willing to participate!" A voice broke the discussion, and all eyes immediately focused on the speaker. They saw this person standing next to Simba. It was his good friend Cindy, but let  What surprised people was that his face was all gray. Instead of being nervous and excited about facing a huge reward, it looked more like despair when facing death.  After a while, the British officer and the sergeant major left, and the soldiers dispersed. Only Simba and Cindy were left at the corner of the trench.  Simba stood up and whispered to the silent Cindy: "I'm sorry, Cindy, I just -" "You were just stupid enough to fall into the British man's trap and put your head in the noose."  . Even the monkeys are smarter than you, at least they fell into the trap for the plump fruits, but you lost your life for those illusory things!" Cindy jumped up angrily, a bit cynical in his usual way.  For the first time, real anger showed on his face.  "Well, I am here for those 'illusory' things. In your eyes, ancestors, honor, and courage are not as important as life!" Simba retorted angrily: "Then why are you standing up?  "For the sixty pounds? So you can go back and buy a piece of land and become a landlord?" "A reward?" A bitter smile appeared on Cindy's face: "Have you forgotten how the British treated the betrayer?  Did he kill his master Ami Kant? (This man was originally a wealthy businessman in the Bengal Province at that time, and was deeply trusted by the Mughal prince Siraj, the ruler of Bengal at the time, but he was a general of the British East India Company, Cliff.  He betrayed his lord through bribery, causing his defeat in the decisive Battle of Plassey, which became the beginning of the British annexation of the entire India. However, Cliff refused to pay the huge reward initially promised to this man afterwards.  It is said that Ami Kant later became crazy because of this.) If the British promised such a large reward, it can only mean one thing. This matter is so dangerous that it is almost impossible for us to come back to get the money. " "Then, then you!  Why do you want to stand up? " "Maybe it's because of the reckless character left by a certain Sikh ancestor!" Cindy sighed: "Why don't they leave me the farm and money so that I can stay in my hometown?  Enjoy your legs instead of going to die with you, an idiot!" "Cindy!" Simba hugged his friend fiercely, kissed him twice on the cheek, and said loudly: "The master said  , the immortal gods will bless the Sikh warriors. " "Okay, okay!" Cindy wiped her cheeks in embarrassment: "Simba, don't smear all your spit on my face.  Oh, my face is not your trousers, God Shiva, I regret standing up now. It is not my family style to die with such a dirty guy." "Inferior soldier Simba,  Cindy!" With a cry, Simba and Cindy stood upright reflexively. When they looked up, they saw the serious sergeant standing in front of them.  "You two follow me now!" "Yes, sir!" Simba and Cindy followed the sergeant major through two trenches and came to a tunnel hidden under the slope. The tunnel was densely covered with trees on the slope.  Under the cover of shrubs, it looks particularly inconspicuous.  At the end of the tunnel, there is a hole. The diameter of the hole is not large and can only accommodate an adult man bending down to enter. However, it looks very deep. There is a slight sound coming from inside. It is not known how deep it is.  "You two, take off your clothes!" the sergeant major ordered loudly.  Simba and Cindy were startled by the order and were stunned for a moment. They reluctantly took off their clothes. Soon, only a piece of cloth covering their private parts was left on their bodies. On November 1,  Under the moonlight breeze, goosebumps appeared on the naked skin of both of them, and they couldn't help but curl up instinctively. Cindy looked at the sergeant major and asked in a low voice: "What order did you bring?" "  Now, you two crawl into the tunnel!" the sergeant major said, pointing to the deep hole.  Compared with the entrance, the inside of the tunnel is narrower. Its width and height can only allow an adult man to crawl forward.  Simba and Cindy were like two beasts, crawling in the tunnel, wearing knee pads and elbow pads on their knees and elbows, but their naked bodies were still scratched or stabbed by protrusions on the walls.  It was broken, but the two of them still crawled forward without saying a word.  Detonating the mine at the end of the tunnel - this is the task given to them.  In fact, there are noIt is as dark as outsiders imagine - for the convenience of the excavation engineers, there are burning candles in the corners of the tunnel. This is not only for lighting needs, but also to ensure that there is sufficient oxygen in the tunnel.  These days, under the cover of ground attacks, the British dug a tunnel from the ground to the ground of the Shunjun camp, and prepared to use hundreds of kilograms of yellow gunpowder to lift the overhead fortifications and the enemies into the sky.  But when the engineers laid the mines and exited the tunnel to light the fuses, they were surprised to find that the mines did not explode as expected.  Was it discovered and destroyed by the enemy?  Or did the fuse break somewhere?  Or was there something wrong with the layout of the mines?  No one knows the reason. Now a warrior is needed to crawl along the tunnel and see the truth clearly with the naked eye.  Simba climbed in front - this was what he insisted on. After all, it was his recklessness that brought Cindy to such a dangerous situation.  He crawled carefully, spitting out the muddy water that splashed into his mouth from time to time. He also had to be careful to guard against the burning match rope wrapped around his wrist to prevent it from extinguishing. He carefully lit the remaining candles in the closet recessed into the wall.  Water dripped from the top of the tunnel, forming a shallow layer of muddy water on the ground.  Simba could still vaguely hear the sound of artillery in the tunnel. It was the British army bombarding the Shun army camp with artillery fire. The low sound of artillery echoed in the dark tunnel, which seemed particularly terrifying. For a moment, Xinba  Ba almost thought that he was in the hell that the elders had told him about when he was a child. It was also dark and terrifying there.  Suddenly, Simba's ankle was pulled. He turned around in surprise and saw Cindy's dark eyes staring at him. The other party put his index finger to his mouth, made a silencing gesture, and then  He stretched out his finger and pointed at the wall on the right and his ear.  Simba leaned his head against the wall, and sure enough, there was a heavy digging sound coming from the wall.  The two people's movements became gentler, especially Simba. He climbed a few steps and leaned against the wall to listen. As the two of them moved forward, the sounds coming from the wall became increasingly louder and louder.  It was clear, and Simba could even hear some voices, and it was the same language he heard from those mysterious attackers that night.  It's the Chinese, it's the enemy, they're nearby.  Simba climbed a few more steps forward. At this time, he could clearly hear the Chinese voices even if he was not close to the wall. He could see dim reflections at the corner in front, and the Chinese were right in front!  He slowed down his crawling speed and looked back at Cindy. Cindy nodded knowingly, took out two bombs from the bag tied to his feet, and handed them to Simba. Simba blew them and wrapped them in his right hand.  With the match rope on his wrist, he carefully lit one of the fuses and gently threw it towards the opposite side. However, the bomb rolled a few times on the ground and stopped, and the fuse was soaked by the muddy water on the ground.  Simba cursed silently, crawled forward a few steps, lit the remaining bomb, and threw it forward.  This time the bomb did not disappoint Simba. The bomb landed on the dry ground, bounced forward a few times, and rolled into the darkness. Then there was a violent explosion, and pieces of earth mixed with smoke were sprayed towards this side.  Simba crawled nimbly in the muddy water. He immediately felt a burning pain on his naked back, and at the same time, a scream came from his ears.  "Balala!" Simba immediately shouted loudly, and quickly rushed into the darkness. He pulled out the dagger from his waist with his right hand. After climbing a few steps, he bumped into a soft body in the darkness.  Instinctively, he pierced the opponent's body with a knife, and then twisted the handle of the knife. A scream immediately came from his ears, and he immediately felt warm liquid on his right hand.  The battle in the dark was fierce. The attackers and the attacked were struggling and stabbing in the narrow tunnels. People used all the weapons they could find to kill: daggers, pistols, broken wood, fists, knees and elbows.  , even teeth.  In this special place, war has returned to its most primitive form - kill the other party, or be killed by the other party.  Simba has killed three opponents. Darkness is his most powerful ally. As an attacker, he knows that everyone in front of him is his enemy and can attack boldly, while behind him is Cindy.  Protected.  And his enemies were suddenly attacked. He didn't know how many enemies there were, nor where they were. In many cases, they even started killing each other, becoming Simba's target of massacre.  Until a majestic voice broke the silence: "All our own people are not allowed to move. Anyone who moves is the enemy!" This order had an immediate effect. The soldiers of the Shun army who had recovered from the panic of the attack stopped moving blindly, and the darkness  Having become a neutral party again, Simba could only stop his actions to avoid becoming the target of siege.  At this time, a flame was lit, and dim yellow light began to scatter in all directions.  Almost at the same time, Simba threw his dagger at the light, and a scream came from the light, but the lightThe light has not gone out.  The soldiers of the Shun Army who saw the enemy clearly rushed forward. Simba tried his best to resist, but he was soon knocked unconscious.  A basin of cold water was poured on Simba's scarred body. His body twitched and he slowly woke up.  Simba struggled to open his swollen eyes and saw a dozen legs in leggings, and there was another person beside him, Cindy.  "Stand up, bastard!" Simba was immediately kicked hard in the abdomen, which made him curl up as quickly as a prawn, and blood and gastric juice flowed out of his mouth and nostrils.  He was writhing on the ground in pain.  "Okay, don't beat him to death, the superior officer still wants to ask questions!" A higher-ranking officer stopped the soldiers from venting their anger: "You two, please clean these two guys a little, make them clean, and put on their clothes."  Put on your clothes and take them to Mr. Ba! " "Yes, Sir!" Batu was in the room, staring at the calendar and map on the wall. Twenty-one days had passed since the British siege.  During these twenty-one days, the British used all available methods to attempt to break into the camp: digging tunnels, rockets, artillery fire, etc.  Last night, the British even dug a tunnel under the Shun Army camp and buried hundreds of kilograms of gunpowder. Fortunately, a few blind men with sensitive ears discovered the British attempt, and the Shun Army engineers dug the British tunnel.  , and cut off the bomb's fuse, and the camp avoided the fate of falling.  But this does not mean victory, or even safety. Who knows if there is another trick approaching the camp, pushing him and the remaining soldiers into the abyss of destruction. As long as the British siege is not broken for one day, the camp  His fate has not changed for a day, but when will reinforcements arrive?  Batu's brows frowned.  "Sir, these two guys were caught by us in the tunnel. They should be British engineers!" Batu turned around and saw two dark guys being pushed into the house. They were wearing ill-fitting uniforms.  There were scars and bruises all over the uniform, face and exposed body. It was obvious that he had suffered a lot before coming to him.  One of them was looking at him fiercely, while the other's gaze was much more intriguing, a little confused, but also a little expectant.  Batu suddenly asked: "How many tunnels did the British dig in total?" The translator beside him immediately translated it into English.  ¡°The one of the two prisoners who stared at Batu fiercely suddenly shouted loudly in a language that neither Batu nor the translator understood. It should be their native language.  Batu frowned, and was about to order the guards to give this guy who didn't know his situation a hard time, when the other prisoner suddenly asked in English: "Are you the Chinese general?" "No, I still have it.  I'm not a general, but I am the highest commander in the camp!" Batu frowned and decided to put the stubborn guy aside to see if he could get some oil out of him.  "That's the same, sir, I want to ask you a question. If I answer the question, you won't hand us back to the British!" "There's a chance!" Batu suppressed the excitement in his heart and straightened his back.  , tried his best to answer in a serious tone: "Of course, if you tell the truth, you will become a person on my side. Of course I will not hand over the people on my side to the enemy!" "Cindy, what are you going to do?  Are you going to surrender to the enemy in fear of death?" Simba finally understood what his companions were doing and hurriedly shouted to Cindy in his own language.  "That's enough, Simba! Don't tell me any more about respecting the master's instructions." Cindy interrupted Simba: "I have already said that the Chinese are not the enemies of the Punjabi people. In fact, if it were not for the British  People are trying to conquer the Burmese like they conquered the Punjab Kingdom decades ago, and we will not have the slightest relationship with the Chinese. The Punjabis have only one enemy, and that is the evil British guy and his thugs. As long as they can defeat the British.  "People, I am willing to fight under the banner of anyone!" "Could it be that even the Chinese¡ª¡ª" Simba stared blankly at his usually lazy and cynical companion, as if he had just met him for the first time today.  Cindy.  "Yes, even the Chinese. Don't look at me with your mouth open like an idiot! I know these Chinese are not good people. Their purpose in coming to Myanmar is the same as the British. They are trying to turn this place into a  Their colonies, turning the Burmese into their slaves. But so what? They are not trying to invade our country, at least not yet, and the British are now riding on our necks in order to defeat the current.  Enemies, and alliances with possible future enemies. Isn't this what the British do? They either participate in internal strife among princes, make hypocritical alliances, or implement open alliances.Their fraud, bribery and extortion provoked conflicts among the Indians and made us fight among ourselves, while they took the opportunity to defeat the Indian princes one by one. Finally, when they attacked the Kingdom of Punjab, only we Sikhs were left.  The man was left alone to fight.  If we want to break free from the yoke of the British one day, we must learn from the British. As the respected master said, a warrior only needs to have faith and courage, but a leader must not only be as brave as a lion, but also like a fox.  General cunning, so that he can lead his followers and soldiers to victory.  " Simba was finally impressed by Cindy's eloquence, and opened his arms to hug his companion: "You are right, thank the great Lord Shiva for instilling wisdom into your mind.  ¡± ¡°Everything is God¡¯s will!  "Cindy also hugged her friend and kissed him on the cheek. Then she turned to Batu who was looking at her with interest and said, "Sir, I don't know how many tunnels the British have dug, but I  Thought I could do something more useful to you guys.  "He paused for a moment, then continued loudly: "The British troops surrounding you now are basically affiliated with the Second and Third Punjab Fusiliers, and more than 90% of the soldiers are Sikhs.  They have been stationed in Yangon for two years, and most of the soldiers miss their hometown very much-" "Wait a minute!  Batu raised his right hand and interrupted the interpreter's narration: "You mean that most of the soldiers in this army have been here for more than two years?"  "    "Yes!  "Cindy nodded: "Since the great uprising of 1857, the British have ordered that all Indian soldiers are not allowed to stay in their hometown to serve as soldiers.  And according to Indian tradition, if a person goes to Burma, he will lose his caste and be expelled from all groups, so the soldiers were very dissatisfied.  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 88: Traitor

    "Caste? Community?" Batu said these two unfamiliar words with some confusion. As a Chinese who has long abolished the distinction between good and bad, it is naturally difficult to understand the deep-rooted concepts of caste and community in Indian life.  .  Batu shook his head and ignored this difficult question for the first time: "Okay, now you can tell me what is more useful to me." "If you put the two of us back, maybe I can activate it for you.  A mutiny to help you defeat the British!" "Haha!" Batu suddenly laughed: "You two soldiers can launch a mutiny. Do I look so stupid and easy to be deceived?"  "Sir, as you can see, neither of us are officers, otherwise we would not be sent to perform such a dangerous mission. So what we know is very limited. If you put us back, we will kill two less at most.  Just an insignificant soldier. Your snipers can kill a few soldiers like me every day. If you let me go, what will you lose? But if what I say is true, then you won't gain.  "Okay, now tell me, what are you going to do if I put you back?" Batu's face became serious, and he began to take a serious look at the dark-skinned man in front of him for the first time.  An exotic man with a steel bracelet and a black cloth headband.  Mandalay, the Palace of the Protector of Burma.  For Zao Guoquan, this period of time was the happiest and most comfortable day since he was recalled to Hanjing from Annan: the sky was high and the emperor was far away, and Chen Zaixing, who had been left here in Hanjing to restrain him, was also subdued by him and sent back to the country for coordination.  After the soldiers left, he became a prince in this foreign capital just like he had been in Annan. The only difference was that now the emperor was no longer the scheming old emperor, but just a young child.  For a long time, you no longer have to worry about being tricked into raising your pet by playing tricks like "rising up and down".  "The sky is as high as the birds can fly, and the sea is as deep as the fish can leap!" Zao Guoquan couldn't help but read out loud. At this time, there were a few more people around him, all of whom were Burmese nobles and monks. These nobles and monks were members of the Advisory Council.  The MPs are all above the standard in terms of ability and qualifications. After Guo Quan came to Myanmar early, he planned to take root here, so he paid attention to absorbing local talents. He wanted to stay with the Yanshan Prefecture in the north, the governor of Manchuria and Zhangbei.  The military commanders like Pingbeihou and Gaohouye turned Burma into their own base and became a kingdom.  "Master Colonel, Master Baganba needs to see you urgently!" Suddenly, a notification came from outside the door, "Could it be that the British have undergone another big change? It's a pity that there is no wired telegraph over there, otherwise there would be no need to go to such trouble!" Early!  Guo Quan thought secretly in his heart and said: "Quickly pass the message!" "Since your Excellency has a major military incident, we will retreat first!" Those Burmese noble monks were not without eyesight, and they hurriedly got up and left.  However, Zao Guoquan stretched out his hand to stop the people who were resigning, and said with a smile: "No need, you all understand the righteousness well, and you are all close friends of Gao, so why should you be suspicious? Gao is new here, and he is just about to borrow your favor."  Seeing this, the noble monks sat down one after another, and they couldn't help but feel warm in their hearts. They didn't expect that this new Lord Shunguo would value themselves so much. Compared to the Lord Chen in front of him, Lord Zao was as strong as heaven in this respect.  .  "Your Excellency, the last general is Wei Sunan, who is commanding the flag under Batu Ba!" Wei Sunan knelt on the ground and reported loudly: "Fifteen days ago, the Yingyi troops arrived at our camp next to Bagan, and the two armies started a fierce battle. The Yingyi troops  They advanced by land and water, and they numbered no less than 10,000 people. I mobilized the soldiers and fired their guns, killing and injuring more than a thousand Ying Yi.  We dug trenches and fought with them, but we were outnumbered. I sent you back to Mandalay. Please send troops to help quickly!" Zao Guoquan nodded and asked.  "It's only five or six days' journey from Bagan to Mandalay. Why did it take you so long? Could it be that something happened on the way?"  In order to prevent the British from blocking the road to Mandalay, after leaving the camp, the villain first walked south for a while, and then turned northwest. The road took a detour, and there were some changes on the road. Please tell me, sir.  Mingjian!" Having said this, Wei Sunan took out a document from his arms and presented it with both hands.  "Accident?" Zao Guoquan frowned, took the document presented by his entourage and saw that it was in Burmese that he didn't recognize. He handed it to a Burmese monk beside him and said, "Honored Master, what's the matter?  Please translate it!" "Yes, sir!" The monk took the document and just read two lines. The two thick gray eyebrows on his forehead stood up. His right hand holding the document trembled violently.  The document was thrown to the ground.  Zao Guoquan on the side saw it and hurriedly asked: "Honored Master, what's wrong with you? Is there something wrong with this document?""Amitabha!" The monk recited the Buddha's name, with a look of awe on his face: "Your Excellency, the person writing this letter to you is the great traitor and enemy of the Buddha, Songcan!" "The traitor? Buddha  Enemy?" Zao Guoquan was stunned when he heard this. He was a little confused by the pile of charges. In addition, he had not been in Myanmar for a long time. Although he spent a lot of effort, he was acquainted with the British and the important princes, nobles, and monks of Myanmar.  The leader knew a lot, but he didn't know much about a "little man" like Song Shen who had just emerged.  Seeing the monk's appearance, he smiled and said: "Honored Master, I have time today anyway, why don't you tell someone about this guy's situation, and then translate what is written in this letter." "Amitabha!  "The monk recited the Buddha's name, then lowered his head and closed his eyes and stopped talking. A Burmese nobleman on the side stepped forward to pick up the document and said: "My lord, it's not that I am disrespectful to you. In fact, the chanting is an infringement of the sacred law.  The enemy of the Buddha in Mohe Bodhi Temple, Master is not willing to let this filthy name taint his tongue again, so let me explain all this to you!¡±  I heard that Song Shen was a farmer in a village and had no skills" The nobleman was very eloquent and spent more than ten minutes organizing Song Shen to take advantage of the short power vacuum in Bagan city after Meng Ji's death.  He formed a team and killed Master Samantabhadra.  Later, he escaped from the city, attacked the farms of nobles and monasteries, and distributed the land and grain to the poor farmers.  After the story was finished, the nobleman translated the document again. The main meaning was that Song Shen asked Zao Guoquan to ask the king to pardon himself and his men for all previous crimes on his behalf, and to include the weapons in his hands into the ranks of the royal army in exchange.  Under the conditions, Song Sam expressed his willingness to fight alongside the Shun army to attack the British supply lines and enemy strongholds in southern Burma.  "Master Captain!" The previous monk waited until the nobleman finished translating and said loudly: "Originally, I was just a monk, worldly matters have nothing to do with me anymore, let alone talking nonsense in front of adults.  But this person is different. "Obviously, this person hates Song Shen to the core, and is unwilling to even mention the other person's name again.  "This man not only violated the sacred Mohe Bodhi Temple and killed Samantabhadra, which is simply a crazy act that can only be seen in the end of the Dharma era. He also violated the sacred life and property of the nobles and temples. In Myanmar, even if  The craziest king cannot infringe on the interests of the first two. Even the king is under the protection of Buddhism, not to mention that the nobles are the blood and flesh of the king. If you pardon this person in order to fight the British  , is equivalent to driving all the Burmese nobles and monks to the British side. You must know that if the nobles and monks were given a choice, they would rather cooperate with the devil than compromise with this person. " "Yes.  "Yes, sir!" "That's right!" As soon as the monk finished speaking, the remaining monks and nobles in the room stood up to express their attitude towards what he had just said.  Zao Guoquan saw this and couldn't help but be secretly surprised. He had been used to seeing these nobles and monks fawning over him these days. Although he didn't say it in his mouth, he already had contempt for these people in his heart.  At this moment, he suddenly saw them standing up one by one to express their unanimous objections to him. He couldn't help but be shocked. In fact, he had some intention of taking the opportunity to recruit them. After all, his biggest enemy now is the British. As long as he can  Helps defeat the British, he doesn't care about aligning with the devil.  As for how to deal with such a troublesome son Songcan in the future, that is a matter of the future. After all, if they are defeated by the British now, there will be no future.  But now that the nobles and monks have shown such a unanimous attitude, I can only take a step back first.  "I didn't expect this Song Shen to be such a villain!" Zao Guoquan pretended to be upright and awe-inspiring: "Of course, he will be severely punished. Please rest assured, I will definitely not compromise with him."  When the monks and nobles saw that Zao Guoquan had agreed to their request, they hurriedly bowed and thanked them. Zao Guoquan said a few perfunctory words and said that he still had something to do and wanted to go to the palace to see the two majesties. Those people hurriedly bowed and retreated.  After sending those people to the door, Zao Guoquan's expression suddenly changed. He returned to the house and asked Wei Sunan who was standing aside: "Tell me the battle situation over there and what you saw along the way."  Listen!" "Yes, sir!" After a while, Zao Guoquan nodded and asked in a low voice: "In your opinion, who is that Song Shen?" "Yes, sir!  "Wei Sunan replied in a low voice: "From what General Mo has seen, that Song Shen is quite capable. Although the guys who ambushed us are still a little lax, they are already able to follow orders and prohibitions. And that Song is already an army.  Although Shen is already the leader, his food and clothing expenses are the same as those of his subordinates.It¡¯s not easy to get there.  " " Could it be that those guys are too poor and have no way to enjoy it?  " "Sir, according to what those noble monks just said, Song Shen attacked many manors and distributed food to the poor people. How could there be no other gains in the process?  Besides, after they learned the villain's identity, they immediately changed him to a thatched house with better conditions. There were many precious furs in it. I saw that Song Shen was only wearing a piece of burlap clothes.  " "Well, if you have few desires, you will not be bound by external things, and if you are not bound by external things, you will naturally have a clear mind; if you are balanced, you will have less internal friction, and if you have less internal friction, you can focus on the outside world.  This guy is quite a character if he can do these two things!  Zao Guoquan nodded: "You heard what those monks and nobles said just now. What do you think should be done?"  " Wei Sunan hurriedly lowered his head and said: "Sir, this villain is just a flag bearer. I don't dare to comment on such military affairs!  " "You just say it, the speaker is not guilty.  " "Yes, sir!"  "Wei Sunan raised his head, thought for a moment and replied: "From what I can see, Song Shen's actions have touched the roots of these monks and nobles. Those guys already hate him to the core. If we really  If we agree to Song Shen's request, I'm afraid these guys will really turn to the British side, which will be extremely detrimental to us!  " "Then you mean to refuse that guy's request?  " "Exactly, although this Song Shen is powerful, his foundation is shallow after all. He was able to get up because we defeated the main force of the Burmese army in the battle at Babu Village. Meng Ji died again, and a power vacuum appeared in the Bagan area.  He just took the opportunity to get up.  As long as we or the British win, or even the Burmese nobles unite, they can be destroyed.  But these nobles and monks are different. They are deeply rooted here. Whether we or the British want to gain a foothold here, we cannot do without them!  " Zao Guoquan did not answer immediately, but just paced back and forth in the room. Wei Sunan didn't know if what he just said was wrong. He just stared down at the tiles on the ground, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.  When it landed on the ground, there was already a pool of water. ¡°Okay, okay, okay!  " I don't know how much time passed, but Zao Guoquan suddenly laughed loudly, which shocked Wei Sunan. Zao Guoquan walked up to Wei Sunan, patted his shoulder lightly, and said with a smile: "I didn't expect you to have such a talent.  In common sense, being a mere flag bearer would be a bit unfair to you.  " At this time, Wei Sunan was so happy that he threw himself to the ground and said loudly: "I am willing to die for your Excellency!  " "Okay, okay, okay!  "I don't know what happened today. Zao Guoquan smiled like Amitabha Buddha. I'm afraid he didn't say the word "good" in a month as much as today. He stretched out his hand to help Wei Sunan up and said with a smile: "You are well.  If you do it, you will naturally have a bright future.  But you must remember that you are not dying for my country, but you are dying for the emperor and the empire. Do you understand?  " "Yes, sir!"  "Wei Sunan quickly puffed up his chest. "But you still have to go back to Song Shen's place!  " "Since there are so many disadvantages to forming an alliance with Song Shen, why should I go against his ability?  Although Wei Sunan was a little puzzled, he still replied loudly: "Yes, sir!"  " "Are you thinking that since you don't form an alliance with it, why do you want to go there?  "Zhao Guoquan said with a smile: "Now the domestic army has not entered Myanmar, and the war in Bagan is quite tight. We must gain some strength if we can gain it. Since Song Shen has the strength and takes the initiative to rely on  Now that it¡¯s over, we naturally can¡¯t push it past.  Of course, we can't do this openly, so you go to Songshen this time and bring a personal letter from me, telling them that the king is willing to forgive their sins, but they must repay the king's grace with actions. Of course  I will also ask you to bring them a lawsuit and an edict, but all of this is false. If it is published, I will never admit that these are from me. Do you understand?  "When Zao Guoquan said this, he stared into Wei Sunan's eyes. Wei Sunan puffed up his chest and said loudly: "I understand, you will definitely not be a trouble!  " "Very good, you go down and rest first. Before leaving, I will ask you to bring some weapons as a gift for your trust and sacrifice!  " "Yes, sir!"  ¡±Happy New Year, Weber here wishes everyone good luck and wishes readers all the best in the new year and happiness to their families.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 89 Release

    Yangon, port.  A group of Scottish infantry in kilts stood upright beside the trestle, with a band behind them.  As if waiting for the arrival of some big shot.  At this time, several carriages came speeding down the road in the distance. The leading officer turned around and nodded, and the sergeant major shouted loudly: "Everyone stand at attention, let's begin!" The soldiers immediately raised their guns to their shoulders, and the band behind them played music in unison.  , the melody of "God Save the Queen" echoed over the trestle.  Next to the gangway, the captain and other senior crew members of the "Coventry" cruise ship are wearing pure white attire, waiting for the upcoming VIPs. What kind of big shots are coming?  Soon the carriage came to the trestle, and the upright carriage driver jumped out of his seat and opened the door.  The first person to get off the carriage was Gillings. He bowed humbly to the carriage. Balfour, wearing a top hat, got off the carriage, looked at the ship outside the trestle, and turned to face  Gillings smiled and said: "Mr. Gillings, while I am going to Japan, the affairs in Myanmar will be left to you." "Your Excellency, Ambassador Plenipotentiary!" Gillings stopped here, looking lustful.  He seemed to be speechless.  Balfour noticed the other party's expression and asked: "Do you have any different views? Mr. Gillings." "Sir, do you really think it is a suitable time to go to Japan? After all, the war situation in Myanmar is now at its peak.  In critical times, the outcome of the peace negotiation is determined by the outcome of the battlefield, and you are the plenipotentiary ambassador for Burma appointed by His Excellency the Prime Minister. Only you can most effectively integrate the empire's power in the Far East. " "Mr. Gillings, I am very happy.  You also agree that our empire can only achieve limited victory in Burma!" Balfour said with a smile: "There is no doubt that the treaty is determined by the outcome of the battlefield, but the battlefields of the British Empire and the Shun Empire in the Far East are not only in Burma!  One place, if the battlefield between us and them is limited to Myanmar, that is what they want. Just like in a boxing match, we should attack the opponent's weakness hard. " " Japan? " " Yes, Japan.  The Shun Empire has a huge advantage over the British Empire. It occupies a core position in the Far East. Except for the Russians in the north, its borders in other areas are almost safe, so it can confidently and boldly use its power  Put it in Burma. The empire is different. The queen's territory is spread all over the world, and our interests are also all over the world. We may be challenged by local barbarians and powers at any time. We cannot throw the essence of the empire into a quagmire.  Go. If we can't find enough trouble for the Shun Empire elsewhere, even if we can defeat their adventure this time, what about next time? You know, Mandalay is only six hundred kilometers away from their border, and  It is tens of thousands of kilometers away from London. It is obvious who will lose in the end!" Gillings was silent for a while and finally nodded: "You are right, Your Excellency, the interests of the Empire and the Empire's hegemony in the Far East are in conflict.  Well, I wish you a safe journey. " "Well, thank you for your kindness, then, goodbye!" Belfort squeezed Gillings's outstretched right hand and turned to walk towards the gangway at the end of the trestle.  Behind him, Gillings looked at Belfort's back with a conflicted look. He didn't turn around until the other man disappeared on the side of the ship.  While the fierce fighting between various forces in Myanmar was going on, Chen Zaixing, who was the core figure of the entire incident, was returning to the country along the road from Mandalay to Wanding. At this time, he was driven away from the center of the incident, which made him a little frustrated.  Coupled with the swaying on the elephant's back, Chen Zaixing gradually fell asleep leaning on the chair.  "Sir, Master Chen!" The shouts from outside the cage woke Chen Zaixing from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes, arranged the scattered clothes on his body, and asked in a deep voice: "What's the matter?" "Sir, it's Kong.  Sir is here!" "Kong Zhang? Isn't he going to Bagan?" Chen Zaixing poked his head and ordered the slave: "Stop!" Then he got off the elephant's back and saw Kong Zhang's familiar description.  , I saw that his face was full of dust, and he had obviously suffered a lot along the way. Chen Zaixing bowed his hand to him and whispered: "Brother Kong, I have been ordered by Mr. Zao to return to China to coordinate the dispatch of troops. You  "Is it¡ª¡ª?" Kong Zhang sighed: "Hey, you've gone back. The person in charge has changed in Mandalay. What's the point of me staying in Mandalay? I heard that I had an affair with you when I arrived in Bagan.  I asked the boatman to set sail. I didn¡¯t even pay a visit to Lord Ba. I finally caught up. I always have a companion on the way!¡± Chen Zaixing saw Kong Zhang¡¯s face full of bitterness and remembered that this man sent troops for his own sake.  Everyone supported me, but now the situation in Myanmar is unclear, and the person who is in charge has changed. It is difficult to say whether the money can be repaid, let alone the generous returns promised in advance. I can't help but feel a little apologetic in my heart, and sigh in a low voice.  Tone: "Brother Kong,"I tried to trick you into paying to support my intervention in Myanmar, but I didn't expect it to end up like this, with your life almost lost here. It's so shameless -" "Stop it!"  "Kong Zhang interrupted Chen Zaixing: "In business, there are losses and gains. There are so many things involved here, how can it be all blamed on you?  Besides -" At this point, Kong Zhang gritted his teeth and whispered: "The outcome has not yet been decided, we can still give it a try, how can we be like prisoners of Chu crying to each other?  " Chen Zaixing was stunned when he heard this. He thought about it all the way. He just felt that the early state power was already in his hands, and he could not fight the opponent no matter what. But after hearing Kong Zhang's words, it seemed that there was still a chance of improvement.  , hurriedly grabbed the other person's arm and whispered: "Brother Kong, if you have any ideas, please tell me.  Kong Zhang looked around and said with a wry smile: "Sir, how about we go to my car and talk?"  It¡¯s not a problem to be blocked in the middle of the road!  " Only then did Chen Zaixing find himself standing in the middle of the road with Kong Zhang. His old face couldn't help but blush. He hurriedly got on his carriage with Kong Zhang. As soon as they got on the carriage, Chen Zaixing said hurriedly: "Brother Kong, tell me about your situation.  idea.  Kong Zhang whispered: "Master Chen, as far as I know, your main task when you return home this time is to urge the army to enter Myanmar. In fact, this is also related to our original intention."  Think about it, if you want the army to enter Myanmar quickly and the transportation of food and ammunition is unimpeded, don't you have to build roads?  To build a road, we need to survey the route and recruit people. Sir, you have done these things well. The talents and materials are in your hands. In the future, the construction of the railway will be a matter of course. Is there anyone else who can surpass you?  Can¡¯t?  " Kong Zhang's words seemed to suddenly light up a bright light in Chen Zaixing's mind: Yes, anyway, his original purpose was not to be the emperor of Myanmar, but to use the construction of railways as an opportunity to bring Myanmar and even the entire Southeast Asia region  It will be included in the economic circle of Dashun and become the raw material production area and product sales market of Dashun. On this basis, a huge economic, political and military complex will be established. As long as this goal can be achieved, the early state power will still be responsible for its protection.  The captain of Burma is not important. Thinking of this, the depression in Chen Zaixing's heart for the past few days was suddenly cleared away, and he suddenly felt enlightened. He patted his thigh and said with a smile: "It's a blessing in disguise, brother Kong, for you and me.  I will definitely do something big when I return home this time.  " "Then first I would like to congratulate you, sir!  "Kong Zhang obediently bowed his hand to Chen Zaixing, and then whispered: "But will Mr. Zao blame you?  "    "of course not!  Chen Zaixing smiled and said: "Opening roads and building military stations are also to control the military and state affairs of the vassal state. Mr. Zao also resigned from the Annan Protectorate and knows how powerful it is."  Say it again.  When Chen Zaixing said this, he lowered his voice: "According to the impression I got from the few contacts with this gentleman, this gentleman has a lot of ambitions. It's not just that he is content to be a captain protecting Burma. As long as he  I don't compete with him for position, but he is willing to delegate power in other aspects.  " "If that's the case, don't worry!  "Kong Zhang also laughed when he heard this. The two of them were talking and laughing in the car, and they were in harmony. In fact, as the first generation of Confucian intellectuals who opened their eyes to see the world, Chen Zaixing, although he is the best among them, has no understanding of what is already happening in the outside world.  The huge changes that have taken place are only relatively ignorant and superficial. However, as a mineral businessman who travels between Myanmar and China all year round, Chen Zaixing still relies on his own instinct to realize that in this era, the differences between countries and nations.  The outcome of the struggle no longer only depends on the number of people on both sides and the wealth of assets; it also depends on the quantity of industrial products and the level of organization of the state machinery. Otherwise, how could a small country like England conquer countless territories and possess far more wealth?  Overcome his ancient country and become the overlord of the world? In this new environment, the power of the country will naturally not be concentrated in the hands of a small group of Confucian intellectual elites as in the past, but will gradually be transferred to control huge wealth.  and the powerful industrial and commercial class. As an outcast within the system, Chen Zaixing naturally hopes to become a trendsetter in this new wave and take advantage of the situation to realize his ambitions. However, early Guo Quan did not think that this person had realized this huge change.  However, his noble status and huge power have become a huge burden for him. The path he has chosen is actually a very "Chinese" path of a powerful minister - accumulate military merits, dominate one side, and become a vassal town that cannot be lost. Once the central government has  It is easy to find such examples in China's thousands of years of history, and Chen Zaixing believes that this path is outdated. The rulers of this empire in the future will not be above the court.  But behind the bank counter and in the company¡¯s office ¡°Brother Kong!  "Chen Zaixing whispered. "What's the matter?  " "After you return to China, you go to Brother Liu for me. I have a letter to give him!  ¡±  "Liu Qingyang?" Kong Zhang was slightly startled, looked at Chen Zaixing's face, and whispered: "Yes!" Mok Village, like thousands of villages in Myanmar, is surrounded by a circle of soil or  The wall is made of bamboo fence, and inside the wall is a road that leads directly from the village entrance. On both sides of the road are dozens of huts built with easily available materials such as bamboo, straw and mud.  Different from other villages, this village is located right between Bagan City and the Shun Army camp, and is also very close to the Irrawaddy River. So the British army used this place as their camp and built many warehouses to transport a large amount of materials from Yangon.  They were stored here before being shipped to the front lines.  Author's words: After running around outside for a day, I came back to wish all of you readers a happy New Year. I wish you all the best in the new year: the singles will get married, the marrieds will have children early, good health, and all the best!  I also hope that the struggling Weber can get rid of his old bachelor status in the new year.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 90: Warehouse

    Nick stood on the watchtower at the entrance of the village. Behind him were warehouses converted from villagers' houses, which stored clothing, food, ammunition and other materials for the four thousand British soldiers who were besieging the Shun Army.  Nick tried his best to keep his eyes open to fight off the sleepiness, but his eyelids continued to sink as if they were filled with lead.  "Sergeant Nick!" A rude and familiar voice woke Nick up from his half-asleep state. He opened his eyes wide and immediately saw the red nose on Old Tom's face. He stood up straight instinctively.  The body took a step back.  "Sergeant Nick, please tell me what you were eating in your dream just now? Scottish oatmeal, ham pudding? Or fried cod? Otherwise, why are you still licking your lips in your sleep?" Sergeant Tom asked with a sneer.  .  "No, no!" Nick stammered in reply: "I didn't fall asleep just now, I just took a nap, Sergeant Major!"  The big guy walked up and didn¡¯t even notice, you¡¯re sleeping so deeply!¡± Tom suddenly shouted: ¡°Even if a dozen Burmese people come up and cut your throat, you won¡¯t wake up!¡±  He shrunk his neck, preparing for Old Tom's familiar storm of scolding.  "For God's sake, if it weren't for the fact that you are the son of my best friend Old Nick, I would have whipped your spine to pieces right now! Teach you a lesson!" Old Tom's fingers were almost all  He poked Nick in the eye, but when he saw that the other person's face vaguely resembled that of his best friend, Old Tom's heart softened again. He kicked Nick's knee hard and cursed: "Give it to me.  Stand up straight, you bastard. For the sake of your father, I will spare you this time. If I catch you sleeping at your post again, you will not be saved even if the Virgin Mary appears!" Hearing myself!  After escaping another disaster, Nick breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly whispered: "Yes, Sergeant Major!" Old Tom snorted coldly, looked around, and then walked down again with heavy steps.  As soon as Old Tom's footsteps disappeared, Nick's upright figure immediately slumped down.  "Damn old bones. You almost tore me apart just now!" Nick muttered a few words in a low voice, then found a familiar place in Ganglou Sang and took a nap.  When he was sleeping in a daze, suddenly a rustling sound below woke Nick up. He got up and looked at the place where the sound came from, and saw a black shadow climbing up the wall.  come over.  Nick immediately took off the rifle from his shoulder, pulled the bolt, and shouted sternly: "Stop!" The black figure stopped immediately, turned around and raised his hands. Nick looked at it for a few times, and it was dimly visible under the watchtower.  He couldn't see clearly under the kerosene lamp, so he made a gesture to let him come closer.  The dark figure slowly walked to the foot of the watchtower.  At this time, with the help of the oil lamp under the watchtower, Nick could clearly see that the black figure was a Burmese. Even for a Burmese, this man was very thin, only four feet eight inches tall at most. If it weren't for him  With the beard, Nick could have thought it was a child.  "Should I report to the chief or go down and deal with this guy myself?" Nick hesitated for a moment, and finally decided to go down and have a look by himself. After all, there were still two hours before his shift was due, and this poor guy was also an interesting thing to kill time.  "Stand up! Stand up!" Nick made a gesture to ask the other person to stand up, and walked over. When the Burmese man stood up in confusion, he swiped the butt of his gun on the other person's neck.  , knocking him to the ground.  Seeing the other party looking at him in horror with blood on his face, Nick, who had just been scolded by the sergeant major, immediately felt an inexplicable pleasure. It felt good to ravage the weak!  Nick raised the butt of the gun and was shooting again when suddenly there was a slight wind sound in his ears, and then there was a slight pain in his throat. After a while, he felt a slight numbness there. Nick thought it was an insect bite and didn't take it seriously.  When he touched it, there was a sharp wooden stick with a ball of pompom at the end.  "There's a blowpipe!" Nick immediately recognized that it was a weapon used by the natives of Southeast Asia. He was about to shout, but the paralyzing toxin from the blowpipe had seeped into his blood, and the muscles next to his throat twitched a few times.  But only a few hoarse sounds were made.  Nick was panicking when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen. When he lowered his head, he saw a dagger deeply inserted into his lower abdomen. The Southeast Asian native was looking at him fiercely.  "Quick, quick, everyone, move faster!" Gray Eyes lowered his voice and urged in a low voice. One by one, the Burmese men in black coats used bamboo ladders to cross the trenches and walls and entered the camp. Nick's body had been  He was dragged to a dark corner, and on the watchtower was a Burmese man wearing clothes stripped from his body.  When the last Burmese jumped off the fence,Two bundles of objects were thrown down from the wall. With the faint light from the watchtower, you could barely see clearly that they were torches, oil bottles and the like.  "According to the prior arrangement, one team of people is responsible for the house on the left, and the other team is responsible for the house on the right, with the main road at the entrance of the village as the dividing line. Remember, burning the warehouse is the first goal, and retreat when you hear the pre-agreed signal, Crab Mouth  Do you know if there is someone who can help you?" Gray eyes lowered.  "Got it?" More than twenty pairs of eyes were shining in the night.  Gray Eyes waved his arms downward: "Let's get started!" Two teams of Burmese people marched silently along both sides of the road. From time to time, deep snoring could be heard from inside the house. The exhausted workers were tortured by the day's work and duty.  He was sleeping soundly with the soldiers, and the Shun army had been surrounded. The British really couldn't think of anyone else here who would attack them.  The attackers opened the earthen jars and carefully poured the clear oil inside on the roofs and doorways of the warehouses. Most of the houses here were built with flammable materials such as bamboo and straw. After the cool season here, there were already  There hasn't been any heavy rain for more than a month, and the house has been completely dry. If a spark falls on it, it will burn.  Seeing that the clear oil they carried with them had been exhausted, the Burmese leader made a slashing motion on his subordinates. The understanding man immediately took out the flint from his arms, hid in a sheltered place and started to light a fire. Soon the torch was lit.  , they carefully set fire to each house, then drew their weapons and hid them at the door of the house where the soldiers lived.  "Cough!" With a violent cough, the people in the house were finally awakened by the thick smoke from the burning house.  "It's on fire, get up and put out the fire!" The first person to wake up jumped up in panic, woke up his companions, and rushed out of the house.  Then there was a shrill scream outside the door, and two attackers who had been waiting for a long time stabbed his vest with bayonets.  But the panicked people still rushed out, and the attackers who were ambushing outside the door easily killed them one by one. The fire balls falling from the roof fell on the corpses, making a crackling sound.  "Bang! Bang!" Gunshots and sharp whistles were heard in the dark night. Apparently, British soldiers stationed outside the village discovered that the warehouse was on fire.  "Don't panic, it will take at least a while for the British to get here, and the night is our friend. Throw all the unused torches on the roof to signal the retreat!" Gray Eyes shouted loudly to the attackers.  They immediately followed the leader's order and threw the remaining torches to the nearby unlit roof, and then threw a string of prepared firecrackers into the fire. The loud sound of firecrackers immediately rang through the night sky, as if  Celebrating any holiday is normal.  The next morning, the British army camped.  "What? The warehouse was attacked last night? There were heavy losses in food and clothing?" Duncan's muscular face immediately turned red, and with his head full of red hair, he looked like an angry rooster.  "Yes, Major!" Old Tom stood straight: "I'm sorry, and I'm willing to accept any punishment!" "It's not about punishment now!" Duncan immediately interrupted Tom: "This is during the war, understand?  ? It's a siege. What do you want me to fill the stomachs of those soldiers with? " Old Tom lowered his head, his whole body was soaked with the venom of humiliation and regret, and he gritted his teeth.  , raised his head: "Major, I dare not ask you to forgive my fault, but please consider that I have served the empire in the army for fifteen years, give me a chance, I must put these damn things  The mice were caught one by one and hung on the big tree on the roadside. "No, Old Tom, the most important thing for us now is not to catch these mice." Duncan immediately rejected Old Tom's request and said loudly: "But."  To get food for the boys, it will take at least twenty-five days for the food ship from Yangon to arrive. The clothes are easy to buy and the soldiers can make do with it, but the food cannot be made do with it. Now tell me, the warehouse.  How much food is there?" Old Tom licked his lips and whispered: "Four days, no, maybe five days!" "Five days? Maybe I should let the Indian soldiers!  Launch another charge towards the Chinese position, at least this way we can save some food for our Scottish boys." Duncan reached out and patted Old Tom on the shoulder: "Okay, Old Tom, I will give you a compensation for your sin.  If you have the chance, take your people with you now. Do you understand? Any means!" "Yes, Major!" Old Tom stood straight and responded loudly.  Old Tom resolutely carried out Duncan's order. At noon on the second day after the warehouse was attacked, his food collection team delivered the first batch of loot to the British camp - a small amount of rice, some taro, and cassava.  , and some cows from several nearbyThe last bit of edible food obtained from the aristocratic manor. The rebels' attack on the noble farm some time ago has consumed most of the food near Bagan.  In the words of the team leader in charge of the escort: "If the meat of those Burmese people didn't have an inedible smell, Old Tom would have killed these Burmese people and sent them as pork!"

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 91 Taboo

    For the four Scots Fusiliers in the British camp, taro and cassava were terrible. Although they were a bit like the potatoes they were used to eating back home, the bitter taste that made your tongue tingle gave them away.  These things should be used to feed pigs and donkeys.  Those twenty cows were quite delicious, and whether they were beef or cow offal, they liked the food.  But it's very bad for the remaining Indian shipahi (Hindi: mercenaries). According to their religious traditions, they cannot eat beef or any food related to cows.  There is not much rice, wheat and chickpeas left in the warehouse.  In the trench, a group of Indian soldiers with their upper bodies naked lined up in a long line, standing in front of the cooking soldiers in white cloth, waiting for their lunch.  These Indian soldiers are responsible for the arduous task of digging trenches on the front line, so generally speaking, their food is higher in quality and quantity than other soldiers.  The cook took the wooden bowl handed to him from the other side, scooped two spoons of rice mixed with beans into the wooden bucket on the left in front of him, and scooped a spoonful of broth from the wooden bucket on the right, pouring it into the  After serving the rice in the evening, he handed it to the owner of the wooden bowl again.  The tired soldier took his bowl and found a clean place in the trench. He sat down and started eating. He had just taken two bites when he suddenly felt something was wrong with the food in his mouth. When he spit it out, he saw only one piece.  There were four or five long bristles on the chewed flesh.  "Asshole, what kind of meat are you giving us?" The soldier rushed back to the cook and handed the piece of meat skin to the cook.  The cook opened his hand and said, "What kind of meat? Are you not satisfied with the meat? Get out of the way and don't block others from eating!" The nonchalant look on the cook's face made the Indian soldier even more angry: "Asshole,  This is beef, you are giving it to us, Lord Shiva! This is blasphemy!¡± ¡°What, this is beef?¡± The soldier¡¯s shout immediately caused a stir in the crowd.  , the soldiers gathered around and waved their fists at the cooks angrily.  The British officer not far away saw the trouble here and ran over quickly. As he ran, he pulled out a pistol from his waist, fired a shot into the air, and shouted: "What are you doing, do you want to be whipped?  Get out of the way!" The soldiers made a way for the officer. The officer walked into the crowd. The soldier shouted to the officer: "Mr. Second Lieutenant, this bastard has mixed the food he gave us-" "Shut up.  Bastard, I haven't let you speak yet!" The British officer immediately interrupted the soldier and turned to the cook and asked: "What is going on?" "Mr. Second Lieutenant?  !¡± The shocked cook quickly replied: ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened. This guy suddenly came over with a piece of leftover meat in his hand and said it was blasphemy!¡±  The officer lowered his head and stretched out his spoon to scoop out the wooden barrel containing the broth. He fished out a bowl of broth, pointed at the pieces of beef inside and asked the soldier: "Is eating this pork a blasphemy to your gods?" "Yes.  Mr. Second Lieutenant!" The soldier turned pale with anger. He suppressed his anger and replied: "According to our tradition, cows are sacred animals, and eating beef is sacrilegious -" "Okay!" Ying  The police officer casually poured the broth on the bucket of rice: "You can choose, either to have a full belly, or to be clean and hungry. You have this freedom!" The scene was immediately enveloped in deathly silence, and suddenly  , a bowl was thrown next to the barrel, and the soldier turned and left. Then, one after another, the Indian soldiers turned and left. Soon, only two people were left next to the barrel filled with food-the British officer and  Cooking soldiers, all this seems to be a silent protest.  The British officer yelled angrily: "Okay, you idiots who kneel down to the elephant-headed god, you will also have beef for your dinner, and there will still be beef tomorrow. If you don't eat it, you will starve to death!" He  He threw the wooden spoon in his hand into the barrel full of broth, turned around and left.  It was already late at night, and there was a lot of snoring in the British camp.  With the moonlight in the sky, you can see that the British army's camp can be divided into two parts, simple thatched huts and tents.  Although after the Indian National Revolt in 1857, the British government banned the East India Company and adopted the method of personally ruling India.  But generally speaking, the British Indian colonial government still treated India as an enterprise rather than a government. In other words, the Indian Governor-General ruled India with a capitalist spirit of extracting the highest profits.  In this spirit, some of the original privileges of Indian mercenaries were deprived, their salaries were reduced, and it was stipulated and stipulated that promotions could not exceed that of sergeant.  British soldiers lived in comfortable houses, but Indian soldiers could only live in simple tents. During the expeditionDuring this time, he even had to take out money from his meager salary to pay for travel expenses and luggage handling expenses.  Under this circumstance, the relationship between the local companies in the British Army and the Indian mercenaries was naturally not much better.  In the darkness, the curtain of a tent was gently opened, and a figure emerged. He looked around warily, and then ran to the tent next door. He coughed a few times outside the tent, and the curtain suddenly opened.  It was uncovered, and a human head poked out.  "Cindy, what's wrong with you so late?" The people in the tent were still a little sleepy.  "I see you haven't eaten lunch or dinner. Let me bring you something to cushion you!" Cindy whispered with a smile and handed over something wrapped in a banana leaf.  The person in the tent was stunned for a moment, took it casually, and said while opening it: "Thank you Cindy, you are such a kind person!" The banana leaf bag was opened, and the banana leaves could be clearly seen spread out under the moonlight.  There was a small piece of scone and a paper lotus placed in the leaf. The soldier raised his head in surprise and saw a meaningful smile on Cindy's face.  "Cindy, what do you mean?" "What do you think? Don't you think the moon is particularly bright tonight?" Cindy pointed to the bright moon in the night sky. The soldier looked up at the moon and then lowered his head.  Looking at the lotus flowers and scones in his hands, a look of enlightenment appeared on his face, and his eyes turned to admiration and emotion when looking at Cindy.  "You're right, Cindy, the moon is indeed very bright tonight!" The soldier carefully rewrapped the lotus flowers and scones in banana leaves, handed them back to Cindy, and whispered: "Cindy, you  Don't worry, I will tell everyone in the tent what you mean!" "Very good!" Cindy nodded with satisfaction, turned around and ran to the next tent. The soldier looked at Cindy with admiration.  After a while, he got back into the tent again.  Such things continued to happen in the Indian mercenary camp and did not stop all night. Almost all the Indian soldiers showed expressions of surprise and admiration when they saw the scones and lotus flowers in the hands of Sindi and Simba.  , they all said excitedly that they would convey their thoughts to their companions in the tent.  The next day, at lunch time, soldiers of the Third Punjab Regiment of the British Indian Mercenaries were lining up in front of wooden barrels filled with food, waiting to be handed out lunch.  Quite a number of them didn't eat because yesterday's food contained beef. Even with Indians' good tolerance, not eating for two meals was a very bad experience.  Although most of the soldiers still have that Indian-specific indifference on their faces, as if they don't care about anything, if you pay attention, it's not difficult to find that many soldiers' eyes are wandering around, as if they are looking at something.  Expect something to happen.  "Why is there beef in our food? You clearly know that this conflicts with our beliefs!" A high-pitched shout suddenly came from the end of the queue.  ¡°If you don¡¯t want to eat, you can go to the side and don¡¯t block the people behind you!¡± the cook who distributed the food answered loudly.  "No one would violate their faith in order to fill their belly. I just want rice!" "No, the officer ordered us to eat broth and rice or nothing at all. This is an order from the officer! It's an order! Do you understand?  "The atmosphere suddenly became tense. The soldier stared at the cook coldly, as if he wanted to overwhelm him with his gaze. Finally, he stretched out his wooden bowl. The cook smiled and filled the other's wooden bowl.  Rice and broth, he laughed and joked: "Your belly is more important!" Before he finished speaking, the soldier violently threw the hot broth in the bowl towards the cook's face. The unprepared cook immediately covered it with his hands.  Face screamed, and the onlookers cheered and surrounded him. A moment later, there was a bloody corpse on the ground.  Weber wishes everyone a happy New Year and continues to vote for votes. The results are worrying!

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 92 Mutiny

    British Army Command.  Major Duncan was sitting at the dining table. Today's main course was grilled medium-rare beef ribs and mashed potatoes. The tempting aroma of the food made him feel very happy at this time.  "It's a pity that there is no beer from my hometown, otherwise it would be perfect!" Duncan took a sip of rum and smacked his lips with a little regret.  "Major, major!" A voice interrupted Duncan's good mood during the meal, and a panicked officer ran in.  "What's going on!" Duncan pulled off his napkin in an upset mood and threw it aside. Those veterans who had served under him for many years were not timid even if they faced thousands of barbarians brandishing knives and guns, but if they saw him  This look will make your legs tremble with fear.  "No, the Indian soldiers mutinied!" the officer replied hastily.  "What? Mutiny, what on earth is going on!" Duncan stepped forward angrily and shouted: "Did that bastard deprive these soldiers of their food and pay again? Don't they know that there is a war now? I'm not  Have you ordered the food that Old Tom got to be distributed quickly? " "No, that's not the reason. The food was indeed distributed, but Lieutenant Taylor, who was in charge of logistics, did not notice that the religious beliefs of the Indian soldiers conflicted with eating beef.  "The result -" "Damn it!" Duncan scolded: "Why don't these young men from London even know what his soldiers eat and wear? The result is that the lieutenant changed the food?"  The lieutenant ordered that any soldier must eat the same food or not eat at all! "Idiot, has he forgotten the reason for the riot in 1857? "Bring me my belt!" Duncan stood up suddenly.  Come, take the belt sent by the orderly, tighten the belt, and say loudly: "I hope it's not too late. It's really hard for a civilized person to understand that these barbarians actually care more about the meat they eat than whether they have it or not."  It's much more important!" Just as Duncan picked up his pistol and tightened his belt, he heard a burst of gunfire. He couldn't help but sigh: "It seems we can't make it in time!" The soldiers of the Shun Army behind the trenches and parapets in the Shun Army camp.  They listened to the shouts and gunshots coming from the enemy camp with confusion, and soon the soldiers began to whisper among themselves.  "There are gunshots over there from the barbarians. It sounds like they are not coming towards us. What's going on?" "Reinforcements must be the arrival of the domestic army!" "Yes, the domestic reinforcements have arrived. Let's cooperate inside and outside to kill.  Go out and give the barbarians a good look!¡± The atmosphere among the soldiers of the Shun Army was very lively. For most of them, the days since being surrounded by enemy troops were not easy, although the fierce fighting like the first day never happened again.  However, sporadic shooting, shelling, digging tunnels, and sudden attacks by Hale rockets never stopped.  More than two thousand people stayed in a small area of ??less than three square kilometers in total. Although there was no shortage of food and drinking water, digging trenches, shooting, and staying in the muddy and wet trenches were mentally and physically difficult.  It was a heavy consumption, and the soldiers of the Shun Army were already in a very exhausted state. Naturally everyone became excited when they suddenly received such news.  An officer on inspection came over and saw the soldiers gathered in a group. He scolded, "No matter what the noise, be careful. Don't you know the military law?" A veteran sang a fat promise and said with a smile: "Sir,  Listen, there are gunshots coming from the barbarian side. Everyone is wondering if the army from the country has arrived to relieve the siege, and they are discussing how to fight out. "The officer didn't bother to scold the soldiers at this time, and hurried to the parapet.  After listening carefully for a while, sure enough, with the river wind, the gunfire and shouts from the enemy's position became more and more clear.  He turned his head in confusion: "There were indeed gunshots, but it didn't look like a domestic army. Think about it, if a domestic army came over, they should have brought cannons. Why are there only gunshots now, not even a single cannon?"  There was no sound? Besides, the gunshots were too sporadic. It didn¡¯t look like the two armies were at war, but more like a mutiny.¡± When the soldiers heard this, they thought it was right. The veteran advised carefully: ¡°Sir,  Regardless of whether it was a mutiny or the arrival of reinforcements, the soldiers followed the officers and followed the wind. It was right for us to report it. " "That's right!" The officer patted the veteran on the shoulder: "You old guy, this is it.  His age is not in vain, he has some knowledge!¡± In the Shun Army headquarters, Batu¡¯s face was stern. He had already obtained unusual information about the British army on the opposite side, but as a frontline commander, he knew much more.  Therefore, he was not as optimistic as ordinary soldiers, thinking that this was the arrival of domestic reinforcements. After all, he knew very well how many letters Chen Zaixing wrote to his advisor Wu Hanmin to prevent Zao Guoquan from leading troops into Myanmar in order to fight for power. Here,  Under such circumstances, no matter how great the early state power is,Patience, it is difficult to lead enough troops into Myanmar so quickly, let alone to the front line. After all, Wu Hanmin is the military envoy of Yunnan and Guizhou, and the army's entry into Myanmar is inseparable from his strong cooperation. Is this the British plan?  trick?  "My lord, my lord?" A voice interrupted Batu's thoughts. He raised his head and saw Zhang Qizheng looking at him with worried eyes. Only then did Batu feel that he had lost his composure and hurriedly coughed,  Covering up his embarrassment just now: "Master Zhang, please tell me what you think." "Sir, since the British are in trouble, it is a good opportunity for our army. Even to boost the morale of the soldiers, we should send troops to counterattack."  Batu nodded slightly. The two armies have been at a stalemate for more than twenty days. Although the Shun army has no worries about supplies, they have been squatting in the trenches and being beaten passively. This will do great harm to the morale of the soldiers, not to mention the long-term defense.  lose.  Now that there is a turning point, dispatching a small number of troops to launch a counterattack and finding the enemy's weaknesses is the correct way of warfare.  It's just that both sides have now completed their defense systems with trenches as the main body. In the era of breech-loading guns, the side that took the initiative to attack had to make considerable sacrifices.  Batu was about to ask, but Zhang Qi had already said, "Sir, if I agree, I would like to be the first to board." Batu was stunned when he heard the words, and then saw Zhang Qi's eager eyes, and immediately understood what the other party meant.  I want to repay the great favor of my promotion with my own life.  Batu stood up, bowed his hands and saluted Zhang Qi: "Everyone present can testify that if something happens to Mr. Zhang this time, Mr. Zhang's son will be the son of Batu. If Batu also died in this battle,  If there is anyone here who can go back, please report to the court for me. I can¡¯t bury Sir Zhang¡¯s achievements!¡±  There is no need to thank me. I am a warrior who has already promised my country. In ancient times, generals went to war and were ordered by the king to go out without caring about their homes and go into battle regardless of their own lives. Since you can do it, I can't bury you!"  The position was already in chaos. Groups of Indian soldiers shouted slogans and waved their weapons. Some even shot in the air and retreated to the back of the position, while the pale British officers  He commanded the company and British soldiers who had not yet mutinied, and tried his best to intercept the mutinous soldiers.  At this time, there was a sound of horse hoofbeats. When several hesitant British officers saw the coming person, they shouted in surprise: "Great, Major Duncan is here!" Duncan reined in his horse and jumped off the horse quickly.  He came down and walked forward quickly. An officer with a beautiful Prussian beard quickly came up and shouted: "Major, I beg you to hand over the Scottish battalion in the barracks to me. I only need  Twenty minutes, no, fifteen minutes can restore order to these hateful slaves!" Duncan suddenly stopped, stared at the British officer, and asked: "Lieutenant Taylor, what if these so-called slaves are like that?  If they refuse your request, what will you do?" "Then I will order bayonet and shooting. This will make them wake up and know who is the master and who is the servant!" "That's enough!  "Duncan suddenly interrupted Lieutenant Taylor: "Come here, take off Lieutenant Taylor's sword and gun. I have decided to temporarily suspend his authority." "Lieutenant Taylor was stunned by Duncan's sudden decision.  , he opened his eyes and shouted loudly: "No, Major, you can't do this!  "No, I have the right to do that!" Duncan retorted loudly: "The only thing I did wrong was not to take off your uniform and kick you in the ass before you idiot screwed everything up.  Let's go back to Calcutta. Bayonet and shoot? Do you want to provoke mutiny in the remaining battalions that have not yet caused trouble? Lieutenant Taylor, you are not facing your Indian steward.  Soldiers holding rifles with bayonets." When Duncan said this, he turned to the sergeant behind him and shouted: "Didn't you hear my order? Execute the order-" The sergeants behind Duncan were in a hurry.  Stepping forward, Lieutenant Taylor's well-maintained white face was already red with anger. He angrily pulled out his saber, broke it severely on his knee, took out his pistol and threw it on the ground, shouting: "Mr. Duncan  "You will pay for your rude behavior today!" Duncan replied calmly: "I am ready to pay the price. It is better than being killed by bullets from the Chinese or mutinous soldiers. You can go down now, Taylor."  Lieutenant!" Taylor gave Duncan a sharp look and passed him by.  Duncan didn't bother to look back. For this noble young lieutenant who was as beautiful as a brand new five shilling silver coin, the only feelings he felt in his heart at this time were contempt and hatred.  "Soldiers, soldiers!" Duncan walked up to the mutinous soldiers and shouted: "Quiet, be quiet, I have something to say!"  The pace of the mutinous soldiers slowed down a little, and then someone in the crowd shouted loudly: "What's there to say? In the eyes of you British, we Punjabis are just a bunch of beasts!" "No!"  Duncan loudly replied in Punjabi. He had served in India for many years and could speak some simple local languages: "Punjabi people are warriors, I have experienced it myself!" Duncan's words made the mutinous soldiers quiet down. Duncan was secretly happy, and he shouted loudly  Said: "Soldiers must obey orders. This is a war. As your commander, I now order you to return to your posts immediately and prepare to fight!" A voice suddenly burst out from the crowd: "No, Lieutenant Taylor has openly insulted us.  He must be punished for his beliefs. The Punjabis will never fight for heretics and tyrants!" "This!" Duncan was stunned for a moment and shouted: "Lieutenant Taylor has been punished and his saber has been confiscated.  Duty!" "No, this is not enough. We have to punish him according to the laws of the Sikhs!" A layer of cold sweat immediately broke out on Duncan's forehead. It was naturally impossible for him to accept the request of the mutinous soldier, let alone  This young nobleman had deep connections in Calcutta and even London. Even an ordinary British soldier himself would never be handed over to the mutinous soldiers at this time, otherwise he would not be able to escape the trial of a military court after he returned.  While Duncan was hesitating, the mutinous soldiers could no longer bear it and rushed over.  The mutiny soldiers chanted the slogan "Mudeji" (a famous battlefield of the Sikh War) rhythmically and waved their weapons. Facing the turbulent flow of people, the attitude of the Indian soldiers who did not participate in the mutiny became more and more hesitant.  , suddenly a Punjabi soldier with a black cloth turban ran into the middle of the two armies and shouted loudly: "Lions of the Punjab, have you forgotten the honor of Mudji and Gilijanwala?" The soldiers on the opposite side were slightly stunned.  After a moment of silence, someone suddenly responded loudly: "As long as the water of the sacred Ganges does not flow back, we will never forget it!" The soldiers on both sides burst into cheers. The soldiers rushed towards each other and hugged each other.  Kissing each other's cheeks and lips as if they were brothers separated for a long time.  "It's over, everything is over!" Duncan's rosy cheeks had turned pale at this time. He knew very well that the siege of Shun Army had failed, which also meant that his military career in Myanmar was also over. Waiting  What bothers him is a dishonorable retirement and an embarrassing retirement career.  "Major, we still have four Scottish battalions, we can still take a gamble!" A pale-faced British officer said loudly. He was referring to the four Scottish battalions that had just arrived from Yangon. They had never been there.  Enter into battle and be deployed behind the front line to serve as the dual mission of the reserve team and the battle supervising team.  "No, it's too late. Our enemy won't be so imbecile that he can't even seize such a good opportunity!" As if to confirm Duncan's words, a burst of gunfire rang out from the left end of the position, which was very close to the river bend, China  It was easy for the men to use their gunboats to attack the British positions.  "Order the four Scottish battalions to retreat. The target is the village of Mok, and have the surface squadron retreat there as well. From there we can board the ship and retreat to Yangon!" Duncan calmly ordered: "Also, don't forget  Burn the ammunition in the warehouse. I don't want to leave these intact to the Chinese!" "Mr. Major, where are the other Indian companies?" A British officer said.  Baba asked.  "You're right!" Duncan jumped on the horse: "The Scottish battalion will go ahead for thirty minutes. We will give you a signal when we set off. Then you will take the other Indian battalions that are still controllable. You can move along  The squadron will do its best to cover you during the riverside operation. I'm sorry, but I have to ensure the safety of our compatriots first!" Half an hour later, Duncan rode his horse slowly along the road to the southwest. Beside him was  A large group of Scots Fusiliers in plaid aprons.  Behind him, the midday sun scorched the earth, causing patches of smoke and dust to rise from the ground, blocking people's sight.  Bursts of gunfire and shouts were mixed together, and violent explosions were heard from time to time. It was the British troops behind them who were blowing up excess ammunition and materials to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Chinese.  He never imagined that the incident started by the mutiny he instigated would end in such a ridiculous ending.  At this time, he suddenly remembered something Gillings had said to him in the past: "Duncan, sometimes I feel that this world is dominated by demons. Otherwise, how could so many ridiculous things happen?" Duncan's  A wry smile suddenly appeared on his face, and he murmured to himself in a low voice: "You are right, Mr. Gillings, this world is indeed ruled by a son-of-a-bitch devil.Killed!  ¡± The number of recommendation votes has dropped sharply in the past few days, and Weber is in tears. He is about to get his ass fucked by the next few authors. Please support!

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 93 Downfall

    In this way, the largest battle in the history of the Green Cardinal (the green peacock was the symbol of the Burmese royal family at that time, because the usurper was also a member of the royal family, so it was called the Green Peacock War) - the Battle of Bagan  This is the end.  The British on the attacking side lost five of the twelve battalions - all Indian mercenary battalions, including three battalions that mutinied; the defending army also paid a heavy price - 600  Forty-five people, accounting for almost one-third of the entire force.  The direct consequence of the Battle of Bagan was that the Central Myanmar region, which was still on the fence, immediately fell to the side of the Chinese. In fact, the British plan to compete with China for the entire territory of Myanmar had failed.  After that, the British reviewed their Indian mercenary system and decided to improve the treatment of Indian soldiers while changing the structure of the Indian colonial army. In the past, soldiers from a single ethnic group and a single region formed a battalion-level army.  Instead, a certain proportion of Indian soldiers of various ethnic groups and religious beliefs were mixed into the battalion-level unit. Although this weakened the cohesion within the unit and increased the difficulty of command by British officers, it also reduced the possibility of mutiny.  possibility.  The indirect consequences are much more profound: although the Western colonists represented by the United Kingdom have encountered failures during their expansion in recent centuries, such failures are generally the product of special circumstances.  For example, a disparity in power balance, rare bad weather conditions, commanders making shocking mistakes, etc. In other words, this kind of victory cannot be replicated. The British can quickly make up for the loss of failure and then defeat them in the next battle.  The opponent put forward more stringent requirements in the treaty.  This time the battle with the Heshun Empire in Myanmar was completely different. Although the number of troops lost was very small, the opponents they faced were obviously different from the nomadic chiefs and feudal monarchs they had encountered in the past.  Although the national power of the Shun Empire is not comparable to that of the British Empire, it is already a fairly stable regime. It may not be advantageous to engage in a protracted war for hegemony with such an opponent in its neighboring countries.  London, Palace of Westminster.  Since the Middle Ages, this palace on the banks of the Thames has been the main residence of the British royal family. Later, the Royal Council, the predecessor of the British Parliament, was also located in Westminster Hall to allow these distinguished members to be closer to their masters.  Closer.  Later, although the King's palace had moved away from here, the Parliament did not move with it, and Westminster Palace gradually became synonymous with Parliament.  A fire in 1834 burned down almost the entire Palace of Westminster. Later, after it was rebuilt on the original site, the House of Commons occupied the northern end of the Palace of Westminster. Compared with the House of Lords on the south side, the decoration of the House of Commons was simpler.  There are not so many gorgeous stained glass mosaics and red curtains, but only simple green blankets. The space of the House of Commons is also much smaller than that of the House of Lords: there are several rows of seats on both sides of the chamber, and there are several rows of seats on the central axis.  This frees up a passage.  The speaker's seat is at one end of the central axis. Directly in front of his seat is the discussion table of the House of Commons, and the scepter will be placed on the table when the meeting is in progress.  The Executive Secretary of the House of Commons sits on the side of the table towards the Speaker to provide input to the Speaker as the proceedings proceed.  The seats to the right of the Speaker's seat are occupied by members of the ruling party, while those on the left are occupied by members of the opposition party.  There are two red lines spaced two and a half meters apart in the center of the floor to separate members of the two parties. Legend has it that the distance between the two red lines is exactly the length of two long swords. Members of both parties are not allowed to cross the red lines when speaking.  , to prevent the debate from turning into a fight.  On December 1, 1885, which was the first Wednesday of this month, the chamber of the House of Commons at the Palace of Westminster was extremely quiet. Even outside the door, the Prime Minister, the Marquess of Salisbury, could clearly be heard saying something.  With a stuffy and confused voice, the MPs on both sides exchanged silent glances, as if waiting for something big to happen.  A congressman with a red beard whispered to his colleague next to him: "My friend, did you hear the hissing sound of sparks on the medicine line?" "Yes, the barrel has been cleaned and the medicine bag  It has already been exposed, and we are just waiting for the gunner to give the order, and the cannon will roar!" The two congressmen looked at each other and smiled, saying nothing.  The speaker took out his pocket watch, looked at it, and announced loudly: "Now, it's time for the prime minister's question!" After a moment, the first row of members of the opposition party on the left raised an arm, and the speaker made a consent  In the gesture of speaking, a man stood up from the opposition seats. He was William Ewart Gladstone, the leader of the opposition party.  "The Honorable Prime Minister has just spent a long time stating the great efforts he has made in Asia for the interests of the Empire and has requested various proposals for reform of the local government in India. There is no doubt that I agree with his views on India's role within the Empire.  But before that, I would like to ask you a question." At this point, Congressman Gladstone paused for a moment, and then asked loudly: "What's going on with the war going on in Myanmar?"   The Prime Minister paused for a moment. Under the cover of his thick beard, people could not see clearly what his expression was, but then he calmly replied: "Dear Mr. Gladstone MP, Myanmar is far away from here.  Very far away, and the outcome of the war is like a ship in a hurricane, sometimes turning to the left, sometimes to the right. It is difficult for us to know the final outcome until the last moment. I have sent Mr. Balfour there as ambassador plenipotentiary. I  I believe you should know Mr. Balfour's outstanding abilities. All we can do now is to pray devoutly to God, hoping that God will grant victory to his loyal believers." The Marquis of Salisbury's vague answer immediately aroused.  There were boos from the opposition members on the left, and the Speaker had to shout loudly: "Silence, gentlemen, silence!" "Of course, like the Prime Minister, I believe in our distinguished colleague Mr. Balfour, who is capable enough to safeguard the interests of the empire.  . But before that, I want to announce a fact here!" Gladstone took out a piece of white paper folded in four from the pocket of his suit lining, which several congressmen with good eyesight could clearly see.  This is a telegram transcript.  "On November 27, 1885, five days ago, the Chinese defeated the British army near a city called Bagan in central Myanmar. The British army lost about 1,400 people.  Soldiers, and a considerable number of artillery, after this battle, the whole of central Burma has recognized the king of Burma, supported by the Chinese emperor." Gladstone's clear voice echoed under the dome of the House of Commons, finishing.  After copying the message, Gladstone opened his hand to the Prime Minister, the Marquess of Salisbury, and made a gesture asking for an explanation.  The Marquess of Salisbury frowned and tried his best to answer amidst the surprised comments of the MPs: "Dear MP Gladstone, I am not doubting your credibility, but may I ask -"  "Of course!" Gladstone interrupted the Prime Minister's question, which was a very rare phenomenon in the House of Commons: "I can tell you the source of my information. Do you remember Mr. Jenson from the Daily Telegraph? He  He is a very good reporter. This telegram was sent by him from Yangon a few days ago. He himself is in Yangon as a war correspondent. I think in a few days, all members of Congress will be able to publish it in the newspaper.  I saw the article from the front line!" "KO victory!" The red-bearded congressman just winked at his companion: "A beautiful left straight punch hit the face, and the victory was decided."  His companion nodded in agreement: "You are right! Gladstone has hollowed out the land under the Prime Minister's feet. I am willing to bet you fifty pounds that by this Friday at the latest, No. 10 Downing Street will be there."  It's time for a new owner!" "No, maybe it won't take until Friday. As far as I know, Gladstone is a ruthless character. I bet you that he still has a bomb in his hand that can kill him.  Someone else blew up the bomb!" "Okay, fifty pounds, it's a deal!" "It's a deal!" While the two MPs were betting on the fate of the Prime Minister, the Marquis of Salisbury was also making a bet.  He used his last bit of energy to work hard to prolong his first career as Prime Minister: "Dear Member Gladstone, I don't want to defend myself, but as everyone knows, God's will is great and wonderful.  The Iron Duke did not know that he could win the final victory before Bl¨¹cher appeared. Old England must unite in the face of difficulties! "" Dear Prime Minister, of course Old England will unite!  Before, I want to ask you a question. Where is the plenipotentiary ambassador you sent, our respected colleague Mr. Balfour, at this time? Shouldn't he be in Yangon preparing to recover losses as much as possible and prepare for the next battle?  ?" When Gladstone said this, he turned around and faced the opposition MP on the left, as if he was the Prime Minister: "But in fact, he is not in Yangon, and now he is driving to  On the Japanese cruise ship, maybe he has arrived in Japan now. Maybe this handsome man thinks it is more beneficial to go to Japan to recruit a group of samurai now!" Gladstone's clever irony immediately aroused the chorus of opposition parties on the left.  Laughter, as for the conservative MPs in power on the right, their reaction was much more complicated. Most of them showed angry looks on their faces and began to refute loudly, but a considerable number of MPs remained silent. Obviously, the current Prime Minister Sol  The Marquis of Isbury's position within the Conservative Party is not yet stable, and many Conservative MPs have not recognized his status as party leader deep down. Their hesitation will show up once they encounter setbacks.  The Marquis of Salisbury did not look back. From the sounds coming from behind, he could tell that the current situation was extremely unfavorable to him. He could almost hear the creaking of the throne of power under his feet. Apparently Gladstone  Already done before today's Prime Minister's Question TimeConsiderable preparation, including the "Daily Telegraph" reporter sent to Myanmar, otherwise he would not be able to catch himself off guard.  In this case, he should take the initiative to resign as prime minister before saying that the situation is out of control and spend his energy integrating the forces within the Conservative Party.  Thinking of this, he raised his head and whispered: "I can only say that I am very sorry for everything that has happened. I will submit my resignation to the Queen tomorrow morning. I hope that my successor can better safeguard the interests of the empire."  !" After saying that, the Marquis of Salisbury turned and walked towards his seat, his heavy footsteps making a series of dull sounds on the wooden floor.  For Britain at that time, this incident was not a major event that attracted attention. The eagle of the empire that never sets on the world encountered a small setback in a jungle in the remote Indochina Peninsula. Compared with the world  What do those Union Jack flags rising on the map mean?  It was only when historians retraced the historical context decades later that they were surprised to discover that the dragon that caused Twilight of the Gods actually originated in an unknown, small country on the Indochina Peninsula.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 94: Aftermath 1

    "Coventry" cruise ship, first class.  A servant entered the door briskly. The floor was covered with exquisite Persian carpets, which made almost no sound when someone stepped on them. Belfort, who was reading at his desk, did not notice anyone entering his study at all.  The servant stopped at the door of the study, bowed and said: "Your Excellency Ambassador, the 'Coventry' has entered Tokyo Bay and will dock in half an hour!" "Okay!" Balfour's head lifted from the desk.  He stood up, put on his coat with the help of the servant, took the cane, and walked outside the cabin. Before setting foot on the land of this mysterious Eastern country, he wanted to first visit it from the sea.  Let¡¯s have a preliminary impression first.  Japan, Tokyo.  It has been seventeen years since the Emperor issued an edict to rename Edo to Tokyo in 1868, and moved the capital here in May of the following year. Although there were twists and turns such as the Southwest War during this period, as the Japanese central government "returned the original edition"  With the implementation of the policy of "colonization and development of industry", the power of the central government has been continuously strengthened, and the economy has also promoted development. As the capital and economic center of Japan, a large number of rural people have poured into the city of Tokyo, resulting in open spaces in the suburbs of the city and the old city.  A large number of crudely built houses appeared, which were mixed with the original castle tower with strong Japanese characteristics and Western-style neighborhoods mainly for foreign technicians, giving people a strange feeling; primitive sailing fishing boats and steam power on the sea  Passenger and cargo ships can also be seen everywhere, and Japanese officials wearing Western-style clothes and bearded sideburns can also be seen on the docks, as well as prostitutes wearing traditional kimonos and heavy makeup.  This is what appeared in front of Belfort at this time.  An attach¨¦ asked Balfour in a low voice: "Your Excellency Ambassador, do you really think that coming to Japan at this time is the right choice? As far as I know, this country is much smaller and weaker than China.  "Ah!" "Watson!" Balfour did not directly answer the attendant's question: "Have you noticed that this country has many similarities with our motherland?" "And Great Britain?" Watson frowned: "  It is true that they are island countries like us, but that is all. But they are much further away from the mainland than us. In history, these Japanese have never had a great influence on the mainland. Compared with us, these Japanese people have never had a great influence on the mainland.  The Japanese are simply a bunch of abandoned people!" "You're right, Watson!" Balfour replied with a smile: "But it's not the fault of these Japanese. I swear to God, if the European continent is as free as the Chinese,  If it had been under the rule of an imperial government since the birth of Jesus, our Great Britain would have either become part of this empire, or it would have become a group of outcasts like this island nation. " "Perhaps you are right!" Watson.  After thinking for a while, he replied: "Compared to the big empire in East Asia, this island country is really too weak. If the sea hadn't blocked the Chinese people's progress, I'm afraid they would have become part of that big empire." "  Just as the unification of Europe is the end of the British Empire, these Japanese may even dream of splitting that empire, because only in this way can they expand their power to the mainland and no longer be confined to this poor and small island country.  "If we can reach out to these islanders, what do you think they will do?" "Of course we will hold on and never let go!" Watson said excitedly, and then his face turned dark again:  "But can the Japanese cause enough trouble to the Chinese? Mr. Ambassador, these Japanese are less than five feet tall, let alone no coal, no iron, and no money. They have nothing." "But  They have people, and the Dutch have nothing, but this does not prevent them from once monopolizing the entire world's shipping and becoming our strong rivals." Balfour turned and walked under the gangway. The December sea breeze on the sea had already made him feel.  It was a bit cold: "Although the kart dog is small, it only needs to be aggressive. Let's see if we can find a good dog!" Watson looked at Belfort's handsome face with a hint of femininity and couldn't help but click.  Nodding, the "Coventry" had already arrived at the mooring. A small motorboat puffing out black smoke was slowly approaching. Two men dressed in Western clothes were standing on the bow deck of the ship, searching with their eyes.  The side of the "Coventry", judging from the Union Jack flag on the stern of the motorboat, is a ship belonging to the British Consulate in Tokyo.  "Now let's go and experience the scenery of this 'Land of the Rising Sun'! Watson!" Belfort gestured to his entourage with a smile, then turned around and walked to the side of the ship, and started waving his arms at the motorboat.  "Your Excellency, I am Thomson, Consul of the Imperial Consulate in Tokyo. Nice to see you here!" A middle-aged man with a big beard stretched out his right hand to Belfort, trying to help him get down from the rickety ladder to the motorboat.  , but Belfort jumped to the ground with a quick leap like an elk.On the deck of the boat, he replied with a smile: "Nice to see you, any good news?" "No!" Thomson shook his head seriously: "The Chinese defeated us in Myanmar, and now the entire Central Myanmar  It's all theirs!" The smile on Belfort's face disappeared. Watson, who was following him, also heard the middle-aged man's words and asked in surprise: "How is this possible? Major Duncan was still there when we left.  We are besieging the Chinese camp. The situation is very favorable to us. " "Yes, but the Indian mercenaries mutinied and the commander had to stop the siege. Fortunately, all the British troops were withdrawn. "  When Thomson said this, he lowered his voice and whispered to Balfour: "Your Excellency, if I guess correctly, the current situation in London should be very unfavorable to the Prime Minister!" "Yes!" Balfour nodded, he  As he walked towards the cabin, he whispered: "It seems that the interest rates in the national debt market are going to rise again recently!" "Why do you say that? Your Excellency, Ambassador?" Watson asked in confusion. Balfour did not answer the attach¨¦'s question.  , and Thomson exchanged a worried look.  Two days later, a piece of news reached Tokyo: The Marquess of Salisbury, leader of the Conservative Party of the British Empire, submitted a proposal to Her Majesty the Queen a few days ago, and Gladstone, the leader of the Liberal Party, took over as prime minister and formed a cabinet. On that day, the government bond market in London was in turmoil.  The interest rate on national debt rose by 0.5 basis points, and the next day the House of Commons passed a motion proposed by Prime Minister Gladstone: to issue a new tranche of national debt totaling four million pounds to be used for war expenses in Burma.  Lashio in northern Myanmar, after the Shun Army entered Myanmar, this important town in northern Myanmar has become the most important node on the transportation line of the Shun Army. The personnel and materials of the Shun Army travel along Kunming-Chuxiong-Dali-Yongping-  -Baoshan-Longling-Luxi-Wanding-Lashio route enters Myanmar.  After Chen Zaixing received the order from the early state power to preside over the troop transport, he set up his palace here. On the one hand, he stepped up the construction of warehouses and barracks to transport materials; on the other hand, as the representative of the orthodox king of Myanmar, he recruited civilian men and stepped up the construction from Wanding to La  Because this road is located within the borders of Myanmar, the Burmese garrison in the past did not pay much attention to this road in order to prevent the invasion of the Sunni army along this road. Compared with the road conditions in China, it is much worse.  .  However, Chen Zaixing secretly stepped up his efforts to dispatch engineering personnel to explore the geographical conditions along the route, collect information, and prepare for the future construction of the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway.  Just when Chen Zaixing was busy, a shocking news came from the direction of Mandalay. The Shun army defeated the invading British army in Bagan, forcing them to abandon most of their baggage and flee back to Yangon.  The Burmese region has fallen into the hands of the Shun army, and the situation is now obvious. Unless the British quickly mobilize new troops from India or elsewhere, the victory in the battle for hegemony in Burma will be determined.  "Congratulations, sir, congratulations, sir!" "This is a great victory for the Celestial Dynasty in Burma. Your Excellency has made the greatest contribution, and the court will definitely give you a large reward. I would like to congratulate you first?" There was a sound of joy in Chen Zaixing's apartment.  He is still Chinese, and his face is full of joy.  As the saying goes, "There are people in the court who like to be officials." Mr. Chen was born in a noble family, and his advisor was the military governor of Yunnan and Guizhou. He was not afraid that no one would say good things about him. What he accomplished this time was a real and great achievement.  As a red member who wants to be promoted, if he doesn't take advantage of the vacancy under the opponent's screen and work hard, he will really waste the good luck God has given him.  "Don't dare. This great victory is the result of the emperor's kindness and the planning of the princes in the court; the bottom is the hard work of the soldiers on the front line. Chen just did his duty as an official. How dare you covet the merits of heaven?"  I have it!" The look on Chen Zaixing's face was indifferent. Although he had not been an official in the court in recent years, he had already experienced doing business in a foreign country. He knew that in official circles, it is common practice to be popular and to avoid others.  , Although my subordinates are full of flattery now, if the situation changes slightly, they will all avoid it. The situation is not yet determined, so I better not to get carried away.  "Resurrection, resurrection!" At this time, someone outside shouted Chen Zaixing's name. When he looked up, he saw Kong Zhang standing at the door with his head shrinking, looking sneaky. Chen Zaixing knew that the other party must have something important to do with him.  He winked and asked him to go to the back hall. He stood up, bowed his hands to everyone, and said with a smile: "Please wait a moment, I have some official business to deal with!" After that, he turned around.  He left, leaving only a roomful of people standing up to say goodbye.  Chen Zaixing came out of the room and just turned the corner when he saw Kong Zhang standing by the verandah with an anxious look on his face, obviously waiting for him. He couldn't help but smile and said: "Brother Kong, if you have anything to say, just tell me in my room."  Yes, why wait here!" "Resurrected, resurrected, you know something is going to happen!" Kong Zhang said at a loss. He immediately realized that the voice was too loud and hurriedly said??Look left and right.  He rushed over in three steps and said in a low voice: "Fusheng, you and I are in big trouble, we'd better think of a way quickly!" Chen Zaixing saw that Kong Zhang's hands and feet were trembling slightly when he spoke, and he didn't seem to be faking, so he sent him  Qila sat down in the pavilion and asked in a low voice: "Didn't Zhenwu just defeat the British army in Bagan? All Central and Myanmar have surrendered. Isn't this a great situation?" "That's why it's bad!" Kong Zhang fell.  He said, and then he realized that he had said the wrong thing. He took out a telegram from his arms and gave it to Chen Zaixing: "This is the telegram sent by Liu Qingyang. Please take a look at it. Hey, I'm in a mess now, so I can't say anything."  What's going on!" He sighed at this point.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 95: Aftermath 2

    Chen Zaixing took the telegram and opened it. The general content was that Liu Qingyang politely rejected Chen Zaixing and Kong Zhang's invitation to jointly invest in Myanmar. Then he mentioned a few words about the recent fluctuations in rice, wheat and other goods at the Shanghai terminal.  The positions of some banks suddenly became tight, and they finally mentioned the change of British Prime Minister.  Chen Zaixing read the message from beginning to end several times, but couldn't find even a single sentence of the big and bad news that Kong Zhang just said.  While I was doubting, I heard Kong Zhang sighing: "Hey, I have cursed that fat guy from the Liu family on weekdays, but I didn't expect that he still had a conscience at the critical moment and revealed some information to me. I really knew it."  Jincao, the country is in turmoil and loyal ministers are revealed!" Chen Zaixing finally couldn't help but asked loudly: "Brother Kong, why can't I see a word about the bad news you said in the whole article? Could it be that it's from the United Kingdom?  There's a new prime minister? The war is over and the court is out of office, but this is not an ordinary thing. Maybe it would be nice to have peace talks with us." "Resurrection, this is my fault! I forgot that you are not an insider.  "I don't know much about money circulation!" Kong Zhang replied with a wry smile: "This is clearly a sign that the British are going to use a large-scale army in Myanmar!" "A large-scale use of troops?" Kong Zhang looked at Chen Zaixing with a puzzled look.  He looked like he had to explain with a wry smile.  It turns out that since the British bourgeois revolution in the seventeenth century, the bourgeoisie and the new aristocracy that controlled the House of Representatives used the method of controlling the king's taxing power to limit the king's political power. The king was not allowed to levy new taxes without the consent of the House of Representatives, and  During non-war periods, the king was not allowed to have a standing army. As a result, the king with limited income and no force was naturally unable to act arbitrarily beyond the House of Representatives.  After more than two hundred years of development, the power of taxation has also become one of the important means for the British Parliament to restrict government departments. In addition, the "night watchman" theory was prevalent in Britain at that time, and all problems could be solved by the omnipotent market.  The government only had to serve as a simple "night watchman" and the MPs were basically wealthy businessmen, landed aristocrats, and factory owners. Naturally, they were greatly opposed to taxing themselves. At that time, British industry was in a dominant position, and  They are unwilling to hinder their own economic development by raising import and export taxes.  As a result, although the United Kingdom was known as the "world's factory" and was richest in the world, the government often had insufficient expenditures and often had deficits. In the event of emergencies such as wars and famines, it would have to issue a large amount of national debt.  The rich also took the opportunity to buy national debt. This method of solving government expenditures through national debt instead of taxation has the following benefits for the wealthy class: First, this kind of national debt guaranteed by future national taxation has extremely high credit and can be extremely stable.  The income is a good investment channel, which is equivalent to a hidden tax on taxpayers by the rich; secondly, you can also make speculative transactions in the treasury bond market and obtain huge profits; thirdly, you can gain huge profits by controlling a large amount of money.  National debt is used to influence government agencies and firmly control them, allowing them to make decisions that are beneficial to them and obtain greater benefits.  As a result, the British government bond interest rate has become a benchmark interest rate in the London financial market, used to evaluate securities or products with other risk levels. Once the British government launches a large-scale war, it will have a huge impact on the London financial market.  , and London, as the financial center of the entire world at that time, would undoubtedly affect China, the largest country in East Asia at the time. Kong Zhang and Liu Qingyang, as senior managers of China's leading bank at the time, were naturally very sensitive to such signs.  After hearing Kong Zhang's explanation, Chen Zaixing's face immediately became serious. He was also an extremely smart person, but he had never been involved in the financial industry. Once Kong Zhang gave some hints, he immediately understood what was behind Liu Qingyang's short telegram.  The implication is that the sudden rise in the benchmark interest rate on England's national debt means that the British government has borrowed heavily from the market in the near future, while the sudden rise in CIF prices of bulk commodities such as grain and cotton cloth means that some people are purchasing large quantities in the international market. In the autumn of that year, both North America and India  A bumper grain harvest, combined with a comprehensive judgment of various situations, there is only one reason for this series of abnormal signs - the British government is preparing for a new large-scale war, and its target is Dashun.  "Fusheng, what do you think we should do now?" Kong Zhang asked anxiously. He had already boarded Chen Zaixing's boat. There was no turning back. As long as the boat did not sink, he could only focus on rowing forward.  "Let's do our duty!" Chen Zaixing sighed: "Now it depends on the big shots in the court. It's not you and I who can talk to each other." Wenyuan Pavilion, Hanking.  Several Chengzhi officials were sitting in front of their desks as usual, reading various memorials sent by the cabinet. Sitting among them was Jiang Qingyue, who was wearing a blue brocade shirt, no makeup on her face, and her hair was casual.  One pull, only an ordinary wooden hairpin is used to insert it, which actually shows a more neutral beauty.  A man who accepted the decree stood up and walked to Jiang Qingyue, whispering: "Jiang Bingbi, there is a 'Zunzi' from the outer court, asking to open the Yanying Hall!" "Open the Yanying Hall?" Jiang QingYue frowned and asked in a low voice: "What's the emergency again?" It turns out that the Taizu of this dynasty is a descendant of the Xixia King Li Jiqian, and the place of Longxing is in Shaanxi, so many court systems borrowed from the Tang system, and this extension in the palace  The name of Yingdian comes from the "Yanying Dui" incident after the middle of the Tang Dynasty.  Whenever the emperor felt that there was an extremely urgent and important matter that was not convenient for discussion directly in the court, he would often summon his trusted ministers to the Yanying Hall to discuss the matter.  And if the court ministers think there is an emergency and need to meet with the Holy Emperor, they can also write a memorial to request the opening of Yanying Hall. This kind of memorial is called "Zunzi".  Due to the young age of the emperor and the generous temperament of the empress dowager, the Yanying Palace has not been opened for many years.  "I'm reporting to Bingbi that the King and Prime Minister of the DPRK said in the letter that the British had just dismissed the prime minister. After the new prime minister took office, he raised a large amount of national debt and tried to recover it. I'm afraid it will not be good for me in Burma." Na Bingbi whispered: "Zaizu  At the end of the poem, Wang Xianggong also mentioned that the British Ambassador Plenipotentiary Balfour was in Japan at this time, traveling around, and he was afraid that he was planning to 'help the Wu ministers'!  A senior official of the Chu State at that time later fled to the Jin State and became an important adviser to Jin Jinggong. This person proposed a plan for the Jin State to unite with the Wu State located in the south of the Chu State to attack the Chu State.  He personally came to the State of Wu to teach the State of Wu how to use chariots and learn advanced tactics, which became the prelude to the decline of the State of Chu and the rise of the State of Wu at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period.  It is said that Balfour was probably in Japan to use its power to contain China from competing for hegemony in Myanmar.  "Belfort? Why does this name sound so familiar?" Jiang Qingyue suddenly asked.  "Your Majesty, you really have a good memory. This person is the nephew of the former British Prime Minister and has a very close relationship with him!" "I see!" Jiang Qingyue stood up and took the copy into her arms: "Well! The stakes are very high at this time.  , I have to report to Concubine Lin and the Queen Mother first!" Yanying Hall.  This house, which looks a bit unremarkable and even rustic on the outside, does not match its prominent reputation. There is no splendid guard of honor. The only guards are two female officials in blue robes holding whisks standing at the door. However,  This does not prevent this place from becoming the center of power of the empire for hundreds of years: those who can enter here are all important officials of the imperial court who are trusted by the emperor, and the discussions are all about the rise and fall of the country. Naturally, there is no need to dress like a formal court meeting.  The heavy dress was danced three times, otherwise these important ministers were basically all in their early fifties. After such a hassle, most of their lives were lost, and there was no need to discuss things.  Wang Qinian was the first to walk up the steps of Yanying Hall. As a special scholar and a bachelor of Tianyou Hall, he was actually the chief prime minister of the empire.  He is of medium build, with black temples and beard, and piercing eyes, giving people a shrewd and capable impression. Although he is nearly fifty years old, he should still be quite young compared to his official position.  Today he was wearing a second-grade scarlet silk python robe, a six-beam crown on his head, and a jade belt around his waist. He looked more majestic and reserved. When he walked up the last step, he carefully arranged his clothes and hats.  When he saw a little dust on his right shoulder and saw that the hall had obviously been cleaned recently, he couldn't help but frown slightly.  "It has been seven years since the late emperor passed away, and the Yanying Hall has not been opened for seven years. No wonder it is so sparse!" The person speaking next to him was Qi Zhiti, the Minister of the Ministry of War and the Councilor for Political Affairs. According to the official system of Shunguo: the six government ministers plus the Councilor for Political Affairs.  Not often, those who take it will rank in the right position, and those who don¡¯t take it will know their abilities.  Now that he has been given the title of Councilor on Political Affairs, he no longer has the authority to manage the affairs of the Ministry of War. The title of Minister of the Ministry of War is just an empty title.  Wang Qinian snorted coldly, flicked the dust on his shoulders, and asked the female official on the side: "Have you already arrived?"  We haven't arrived yet, please go to the side hall to have some tea and wait for a while!" "Yes!" Wang Qinian nodded and followed the female officer who led the way. There was no expression on his face as the palace was deep.  , but there was already a knot in my heart. In view of the eunuch disaster of the previous dynasty, this dynasty did not have eunuchs and replaced them with female officials.  The most powerful eunuchs in the previous dynasty became the eunuchs who carried out the imperial edicts. These female officials, who had been adopted since childhood and had the best education, were actually the personal secretaries of the emperor. All memorials from the outer court had to go through them.  Only the sorting and abbreviation would come into the hands of the emperor. In a sense, they were also the tools in the hands of the emperor to restrict the powerful outer court.  Once the emperor was young and unable to handle affairs personally, and the empress dowager was incapable of taking charge, the ministers actually had the final say. For this, the prime ministers, who were the leaders of the outer court, were very reluctant  of.  When Wang Qinian and the other three prime ministers added the second water, the sound of "The Queen Mother has arrived" finally came from outside. The four people hurriedly stood up to greet them. Soon, behind the curtain came a  The Empress Dowager's soft voice said: "My dear gentlemen, please stand up and sit down to talk!"  Wang Qinian and others sat down and heard Lin Wanqing's clear voice coming from behind the curtain: "Today Yanying is going to discuss the matter of the British deposing the prime minister and borrowing money to prepare for war. Wang Xianggong, you are Pingzhang's national affairs officer.  "Chief Minister of the Imperial Court, do you have anything to say?" Wang Qinian coughed and said in a deep voice: "Concubine, I have written the outline of the matter clearly in the letter. It is obvious that the British have made such great preparations that they will be in Myanmar.  It is not good for us to take more measures and even unite with the Japanese. In the opinion of the humble minister, we should adopt a war and defense strategy! " "Mr. Wang, please tell me! " "Burma is our southern border and is our vassal state. If it loses to the British, Yunnan will be destroyed!"  , Guizhou, Guangxi, and Taiwan cannot be at peace. And if Burma can be lost, Annan, Korea, Ryukyu, and Hu cannot be lost?  It is a matter of course to support the traitor and the son of the old king. The British are launching a massive attack, and I should respond with troops!" "Yes!" Lin Wanqing nodded, and she looked back at the Queen Mother Deng.  , only to see that there was no strange color on the opponent's face, he turned back and said outside the curtain: "Ms. Wang, why fight and defend?" "From what I can see, the British are powerful, but their territory is spread all over the world, and they are powerless.  To start a direct provocation with our country, we must send more troops from India to Burma, and at the same time form an alliance with Japan and Russia to contain us in the northern Xinjiang. The current plan is to keep Yanshan Prefecture on guard and strengthen the defense, and at the same time step up the construction of the gateway.  Road to Burma, increase the number of troops entering Burma to show my unwavering attitude and force them to sue for peace!" From the corner of her eye, Lin Wanqing saw the Empress Dowager Deng nodded slightly, knowing that Wang Qinian's words had already passed.  It touched the heart of the Queen Mother.  She also knew that the empress dowager had no talents, and she only wanted to preserve the inheritance left by the late emperor and hand it over to her son.  With this kind of mentality, he naturally had no idea of ??expanding the territory, but he also didn't want to lose the reputation of his ancestors. Wang Qinian's strategy of war and defense was smooth and stable, which was most in line with Deng's taste.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 96: Court Fight

    "Ms. Wang, then you mean to force peace with war!" Lin Wanqing's voice came from the curtain.  "Exactly!" Wang Qinian responded loudly: "In my opinion, six more soldiers must be transferred to Burma. In addition to the two battalions originally led by Mr. Zao, Mr. Zao once defeated the French in Annan. The famous general led  With elite soldiers, we can use the power of tigers in the mountains to frighten the British barbarians. The British navy is strong, and the ports in our sea areas must be strictly guarded." "Two battalions?" Lin Wanqing made a calculation in her mind.  : "Two battalions are calculated based on the five steps of one battalion, and the number of soldiers is 25,000. Adding the cavalry, artillery markers, and transport officers, the total is probably no less than 40,000. Such a team  When a large army enters Burma, even if food can be requisitioned from the vassal state, other clothing, quilts, food and ammunition, departure expenses, settlement expenses, and salaries, all in all, will not be able to move beyond 1.5 million taels, and then there will be another 200,000 taels per month.  Three hundred thousand taels of silver, not counting the expenses of building roads and bridges along the way and the cost of the navy. Once the fire money is paid, it will be spent like a waste. In the past few years, the imperial court has had a lot of expenses. How to spend this money?  Is there anything Mr. Wang can do? " After Lin Wanqing said these words, the Yanying Hall suddenly became silent. This is a headache for everyone.  Napoleon once said a famous saying, "There are three elements in war. The first is money, the second is money, and the third is money!" Although this sentence is a bit vulgar, it directly reveals the key to winning or losing wars in modern times -  Whoever can organize and invest the country's resources on the decisive battlefield as efficiently as possible will win the war. In a society where the commodity economy has become dominant, money is undoubtedly the most direct source of national resources.  reflect.  Since Dashun quelled the Changmao Rebellion, the power of local military governors has increased, and many taxes that used to belong to the central government have been withheld by the local government. However, the central government's expenditures on raising soldiers, officials, clan, etc. cannot be reduced.  .  Therefore, although the central government has stepped up efforts to collect taxes on industrial and commercial taxes, customs taxes, salt taxes, alcohol taxes, etc., and the amount of taxes collected has also been increasing, it is still not enough compared with the faster-growing expenditures.  Especially when encountering sudden expenditures such as wars and famines, the central government immediately becomes embarrassed.  "The Prime Minister is here too. If the concubine wants to ask about money, she can just ask Mr. Hu directly!" Wang Qinian kicked the ball to Hu Keqin, the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance who was sitting in the corner. Among the several people in Jiying Hall,  , he is the oldest, has the lowest official position, and naturally has the smallest voice. He just sits there with his eyes and nose, nose and heart, saying nothing, looking like an old monk in meditation.  At this moment, the ball was kicked in front of him, and he couldn't hide it. Hu Keqin had to answer with a grimace: "Queen Mother, Concubine, it's not that the humble minister wants to sing the bitter scriptures again, but there is really no money in the treasury. The old minister is in charge of the household."  In the past few years, the summer and autumn taxes have been spent every year before they were put into the treasury. The salt tax, tea tax and customs tax money from the North have always been returned to Yanshan Prefecture Liushou and Shuofang and other governors.  The government can raise soldiers. All the imperial court can really get is the tax money from several customs offices in Shanghai and Guangzhou, as well as the salt tax and tea tax from Nanfang, Henan, Shandong and other places.  To compensate for the famine, we managed to make a balance of 1.2 million taels last year. As a result, there was a severe drought in Shanxi, and it was not enough to cover it all¡ª¡ª" "Okay, okay!" Lin Wanqing, who was behind the curtain, finally couldn't bear it anymore and shouted.  Hu Keqin put an end to Hu Keqin's complaint: "Master Hu, you are here today not to hear you call me poor in Yanying Hall. Please give me an accurate figure. If the imperial court wants to use troops against Burma, how much money can you spend?"  "Yes!" Hu Keqin frowned and calculated for a while, and then whispered: "If the court wants to use troops within a month, I can probably get 1.6 million taels of silver."  "What about each month in the future?" "That's difficult. The 1.6 million taels were originally borrowed from the income of the following months. I don't know how to do magic. It's just a trick of tearing down the west wall to repair the east wall.  , at most 100,000 taels per month!" "Only 100,000 taels?" Lin Wanqing's voice was full of disappointment. This number was too far away from the number in her mind. You must know that being a soldier  You can treat them harshly at other times, but you must not treat them harshly when you are carrying a gun into battle, otherwise the soldiers will lose their morale, and losing the battle is not something that can be settled with money.  "This old minister is incompetent. There is really only so much he can do. Please punish me!" Hu Keqin quickly stood up and apologized. He was not being hypocritical. In fact, the position of Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was really difficult. He had already reached the age of hearing, and he had already felt this in his heart.  Retreating to Linquan, with the intention of entertaining my grandson.  Empress Dowager Deng behind the curtain was soft-hearted. Seeing Hu Shangshu's gray hair, she hurriedly said: "Master Hu, please get up quickly!" Then she said to everyone: "If you have any other ways to raise money, please tell me quickly.  " Hu Keqin hurriedly thanked him, and when he returned to his seat, he looked like a clay and wood-carved Bodhisattva again. It was not that he had no way to raise money, but the traditional Confucian thought was that he would rather be a thief than a gatherer.  Hu Keqin is already this age, what??I no longer care about getting promoted or getting rich. The only thing I care about is my reputation in the history books of future generations. I don't want to leave a bad reputation as "the evildoer of the emperor".  Qi Zhiti was sitting silently on the side when he suddenly felt his calf being kicked. When he looked down, he saw Wang Qinian, who was sitting upright in his upper body, but kicked himself in the lower body without anyone noticing. Obviously, the other party was hinting that he would step forward.  He couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "It seems that I am the villain again this time!" "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, I secretly believe that since the central government's finances are insufficient, the only way to deal with it is to increase taxes, persuade donations, and borrow money.  , I just don¡¯t know which one is suitable and which one is not suitable!" Qi Zhiti stood up and said.  When Empress Dowager Deng heard that there were so many more words, she cheered up and said in a warm voice, "Ms. Qi, sit down and talk!" "Thank you, Empress Dowager!" Qi Zhiti coughed, sat down again, and then said: "The so-called  Increasing taxes is quite simple. It is nothing more than increasing the types of taxes or raising the tax rates. Naturally, the state treasury will be abundant. However, increasing taxes involves many things and has serious consequences. The former Emperor Chongzhen established a new army by imposing a two-pay tax in order to suppress mergers.  , but I didn¡¯t expect that most of the second-rate wages fell on the poor people, forcing the poor people in the world to have no way of living, and the result was that the world was lost. This is a lesson learned from the past. Moreover, this time it was a military expenditure, not a recurring expenditure. Increased taxes will bring money.  I'm afraid I won't be able to catch up. Secondly, once the war is over, this expenditure will naturally disappear, but the new taxes and tax rates have become a routine and cannot be reduced. In fact, it is exploiting the people." "That tax increase is exactly what my husband said!  I'm afraid this method won't work!" Empress Dowager Deng nodded. Qi Zhiti's words were simple and easy to understand. He analyzed the pros and cons of tax increases by previous dynasties very clearly. Even a woman like Empress Dowager Deng, who was not very intelligent,  Hear it clearly too.  "That's not necessarily the case. After all, compared with the following methods, increasing taxes is the simplest. As long as it is used properly, it is still possible." Qi Zhiti said with a smile: "For example, there are many jewelry, Chinese clothing, fireworks and other shops in Han Jingzhong.  These are mostly places for extravagance and wandering, and you can collect money on cigarettes, cosmetics, and other taxes. These things do not hinder people's livelihood, but taxing them can make the atmosphere simple and beneficial to the country. " "These can earn a few pennies.  "What can be done to help?" Lin Wanqing interjected. It turns out that if these female officials cannot stay in the palace, they often run businesses outside the palace. They have relationships with the sisters in the palace, so many of their businesses have something to do with the palace.  They became extremely rich in high-consumption industries, and the court officials often had shares in them.  The industries that Qi Zhiti mentioned just now are the ones in which they are most involved. As a representative of female officials, Lin Wanqing naturally wanted to object. Qi Zhiti replied confidently: "Lin Taifei, although these industries are not large in scale, they are very profitable.  It's extremely high, even if it's a 30% tax, it's okay. Besides, you can pay the tax for five years to a powerful businessman, let him advance the money, and then let him collect it slowly. That should be enough.  The concubine thinks it's too heavy, so she can stipulate in advance that the levy only lasts for a certain number of years, and that's fine!  There are too many jewelry businesses. Although it is a peaceful age, it is still against the teachings of the saints! Sister Lin, what do you think?" Queen Mother Deng turned to Lin Wanqing and asked.  "The Queen Mother said yes, of course it's a yes!" Lin Wanqing lowered her head and replied, but she secretly cursed Qi Zhiti and Wang Qinian, these two old guys, for taking advantage of Yanying's right performance, they severely tricked her and found her later.  The opportunity must give them a taste of their own power.  "Then let someone write it down! Mr. Qi, what about persuading donations?" "The so-called persuading donations is nothing more than asking wealthy people to give money, and the court will reward them with titles and honorary officers. The advantage of this method is that it brings in money.  It doesn¡¯t hurt your reputation, but the disadvantage is that famous imperial utensils are rewards based on merit and cannot be easily given to others. But now you can get them by losing officials with money, which hinders the moral education!¡± ¡°Well, the moral education is a benefit for all generations.  Don't abandon it for temporary gain!" Empress Dowager Deng thought for a moment, then shook her head and rejected the suggestion.  "Your Majesty, I dare to say something!" Wang Qinian suddenly interrupted.  "Wang Xianggong, please tell me!" "In fact, asking for donations does not necessarily hinder the moral education. It depends on whether it is used properly!" Wang Qinian said solemnly: "Join the Queen Mother and take the lead in reducing the expenses of the palace in order to use it as military resources. The world will be enriched.  Naturally, they will also donate money. In this case, even if they are given a title, who would despise the imperial weapon? " "This is a good idea. Wang Xianggong is indeed worthy of being the first assistant chosen by the late emperor!" Empress Dowager Deng's voice was excited!  His heart was shaking a little. He turned to the female official behind him and asked: "How much silver does my royal fee include every year?" "Reporting to the Queen Mother, there are two thousand five hundred taels of silver every month. Including the regular fees at the end of the year, there are a total of three  Fifteen thousand taels!" Queen Mother Deng replied readily: "Well, just leave one thousand taels every month."??Just donate the remaining 23,000 taels!  " "No!  " "Absolutely not" Lin Wanqing and the ministers inside and outside the curtain replied in unison. Wang Qinian had the highest status. He coughed and said: "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, your palace spends a lot of money, how about one thousand taels a month?  That's enough. When it comes to urging donations, you can just set an example with a few thousand taels of silver. Why bother yourself so much!  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 97 Court Controversy 2

    "Ms. Wang, you can't say that!" Empress Dowager Deng said with a smile: "The firewood and vegetables in my palace are all sent from the imperial village outside the city. The money is just for clothing, makeup and powder. These things are not necessary. I can exchange them for a few at most."  Just wear clothes, what's the point of suffering. Besides, this country belongs to the Gao family. If we, the Gao family, are not willing to take the lead in pledging money, it would be unreasonable for you to have to pay for it.  "The Ai family will send a female official to discuss the matter after they return!" "I am also a member of the Gao family, so I will donate fifteen thousand taels!" Lin Wanqing said with a smile. Unlike Empress Dowager Deng, she has a pen in the inner palace.  As the head of the imperial edict, the eunuch's purse is one of the most generous in the capital of Han Dynasty. It is easy to take out these fifteen thousand taels, but it cannot exceed the Empress Dowager's.  "Okay, now it's almost forty thousand taels!" Empress Dowager Deng said with a smile: "Ms. Qi, please tell me the remaining two moves. I think Yanying's performance is really good for such a big thing.  , we sat down together and talked about it, and it was all thanks to the fact that the late emperor had chosen a few good ministers like me when he was still alive." Several people outside the curtain heard Empress Dowager Deng mentioning the late emperor, and they hurriedly stood up and said in unison: "I don't dare to fail to do my best.  Try your best to repay the kindness of the late emperor!" The reason why these people are able to do this is naturally because of the late emperor's favor and trust. When Empress Dowager Deng mentioned the late emperor, she couldn't help but feel excited.  "The Queen Mother is wise, I will definitely handle this matter when I get back!" Wang Qinian coughed and said to Qi Zhiti: "Master Qi, please continue!" "Yes, Mr. Wang!" Qi Zhiti said: "  The so-called borrowing refers to borrowing money from the provincial governors. As you all know, since the Changmao Rebellion was quelled, the provincial governors have greatly increased their power. It has become a common practice to seize a lot of property and use it as military assets when the army is prosperous.  After that, it will no longer be transferred to the central government, plus other miscellaneous taxes that are temporarily levied, so it is not that the court has no money, but the provinces have money. If the court can borrow several million taels from the provinces, it will be a problem of war money in Myanmar.  In fact, that¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s what Mr. Qi said!¡± Empress Dowager Deng nodded: ¡°Let the Ai family take part in this matter!  " "The fourth method is to issue bonds. This method is quite simple: issue bonds to wealthy businessmen, and then agree on the annual interest rate and how many years to repay. However, this method requires a pledge, and the interest and principal will be paid in the future.  It has to be paid back with the people's taxes. In the final analysis, we still need to increase taxes!" "Is there any precedent for this method?" "It was used during the Mao Zheng period. It issued bonds to wealthy businessmen, and the wealthy businessmen used salt stamps as collateral to borrow money.  "Well, it's better to think about the method of issuing bonds first!" Empress Dowager Deng sighed: "If the other three methods are used, there will be many problems."  If it doesn't work, let's use the last method! But I heard that the British often use the method of issuing debts. Don't they care about the consequences? " "This!" Wang Qinian and others were stunned by the question of Empress Dowager Deng.  Keqin has been in charge of the Ministry of Household Affairs for many years and has considerable experience in finance and taxation. He stood up and replied: "The Queen Mother does not know something. The British have a vast territory and the wealth of the world is gathered in London, just like flowing water, looking for ways to make profits. The British  The government also has a good reputation and has never defaulted on its interest-bearing debt. Therefore, whenever a bond is issued, its merchants are eager to buy it. The interest rate is only three or four cents a year, which is far lower than that in our country. The court can afford it!  "That's it!" Queen Mother Deng sighed: "No wonder it came from behind and became the most powerful country in Haixi. It is particularly unique!" She said with a hint of envy, and she sighed a few times and asked casually.  "Then if we also issue bonds, how much interest will we pay?" Everyone's eyes suddenly focused on Hu Keqin, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue. Hu Keqin also felt the invisible pressure in his eyes. He gritted his teeth.  She said in a deep voice: "Reporting to the Queen Mother, if the imperial court issues debt, I'm afraid it will not be less than six cents a year, and salt stamps will have to be used as collateral." "Ah?" Behind the curtain, Queen Mother Deng couldn't help covering up her instincts  She said, she never expected that there would be such a big difference between Yingshun and Yingshun in the same issuance of bonds. Lin Wanqing on the side quickly interrupted: "Master Hu, why is there such a big gap? Could it be that I made a mistake?  "But Hu Keqin did not hear the intention of Lin Wanqing to change his words, and replied decisively: "Two empresses, although I am incompetent, I have been in the position of Minister of the Ministry of Revenue for many years. With such wealth,  You can never go wrong when planning something.  "Master Hu, the Ai family has no intention of doubting you, but I just don't understand why the British only need three or four cents for borrowing money, but our Dashun Dynasty requires six cents, which is almost double theirs!" "The Queen Mother has it!  I don¡¯t know, Wei Chen uses an analogy, the same is buying and selling grain. If it is the autumn harvest, the market will be full of new grains, which will naturally be very cheap; but during the spring famine, there will be much less grain on the market, and the price will naturally be lower.  NotThat's okay.  The same goes for borrowing money. The British have money from all over the world in the London market. If the British want to borrow money, they have many choices and naturally pay less interest. However, we in Dashun do not have as much money as the British.  So there are fewer people to borrow money from, so the interest you have to pay is high.  Besides, the British have been issuing bonds for many years, buying and selling equally with merchants, and have a good reputation, but I, Dashun, are much inferior in this regard!  "    "I see!  "Empress Dowager Deng couldn't help but sigh when she heard this. Unlike Empress Dowager Deng, the other people in Yanying Palace are all people with long-standing official career. They can get more information from Hu Keqin's words. Although they have not received modern public education.  Finance education, but in China at the end of the 19th century, the commodity economy in the economically developed southeastern coastal areas was already quite prosperous. A large-scale financial market based on this had already taken shape, and the old agricultural tax, salt and iron tax, customs  The central government, with taxes as its main source of revenue, is increasingly stretched in the face of this increasingly complex external environment. Under this situation, the central government has to find ways to develop new financial resources from all aspects to face various new challenges from both inside and outside.  Under this circumstance, these few people naturally have some simple understanding of some basic public finance knowledge. Hu Keqin just pointed out that the gap in the cost and difficulty of bond issuance between Britain and Shun actually indirectly reflects the differences between the two governments.  There is a huge gap in the government's credibility and financial capabilities. Since the interests of the Shunguo elite group of scholars and the businessmen group with huge wealth do not completely overlap, once the court encounters financial difficulties, it is more inclined to use coercion.  Or obtain the required funds from businessmen through deception. In this way, when a similar situation occurs next time, the Shunguo businessmen who lent money to the government will naturally take into account the previous risks and ask for higher interest and more money.  The "big loans" from businessmen during the "Great Rebellion" in the 1860s and 1870s are a good example. At that time, the Emperor Shun, who had just been defeated by the British, wanted to suppress the "Great Rebellion" in 1851.  The four riots, including the "God Worshiping Society", the uprisings that broke out in Yunnan and Shaanxi in 1856 and 1858, and the Nian Army Uprising in 1853, forced us to borrow money from the richest businessmen at the time. However, the market that was damaged by the war was very short of funds.  Coupled with the bad record in the past, the Shunguo government had to borrow a total of eight million taels of silver from merchants on very harsh terms for military expenses - using the salt tax from Lianghuai and the local levy of gold as collateral to repay the debt.  , and the annual interest rate is as high as 9%, which is a very astonishing figure in the era of precious metals as currency. In China at the end of the 19th century after the Westernization Movement, there were a total of 25 battalions of the Shun Army (Shun Jun's).  The equipment and training of the standing army (battalions are roughly equivalent to divisions in the West) have caught up with the European powers. If the gap in soldiers between the two sides is not taken into account, in fact, the biggest gap between Dashun and the European powers is the government's financial capacity. Dashun  The financial capacity that was still in the semi-modern stage was simply not enough to support his army in carrying out a large-scale modern war. While everyone was meditating, a sweet voice suddenly came from behind the curtain: "The Queen Mother, the Princess, I am my concubine.  I just listened to what the gentlemen said, and suddenly I had some thoughts - " Empress Dowager Deng was overjoyed when she heard this. She knew that Jiang Qingyue, who was speaking, was usually very cautious and taciturn, but if she spoke, she would definitely hit the target, so she hurriedly smiled and said  : "That's the best. Sister Jiang family, please tell me quickly and tell the Ai family and all the adults!"  " "Yes, Your Majesty the Queen Mother!  "Jiang Qingyue saluted Queen Mother Deng, stood up behind the curtain, and said in a deep voice: "The four methods of raising money mentioned by Mr. Hu just now have their own pros and cons. I was inspired by this and came up with another method.  ¡ª¡ªBuy shares!  " "Buy shares?  "    "good!  "Jiang Qingyue replied: "I heard in the palace that the former dynasty went to Nanyang to do business and made huge profits. Often a shipload of goods could be exchanged for half a shipload of silver. However, the journey was dangerous and the risk was very high.  Ships and cargo require large sums of money.  Therefore, businessmen who are familiar with needlework and market conditions have no capital to do business, while wealthy people have no courage or ability to do this business.  So some smart people came up with a way to let everyone pool their money to buy a ship, and then let businessmen who are familiar with the needle and market conditions hold shares in it and sail to Nanyang.  From my point of view, increasing taxes and issuing bonds have many disadvantages. It is better to set up a company first and promise that if the British can be defeated, instead of having the exclusive right to do business and mine in Myanmar, I can also give them the exclusive right to develop the road from Kunming to Myanmar.  He asked him to use these to raise shares, and then the court used the money to pay for the war.  In this way, as long as we win the battle, Myanmar is our vassal country, and everything will be fine; even if we lose, it is only this company that has broken its trust, and it has nothing to do with the imperial court!  I wonder what the queen mother, concubines and princes think?  " Everyone in the curtain exchanged glances with each other and did not express their opinions casually. After all, Jiang Qingyue's suggestion had no precedent, and it was unusual and highly relevant. These people all knew that it was better not to speak casually about things like this.  After about half a moment, Wang Qinian said in a deep voice: "Jiang Nu Shi's method sounds good, but there is no precedent. At this juncture, should we think about it?  " "Mr. Wang, there is a precedent for this, but it's just not in this dynasty!  " There was a sudden silence outside the curtain. These ministers were all well-educated and familiar with the practices of the past dynasties. However, they had no impression of what Jiang Qingyue said. After about half a moment, Wang Qinian hesitated.  Said: "I have never heard of the rules mentioned by Jiang Nu Shi, but they are somewhat similar to the rules of King Jinggong of the Song Dynasty.  " Asking for votes, I didn't pay attention during the Spring Festival. I found out after the test that the recommended votes were extremely painful. It was very painful to be fucked by the ones behind me!

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 98: Three Court Controversies

    Jiang Qingyue's sweet laughter came from behind the curtain, but she was noncommittal. Several veterans outside the curtain knew that Wang Qinian had guessed wrong. Inside the curtain, Lin Wanqing had just been stabbed severely by Qi Zhiti. Naturally, the few foreign ministers outside were eager to  The old man in Ting Dynasty continued to make a fool of himself and would not explain it to him. However, Empress Dowager Deng was very soft-hearted and whispered to Jiang Qingyue: "Sister Jiang family, you'd better reveal the answer to the mystery. Don't make it too difficult for those husbands."  "Jiang Qingyue was about to take the order when she heard a sound from outside the curtain, and it was someone who slapped her on the thigh.  "East India Company! British East India Company! The precedent mentioned by Jiang Nu Shi is the British East India Company, right?" Hu Keqin asked loudly, his voice full of excitement at this time.  "Yes, Mr. Hu is really knowledgeable!" Jiang Qingyue said with a smile. The British East India Company that Hu Keqin mentioned was founded in 1600. It was initially just a group of London businessmen. They raised 72,000 pounds and  On December 21, 1600, it obtained a 15-year trade charter for East India from Queen Elizabeth I of England. As time went by, the British East India Company's power in India continued to grow, and its scope of control also continued to increase.  The company's behavior also developed from the initial trade between Britain and India to the colonial plunder and conquest of the Indian subcontinent. By the middle of the eighteenth century, the East India Company had conquered almost the entire Indian subcontinent. It was not so much an enterprise as  Say it's more like a country.  In fact, the East India Company played a role that the British Empire had never played in the history of mankind and was unlikely to play in the future history.  And it all started with a mere ¡ê72,000 and a trade charter.  "My lords, we have many vassal states in Dashun, and Burma is just one of them. Invasions of our vassal states by foreign powers also happen frequently. If we spend huge sums of money to send troops to defend them every time, it will only waste the people's power of our empire in vain. If we can  Just like the British East India Company, wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to bring peace to the border without even a single soldier from the imperial court? " Jiang Qingyue's crisp voice echoed in the hall, as did several ministers and Queen Mother Deng and Lin Wan behind the curtain.  Qingdu lowered his head and thought about Jiang Qingyue's words. After a while, Hu Keqin asked hesitantly: "Jiang Nu Shi, if you go by what you said, our country will establish a trade charter with Myanmar. But in this case, those who  What should we do with the businessmen who were originally engaged in trade between China and Myanmar? Wouldn¡¯t this have ruined their livelihoods? " "Mr. Hu, that¡¯s why we should set up a franchise system. These Chinese businessmen who are engaged in trade between China and Myanmar can just buy the company.  shares, and then share the profits from trade with Burma. Otherwise, if the imperial court is defeated this time because of lack of money, and Burma falls into the hands of the British, will the livelihood of these Chinese businessmen be saved? What would the British do if they annex Burma?  The first thing to do is to hand over all the profitable trade to domestic merchants. Even if the Chinese merchants object, what can they do to the British? " "This -" Jiang Qingyue's words were extremely sharp, and she suddenly  Hu Keqin was speechless when he refuted it. Wang Qinian frowned on the side. He originally wanted to attack the arrogance of the female officials in front of the Queen Mother, but unexpectedly he stabbed Lin Wanqing, but a  Jiang Qingyue, and judging from this woman's demeanor, she is probably five or six points more powerful than Lin Wanqing.  Thinking of this, Wang Qinian snorted coldly: "Jiang Nu Shi, you are also a person who has read the books of sages. I won't say whether your method is successful or not, but let's see what the East India Company did and what benefit it did to bandits.  ? For more than a hundred years, bones have been exposed in the land of Tianzhu, and complaints have reached the heavens. I am afraid that the rebellion of Chengdu has something to do with him. If you want to build such a thing in Dashun, I really don¡¯t know where those sages have read it!  This is what Mr. Wang taught you!" Lin Wanqing finally seized the opportunity to avenge the previous attack, and sneered: "But now the British are recruiting troops in large numbers, and Mr. Wang is a great scholar in the world, so why not invite Mr. Wang?  A trip to Yangon, with Xianggong's intellectual integrity, will surely convince the British to retreat and live in peace!" "You!" Wang Qinian was furious when he heard this, and his beard immediately stood up.  "What's wrong with me?" Lin Wanqing said calmly: "Today Yanying's performance is to deal with the British's large-scale invasion of troops, but it is not the Imperial College or Hongwen Hall. It is about beautiful articles, moral principles and integrity.  . I dare not say whether the Jiang family¡¯s methods are good or bad, but they are indeed trying to raise money for troops, and my husband is the chief minister of the government. What method can you come up with?¡± Lin Wanqing¡¯s words immediately  This hit Wang Qinian's key point. Indeed, as she said, the purpose of being in this small hall today was to solve the problem. She did not mention how to deal with the British, but just talked about integrity and character. This was not what a chief minister of the imperial court should say.  Wang Qinian had no choice but to stand up quickly and apologize to the curtain: "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, I am afraid. However, Jiang Nu Shi's method is really harmful to the world's people, and I think it is not appropriate to adopt it!" DengThe Queen Mother was a little dizzy from the quarrel inside and outside the curtain. He looked at Wang Qinian outside the curtain, and then at Lin Wanqing next to him, and couldn't help but feel in a dilemma.  At this time, Jiang Qingyue smiled slightly and said: "Ms. Wang, saints also have a saying of 'sacred authority'. How about this? Give me a ten-year franchise first and see how the situation goes. If too many problems are found afterwards, at most  If it¡¯s not postponed, what¡¯s the big deal?¡± ¡°Well, Lady Jiang is right!¡± Like a drowning person, Empress Dowager Deng immediately grasped the life-saving straw that saved her from the dilemma:  "Sister Lin, Mr. Wang, Mr. Qi, Mr. Hu, what do you think?" "I have no objections!" Lin Wanqing was the first to express her position. Although she was wary of Jiang Qingyue, she  Now it was a battlefield between the inner court and the outer court, and she would definitely side with Jiang Qingyue.  "Old minister, I have no objections!" Hu Keqin was the second to express his position. He was originally a member of the school of economic management, and what he talked about was economic management. Jiang Qingyue's method could solve the current problem, so he naturally agreed.  Well, as for whether Wang Qinian is happy or not, at his age, it would be nothing big even if he immediately returns to work and returns home.  Wang Qinian snorted coldly, and turned his gaze to Qi Zhiti, the only one who had not yet expressed his opinion. Qi Zhiti's eyes flashed, and he was obviously inclined to support Jiang Qingyue's opinion, but he was too embarrassed to speak because he had not yet spoken.  Wang Qinian sighed in his heart and said respectfully behind the curtain: "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, I have nothing to say, but as Jiang Nu Shi said, the sage has the teaching of 'Jingquan', but to do good is to climb up, and to do evil is to do evil.  Collapse. I am afraid that all the ties of flesh and blood that our dynasty has maintained for hundreds of years will be destroyed by this thing!¡±  He immediately turned to the last remaining person: "What do Qi Xianggong think?" "Wei Chen seconded the proposal!" Qi Zhiti, who had already made up his mind, also expressed his attitude. Unlike Wang Qinian, he was not as concerned about the people in the palace.  The group of female officials had such a deep sense of hostility. In his opinion, as long as the emperor was unable to take charge of the government, it would be impossible to deprive the female officials of the palace of the huge power. Otherwise, with Dashun's powerful prime minister power, it would be impossible to  What could Empress Dowager Deng do on her own to check and balance Wang Qinian and Wang Xianggong?  Therefore, the inner court and the outer court should regard peace as the most important thing and state affairs as the most important thing. If they show too much force, it will force the queen mother to rely more on these female officials, and even support the outer vassal to check and balance the inner court, which is not good.  Although the Empress Dowager Deng rarely expressed opinions on state affairs, this did not mean that she did not know the balance of power in the court.  "Well, since all the gentlemen have no objections, let us decide on the matter of raising funds for selling the Burmese trade monopoly!" Behind the curtain, Empress Dowager Deng turned to Jiang Qingyue and said: "Jiang Chengzhi, since this matter  It was you who raised the matter, so I will leave it to you to supervise the matter." "I obey the Queen Mother's decree!" Jiang Qingyue hurriedly gathered her clothes and knelt down.  "Get up! Get this job done!" Empress Dowager Deng smiled slightly, casually took out a jade bracelet from her right hand, handed it to the maid on the side, and said with a smile: "It's for you!" "Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your kindness.  !" Jiang Qingyue quickly took the jade bracelet handed over by the palace maid with both hands.  "Xiangong Wang, Xianggong Qi, Shangshu Hu, you must also hurry up and deal with other matters. The British are powerful and the military aircraft matter cannot be delayed!" "I obey the order!" Wang, Qi, and Hu outside the curtain  The three of them took the order in unison.  Outside the Yanying Hall, Wang, Qi and Hu filed in without saying a word. After walking for more than ten steps outside the hall, there were three chariots placed on the ground. Although there were many taboos in the palace, it was for the three of them.  Official status is naturally not among them.  After the three carriages traveled for about twenty minutes, they arrived at the west gate of the palace city. The three of them parted ways here. Wang and Qi went to Tianyou Hall, while Hu left the palace city to go to the Yamen of the Ministry of Revenue.  Wang Qinian coughed in the sedan chair and stamped his feet twice, and the aware bearer stopped.  "Just come here, I'll walk the rest of the way by myself!" "Yes, sir!" The attendant beside the chariot said respectfully.  Wang Qinian was so frightened that he walked slowly towards the Tianyou Pavilion not far away. After a while, a person came up from behind, but it was Qi Zhiti. It turned out that he saw Wang Qinian getting off the sedan behind and followed him.  .  Wang Qinian did not look back, as if he knew that the person following behind him was Qi Zhiti, and directly addressed him by his first name: "Zhicheng, why are you acting like this today? Don't you know that if Jiang Nu Shi succeeds in that matter, the power of the inner court will be  Is it becoming more difficult to control?" "Old sir!" Qi Zhiti replied: "From what I can see, the inner court is not a problem, but it is a troubled time now. It is better for us to work together!" "What is the problem with the inner court?  He snorted, ??: "Hen Si Chen, is there still something good that can't be done?" "Old sir, you also know that this dynasty's 'Pingzhang military affairs' are almost all-encompassing, and its power is not only far greater than that of the previous dynasty, but also  Even the Tang and Song dynasties were probably not as good as they were. Compared with the Han Dynasty, they were really outliers. " Wang Qinian was also a very smart person. He immediately heard what Qi Zhiti meant and sneered: "You are!  Female officials are like the relatives of the Han Dynasty and the eunuchs of the previous dynasty. They are used by the emperor to check and balance the imperial court. So we can¡¯t touch them?¡± Qi Zhiti said with a smile.  , you and I both know in our hearts that in the past dynasties, except for one or two emperors who founded the country, they were all born in deep palaces and were better than women. How could they defeat the prime ministers in the outer court without promoting them?  The trusted ministers have been ousted a long time ago, and there is nothing we can do about it, so we¡¯d better give in today!¡±

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 99 Secret Letter

    Wang Qinian snorted coldly but said nothing. In fact, it was not that he didn't understand what Qi Zhiti just said. It was just that he was too strong-tempered and had too much power. Naturally, he couldn't see some things. At this time, Qi Zhiti exposed this.  Qi Zhiti looked at the other party's face and continued to explain: "As for these female officials, it is not a big problem. After all, the emperor is already seven or eight years old, and he will get married in six or seven years at most. Then  It will be natural to gradually use a new group of female officials to serve him to replace the existing group of people. Those new female officials cannot compare with the current people in terms of qualifications and experience. Isn¡¯t the current problem solved naturally? " Hear?  Here, the knot in Wang Qinian's heart was unraveled. He was not fifty yet, and he would only be fifty-four in another six or seven years. It was the peak of the Spring and Autumn Period. At that time, if he had sole power, he could accomplish a career in ten years.  The human elbow.  Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Wang Qinian's usually stern face, and he turned to Qi Zhiti and said, "Ms. Qi, the late emperor once praised you for your quick wit and your superior intelligence, but when I see you today, you are indeed extraordinary!" "I don't dare, no.  Dare!" Qi Zhiti hurriedly smiled and said, "It's enough to sincerely follow Mr. Jiwei!" At the same time, there was also a small-scale storm happening in Wenyuan Pavilion, and the core of the storm was just from Yan.  The leader who returned from the Yingdian Palace to carry out the mission is Concubine Lin Wanqing.  "None of those sour people in the outer court are good!" Lin Wanqing's face was livid, and the ground under her feet was littered with white porcelain pieces, which were the teacups she had just broken in her rage.  These female officials who served as Bingbi were all poor orphans and had no offspring, so they naturally paid more attention to the enjoyment of money. Many of them were deeply involved in the jewelry, makeup, and fireworks businesses in Beijing. Lin Wan  Qing is naturally no exception. If heavy taxes are imposed on these businesses as proposed by Qi Zhiti, she alone will probably lose hundreds of thousands of taels of silver every year. Given Lin Wanqing's powerful position,  It is inevitable that there will be some physical pain.  "Mother, please calm down!" Jiang Qingyue on the side persuaded with a smile: "Of course these sour people are not good things, but this time we have made progress and made mistakes, it is a blessing in disguise!" Lin Wanqing thought of Jiang at this time  Not only did Qingyue show her face in front of Empress Dowager Deng, but she also got a job that looked very lucrative. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous in her heart, and sneered: "That's natural. It's natural for a girl from the Jiang family to get such a good job."  It's more than enough to make up for those losses!" After Jiang Qingyue heard this, she didn't know how jealous the other party was towards her, so she quickly smiled and said, "I just spoke for our sisters in the inner court. Do you think this is a big deal?  Without the help of the empress, how could Qingyue be able to take on the task alone? As long as we can handle this matter well and keep this company in our hands, even if the emperor comes to rule in person and our sisters step down, there will be no need.  I'm worried that the flowers will be spent!" After hearing Jiang Qingyue's words, Lin Wanqing became less jealous and said with a smile: "In that case, I can't help, after all, we are all sisters in the inner court.  I can¡¯t just leave it alone!¡± ¡°Then Qingyue will thank you first!¡± Jiang Qingyue hurriedly bowed and said, ¡°Your Majesty opened the door, Qingyue is already 70 to 80% sure!¡±  , Lin bowed for a while, and at this time they were talking and laughing as if they were biological sisters.  After about half a cup of tea, Jiang Qingyue stood up and left, saying that she would rush back and write out the details of the matter so that Lin Wanqing and Queen Mother Deng could preview it.  Jiang Qingyue resigned from Lin Wanqing, returned to her room and immediately bent over her desk to write. In a short while, she wrote two letters. She took a piece of beeswax and melted it on a candle nearby, pressed it on the seal, and used  The seal from the ring is stamped on it.  After packing up, Jiang Qingyue called his confidants from outside and said in a deep voice: "You should leave the palace immediately and personally deliver these two letters to Shopkeeper Zhou of Rong Baozhai. Do you understand?" The confidant took the letters and sent them to Jiang Qing  Yue's order was repeated: "Yes, empress, hand these two letters to Shopkeeper Zhou of Rongbaozhai!" "Very good!" Jiang Qingyue nodded with satisfaction: "After you finish it, you can start from  Take the fifty taels of silver from Shopkeeper Zhou and spend it on your own!" At this point, Jiang Qingyue didn't wait for the other party to thank him, and his voice suddenly turned cold: "If you mess up the mission, you don't have to come back!" "Yes, Jiang!  Accept the decree!" The confidant was already kneeling on the ground, trembling all over.  Looking at the departing figure of his confidant, Jiang Qingyue's eyes turned cold and she said to herself: "Lin Wanqing, Lin Wanqing, the cause of tomorrow is the result of today. One day I will let you know my  Awesome!" Eight days later, Wanding.  Chen Zaixing was discussing with several staff in the tent how to recruit migrant workers and expand roads. Suddenly a man came in from outside the tent, presented a letter with both hands, and said: "Master Chen, there is an urgent message!" "Yes!" Chen Zaixing nodded.  He nodded and took it casually.I glanced at the signature of the letter habitually, and I couldn't help but be startled. It turned out that the signature of this letter was actually one of my own shops in Kunming. However, not many people knew about this company's relationship with me. They were all very close to me.  Yes, a letter has been sent at this juncture. Could it be that there is something important that cannot be accomplished?  Chen Zaixing thought for a moment, then stood up and said with a smile: "I have a small matter, I will come back later, everyone can discuss it slowly." All the staff hurriedly got up to see each other off, Chen Zaixing walked out of the tent, opened the letter and looked at it, his face suddenly changed.  Big change, full of excitement that cannot be concealed.  He walked back and forth for a few steps, then suddenly stopped, waved his hand to summon an attendant, and whispered to him: "Go and summon Mr. Kong, just say that I have something important to discuss with him!" About two-quarters of an hour later  , in Chen Zaixing¡¯s inner residence.  Kong Zhang held the letter that Chen Zaixing had just written in his hand. His fingers were trembling slightly, and he was obviously very excited.  "Congratulations on your resurrection, congratulations on your resurrection!" Kong Zhang suddenly said loudly: "There is really no end to the road. If we can get this monopoly charter, even millions of gold can be obtained with just a few clicks. Our previous losses  What does it matter?" "Yes, it's really an unexpected surprise!" At this time, Chen Zaixing had recovered from the previous excitement, with a faint smile on his upright face, and he couldn't help but admire him secretly in his eyes.  The cultivation of not being surprised by the other party's changes.  "But for such a big event, we are definitely not the only one who wants to get involved. Even if there are people above us, we can't fail to live up to our expectations!" Kong Zhang heard the implication of Chen Zaixing's words: "The bosses want to open this exclusive store.  The charter is nothing more than fighting the British for money. We must first raise enough money. With money in our pockets, we will naturally speak louder!" "That's right!" Chen Zaixing stood up: "To put it bluntly, this is a war.  Money, in fact, it is not unfair to pay this amount. Whether it is building railways, mining, or building factories, which of these profitable businesses can do without the soldiers of the imperial court? In fact, the imperial court sends troops to fight for our company, so we need to get such huge benefits.  , Isn¡¯t it right to pay some money first? Mr. Kong, please explain this to those businessmen, so that things can be done better. Remember, we are not begging them, they are begging us!¡± ¡°Yes, they are begging us!  !" Kong Zhang slapped his thigh, and then lowered his voice and asked with a mysterious expression: "Then do we want to reveal to these guys that there are people above us?" "No, there is no need to say this kind of thing so easily!  They are money dogs, and their noses are sharper than anyone else. As long as they smell the smell of money, you can't drive it away with a stick. A little ventilation will be enough." At this point, Chen Zaixing smiled and pulled Kong Zhang away.  He came closer and said in a low voice: "The places where wealth gathers are none other than Jiangnan and Shanghai. That is Liu Qingyang's hometown. Who can beat him in this kind of skill of pulling up and down? This time you go there with ease and simplicity, and you will be the first one."  Go find him, this business cannot be done without him! " "Yes, yes!" Kong Zhang nodded repeatedly, and then said a little unconvinced: "Hey, this kid can run fast, but he still has a share of the meat.  , I¡¯m really unconvinced!¡± Chen Zaixing heard the resentment in Kong Zhang¡¯s heart and said with a smile: ¡°Brother Kong, what¡¯s the point of being unconvinced? If this matter is settled, you and him will be a family again.  If you are not limited by the Kong and Liu families, you can start your own business and do big things. Do you still care about being stingy? Besides, Liu Qingyang helped us in the previous matter. At most, let him stay in Shanghai after the matter is completed.  Let¡¯s put a good shark¡¯s fin feast on the table to return your favor!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Kong Zhang nodded: ¡°It¡¯s not too late, I¡¯ll go back and pack up, and we¡¯ll leave tomorrow!¡±  " "I will explain what happened here and leave for Hanking immediately. This matter must be completed!" Chen Zaixing's face was as steely as every word seemed to pop out of his mouth.  In Bagan, Myanmar, more than twenty days have passed since the battle that determined the fate of Myanmar. The first batch of reinforcements from Mandalay arrived about ten days ago. Although these reinforcements were not compliant troops arriving from China,  It¡¯s just the Myanmar New Army whose combat effectiveness is worrying, but no matter what, reinforcements are reinforcements, even if they are used to collect food and garrison strongholds, it is good.  Moreover, various rewards and promotion orders also satisfied the surviving Shunjun soldiers, which made their morale even higher.  In the Shunjun military camp, the houses that were damaged and destroyed during the battle have been repaired, but the bullet holes and shrapnel embedded in the walls of the houses can be seen everywhere, showing the traces of the fierce battle not long ago.  For two reasons, Batu did not move his army into Bagan City: First, the geographical location here is very important, and it can control the important waterway of the Irrawaddy River, and Bagan City, which was built in the Cold Weapon Age, is neither suitable for firearms.  Defense during the war, and the city's area is too large compared to the number of Shun troops, which is not conducive to defense; second, and most importantTherefore, as a foreign army, it is a very sensitive act for the Shun Army to directly enter Bagan, the religious and cultural center of Central Myanmar. It can also easily cause direct conflicts with local monks and citizens, resulting in large-scale  resistance movement, this is a lesson learned from the past.  So Batu just rebuilt the military camp and let the Burmese royal army from Mandalay occupy the city of Bagan.  Of course, what Batu did not expect was that his behavior would win him a high reputation in Myanmar. Many Myanmar people called him the reincarnation of Vajra before the Buddha - brave and good at fighting but humble and polite.  Of course, this reputation means nothing to Batu himself. He would rather use this to switch to a thousand fully equipped soldiers. After many battles, the number of soldiers under his direct command has dropped to a thousand.  Around four hundred people, this is a very dangerous number, especially compared to the huge fruits of victory he has already obtained.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 100: Transaction

    In the room, Batu was reading a letter carefully. It was a handwritten letter written to him by Dashun's highest officer in Myanmar, the Burmese Colonel and the commander-in-chief of Myanmar's military forces.  In the letter, he enthusiastically praised Batu's bravery and loyalty, compared him with ancient heroes such as Chen Tang and Huo Qubing, and promised in the letter that he would personally write to the court, requesting that Batu himself and his recommended  The officers and soldiers praised him, but when he wrote about what Batu was most concerned about - when the domestic reinforcements would arrive, Zao Guoquan's tone in his heart became less firm and enthusiastic, and turned to be tactful, but  After describing the difficulty of transportation and the long distance, Zao Guoquan still promised to replenish Batu's command with at least 3,000 soldiers and corresponding equipment before February, raising the total strength of his command to two standards.  And stock up on enough ammunition before the rainy season starts next year.  "If I could see such a letter a year ago, I wouldn't be so happy! But now I think that I am lucky to be able to return to the country alive. I hope that your reinforcements can arrive soon. Before that, I will  We can only count on those Burmese and Indians." Batu sighed with a wry smile. He turned over the page of letter paper, and then there was a new letter, but the handwriting changed. Compared with the previous pages,  The handwriting here is much different, but the writing is strong and strong, almost penetrating the paper. Obviously this is different from the previous ones, which were ghostwritten by the master. This should be written by early Guoquan in order to keep it secret.  Written by myself.  "Zhenwu, my brother, has met. Although our army won the battle of Bagan, there are two hidden worries. One is the surrender of the British troops; the other is the giant invaders of the Burmese people such as Songcan. No Songcan attacked at night and sealed the enemy.  There will be no victory over Bagan. However, once this battle is won, we must consider negotiating a peace with the British. However, if the British want to negotiate a peace, they must ask for the repatriation of the rebels. How should I deal with it?  He is a noble relative, a monk's land, he kills many people with his own hands, he is cunning and wise, and he distributes all the wealth to his subordinates without taking any of it himself. He can confuse people's hearts. He is really a first-rate person like Robber Zhi and Huang Chao. He will be designated as the leader of Burma in the future.  Great worry. Is there not one or two wise people in Burma who want to be punished quickly? We, who are here to defeat the British, should be prepared to avoid being hasty and unable to say anything when it happens.  With my brother's intelligence, he will definitely be able to do both, which will be a great blessing to the court and the country!" "Alas!" Batu sighed and stood up.  The letter written by Zao Guoquan was very simple. The content was simply that the Shun army defeated the British army in Bagan. Although it was due to his effective command of Batu, it was also inseparable from the insurgent army led by Song Shen who attacked the British army.  The two incidents that led to the mutiny were caused by the British distributing food that violated the religious taboos of the Indian mercenaries.  The protagonists of these two incidents are all allies of the Shun Army in a sense, and in fact the camp of the mutinous Indian mercenaries is now next to the Shun Army camp. Once peace is negotiated with the British, the British will definitely propose an exchange.  Demands from prisoners of war and deserters.  The rebels led by Song Shen, under the banner of the Burmese royal army, attacked aristocratic manors in the countryside that had received British protection, and distributed their land and property to nearby farmers. What is even more exaggerated is that Song Shen even used  Land deeds were issued to the farmers in the name of officials appointed by the new king and the eldest princess, something that had been unheard of in Myanmar for hundreds of years.  Song Shen's behavior naturally deeply angered Myanmar's ruling class.  Early Guoquan saw clearly that no matter who ascended the throne, if he wanted to secure the throne, he could not do without the support of the powerful nobles and monks.  Therefore, how to deal with the two temporary allies, the rebels and the Indian mercenaries, is a very delicate issue for the Shun Army.  "That's it for Indian mercenaries. Anyway, before signing a contract with the British, they must only be on our side. The bandits are different. Under the banner of the king, they rob farms more than fight the British. There are already many  Monks and nobles have come to me to cry. But if I send troops to deal with these guys, I am afraid that they will defect to the British. After all, we are too weak now." Thinking of this, Batu paced back and forth in the room. At this time, he couldn't help it.  I miss the time when Chen Zaixing was together, when I didn't have to worry about it.  "My lord, noble Diok wants to see you!" the soldiers outside the door announced.  "Is it him?" Batu, who was interrupted from his thoughts, frowned: "It's probably another property dispute in Bagan. Who is he interceding for?" It turns out that Diok has been there since the rebel army occupied Bagan.  After fleeing to the Shunjun camp with Zhang Qi, he stayed in the camp. Even though the British army later surrounded the Shunjun camp and the war was about to begin, the former Burmese King Meng Ji's top confidant must have been afraid of the newly appointed king and the eldest princess.  Because they cut off his head to commemorate their father, he did not flee to Mandalay with other Burmese nobles, but stayed in the camp. It can be said that he shared the joys and sorrows with the Shun army.  Therefore, in the eyes of the nobles and monks who stayed in Bagan, the former consul was a very respectable figure in front of the commander-in-chief of the Shun Army. If they had any difficulties, they would come to him to convey them to Batu, and Batu was happy to do so.  Familiar with Myanmar through this personThe nobles in the situation came to obtain some information that could not be obtained through other channels, so the relationship between the two parties became closer after the British retreated.  "Dharma protector of the Buddha, noble general! May the glory of gods and Buddhas shine on you forever!" As soon as Diok walked into the door, he bowed respectfully to Batu. With his many years of running around Meng Ji,  Diok had already seen clearly the remaining sadness on Batu's face. This shrewd and cunning nobleman immediately began to figure out how to use the other party's emotions to achieve the purpose of coming here today.  "Okay, okay, sit down, Diok!" Batu interrupted the other party's eulogy impatiently, and made a gesture to the chair on the side: "Come on, tell me the purpose of coming to me today.  "Have any of your relatives had their property taken over by those greedy guys?" "Yes, General, your wisdom always surprises me!" Diok pretended to be amazed.  As if he didn't see the sarcastic smile on Batu's face at all: "This time it was a poor nephew of mine. The soldiers from Mandalay drove him out of his house. This is what happened to him from my poor nephew."  The only property he inherited from his sister. My dear general, please let those soldiers return the house to that young man, otherwise he will have to live on the streets!" "Nephew?" Batu sat back in his house.  chair, leaned his back comfortably on the armrest, and replied with a smile: "I think this house must have a big garden, as well as beautiful teak floors and furniture, front hall, back hall, bedrooms, etc.,"  Maybe there is a small temple? Are you right? And your nephew definitely has more than this. You didn¡¯t go on this trip for him in vain, right?¡± ¡°General, what are you doing?¡±  It shows your wisdom once!" Diok replied with a smile: "Yes, that house is not small, but you know that the young man has many wives and children, as well as servants to take care of her wives and children.  They did need this house; as for the property, I didn't lie to you, this house was indeed the only property he got from my sister, but he also got several estates from his father, but these estates were destroyed  The bandits under Song Shen attacked and suffered heavy losses. Of course, the young man gave me some gifts of thanks. I have brought these gifts to the general, please accept them!" Having said this, Diok said from  He took out a piece of white paper from his arms and handed it to Batu. Batu opened it and saw that there were rows of names and quantities of gifts on it.  "Can I understand this as a bribe?" "Bribery? No!" Diok's face immediately showed a humiliating expression of being slandered: "This is just the custom of us Burmese people, expressing to the elders we respect.  My feelings are like giving to the Buddha. Would anyone bribe the gods and Buddhas?" Batu hesitated for a moment, and finally replied seriously: "Since it is the custom of your country, then I won't be pretentious!  "While talking, he carefully put the gift note into his arms.  "Don't worry about your nephew. I will send a few soldiers to that house later and put a seal of our army on the door, so that no Burmese soldiers dare to harass your nephew! As for the losses he suffered  The manor -" Batu's voice paused for a moment: "It will take some time for this problem to be resolved. Let your nephew keep his certificate and deed, and I will pay attention to it then!" "  Yes, general, thank you very much, thank you very much!" Diok bowed and saluted again, and Batu could hear the real joy in his voice.  Batu puffed up his chest, and the gift note in his arms gave him a very comfortable feeling. He smiled slightly and said to Diok: "Diok, we are also old friends, and we are not so formal in private.  "Come on, let's sit down and chat first." "Thank you, General!" Diok carefully sat back on the chair, but his upper body leaned forward slightly, keeping himself ready to stand up at any time, looking humble and smart.  .  "What do you think of Song Shen? That's the one -" At this point, Batu stopped and began to hesitate whether to call him a bandit or something else.  Diok immediately felt something. He carefully observed Batu with his alert eyes, trying to find any signs on the other person's face. Then he carefully replied: "General, Song Shen is now an officer of the kingdom.  And he made great achievements in the battle with the British not long ago!" "Of course, of course! I don't deny this, it's just that-" Batu replied a little embarrassed. At this time, he was very unaccustomed to searching for the right one.  vocabulary to express his true intentions, but it is clear that he is not good at this.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 101: Wavering Part 1

    "It's just that this man is an enemy of the nobles and monks, and a gangster who is trying to break the foundation of the kingdom! Is that what you mean?" Diok suddenly interrupted Batu's statement. This was the first time in the conversation between the two.  "Yes, you can say that, but -" Batu's eyes widened in surprise. The man in front of him gave him a strange feeling, as if a curled up tiger suddenly showed its claws. This feeling made him  He felt a little uncomfortable, but for a moment he didn't know how to deal with it.  "The two are not contradictory! General!" Diok replied: "Songshen has a high prestige among the peasants at the bottom. During the war against the British, there is no doubt that he was very important to you and the king.  It's useful, but his behavior violated the sacred laws, and neither the king nor the gods and Buddhas could tolerate his survival! " "You're right, Diok!" Batu hesitated for a while, and finally nodded.  , expressing his agreement with the Burmese nobleman in front of him.  As a military attache from Shun who has lived in Myanmar for a long time and has a certain understanding of Myanmar society, Batu has a certain understanding of the living conditions of farmers in Myanmar.  At that time, the social form of Myanmar was still in a medieval social state. After the king conquered a large number of clan and tribe lands, he established a feudal country. Nominally speaking, all the land belonged to the country¡ªthat is, to the king.  .  The king, in turn, distributed the land and its people to nobles and monasteries loyal to him.  The rulers of this country - kings, nobles, and monasteries collect various types of land rent in kind from farmers on the basis of village communities. Without the consent of their lords, farmers are not allowed to leave their village communities without permission.  In a sense, like the land, they were also an important asset to their lords.  It can be seen that the situation of Burmese farmers at that time was much worse than that of their counterparts in Dashun. Not only did they have no personal freedom, let alone the right to own their own land, they were more like serfs than free farmers.  The military coup launched by Meng Ji broke this situation. A large number of conscripted soldiers and civilians brought serious disasters to Burmese farmers. At the same time, it also broke the shackles on them. For the first time, they were allowed to leave their village communities and go to the countryside like Myanmar.  In a place as far away as Bagan, the village communities that had been squeezed out of the last grain of food also went bankrupt, and a large number of farmers had to leave their land and wander wherever they could survive.  This is unthinkable in peaceful times.  In the process, outstanding farmers among them gained knowledge and began to doubt the sacred creeds in the past. Songcan was one of the representatives, and a large-scale peasant uprising broke out.  This is why the Burmese nobles and monks hate Som Sum so much and why they will never let him go.  Songshen's request is to distribute land to farmers and give farmers the right to directly own land. This will shake the foundation of the existing system. If he can succeed, the ground under the feet of the nobles and monks will crack open.  , swallowing them all in the abyss, what could be more terrifying than this?  "General, if you feel that now is not the best time, please don't worry. The nobles and monks have enough patience, but one thing please remember, Song Shen must die!" The tone of Diok's last words was  It was so powerful that Batu nodded subconsciously.  Watching Diok's leaving figure, Batu fell into deep thought. The order from his superior was exactly the same as Diok's suggestion. It was already obvious what he should do next. Originally, he was here.  Under this situation, he should be very relieved, but for some reason, Batu still felt as if something was blocking his heart, which made him very unhappy.  "Come here!" Batu suddenly shouted, and then he ordered the messenger who came in: "Go and draw five soldiers from my guard, go to this place-" He took out the note from his arms  The name of the house was read out, "Affix a seal to the front door and prohibit anyone from entering or exiting from the gate!" "Yes, sir!" While Batu was troubled by his boss's secret order, Song Shen was in an unprecedented situation in his life.  In the happiness I have ever had.  The British army, which lost a large number of Indian mercenaries outside Bagan, quickly retreated to Lower Burma along the Irrawaddy waterway after leaving the battlefield. However, both the shun army and the Kingdom's new army reinforced from Mandalay only occupied  Bagan City and its surrounding areas, while the vast rural area has become a vacuum zone.  The rebels took full advantage of this vacancy. They used the banner of the Grand Governor of Burma in the new army of the Kingdom. In the name of suppressing the spies who colluded with the British, they opened the manors of nobles and monks and distributed food to nearby  The hungry farmers in the village community.  More importantly, Song Can also divided the land of these manors into small pieces in the name of the newly appointed king and the eldest princess, and gave them to farmers in nearby villages, and issued land deeds to them in the name of the kingdom.  When seeing thousands of haggard, expressionless farmers oppressed by the heavy life, they were told that they couldAfter having her own land and no longer having to hand over the white rice she had grown so hard to the nobles, Song Shen felt that everything she had endured and sacrificed was worth it.  "Wild cats, ghost shadows, and other dead brothers, rest in peace in heaven!" Song Shen closed his eyes, clasped his hands and prayed to the east: "Your blood was not shed in vain, and those who survived will not have to fight again."  He bleeds and sweats in other people's land, but he is hungry and cold! "" Chief, chief!" A voice interrupted Song Shen's prayer. He opened his eyes and saw the soil walker running over, panting.  Full of anger, he hurriedly asked: "What happened?" "Bring those bastards up!" The soil walker turned around and shouted, and saw several men who were tied up like rice dumplings being dragged.  Come up.  "Chief, these guys are deserters, what should I do with them?" Earth Walker asked breathlessly.  "Deserts?" Song Shen was slightly startled, and looked at the embarrassed-looking men. Sure enough, they all looked familiar. Two Song Shen could even name them. Sure enough, they were all soldiers who joined the rebel team. Look.  Judging from the torn clothes on their bodies and the blood on their faces, they must have suffered a lot before coming here.  "Untie their ropes first!" Song Shen ordered. He had already seen that these people were tied extremely tightly. If it goes on for a long time and the blood circulation is not smooth, there will be sequelae, so it is better to let go first.  .  The soldiers next to the tied man were stunned when they heard this, and instinctively turned their inquiring eyes to the earthwalker on the side. The earthwalker snorted coldly and said loudly: "Don't let go yet!" The soldiers hurriedly let go.  The tied one.  "Tour Walker, what's going on?" Song Shen turned around and asked: "These people have all shed blood with us. They didn't become deserters when the situation was most critical. Why are they deserters now?" "  Huh!" Earthwalker snorted coldly: "These bastards said that they are not young anymore, and they want to stay and find a woman to have children and farm, live a happy life, hand over the gun, and say no more, this is not the case.  "What are deserters?" "Chief Earth Walker, Chief Song Shen, we are not deserters!" When a man who was loosened heard what Earth Walker said, he hurriedly retorted: "Didn't we say we picked up swords and guns for this purpose when we started the uprising?  Can poor people have their own fields and eat the rice they grow? Aren¡¯t we poor? There is no one left in my family. There is a widow in the village who told me that she would live with me as long as I am willing to raise her son.  , now others have been assigned the fields, and we have all fired our guns and fought in the war. We are wondering why it is our turn, so we told the leader that we should surrender our guns and go farming. This is not a deserter!  Yes, yes! We are not deserters!" The men who had just been released hurriedly said in unison. Song Shen could not help but frown. He did not expect that his behavior of allocating land to the village community would lead to the rebellion.  The team collapsed. These rebels were all farmers not long ago. Like these farmers, they longed to obtain a small piece of land of their own and live a simple and simple life. It was for this ideal that they showed  They showed amazing sacrifice spirit and courage, but when this goal was achieved, these insurgents returned to their true nature as farmers: short-sighted, selfish, hoping to get their own small piece of land and live their own small life.  The earthwalker cursed loudly: "You dare to quibble, what are deserters? If everyone is like you, won't the team break up? Come here, tie up these bastards, I want  I'll whip you hard in front of everyone, and then chop off your heads to show everyone what happens to the deserters!" "That's enough!" Song Shen shouted, stopping the soldiers who were about to tie up these people.  Stopping in his tracks, he ignored the surprised expressions of the earthwalkers beside him, walked up to those people, and asked in a low voice: "Tell me, are there many people in the team who want to break up and go home to farm?" Those people asked each other.  After looking at it, one of the boldest ones timidly replied: "Chief Songshen, many people think so. Everyone says that since the new king has given us the land, why should we continue to fight? Everyone misses their hometown.  "I understand!" Song Shen nodded and smiled gently at the frightened men: "You are not wrong. From the beginning, we took up arms to get ourselves.  Now that we have obtained the land, what's wrong with hoping to live a peaceful life again? Isn't this what we wanted from the beginning?" Song Shen patted the man in front of him on the shoulder: "You guys go down first?  Take a rest. According to our Burmese customs, if your friends want to give you gifts, you can't go back to your hometown empty-handed, right?" "Chief!" The faces of those menThey all looked ashamed, opening their mouths awkwardly but not knowing what to say.  Song Shen smiled gently at them, turned around and walked towards Earth Walker.  "Songshen, it is very dangerous to do this!" The earthwalker lowered his voice and said to Songshen: "You clearly know how much those nobles and monks hate us, but now they are at war with the British and have no power to deal with us.  . I bet that once they are free, they will use all means to tear us into pieces. If the soldiers go back to farming, what can we do against those nobles?"

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 102: Shaken

    "I know all this!" The gentle smile on Song Shen's face just now has disappeared. At this time, he has become very cold: "But you have also seen that the soldiers all want to go back to plant their own fields. This is what we started with  We can't break our promise!" "Promise?" A dumbfounded expression appeared on Tu Xingzhe's face: "Song Shen, you are not so naive, are you?  You have to fight those cunning nobles and monks. The use of any weapon is allowed in this battle. If those monks can kill you with blasphemous methods, they will never hesitate at all, but you are now  But you told me that you have to keep your promise? Are you crazy?" "That's different!" Song Shen looked into Tu Xingzhe's eyes calmly: "I will not hesitate to use it to deal with the enemy as long as it is beneficial to our cause.  Any means. But they are different. They are our companions in fighting together. Just as I will never deceive you, I will never deceive them!" Hearing Song Shen's words, Tu Xingzhe's face showed emotion.  look, but soon disappeared.  Then he continued to persuade: "Song Shen, this cannot be regarded as deception. You know, if we are defeated, will those farmers be able to keep their land? The nobles will take the land back from them.  This is all for their own good!¡± ¡°You are right, but we cannot use such deceptive methods. We can tell the brothers everything clearly and let them make their own choices instead of using deceptive methods.  "Song Shen, you have a ruby ??heart! But this will harm you!" Earth Walker shook his head in despair: "Even if those people understand this truth,  Who is willing to serve as a soldier and face the guns of the nobles for the sake of other people's land and happiness? Even if some people are willing to sacrifice themselves, how many people are left? The army of the nobles will easily wipe out all of us!  "Turkey, don't be so pessimistic, okay? Our companions have proven their courage and sacrifice with their actions!" Song Shen comforted with a smile.  "That's because they had no other choice at that time!" Earth Walker sighed, looked at Song Can sadly, and said, "The gods and Buddhas in the sky must destroy our cause, otherwise why didn't they put something in your chest?"  "Where is your heart of stone?" Half an hour later, the rally horn was blown in the rebel camp, and more than 800 men in the camp quickly gathered. When they formed their formation according to their own organization,  , they saw Song Shen standing on a small mound in front of them. Song Shen had a gentle smile on his face. In sharp contrast, the face of the earthwalker behind him was dark and ugly.  "Comrades! When I first saw you, the vast majority of you were tired and hopeless, with nothing and despised by the world. Many of us have fallen in these days, but  More people joined in, and their blood was not shed in vain. Now, you are a respected army, defeating the powerful British several times, and the noble king is also expressing his gratitude to you!  Yes." When Song Shen said this, he paused and raised his voice: "You have allowed thousands of poor people to get their own land for the first time. These poor and kind people no longer have to go hungry.  Others work!" A burst of cheers broke out from the crowd, interrupting Song Shen's speech. The insurrectionists were moved by Song Shen's speech. People recalled the hardships, battles and failures they had experienced on the road and in the battle.  Many of the fallen companions had tears in their eyes, and even the cheers became choked with sobs.  Song Shen raised his arms, and the rebels gradually quieted down. He continued to preach: "Now, many of us want to put down our weapons, return to our hometowns, and return to our families. No, I am not here.  I blame them. After all, the purpose of our uprising at the beginning was to be able to live such a life again, but I want to ask these people a question - has our purpose really been achieved? Indeed, in Central Myanmar, there have been  Many farmers have obtained their land, but in Lower Burma, in Upper Burma, in the vast land from the sea to the plateau, there are still more farmers who have nothing. They are waiting for you to do something. Can you let them do something?  Are you disappointed? "Some people may say that we have done enough, much more than we should do. Now it is our turn to go back to our own homes and plan for ourselves. Yes, you do.  We have done enough, but if you put down your weapons now and return to your homes, can you really live a peaceful life? More than two months ago, our two companions Kubu and Buji came here.  Farm, ask Master Basong here to distribute some grain to the farmers here to prevent them from starving to death.?What did the respectable Master Basong do?  Song Shen paused for a moment, pointed to two big trees not far away and said: "Under these two big trees, Kubu and Buji were brutally whipped by Master Basong and then hanged to death. The masters are  This is the answer to the farmers who dare to ask them.  Today I am bringing up old things not for anything else, but to tell you what the gentlemen will do to protect their property. If you put down your weapons and return to your own homes, the gentlemen will start again.  Come here, hang you one by one on the tree like Kubu and Buji, and take the land back from the hands of the farmers!  You know, the gentlemen will never be merciful in this kind of thing!  " There was silence in the open space. The relaxed smiles on the faces of the rebels disappeared at first, leaving only solemnity. Song Shen's eloquence powerfully conquered them. Those who planned to lay down their weapons and return home, especially those deserters, all  He lowered his head in shame. ¡°If someone asks me, when can we put down our weapons and return to our hometown to enjoy a peaceful life?  Then here is my answer: As long as there is a farmer in Myanmar who cannot own the land he cultivates, and a nobleman still rides on the heads of the farmers, then we cannot put down our weapons, because there are always such a group of people in the world.  People, they live on the blood and sweat of others. As long as they exist, hardworking people will not be able to live a good life. Only on that day can we put down our weapons!  " As soon as Song Shen's speech stopped, the rebels responded to their leader with cheers like a mountain roar and a tsunami. There is no doubt that the idea of ??laying down their weapons and returning to their hometown has been temporarily given up in these people's hearts, but standing on  The expression on the soil traveler behind Song Shen was a bit strange, with surprise, admiration, and of course a little disappointment. This man who had always been loyal to Song Shen felt more lost than ever before. "'As long as there is still one in Myanmar.  A farmer cannot own the land he cultivates, and a nobleman still rides on top of the farmers' heads. Do we take up arms, bleed and sweat, just to return to the dilapidated hut and dig the mud ourselves?  Earth Walker shook his head gently: "Songshen, Songshen, your behavior disappoints me so much, and also disappoints the soldiers who follow you. It seems that you are not the man chosen by God!"  " Song Shen looked at the rebels cheering loudly with satisfaction, turned around and asked Earth Walker: " Earth Walker, you see, you and I are not the only ones with a heart like ruby!  " "Chief, your wisdom always makes you one step ahead of us!  "The earth traveler bowed his head humbly, and at the same time covered his flashing eyes. "Hanjing, Rongbaozhai, it is already January, and it will be the New Year's Eve in a few days. The locust trees beside the road have been  The north wind blew away all the leaves, and the dark branches pointed to the sky. It seemed that there was a bit of chill in my heart. Ever since the news came out from the palace more than ten days ago: In order to educate the world, extravagant items such as jewelry and fireworks have been banned.  The increase in taxes on shops has caused a lot of depression in Hanking's market. This well-established Rongbaozhai shop has known about the news for a long time and simply closed most of its stores, leaving only a two-person storefront for the shop.  The shop's clerks were out and about, and the shop was closed early for the New Year to take stock.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 103 Secret Meeting

    At the entrance of Rongbaozhai, two young men were scrubbing the two stone lions and stone steps in front of the gate. The weather was already very cold, and when their hands were touched by water, it became even more bone-chilling. The arms of these two men were already frozen.  His face was red, and he was cursing loudly, as if he had already greeted eight generations of the ancestors of the shopkeeper who assigned the work.  At this moment, a carriage drove over from the street, drove along the road, and stopped. The dust splashed just made the stone lions and stone steps that the two people had just scrubbed dirty.  Xixi.  The more hot-tempered of the two clerks was about to yell, when he saw a man jumping out of the car door and asked directly: "Is Mr. Zhou in your store here?" These two clerks were also in Rongbaozhai.  I have been working for some years, and I still have some ability to recognize people when meeting them. The leader has noticed that although the person who is asking the question is dusty, he speaks with great dignity. He is obviously used to calling people around.  , hurriedly grabbed his companion, stepped forward and said with a smile: "Master, do you have anything to do with our boss?" The man took out a letter from his arms and waved it in front of the two of them, saying: "You pass the message for me.  He said it was an old friend who came back from Myanmar, and she knew! "To be continued.  If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation and collect it. Your support is my biggest motivation.  The head clerk had a sharp eye, and he had already recognized that the letter in the man's hand was written on royal paper. His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly bowed and said, "Master, please come in and wait for a while with tea.  The villain went to pass the message immediately!" The man didn't say much, and walked through the door. The noisy boy waited for others to go in, and asked his companion in confusion: "Why are you so respectful to this guy? Who knows?  You're not a poor guy from the countryside!" "Shut up!" The leader shouted: "The letter just now belongs to the palace, I'm afraid it's related to some empress in the palace.  , Our boss is just providing a place. Be careful if something happens, our heads will be moved!" "Ah!" The guy was stunned immediately, and his companion picked up the rag and put it back into his hand, saying in a low voice: "It's not too late!  Go to work and just stand there waiting to be beaten!" Chen Zaixing was sitting in the warm room, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand. The heat in the earth dragon slowly rose, making him somewhat unconscious due to the cold wind.  His cheeks were itchy, which made him have the urge to put down the teacup and give it a good scratch. However, thinking of the person he was about to meet, he restrained the urge and continued to maintain his original posture of sitting upright.  "Mr. Chen, I kept you waiting!" A familiar female voice came from outside the door. It was Zhou Jin, the owner of Rongbaozhai. This time, she was dressed in women's clothing, wearing a green dress, which made her skin white and white.  Her shoulders were slender, and although there were already faint crow's feet around her eyes, they added a bit of mature charm to her.  "It's okay!" Chen Zaixing was not polite, took out the letter from his arms and handed it over, and said in a deep voice: "How is the imperial court's sale of Burmese trade resale rights going? As soon as I received your letter, I will go all the way.  Come here, I hope you didn¡¯t miss it!¡± Zhou Jin took the letter, pursed his lips and said with a smile: ¡°I was afraid that the letter would be lost on the road and the news would be leaked, so I just mentioned a few words in the letter. Mr. Chen is indeed very smart, please don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s for sale!  The job of selling monopoly rights and establishing a company belongs to my sister Qingyue. With the relationship between her and you, why should you worry about it?" When Chen Zaixing heard Zhou Jin mention the word "Qingyue", he couldn't help but feel.  The familiar face flashed across his face, and his heart couldn't help but cheer up. But then he remembered the parting and what happened not long ago, and his heart became cold again. He said in a cold voice: "Shopkeeper Zhou, be careful what you say. Jiang Chengzhi is now the palace official."  The female official in the middle, who sticks to the pen and carries the purpose, is even more different from Chen. You and I can talk casually. " "Alas!" Zhou Jin on the other side sighed when he heard this, and said with a flat mouth, "That's alright.  I won¡¯t say it anymore, but Qingyue asked me to bring it to you. You must remember it.¡± ¡°Shopkeeper Zhou, please tell me!¡± Zhou Jin couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly when he saw Chen Zaixing¡¯s businesslike appearance.  In her tone, she said: "Qingyue said that there are people in the inner and outer courts watching this matter, and she can't do too much, so you must be better prepared in all aspects, especially in terms of money. You must not be short.  Otherwise, those crows in the outer court will definitely not let her go, and they will be afraid that something big will happen." Chen Zaixing smiled slightly and said, "You can answer her for me. I understand all of this and will never make it difficult for her.  I am determined to get this exclusive rights. Can you please open a plate first? I have a plan!" "Three million taels!" Zhou Jin held up three fingers: "Ten years of exclusive rights.  Five hundred thousand royalties!" When she said this, Zhou Jin glanced in the direction of the palace and indicated that these royalties were spent on those in the palace. She was afraid that Chen Zaixing would think it was too much.He continued: "The imperial court wants to mobilize a large army to enter Burma. The expenses for departure, warship repairs, ammunition, and a year alone will total 6 million. The palace expenses have been reduced a bit, and the fireworks tax and provincial budgetary donations have been increased."  It's about three million, and the rest depends on the exclusive rights. If you can get it more easily, you might be able to get a discount. " "Not much!" Chen Zaixing's hearty answer surprised Zhou Jin.  , she looked at Chen Zaixing and whispered: "I know you have made a lot of money there over the years, but don't push it too hard. If this war goes unfavorably and the imperial court cannot protect Burma, your money will be gone."  "It's all thrown into the water." "It doesn't matter!" Chen Zaixing smiled slightly: "Of course I won't use my own money to do this. Besides, if it happens, let alone three million, it will be five hundred."  What's so big about ten million?" Zhou Jin looked at Chen Zaixing's confident look and couldn't help but sigh: "Hey, I really don't know what happened to you and my girl Qingyue, alone.  The one who left a good man unmarried must stay in the deserted palace; the other left a good man unmarried, but ran to the woods in the south. He was really possessed. Is there any better person in the world?  Is it important to have a good life?" After hearing Zhou Jin's sigh, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but feel a little sad, but then he hardened up again and said with a smile: "Shopkeeper Zhou, the beauty of this is not something that can be explained to outsiders.  Now, I won¡¯t say anything else about this matter. I¡¯ll just say thank you tomorrow.¡± After saying that, he stood up and cupped his hands. ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying thank you for what happened to you two?¡± Zhou Jin stood up and raised the curtain: ¡°Exit.  The tenth of the month is when this matter will be decided, so you have to pay close attention to the money matter!" At this point, Zhou Jin looked around and lowered his voice: "Also, there are many eyes in Hanking these days, so you still have to worry about it!  Be careful, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble!" "I understand!" Chen Zaixing nodded knowingly: "There is an elder in Guiyuan Temple who is my father. I will stay with him these days. If anything happens to you,  Just send someone to Guiyuan Temple to find me!" When Chen Zaixing said this, he whispered the Buddhist name of a monk.  Zhou Jin nodded and took notes, then Chen Zaixing said goodbye and left.  When Chen Zaixing came out of Rongbaozhai, he drove back the rented carriage and took his entourage into a pawn shop. When he came out, he had changed into a blue gown that was 60% to 70% new. At a glance, he looked like a new man.  Loose Confucian scholars and their servants can be seen everywhere in Han Dynasty.  Chen Zaixing took his entourage to Guiyuan Temple, paid a visit to his father, and then found a quiet courtyard to live in, quietly waiting for news about Kong Zhang.  Chen Zaixing stayed in Guiyuan Temple for a few days when he heard someone coming to pay him a visit. When he came out, he saw that it was indeed Kong Zhang. Behind Kong Zhang was a fat man in black robes. When he looked closely, it was Liu Qingyang. He couldn't help but be overjoyed and hurried to grab it.  He stepped forward, grabbed Liu Qingyang's hand, and said with a smile: "Brother Liu can come today, I will definitely be able to get along with you when it comes to big things!" "Brother Chen, don't be anxious!" An awkward smile appeared on Liu Qingyang's face, and he took his hand out of Chen Zaixing's hand.  "I'm just here today to explore the situation. Whether things come true or not is still in limbo. Brother Chen had better not pay too much attention to it!" "Brother Liu, don't say anything!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile, "You do it.  We all know how big the business is. If you come here in person at this time of the year, who will believe it if you just say that you have a good relationship with Brother Kong and you can't let it go? " Chen Zaixing's voice!  As soon as they landed, Kong Zhang laughed out loud. He and Liu Qingyang were enemies. Not to mention friendship, they would have quarreled whenever they met. If Liu Qingyang wasn't very interested in the Myanmar monopoly,  , how could he come in person? He acted like that just now to increase his bargaining chip habitually, but Chen Zaixing revealed it all at once. Even with Liu Qingyang's shameless face, the old face couldn't help but  A little red, he could only smile shyly: "Brother Chen, please forgive me, it was just a certain family's habit, it was not intentional!" "It's okay!" Chen Zaixing waved his arm cheerfully and ordered to his entourage.  "You go and bring the tables and chairs, and boil the kettle of water. I want to have a good chat with you two gentlemen." "Yes, sir!" The attendant bowed his hands, turned around and went out. Chen Zaixing stretched out his hand and made an invitation.  He gestured and said with a smile: "Please come in, let's discuss important matters together!" The three of them sat down as guests and hosts. Chen Zaixing poured boiling water into the teacups of the three of them, scalded the cups, and said: "Brother Liu, in the palace,  The bottom line has been revealed. Ten years of exclusive rights, three million taels of treasury silver, and an additional 500,000 taels for flower envoys. Let me start with the ugly words. I gave the 3.5 million taels to the court.  After obtaining the exclusive right, it is still far from being turned into actual things. Brother Kong also spent a lot of money previously. There are a lot of things obtained from Burma, but  It's still too early to get back the money. I invited Brother Liu here today just for the money." Hearing this.Liu Qingyang didn't show any expression on his face as he took out the plates. He still looked indifferent. He gently tapped the edge of the coffee table twice with his knuckles and asked, "When will Brother Chen want it?"  "This money?" "The tenth of next month at the latest!" Liu Qingyang paused: "That means there are still twenty-one days to go, and we have to raise three and a half million taels of silver.  Come on!" Liu Qingyang looked up and looked directly into Chen Zaixing's eyes and asked, "But I don't know how many percent of the shares I can hold in this company if Houde Bank pays this money?"

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 104 Shunhua Company

    "So Brother Liu, are you willing to pay these 3.5 million taels?" Kong Zhang on the side asked with surprise and joy when he heard this.  Unlike Chen Zaixing, he has invested almost all his wealth, trust and life here. Although the new king of Myanmar has given Chen Zaixing and him a lot of benefits after the restoration of the country, he is still far from getting back the money he paid previously. If he wants to go back  It was impossible to ask for money from his family. He originally expected that Liu Qingyang would take this opportunity to make a big deal, and he would have to recoup a lot of the benefits he had received previously, but he did not expect that the other party would agree so happily.  What a surprise.  Liu Qingyang smiled and nodded: "Yes, I am willing to work hard to raise these 3.5 million taels, but in business negotiations, I also have two conditions. I hope Brother Chen can discuss it with the court and agree in advance!" "  Brother Liu, please tell me these two conditions first! " "First, these 3.5 million taels cannot be all in cash. Except for the soldiers' salaries, they must all be drafts from our Houde Bank.  Secondly, for this amount of money, it is best for me to have the right to recommend it." Hearing Liu Qingyang's request, Chen Zaixing frowned slightly and asked, "I understand the first condition, but the second condition is just that.  What does the right to recommend mentioned in the two conditions mean? "Liu Qingyang smiled and said: "Brother Chen, since the court wants to use this money for war, it will definitely spend it after getting it.  The rest of the military salary paid to the soldiers is to buy grain and cloth. Except for those who hire workers to buy arms, most of the things are produced in Jiangnan. What I mean is: since they all have to buy things anyway,  Why don't you just hand over these jobs to the shops that have dealings with my account? Firstly, all the money is in the account, just hand it over; secondly, let me make some small money! " Chen Zaixing is still a little confused!  , but Kong Zhang on the side had already understood, slapped his thigh fiercely, and praised: "Brother Liu has made a good calculation. With these 3.5 million taels, not only can he get a share of the monopoly rights, but Jiangnan has also  I don¡¯t know how many businesses have fallen into the hands of Houde Bank. It¡¯s really amazing!¡± ¡°Where is it!¡± Liu Qingyang laughed: ¡°I can¡¯t match Brother Kong¡¯s discernment. He spotted Brother Fusheng early.  If it succeeds, the century-old foundation of the Kong family will be established. I am just attached to the two Jiwei, so I can share the leftovers." At this point, Liu Qingyang bowed deeply to Chen Zaixing and said solemnly: "  Fusheng, if you can agree to these two requests of mine, the three and a half million taels will be given to me, Mr. Liu. Even if it is a matter for the franchise company, I can give in and let you make the decision!" Liu Qingyang!  There is a lot of knowledge among the two conditions. If the court agrees to his two requests, on the surface he will pay 3.5 million taels of silver, but in fact he will only issue a bill of exchange for 3.5 million taels of silver. The real  The money still remains in the bank of Houde Bank. Only when the person who wants to use the money takes the money order and uses it, does Houde Bank need to actually pay the money. The interest during this period belongs to the bank; and in this way  , the companies that receive military orders must be those related to Houde Bank, which invisibly deepens Houde Bank's control over these companies.  Over the years, Houde Bank's business in traditional areas such as Jiangnan, Fujian, and Guangdong has come to an end. It has become even more difficult to go further. Once the army enters Myanmar, it will invisibly become the pioneer of Houde Bank.  Another big profit was made here.  In this way, the money spent is very worthwhile.  Chen Zaixing was not a fool, but he was not as good as Kong and Liu, who dealt with money every day. He was deeply immersed in it. In a blink of an eye, he came around the corner and said with a smile: "Brother Liu is really good at calculating. Let's do it, you and me."  I will rush out a letter tonight and present it to the palace officials. What do you think?" Seeing Chen Zaixing nod, Liu Qingyang was overjoyed and said with a smile, "Of course everything is up to Mr. Chen's arrangement!"  So Chen Zaixing ordered his servants to get pens, inks, paper and inkstones, and the three of them gathered to discuss.  Five days later, the Royal Palace, Chongwen Pavilion.  "Sister Jiang, do you mean to sell this franchise to Shunhua Company?" Lin Wanqing sat in front of the case, with several documents placed in front of her. The top one was spread out.  Open it, and you can clearly see the words "Shunhua Company" under the light.  "Yes, sister, I have already seen the discounts presented. Judging from the comprehensive conditions, Shunhua Company is the best. Behind it are Jiangnan Houde Bank and Shandong Renyi Bank. Others  None of them can compare!" "Yeah!" Lin Wanqing nodded noncommittally, closed the top envelope and put it aside.  Jiang Qingyue, who was familiar with her, immediately understood what Lin Wanqing meant and whispered: "Mr. Liu, who is handling this matter, said that if it can be done at this time, he is willing to spend 150,000 taels of silver to make makeup money with his sister.  "Hearing this number, Lin Wanqing's face flashed with a wave of emotion, and he softened a little, then put the envelope again.? Go to the top: "Sister, Her Majesty the Queen Mother had already spoken in the Yanying Palace that day, saying that you would be the one to supervise this mission. I was too lazy to worry about it, but you must hold me back today.  Don't let go, sister, I can't interfere with the friendship between sisters, so I came to meddle in this nosy matter. To be honest, if you meddle in this matter, it will be easy for us to talk about it in the inner court, but if it is not done well, it will fall into the hands of Wang Xianggong in the outer court.  It¡¯s hard to say!¡± Jiang Qingyue said with a smile: ¡°What my sister said is true, and I don¡¯t hide it from my sister. There is someone behind this Shunhua Company. It is Mr. Chen Zaixing who was the first to work on the Burmese matter. He is sitting here.  The master is Wu Hanmin, the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou. My sister also knows that Mr. Wu is famous for his moral articles. If Ding You was not at home when the late emperor passed away, I am afraid that the bachelor of Wenyou Palace would not have fallen into the hands of Mr. Wang.  Well! Okay!" Lin Wanqing immediately understood what Jiang Qingyue meant. Among the many advantages of this dynasty's chief minister, Wang Qinian, did not include a broad mind. For Wu Hanmin, an old opponent who might threaten his status,  , it can be said that he has been on guard for a long time.  If the mission to Myanmar goes well this time, Wu Hanmin, the Yunnan-Guizhou military ration envoy, may take this opportunity to join the cabinet. Wang Qinian naturally does not want this to become a reality.  Now Wang Qinian will not know who is behind this company. No matter what he does, the inner court will be happy to see the results.  "When is the determined date?" Lin Wanqing casually placed the stack of documents on the stack of finished documents in the corner of the copywriting. This was a sign that she was about to end the conversation.  "In seven days, it will be the tenth of this month!" "In such a hurry?" Lin Wanqing frowned and asked in a low voice: "Be careful that the king of the outer court said in front of the Queen Mother that we acted in a hurry!" "That's exactly what we want to do!  Hurry up, otherwise the night will be long and you will have many dreams. Otherwise, if this matter falls into the hands of some big boss in the outer court, where will our sisters get their turn?" Jiang Qingyue said with a smile: "In front of the Queen Mother, my sister can say that the military situation is urgent, which is why it is so urgent.  !¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, the girl is still smart!¡± Lin Wanqing said with a smile: ¡°Finally got a win!¡± At this point, Lin Wanqing stood up and said with a smile: ¡°But Mr. Chen is really good at studying.  The business is all top-notch, so people have to be convinced!" Jiang Qingyue couldn't help but feel a little pain in her heart, but she pretended to be nonchalant and said with a smile: "The second place chosen by the late emperor is certainly amazing!" "God bless you!  In the 17th year of Chongzhen in the previous dynasty, Taizu of this dynasty entered Shaanxi and made Xi'an Xijing. The cabinet was renamed Tianyou Hall, and Niu Jinxing was appointed as the grand scholar of Tianyou Hall, that is, the prime minister.  When he entered Beijing in March, he changed the Huangji Hall into the Tianyou Hall.  Later, although the Han Dynasty was designated as the capital of Han Dynasty, the main hall in the palace was also named "Tianyou Hall". It was the official seat of the imperial court and was also known as the "Jinluan Hall" among the people.  According to China¡¯s political tradition since ancient times, this magnificent building is located on the central axis of the imperial palace. The palace faces north and south, with 9 rooms wide and 5 rooms deep, following the emperor¡¯s nine-five-room system.  It is built on the Xumizuo of blue and white stone, with a platform in front.  The imperial road connects with the corridor and runs directly through Ningshou Gate, surrounded by white marble railings.  There are steps on the left and right sides of the platform and on both sides of the corridor.  On both sides of the hall are hanging flower gates and viewing walls, which are connected to the east and west verandahs respectively, dividing the courtyard into front and rear entrances.  The roof of the veranda has double eaves with yellow glazed tiles, a verandah on the front eaves, and a gold-carved dragon or bird under the fang (quetail, a characteristic component of ancient Chinese architecture).  In the bright room, there are hall doors in the left and right rooms, and sill walls are built under the remaining rooms.  The back eaves and the second room were opened as the back door of the palace, which can reach the Ningshou Palace where the Queen Mother and the emperor who had not yet ascended the throne lived. The remaining rooms were built with walls.  There are four gold-plated dragon pillars in the hall, an octagonal gold-plated dragon caisson on the top, and a throne underneath.  The entire hall has a rigorous layout and austere bearing, symbolizing the solemnity and supremacy of the emperor's power.  Wang Qinian, Grand Scholar of Tianyou Hall and Pingzhang Army State Minister, was the first person standing on the right. As the head of the cabinet, he already knew the content of today's court meeting. This made him feel particularly uncomfortable. The trade monopoly with Myanmar  The matter of Zhiquan has come to an end. It is a company called Shunhua Company. It is said that the person behind this company is a disciple of Wu Hanmin, the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou. This may very well mean that he is a powerful enemy in the inner and outer court.  Already colluded.  Thinking of his political rival, Wang Qinian felt an indescribable feeling in his heart. After all, no matter how domineering the women in the inner court were, they could only stay in the palace and could not compete for his position as the head of the outer court; and that  Wu Hanmin is different. If he takes this opportunity to enter the center, it will be a big trouble.  "Ms. Wu, what do you think about taxation, borrowing, and the sale of Burma's monopoly rights?" A gentle female voice on the throne woke Wang Qinian out of his thoughts. He raised his head and saw  The emperor in his childhood was looking at him with curious eyes, and hurriedly said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, I have no objections!" "Yes!" Behind the curtain, the Queen Mother Deng nodded with satisfaction and looked at her with loving eyes.  The son who was already a little impatient on the throne in front said in a deep voice: "Since this is the case,So, that¡¯s it for today!  Immediately, the female officials standing on the left and right of Lord Dan loudly said in a clear voice: "Retreat from the court!"  " The ministers in the Tianyou Palace bowed to the Queen Mother and the Emperor on the throne, and said loudly: "I respectfully send Your Majesty back to the palace!  " Wang Qinian maintained his bowing posture. It took a while until the figures of the Queen and the Emperor had completely disappeared from the throne before he stood up straight and walked outside. He was as gloomy as ever in the deep city.  His expression made other ministers in the palace carefully move out of the way when he came over. When he returned home, he entered the study and sat down, took out a book of "Han Shu" and started reading.  A habit he had developed over the years. About half an hour later, a servant walked in carefully and bowed: "Master, Mr. Zhang, a member of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, wants to see you!  " " Missing!  "Wang Qinian's eyes still stayed on the page. "Yes, sir!"  "The servant was about to leave when Wang Qinian's voice came to his ears: "No matter who asked to see you today, they just said no, they only said that I felt unwell when I came back and had already fallen asleep!  "    "yes!  master!  " It should be said that Wang Qinian's personal integrity is still very clean. He has reached the pinnacle of his official career as a scholar-bureaucrat. He does not have any special hobbies in his personal life. He usually just studies at home after going to court, even when facing his close relatives.  He rarely used pretense and did not give undue care to his disciples. Apart from work matters, he rarely interacted with colleagues and students of the same age in private. This left in the heart of the late emperor a person who did not form any faction or party.  Although he had a good impression of being selfish, he left a bad reputation for being narrow-minded and unreasonable in the officialdom of Hanking. Of course, this reputation cannot be said to be completely unreasonable, but it was mostly spread by secretaries who were dissatisfied with him.  Rumors. ¡°Sir!  " A voice woke up the world that had been immersed in "Han Shu". He raised his head dissatisfiedly, and it was his old wife who came in. Wang Qinian threw the book on the desk and said coldly: "I'm not  Did you say that no one should disturb you while you are reading?  " "Hey, you don't even look at what time it is!  "Ms. Wang made a gesture behind her, and a maid carrying a warm basket came in and placed the food on the table nearby. Wang Qinian glanced at the clock beside him, and it turned out that it was already past lunch time.  Mrs. Wang was arranging the dishes and chopsticks while nagging: "Master, you are also a person who knows destiny. It is important to run errands for the emperor, but you can't ignore your own health!  " Seeing his old wife's thoughtfulness, Wang Qinian was a little apologetic, but it didn't show on his face: "It's not that I'm running errands for the emperor, I just forgot the time while reading. Just pay more attention next time.  "    "well!  Master, please don¡¯t hide it from me!  Wang made a gesture to ask the maid to retreat, and said in a low voice: "I have been married to you for decades, and I still don't know your temper."  When I came back like this, I hid in the study and saw no one. There must be something unpleasant happening in the court and I was keeping it in my heart.  " "Don't talk nonsense¡ª¡ª" "Okay, okay!  "Wang interrupted Wang Qinian's retort: ??"As a woman, I also know that these things are not what I should say. I just want to say one thing, you and I are both fifty people, and we don't have much land at home.  You don't have to live on these few salaries. If things don't go well in the court, it would be a blessing to have a glass of wine in your spare time back in the countryside and train your children!  "    "well!  "When Wang Qinian heard what his old wife said, he thought of the scenery of his hometown that he had not seen for many years, and also thought of the political opponents at home and abroad. Despite his strong temperament, he couldn't help but feel discouraged at this time, and sighed in a low voice: "Mo  I have said that the late emperor entrusted him with state affairs before his death, and I can only repay him with my life. Now that the emperor is young, and although the queen mother is virtuous, she is still a woman.  How can I retreat from the rapids and enjoy the joy of the forest and spring?  You will stay with me in Hanking for a few years. When the emperor is older and able to govern personally, I will resign. How about returning to my hometown together?  " Mrs. Wang saw her husband's rare display of weakness. Although she understood that most of what the other party said was not true, she still felt a warmth in her heart: "Well, you have also read the books of sages for decades. I want you to  This is the end of your career, and you won't be able to let it go.  Forget it, just stay in Hanking for a few years!  "While talking, Mrs. Wang had already served Wang Qinian rice, put a few chopsticks into his bowl, and said with a smile: "Master, this is your favorite steamed bacon with dried bamboo shoots. The dried bacon and bamboo shoots are the first ones.  A guest from my hometown brought this to me, please try it!  "    "Yes, Not Bad!  "Wang Qinian took a chopstick of bacon and put it into his mouth. A familiar salty taste penetrated his tongue. The unhappiness of the past few days seemed to disappear immediately. His slightly frowning brows relaxed. Wang Qinian, who was sitting beside him,  A smile appeared on Guiyuan Temple's face when he saw this. "Master Chen, this is my master's request."Letter from someone!  "A young man in green clothes carefully took out a letter from his arms and presented it with both hands. Chen Zaixing reached out to take the letter and said to the servant on the side: "Go get two taels of silver and sell this little brother some tea!  " "Don't dare!  The shopkeeper gave me instructions before the villain came, telling me to go back immediately after delivering it, without any further delay!  "    "oh?  Chen Zaixing glanced at the man in slight surprise, then casually took off the jade pendant from his waist and handed it over: "Okay, then you can take this back as a reply to the letter!"  " "Yes, sir!"  "The young man took the jade pendant with both hands, bowed, then turned and left. Kong Zhang on the side whispered: "I hope things go well!  "    "Um!  "Chen Zaixing nodded, his hands shaking when opening the letter. He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, tore open the envelope, took out the letter paper inside, and spread it out to take a look. At this time, the air in the room was almost solid. "  how?  "Kong Zhang's voice broke the silence. Chen Zaixing didn't answer. He closed his eyes suddenly, and tears suddenly slid down his cheeks. Liu Qingyang on the side saw this and quickly grabbed the letter paper. When he opened it, he saw that there were only fourteen Juanxiu handwriting on it.  : "Fortunately, the matter in Myanmar did not disgrace the mission, Mr. Chen did it well!"  " "It's done, it's finally done!"  "Excited cheers suddenly erupted in the quiet courtyard, causing the monks passing by to cast surprised looks. London, England. On the road beside the Thames River, pedestrians wearing black coats and black-brimmed woolen hats were hurriedly walking  As they walked, their breath immediately condensed into a layer of white mist in the cold air, and they became one. A newsboy was standing next to the bridge, loudly selling newspapers to the pedestrians passing by in the river.  The steel bow of a ship broke through the thin ice that had just formed on the river, revealing the filthy river water below. A black smoke column rose from the ship's chimney, causing the pedestrians on the bridge to cough violently.  , the factory area on the other side was full of countless chimneys, the sky was gray, and the whole of London was shrouded in a breathless fog. With a crisp ringing of bells, a black carriage came next to the bridge.  Stopped. The newspaper boy hurriedly leaned forward and shouted: "Sir, do you want a newspaper?"  The Times and the Daily Telegraph had Mr. Gladstone's speech in Parliament yesterday on the front page!  " "Bring me a copy of The Times and the Daily Telegraph!  "A hand wearing a deerskin glove stretched out from the carriage. Inside was a five-penny coin. The newsboy quickly put the newspaper into the other person's hand and felt for the money in his arms. "No!  "The arm retracted into the carriage again, and the carriage began to move forward. "Thank you, sir, God will bless you!  "The surprised newsboy carefully put the five-penny coin into his purse and began to sell newspapers loudly to the pedestrians. In the carriage, Belfort looked at the front page of The Times with great interest.  , Beside him, the Marquis of Salisbury was leaning against the back wall, closing his eyes and concentrating. "But the tolerance of civilized people is by no means weak, nor is it cowardice.  Great Britain will never seek war, but when war comes to us, we will never give in -, dear uncle," Balfour read this, suddenly turned his head and smiled at the Marquis of Salisbury.  : "I cannot but admit that Mr. Gladstone is superior to you in oratory ability; this speech is dignified and stylish, just to the taste of my colleagues in the House of Commons!  "The Marquis of Salisbury opened his eyes: "My Belfort, in this sad world, major problems cannot be solved by discussion and majority vote, but by a struggle, an iron fight.  The fight with blood.  " "I understand, I understand!  Balfour replied with a smile: "The last time you met with Mr. Bismarck, I was two feet behind you. But I think Mr. Gladstone also understood this, so he asked in Parliament to pass the issuance of additional national debt."  and a temporary tax, and plans to move troops from South Africa and India to Burma!  I think he will win in the end.  " "No, it's not, but the empire will win!  "The Marquis of Salisbury retorted. He moved his fat body with great effort to make himself sit more comfortably. "Then what's the difference?  After all, he is now the Prime Minister of Great Britain!  "    "Yes!  "The Marquis of Salisbury replied in a low voice: "But there is an ice floe under his feet, an ice floe that is making a dangerous creaking sound!  " Balfour's face became serious. He put the newspaper in his hand back on his knee and asked: "You mean Gladstone will only be a short-lived cabinet prime minister?  "    "Yes!  "The Marquis of Salisbury replied: "He was able to come to power not because of the strength of his party, but because of the split of my party. Based on this alone, he will not be able to stay on the 10th."??, that great Liberal Party no longer exists.  In two months, or at the most three months, Mr. Gladstone would move out.  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 105: Transformation

    Balfour did not answer, and began to carefully taste the meaning of the Marquis of Salisbury's words.  Throughout most of the nineteenth century, British politics was governed alternately by the Conservatives and the Liberals, with the Marquess of Salisbury and Gladstone as the leaders of these two parties respectively.  In the first half of the 19th century, when the monopoly of British industry was still maintained, British workers still enjoyed some benefits to a certain extent. As a result, the East End of London (the area where the working class lived at that time) and Manchester  The workers' district of St. Petersburg became a loyal vote bank for the Liberal Party. It was also with the support of workers that the industrial capitalists were able to overwhelm the landed aristocrats and bankers in Parliament and achieve the 1831 parliamentary reform (led by the then Whig Prime Minister).  Gray and Deputy Prime Minister Russell introduced an electoral law reform bill in Parliament. The new bill modified the setting of constituencies, added seats to populous industrial cities, and changed the property qualification restrictions for elections, thus increasing the number of capitalists in Parliament.  seats).  After this, England's capitalists had completely overwhelmed the landed aristocracy in Parliament.  After the subsequent abolition of the "Corn Laws", the British industrial bourgeoisie not only defeated the large landowners, but also defeated those capitalists whose interests were consistent with or closely related to the large estates, that is, bankers, exchange brokers, food and beverages, etc.  Those who benefit.  "Free trade" became the common voice of the entire Anglo-Saxon nation, and all internal and external trade and fiscal policies of the British Empire were completely reformed to adapt to the needs of the industrial capitalists, the class that now represented the country.  Benefit.  This class then set into action, every obstacle to industrial production was ruthlessly abolished, tariff rates and the entire tax system were fundamentally reformed, and everything was subordinated to one purpose, namely, in the eyes of the industrial capitalists  The most important point is to lower the prices of various raw materials, especially all necessities of life for the working class, reduce the cost of raw materials and lower wages.  Britain should become the "world's factory" and other countries, like poor Ireland, should become the sales market for British industrial products and at the same time a supplier of food and raw materials.  What a prospect that Great Britain was the great industrial center of the agricultural world, the sun of industry, with a growing number of cereal and cotton-producing satellites orbiting it!  But as the axis of time gradually moves towards the end of the 19th century, this beautiful picture begins to appear ominous.  After the crisis of 1866, there was only a brief and weak industrial and commercial upsurge around 1873, but this upsurge did not last.  It is true that the complete crisis did not come when it should have come, but since 1876 all the important branches of industry in England have been in a state of constant silence.  There was neither complete bankruptcy nor the prosperous period of industry and commerce that people expected before and after the bankruptcy.  In the face of lifeless depression and frequent oversaturation in all markets in all walks of life, the temporary honeymoon period between the working class and the industrial bourgeoisie naturally ends, and workers no longer vote for the Liberal Party.  But their own party - the Labor Party.  The fundamental reason for this phenomenon is that the monopoly of British industry in the world economy has been broken. When more and more industrial products are emerging from factories in the Old and New Worlds, British industry can no longer maintain its original status with free trade.  There is no share, let alone continued growth, so the cornerstone of the Liberal Party's governance has been loosened.  "You are right, uncle!" Belfort sighed, and turned his eyes to the groups of people walking outside in the cold wind: "The time when Great Britain gained huge operating profits from international trade has passed. It can almost  "Britain is entering a state of stagnation!" The Marquis of Salisbury did not comment on Balfour's words. The carriage remained silent, and only the sound of horse hooves and bells could be heard.  After about half an hour, Balfour suddenly asked: "Uncle, what are you going to do now?" "Lead my party to win the election again!" The Marquis of Salisbury replied: "This time I will stand firmly on my feet.  "What about Burma?" The Marquis of Salisbury frowned and replied, "Dear Balfour, we have more important things to deal with."  , such as Ireland and South Africa. The reason why I am so eager to replace Mr. Grayston is not because of greed for power, but to prevent his reckless actions from causing irreparable losses to the empire, just like Alcibes.  Just like Germany destroyed his motherland for his personal ambitions (Alcibiades was an Athenian democratic politician during the Peloponnesian War. He incited the Athenian people to launch an expedition to Sicily for his personal ambitions. The purpose of this expedition was  The failure finally led to Athens' defeat in the Peloponnesian War) "Uncle, maybe you are right, but we can't abandon Burma! This will cause irreparable damage to the empire's prestige!"  ! ¡±   "Belfort, I don't understand why you care so much about Myanmar. Maybe you saw something there that we didn't see here!" The Marquis of Salisbury replied seriously: "But you have to be careful  Keep one thing in mind, the existence of the British Empire depended on two things: first, the absence of a hegemon on the European continent and the internationalization of the ports in the Low Countries; second, the smooth sea connections between the empire's mainland and its colonies.  In addition, the empire can make compromises on other issues. On the Burmese issue, a decent peace is more beneficial to the empire than a protracted war. " Balfour was finally convinced by the eloquence of the Marquis of Salisbury.  Convinced, he shrugged his shoulders and replied with a smile: "The Chinese should be lucky to have met such a rational prime minister like you." "Everything is for the benefit of the empire. It is important for us to be harmonious and trade with the empire.  This is related to the work of hundreds of thousands of imperial subjects and profits of tens of millions of pounds every year. Peace is more beneficial to us than war!" The Marquis of Salisbury's words were interrupted by a crisp ringing outside the carriage. This was the arrival of the enemy.  As a signal from the Palace of Westminster, he gently knocked on the door twice with his cane and continued: "Of course, the Shun Empire is too powerful in East Asia and has broken the regional balance. In view of this, we should sign a contract with the Japanese  contract to check and balance the Chinese!" Balfour quickly stood up, reached out to hold the Marquis of Salisbury's arm, and said with a smile: "Uncle, last time I went to Japan, I invited Japan to send a  When the delegation comes to London, we can have preliminary discussions with them on this matter!" "Very good!" A smile appeared on the Marquis of Salisbury's face, like an old fox: "What do I want to do?  Regarding their neighbors on the mainland, there are many common topics between the leaders of the two island countries. However, Balfour, what do you think of Japan? " "As you just said, Japan, like Great Britain, is the same.  It is an island country. The sea not only separates them from the Chinese on the East Asian continent, but also protects them. Therefore, they have maintained their dominant position in history, but other ethnic groups on the East Asian continent cannot do so.  But there are also big differences between Japan and us. Historically, their navy has been very weak, and there are no good coal mines and iron mines on their territory. This is very detrimental to the development of industry.  ¡ª¡ª" Belfort lowered his voice: "Japan's population is very dense. When I was in Tokyo, I noticed that their houses are very dense, and a large number of people are constantly coming from the countryside. This is very important to their rulers.  A huge burden. And their resources are very scarce. If they want to build a navy and army that can compete with the Chinese, I doubt that their people will revolutionize because they cannot bear this burden.  "Revolution?" The Marquis of Salisbury stopped. He turned and looked at Balfour: "According to what I learned from businessmen and naval officers who have been to Japan, the Japanese are very loyal to them."  The king's, many people would cut open their stomachs to apologize to the king after failing.  " "No, no, that's just on the surface!  Balfour replied: "From my experience with Japanese politicians and big businessmen, the higher the status of the Japanese, the more indifferent they are to the respect of their king - no, it should be said that it is superficial. They  They just use their king as a cover to prove the legitimacy of their power.  The country is controlled by a small group of chaebols consisting of no more than a thousand people. They use their relationship with the government to control the most profitable businesses in their own hands, such as the export of raw silk, shipbuilding, transportation, etc.  , in these businesses, the state gave them exclusive rights or high subsidies, and they accumulated astonishing wealth. The richest among them can even be compared with the large factory owners in London.  On the other hand, the life of the Japanese people is much more embarrassing. If a farmer has more than two children, the younger brother must leave home when he is thirteen or fourteen years old. If it is a daughter, he will either go to the city to work as a maid or go to Southeast Asia to work as a prostitute.  Only in this way can the family's economy be maintained.  Although I was not there for a long time, I can still feel the hatred of ordinary people towards these rich people. Maybe they dare not directly hate the king, but this does not mean that they do not hate those who really manipulate the power to make a fortune.  Politicians and businessmen!  " "I think what you said is closer to the truth, Belfort!  The Marquis of Salisbury nodded: "Just like the British peasants in the Middle Ages, they may not dare to attack the king directly, but they don't mind hanging the hateful king's favorites."  It seems that things are not so good in this country.  Let us imagine what poor Great Britain would look like now without the existence of the New World!  " Belfort shrugged: "I don't know, but fortunately we don't need to know!  "    "well said!  ???The Marquis of Salisbury: "But this is not necessarily a bad thing for Great Britain. In this way, once they set foot on the path we have marked for them, they don't have to worry about them stopping, and internal conflicts will arise.  Force them to fight to the death with the Chinese, and once we don't need them, the heavy debt will crush them to death!" "Yes!" Balfour said in a rare move.  They made an obscene joke: "When we catch the 'ball' below them, we can also control what the 'ball' above them thinks!" Almost at the same time, the two laughed knowingly at the same time.

 Volume 3: Wind in the South Chapter 106 Railway

    While the Marquess of Salisbury and Councilor Balfour were discussing how to manage the overall situation of East Asia thousands of miles away, the people in Mandalay were immersed in joy.  Those who were still worried about their choice to join the new king have begun to rejoice in their foresight. Many nobles and monks have begun to find ways to establish relationships with the people around the two majesties. Everyone knows that according to Myanmar  It is an ancient tradition that after every struggle for the throne, a group of unlucky people who join the losing side will lose their manors and village communities, and part of this huge wealth will be confiscated by the king and become the king's property.  Wealth, and the remaining part will be distributed to ministers who have made achievements in the struggle or the king's favorites.  Although these nobles and monks did not make any achievements in the war against rebellion, this did not hinder their greedy appetite for wealth.  But what disappoints them is that the gates of the palaces of their two majesties are always closed these days. Except for the few monks and officials who teach for them, all other seekers are refused entry. If it were in the past, these statuses would  The noble nobles can always come up with some solutions. After all, even the king cannot do without the support of the nobles.  However, this rebellion changed the old situation. His two majesty's restoration nobles did not contribute much, and naturally they had no say. More importantly, the newly established new army was almost completely independent.  It was trained by the shun officer for him, so it was difficult for the nobles to intervene like in the past, so naturally the nobles had no say.  Therefore, the more sensitive nobles in Mandalay City all have a strange feeling, as if the Myanmar they were familiar with no longer exists.  In the palace, after these days of renovation, the traces left by the mutiny nine months ago have disappeared. The teak floor on the ground is bright and discernible. Luo Lin is sitting on the throne, and the gorgeous golden crown reflects dazzling light under the light.  , like a god.  It is hard to imagine that just ** months ago, the girl on the throne was still a captive who lived in fear all day long, which made people lament the ever-changing nature of the world.  "Foreign Minister Chen Zaixing pays homage to Her Majesty the Princess Regent!" Chen Zaixing was dressed in a long robe and stood six or seven steps away from the throne.  Chen Zaixing returned to Mandalay with the second batch of troops entering Myanmar. Now the total number of Myanmar troops has increased to about 8,000, and the road from Mandalay to Lashio has been completely built.  , so that there would be no situation like in the past when the roads on both sides were cut off during the rainy season. "Show me your seat, Mr. Chen!" Luo Lin on the throne ordered. An attendant brought a brocade pier. After Chen Zaixing thanked him, he sat down.  This time I asked to see Luo Lin as soon as I returned to Myanmar, but it was for an important matter.  "Your Majesty, the eldest princess, the foreign minister came here this time, but there is one thing that he wants to ask your majesty for permission!" "Master Chen, please tell me!" "Did your majesty, the eldest princess, know that after the British were frustrated in Bagan, the wolf  The emperor's heart is still strong, and the country's leader has dismissed the prime minister, issued debts, and marched to prepare for another battle. " "I have heard about it!" Luo Lin's expression was very calm: "The country's soldiers are weak, and the country has to send troops to suppress it.  "That's natural. It's just that the roads between the two countries are rugged and the movement of military resources is not as convenient as the British ships. If the two countries fight, it will be very disadvantageous for the foreign ministers in Dashun.  I dare you to grant your Majesty the authority to build the road." "Road?" Luo Lin asked doubtfully: "Isn't there already a road from Larong to Shangguo?  Let me discuss it, is there anyone who objects? " "Your Majesty, I'm not talking about ordinary roads, but railways!" "Railway?" Luo Lin had a confused look on her face. It was obvious that she didn't understand Chen Zaixing.  What is said in the mouth.  "Yes, it's the railway," Chen Zaixing said, turning back and clapped his hands twice, and two attendants carrying wooden boxes walked in from outside the hall.  The two followers put down the wooden box and opened it. Inside, there was a small section of miniature railway track. There was a train model on the track. Chen Zaixing pushed the train model with his hands and explained: "This is the railway track. The front of the train is powered by a steam engine."  It can drive dozens of carriages at a time, load tens of thousands of stones of goods, and travel hundreds of miles a day, which is ten thousand times better than oxen and horses. Weichen plans to build a railway from Kunming to Mandalay to connect the mountains and rivers between the two countries.  , No more barrier!" Luo Lin was stunned by Chen Zaixing's words. She hesitantly reached out and touched the train model and the rails. The cold and hard touch of steel left a deep impression on her.  After a while, Luo Lin asked in disbelief: "Mr. Chen, is this railway really made of fine iron? How much iron does it take to go from Mandalay to Kunming?" "Yes, although not  All are made of fine iron, but it¡¯s almost enough!¡± Chen Zaixing nodded slightly: ¡°It will naturally cost a lot, but the use is also great. If this is done, it will have a hundred-year effect. If the British have a plan, follow it.Tomorrow we will reach Mandalay in just a few days' journey, and your Majesty will be at peace with Mount Tai.  " Luo Lin was stunned by Chen Zaixing's grand plan. She stammered and replied, "Master Chen, with so much fine iron, even if the empire is rich, it may not be able to afford it in a short while, right?  " "Your Majesty doesn't know something. Although this railway costs a lot, it is not just about spending money.  "Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "Dashun already has railways between Hanjing and Jinling Prefecture, Jinling Prefecture and Youzhou Prefecture, and there are also several railways under construction in other places.  The railways that have been built make a huge profit every year, after deducting the cost from the fares for transporting freighters.  Myanmar is rich in products. There are hundreds of thousands of business travelers traveling between Mandalay and Kunming, Myitkyina and Tengchong every year. If the railway is built, it will be of great benefit to the people!  " When Luo Lin heard this, he couldn't help but become interested, and asked: "How much money does it cost to build a railway from Kunming to Mandalay?  " "The foreign minister has not calculated it yet, but it should be no less than five million taels of silver!  "    "so much?  Luo Lin was immediately frightened by this astonishing figure: "How can we use so much money? Mr. Chen is joking, right?"  "She is now considered half the head of Myanmar, and is no longer as ignorant of the national economy and people's livelihood as she was in the past. Now the financial and tax revenue of the Royal Government of Myanmar is almost zero. It is not enough to use all the income from the king's territory to support the new army.  Where is there such a huge amount of money left to build the railway? ¡°Of course I¡¯m not kidding!  What the Foreign Minister means is to ask His Majesty to give the Foreign Minister the right to build the Myanmar Railway, so that the Foreign Minister can use this as a basis to return to Dashun to raise capital and build this railway with private capital.  Your Majesty can also convert the road construction rights into equity and obtain income from future railway operations. Wouldn't it be a double benefit?  "Chen Zaixing finally revealed his real purpose at this time. Although he now owns 20% of the shares of Shunhua Company in his name, he is also the chairman of the board of directors with the exclusive right to trade between Shunhua and Myanmar.  , but all this is just a castle in the air. After all, the war in Myanmar has not subsided for a day, and no one will do business for a day, so the natural monopoly is of no use; not to mention that if the war is lost in the future, Myanmar will become a British colony.  I'm afraid that even Chen Zaixing's property in Myanmar will be confiscated, and this exclusive right will be a piece of waste paper. And if the threat from the British no longer exists, the eldest princess may not be as harsh on herself as she is now.  It will be much more troublesome to do anything at that time, so it is better to take advantage of all the benefits now to avoid the other party regretting it in the future. "Sir, I am afraid that I cannot make the decision alone.  You have to go through the elders of the Privy Council!  Luo Lin had a hesitant expression on his face. Seeing this, Chen Zaixing hurriedly struck the railway while it was hot: "Your Majesty, everything is not going well for you now. The biggest trouble is that you have no money and cannot raise troops. If you are willing to give the power of the railway to foreign ministers,  , the foreign minister is willing to let Shunhua Company pay 200,000 taels of silver to serve His Majesty!  " "Shunhua Company?  Two hundred thousand taels of silver?  " Luo Lin was stunned when he heard this. Upon seeing this, Chen Zaixing hurriedly told Luo Lin that Shunhua Company had obtained the exclusive right to trade with Myanmar and that he was its major shareholder. After hearing this, Luo Lin laughed and said: "I would say  Why does Mr. Chen care so much about the railway? I see, so be it, the two hundred thousand taels of silver will be waived. As long as there is no problem with the Privy Council, there will naturally be no problem with me.  " Chen Zaixing was overjoyed when he heard this. Most of the people in the Privy Council had chosen to go in before. As long as he used coercion and inducement, there should be no problem. His hard work these days has finally been paid off. He was about to leave and leave.  In the morning, Guo Quan and Liu Zhixing had laid out all aspects of the railway construction rights. However, they heard a burst of noisy voices from outside. It seemed that there were hundreds of people outside. Chen Zaixing couldn't help being stunned and asked: "Your Majesty  ,How is this going?  " "It must be that group of nobles who are petitioning again!  Luo Lin blushed slightly: "Master Chen doesn't know. Since the British were repulsed, many nobles and monks have fled to Mandalay, saying that their manors were attacked by bandits and the peasants have fled. Asking  The royal government issued a proclamation to arrest the fleeing peasants. Some even said that their slaves had fled to serve as soldiers in the new army, and demanded compensation for their losses.  "    "I see!  "Chen Zaixing nodded. It turns out that at that time, most farmers in Myanmar did not have complete personal freedom, and there was still a certain degree of personal dependence between them and the lords. When the king awarded land to the nobles, he often rewarded it together with the village communities on the land.  , and when the nobles received land and peasants, they were also obliged to lead their own military retinues to join the king's army. However, by the second half of the nineteenth century, this old system had gradually collapsed, and in the commodity economies such as Mandalay and Yangon.  The more enlightened nobles and monasteries in the more prosperous cities have begun to divide the land into small plots for free farmers to cultivate in order to obtain real land rent. However, in most underdeveloped areas, semi-serf village communities still have an absolute advantage.Especially during this civil war, a large number of farmers fled from the village communities, and the old aristocratic manor economy, which lost its labor force, fell into bankruptcy.  Seeing Chen Zaixing lost in his thoughts, Luo Lin asked in a low voice: "Mr. Chen, how do you think this matter should be handled?" "Your Majesty, among foreign ministers, this is a good thing!" "A good thing?" Luo Lin  Lin opened his eyes wide and asked: "How is this a good thing? The nobles are the cornerstone of the kingdom. Without the farmers on their manor, who will cultivate it? No one will cultivate it, and where will the food come from?" "Your Majesty, the eldest princess, are you here?  I Dashun, a saint once said, 'The way to govern is to follow the general trend and never go against the trend!' Looking at the situation in Myanmar today, if I want to capture all the peasants who have fled the village and bring them back to the manor, let them become nobles!  Farming is difficult and difficult, and you get half the result with twice the effort. It¡¯s better to just go with the flow!¡± Luo Lin¡¯s eyes widened in surprise: ¡°Go with the flow, Mr. Chen, do you want to recognize the free status of farmers?  How can this be done? " "What's wrong with this? Princess, you have also been to Dashun. You should know that farmers in Dashun can own their own land and do not need permission from the master to leave their hometown!" "Dashun is!  Dashun, Burma is Burma. If I really issue this announcement, all the nobles and monasteries will turn against me within three days!¡± ¡°Of course I am not asking you to directly declare that all farmers are free.  It can be announced that peasants can use a sum of money to buy the land they farm from their lords, so that peasants can be free and nobles can be compensated. Isn't it the best of both worlds? For example, for the peasants in the new army, you can use the king's name  In order to compensate the nobles, the money can be deducted from the salary of the new army soldiers!" "I have never thought of this method, but what are the benefits?" "Your Majesty, think about it, if you  Issue a notice in accordance with the requirements of the nobles and force the peasants to return to their lord's manor. I am afraid that most of the peasants will flee into the woods and become thieves. The nobles' land will still be uncultivated. Instead, you will have to eliminate many soldiers to capture these thieves.  It means there is no benefit to either side. If you announce that farmers can use money to redeem their land, then the land will be cultivated, the nobles will be compensated accordingly, and there will be fewer thieves on the road. Wouldn't this be the best of both worlds? " Luo  Lin frowned and asked: "But will the nobles agree to this? Land and farmers have belonged to the nobles for thousands of years. Will they agree to let farmers use money to buy land? Besides, those farmers are extremely poor.  Where is the money to buy land? " "Of course there are nobles who are unwilling, but the current situation is like this. You also know who helped General Batu defeat the British in Bagan. Now  There are already thousands of free peasants in Central Myanmar attacking the nobles' estates and using force to divide the nobles' land and wealth. They have guns and are organized. They cannot be solved by force alone. Your new law is not that.  To declare that the peasants are free is only to admit a reality that has already happened. If the nobles must reject your proposal, it will be to drive all the thousands of peasants under the banner of Song Can and leave them to themselves.  Go deal with Song Shen and his team.  As for the farmers who have no money, they can ask the royal government or the nobles to lend money to the farmers, so that the nobles can also get an interest income.  I believe there are sensible people among the nobles. As long as you make a little comparison, they will support your decision!  " Luo Lin became silent after hearing this. Chen Zaixing's suggestion was completely beyond her imagination. Seeing her appearance, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but sigh secretly. Compared with the burden on his shoulders, this girl's  The shoulders are really too immature, but now Myanmar can no longer be closed to a corner of the Southeast Asian peninsula as it was in the past thousands of years. Various forces from the sea and the mainland are competing on her land. If this ancient  If the kingdom cannot be reborn in the change, a very tragic fate awaits her. ¡°Your Majesty, Princess!  The foreign minister had to go to see Mr. Zao, so he resigned first!  "Chen Zaixing stood up and bowed slightly to Luo Lin. After a moment of hesitation, he whispered: "For a king, millions of self-sufficient farmers are more suitable to be the cornerstone of the kingdom than thousands of powerful nobles!  " "Master Chen!  "Luo Lin stood up in surprise, looked at Chen Zaixing's leaving back, and chewed on the last words Chen Zaixing said to him, with mixed feelings in his heart. Compared to this man, how shallow and naive he is.  ! Chen Zaixing was sitting in a sedan chair. Outside were groups of pedestrians in different colors. Monks passed by from time to time. Ordinary citizens on the roadside hurriedly knelt on the ground to salute. At this time, his thoughts were like the ups and downs of the sedan chair beneath him.  The coup that happened here in April this year was like a slap in the face of this ancient country of Myanmar.The whip on his chest made him run wildly like a frightened elephant, and everything that had been stagnant for thousands of years began to flow. As an outsider, Chen Zaixing vaguely felt all this, but the vast majority of people in this country  People may not feel it. They just follow their own instincts and habits and move along the old path ignorantly, wanting to return to their past position and continue their past life.  But an unknown and powerful force is constantly pushing the wheel of fate. In the face of this powerful and ruthless force, whether it is the power of the king, the arrogant nobles, the devout monks, or the numerous people, they all appear to be so.  It is so weak that any person or organization that stands in its path will be shattered into pieces.  "Alas!" Chen Zaixing sighed. At this time, he suddenly felt a kind of fear. Will everything he pursues be in vain in the end?  "After all, compared to that kind of hidden power, a person's power is so weak. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but bow his head humbly. India, Calcutta. This city founded by British colonists is located in the Indian subcontinent.  Calcutta has a history of 185 years since the colonists established Fort William in 1700. After gradually conquering the entire Indian subcontinent, Calcutta has a history of 185 years.  The Viceroyalty of India was located here, and Calcutta became the fortress, political and trade center and paradise of the British in the subcontinent. ¡°Turn left!  " With the loud voice of the chief mate, the second-class cruiser "Southampton", a behemoth with a displacement of 7,300 tons, turned its bow and sailed into the Hooghly River at a slow speed of five knots. Calcutta is located on this tributary of the Ganges.  On the east bank of the river, from the towering bridge of the "Southampton", you can clearly see a towering mid-eighteenth-century style castle overlooking the river bank. That is New Fort William - the British Empire's control of India.  Symbol. Robert Clive, the conqueror of Bengal, built this castle in the evening, and the afterglow of the sun that was about to set on the horizon shone on the white surface of Fort William.  The marble is dyed pink, making it even more dazzling. ¡°Captain Alexander, this is such a beautiful city, it can be compared with Paris!  "On the bridge of the "Southampton", a British officer about thirty-five years old pointed in the direction of Fort William and praised loudly. His skin had been tanned by the hot African sun and turned into a Numidian marble.  His face is sallow, but his strong nose and sunken eyes, especially the perseverance and arrogance between his eyebrows, tell people that this is a real John Bull. He is Huo who has just been appointed and sent to command the war in Burma.  Colonel Rayshaw Herbert Kitchener, future Field Marshal, Earl of Khartoum and founder of the concentration camp system, certainly had not yet achieved the fame or notoriety he would later gain from the Sudan and South Africa (depending on the situation).  (from a British or Boer perspective), but at that time he had served in the Imperial Army for more than fifteen years, but he was different from his fellow officers who spent their main energy on horse racing and dancing.  , although Colonel Kitchener comes from a family of military officers, he majored in military engineering. Since joining the French army as a volunteer to participate in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, he has traveled all over Africa and Asia in the past fifteen years, showing his outstanding performance.  Just a year ago, as an intelligence adjutant, he participated in Garnett Joseph Wolseley's military operation to rescue Charles George Gordon who was surrounded by the Sudanese rebels.  By then, Gordon had already died, but his outstanding performance also won unanimous recognition from his superiors. After Grayston came to power, he appointed him as the supreme commander of the Burma Expeditionary Force. "Your Majesty, Colonel, what you are seeing is only Calcutta.  On the one hand, that is the 'White City'. If you wait another five minutes until the boat rounds the bend in the front and sees the 'Black City' behind it, I think you might take back what you just said.  " " Black city?  " "Yes, those are Indian settlements!  how to say?  Those Indians live like mice and die like mice!  "The captain of the "Southampton" saw his guest showing a puzzled expression, and carefully explained to him that it turned out that the urban area near Fort William they just saw on the ship was a British settlement.  Commonly known as the "White City" to distinguish it from the "Black City" where Indians live, this small city is located on high ground and has a good drainage system, which is great for Kolkata, which has a tropical monsoon climate and is flat and low-lying.  Crucially, there are a large number of public buildings, which naturally look very spectacular. However, the "black city" where Indians live is far less wonderful. A large number of people live in temporary shacks with no corresponding public facilities at all.  Once it rains heavily, the low-lying "black city" will be flooded in large areas, and the lack of drainage facilities will lead to large areas of water accumulation in tropical climates.Calcutta at this time is naturally a hotspot for various tropical infectious diseases, so the average life expectancy and death rate in the Indian inhabited areas of Calcutta range from alarmingly low to alarmingly high, without a large number of bankrupt Indian farmers from the surrounding areas moving in to supplement the situation.  , it is difficult to imagine the rapid growth of the local population.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 107 Kitchener

    While the captain was explaining, the "Southampton" had already sailed through the bend of the river, and a large Indian settlement appeared in front of Kitchener. As Captain Alexander said, this place was in stark contrast to the white area he just saw.  In contrast, the orderly streets and majestic and sturdy houses have disappeared, replaced by a large number of simple shacks and temporary wooden houses, which are all made of easily available materials such as mud, wood, thatch, etc.  .  Thick smoke rose in the sky above the Black City District. This was the smoke rising from the residents cooking their own dinner. From a distance, the entire Black City District looked like a huge beehive, making an indescribable noise.  "My God, even the most barbaric black tribe in Sudan is more orderly than here!" Kitchener showed a surprised expression. Even though his footprints have spread all over the most barbaric corners of Africa, he has never seen it before.  Such a scene: "They live so densely that they can barely put a foot in. What if a disaster occurs, such as a house burning?" "No, no, maybe in the eyes of outsiders like us, this  There are no gaps in the city, but it is actually orderly. ""Orderly?" "Yes, Indians are a nation that attaches great importance to internal order. Maybe in your opinion, everything is orderly.  Indians are all the same, but in fact the gap between them is much larger than between you and an Irish worker in the East End of London. You know, if you are lucky, a poor Irishman may be in two or three generations.  Making a fortune at home allows his descendants to enter the parliament through marriage; but the Indians are different. Everyone's life is decided the moment he is born. The son of a farmer can only be a farmer, and the son of a judge can only be a farmer.  "Can it be a judge?" "Well, I have heard of this wonderful system, but what does it have to do with the order of the Black City?" "Don't you understand that maybe this city is disorderly in your opinion?  , but in fact every Indian here lives in his own area. Once a fire breaks out, they will act according to their own status. Some people may die, but it will not spread too much!  It has been proven by many water and fire disasters in the past!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Kitchener shook his head: ¡°Anyway, I have enough time to get to know these Indians, but I want to ask you a question.  , how do you know so much about this place!" The smile on the captain's face disappeared immediately: "It's very simple, I have a younger brother who is serving in the Indian army. He told me all this just three months ago.  , he died in Burma!" "I'm sorry, I didn't know¡ª¡ª" Kitchener had a look of astonishment on his face.  "Colonel, you don't have to apologize to me!" The captain interrupted Kitchener's apology: "He was a soldier and died on the battlefield. This is honorable!" Perhaps to cover up something, the captain's face turned to another person.  One side: "Your Majesty, Major, I heard that you are about to become the commander of the expeditionary force. I hope you will not let my brother's blood flow on a foreign land!" "Your Majesty, Captain!" Colonel Kitchener's voice suddenly became high-pitched.  Get up: "The flag of Britain will never retreat!" Colonel Kitchener quickly jumped onto the traffic boat. Behind him, the huge "Southampton" had anchored. Under the dusk, the man who had not long ago  The captain, who had just lost his brother, was standing at the bow of the ship, seemingly seeing off Kitchener.  At his feet, the "holy river" (the Ganges, which means holy river in Sanskrit) flows just as it has for hundreds of thousands of years. This river originates from the southern foothills of the Himalayas.  The gentle, wide channels cut through the northern plains of India, making it one of the most fertile and densely populated regions in the world, and even now a cornerstone of the British Empire.  On the bank of the river not far away, a dozen Indians were lying naked and standing in the water, letting the cold river water wash over their bodies. From time to time, they would hold a handful of river water and pour it down on their heads, praying piously.  Kneeling down to him, melodious singing sounded in the air. For a moment, Kitchener seemed to feel that time had stopped and he suddenly returned to thousands of years ago.  "Please get in the car, Colonel Kitchener, the Governor is waiting for you in the Government House!" An Indian with a black cloth covering his head and wearing Western clothes said to Kitchener in proficient English.  Kitchener nodded reservedly and stepped onto the carriage.  The Indian servant turned around and shouted loudly to the coachman in the local language, and the carriage started.  On the carriage, Kitchener opened a briefcase he carried with him, took out a stack of detailed maps, a ruler and a pencil, and began to calculate and write.  In the Governor's Palace, an old man with gray hair was sitting at the desk. He was Frederick Temple Hamilton Temple Blackwood, the then Governor-General of India and Earl of Dufferin.  As a diplomat of the older generation, he contributed to the establishment of several autonomous territories such as Canada.He made great contributions and was awarded the title of earl in 1871.  When he heard the rapid footsteps outside the door, he was about to stand up when the heavy door was pushed open. Kitchener walked in, took off his hat and bowed to him: "Governor-General  Your Excellency, I am Colonel Kitchener. I am here under orders from London to direct the war against Burma. Your Excellency, please forgive my rudeness. After staying in Africa for a long time, I have forgotten how to be a gentleman.  "I have received the order from London! Don't worry about it, Colonel Kitchener. Courage is also an important quality for a gentleman." Earl Dufferin gestured for the other party to sit down: "What do you prefer, tea or coffee?"  , or rum, or something else? " "It would be great if there was Monaco coffee!" Kitchener sat on a wheel chair opposite the desk: "I already liked this kind of thing when I was in Egypt."  "A cup of Monaco coffee and a cup of black tea, thank you!" Earl Dufferin nodded to the servant beside him. The servant bowed to the Earl politely and walked out quickly, holding a tray after a moment.  He came in, placed coffee, black tea, sugar and refreshments on the coffee table between the two of them, then pushed them out the door and closed the door. The whole process happened quickly and silently, like a silent movie.  "Colonel, let's talk about things in Myanmar now!" Earl Dufferin poured a little sugar into his teacup and took a sip: "Tell me, what are your plans? Do you need me to help you?"  "What are you doing?" "Your Majesty, I was in Cairo six days ago, and now all my knowledge of the situation in Myanmar comes from these things!" Kitchener opened his briefcase and took out a stack of maps.  There were several newspapers, and finally I took out a book. Judging from the cover, it was a travel diary.  "It's impossible for me to command a war with these, so my current plan is to listen more, watch more, talk less and do less! Your Excellency, I came with my ears today!" At this point, Kitchener pointed at himself  ears.  "I think London finally made the right choice this time!" Earl Dufferin finally showed a happy expression on his face: "Well, I suggest you go to Yangon first to meet Major Duncan and Gillings  Consul, the two of them have been involved in this war from the beginning. I think this is the best choice!" "Thank you for your advice, Your Excellency!" Kitchener nodded: "Then as you personally, for me  "What suggestions do you have?" "Myself?" Dufferin smiled: "Before I tell you my suggestions, what are your views on this war?" "What do you think about this war?"  Judging from the data, I personally am very optimistic!" Kitchener did not hide his views at all. He casually spread out a map, pointed to the part of Myanmar on it and said: "From a geographical point of view, the timing of the conquest of Myanmar is good.  Already mature, we have occupied a very advantageous stronghold at the mouth of the country's main river, which flows through the country's main economic area, and the northwest side of the country borders Bangladesh, which we control.  With the navy, we can easily penetrate into the hinterland of this country along this river and conquer them. " "Well! But the Chinese sent an army, and this army defeated our small expeditionary force. Now according to the intelligence sent back from Myanmar.  , The Chinese army is still growing! Have you ever considered this situation? " "The Chinese intervention will not change anything!" Kitchener replied with a smile: "If victory is a flower, transportation is a flower.  Stems, flowers without stems cannot bloom. The war with the Chinese is mainly a transportation issue. As long as we can control the water transportation on this river, the final victory will definitely be ours. The rugged land transportation has restricted China.  There is no limit to the amount of force people can put into Burma! "I'm glad you didn't propose an all-out war with the Chinese!" Earl Dufferin said with a smile.  "When do you plan to leave for Burma?" "Three days later, before that I plan to check the Indian soldiers in Calcutta and the various military supplies stored in the warehouse. Before launching an expedition, this  "It's the most important thing." Kitchener stood up and shook the Earl's extended hand: "If possible, I hope to take the same boat I came from and give me another measuring boat. I hope to measure it.  "No problem, I'll tell you in Singapore!" Earl Dufferin extended his hand: "Bon voyage!"

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 108: Privy Council

    Mandalay, Privy Council.  According to the ancient tradition of Myanmar, His Majesty the Divine King, as the son of the God of Heaven, has the undisputed supreme power.  But the king's power is by no means unrestricted. The Privy Council, composed of big nobles and senior monks (mainly monks), also has huge influence. The imperial power in Myanmar has never developed as powerful as its northern neighbor.  To the extent that most kings cannot do without the support of the Privy Council.  Of course, in the long history of Myanmar, it is not that there have been a few kings who ruled the country directly without the Privy Council. However, these few kings have left a reputation as tyrants in history, and they often ended up very tragic. This is from the side.  Proving the importance of the Privy Council.  As time entered the second half of the nineteenth century, the situation changed.  The First and Second Anglo-Burmese Wars forced the Privy Council, which represented the interests of the nobility, to make concessions to the King. The long war and unprecedentedly powerful foreign enemies required that the power of the country be concentrated in the hands of the supreme military commander, the King.  Therefore, the Burmese kings in the second half of the nineteenth century had far more power than their predecessors.  Regarding this situation, the Burmese nobles were reluctant. They were unwilling to sacrifice their own interests to fight a war without spoils.  That's why Meng Ji easily gained the support of quite a few nobles after the coup not long ago - in the eyes of many nobles, once a contract is signed with the British, then naturally the new king will have no reason to continue to maintain such a large army.  The army was the biggest pillar of the king's power. They could force the king in the Privy Council to repeal new taxes, cancel the amnesty issued to fleeing peasants, and restore the concessions he had to make previously.  However, the situation did not develop as the nobles expected. Two external forces beyond their control intervened in the war in Myanmar. Whether it was Dashun in the north or the British, their power far exceeded the nobles in Myanmar.  If the previous kings were able to maintain a semblance of calm in Myanmar by walking a tightrope between Dashun and the British, now this balance has been broken by the coup, and the entire Myanmar has been torn apart and needs to be re-established.  There was only one way to restore the balance - a victory for one side, Tashun or the British. This was possible only after a brutal war, and this war took place on the soil of Burma, in which these Privy Council members  The arrogant nobles, just like the peasants who were looked down upon by them in the past, were involuntarily tossed and rolled by the big hand of fate, not knowing what was waiting for them next moment.  Eight months have passed like this. Many nobles feel as if a lifetime has passed. If they could hide in their own manors to avoid disaster during civil wars in the past, even remote manors are no longer safe in this civil war.  The rioting peasants destroyed the manor's fortress, separated the food and property in the warehouse, and burned various contracts and IOUs. Many nobles who usually did evil things were killed by the rioting peasants, even if they were hiding in Mandalay.  The nobles in big cities are not living a comfortable life either. Both the Shunjun and the British impose high military taxes within their control. A considerable part of this heavy burden still falls on the nobles.  .  Therefore, it is not difficult to imagine how much the nobles in the Privy Council hated Song Shen, the instigator.  When the Shun army defeated the British invasion in Bagan and peace seemed to be coming, the nobles in the Privy Council were waiting day and night for Her Majesty the Princess Regent to issue a decree declaring Song Shen and his men traitors and restoring their rule.  Land and property, back to the good old days.  So it is not difficult to imagine how joyful the noble members of the Privy Council were when they were informed that at nine o'clock tomorrow morning the Princess Regent and His Majesty the King would come to the Privy Council in person to announce a new decree!  Many congressmen stayed up all night, preparing the content of their submissions to Her Majesty the Princess Regent the next day.  At nine o'clock the next day, there was silence in the Privy Council. All the nobles stood up from their seats, with their upper bodies slightly hunched, waiting for the sedans of Princess Regent Luo Lin and King Luo Qin to enter from the main entrance of the Privy Council and board the high court.  Two thrones side by side.  "Dear nobles and respected teachers! The Buddha once said: 'Compared to gems and gold, wisdom is more precious!' Today, my brother, His Majesty the King, and I came here with a difficult problem.  Seeking the help of your wisdom, I hope you will show wisdom worthy of your reputation." After Luo Lin said this, she sat back on her throne. A follower standing behind her stepped forward, took out a scroll, and shouted loudly.  Read aloud.  There was a slight commotion among the nobles, but they soon calmed down and began to listen attentively to the contents of the scroll. In fact, the contents were very simple. The original Burmese royal army had ceased to exist in the previous civil war, and  Many of the soldiers in the new army that had to be re-established were peasants who had escaped from noble estates and, according to the old Burmese law,?, these farmers are actually the wealth of the nobles. His master is the leader of these teams. After he retires, he will return to the master's manor to continue farming.  However, the officers of the newly established army are either the backbone of the army sent by the army, or the confidants of Her Majesty the Princess Regent, and a large number of soldiers are unwilling to return to the manor to continue to be serfs after breaking away from the old shackles.  Under such circumstances, if we want to restore the old system, it will be equivalent to the disintegration of the new army.  Soon the attendant finished reading the contents of the scroll, and the nobles all lowered their heads and thought about the real purpose of Her Majesty the Princess raising this question.  A member of parliament stood up, bowed to the king and the eldest princess, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, eldest princess, I think the best way to solve this problem is to give the soldiers freedom and land, and as soon as possible!" Among the members of the parliament!  There was a commotion. The congressman in front of him said what a considerable number of nobles were thinking, but at the same time, his words also touched the most secret chord in the hearts of the nobles - that is, the property and rights of the nobles must not be violated.  "I cannot agree with you, because this violates the rights of the nobles and shakes the foundation of the kingdom. These fleeing peasants are the wealth of a certain noble. If they are given land and freedom, there will soon be people in our manor.  There is no one left. Who will grow rice and pay taxes at that time? " "I don't know if there are any farmers in your manor, but there are no farmers in my manor. No, even my manor has no farmers.  They no longer exist. Song Shen led his men and robbed them all!" The first member of parliament to speak paused: "I am also a nobleman, and I know no less about the power of a nobleman and what a kingdom is than you do!  foundation, but if we don't pass the law immediately and give the soldiers land and freedom, your estate will soon cease to exist, just like mine!" "That's right!  Agree to give the soldiers land and freedom!" The first member's speech was drowned out by applause and approval. His speech was very convincing. The vast majority of the nobles in the Privy Council understood what kind of threat they faced.  , if they don't make some concessions first, they'll lose everything they have left.  Then the nobles in the Privy Council passed the next bill, which was to provide certain compensation to those nobles who could prove that the soldiers were farmers on their estates, as well as to give the soldiers an amount of land and a minimum period of fifteen years of service required to obtain freedom.  Year.  But whether intentionally or not, the nobles did not pass a bill stipulating where the soldiers would get their land and whether their land could be inherited by future generations if the soldiers died in battle.  "I have another proposal!" A voice suppressed the noise of the nobles. Everyone looked at the source of the voice in surprise. The speaker was the first member of Parliament who stood up to express his approval of giving land and freedom to soldiers.  He stood up and said loudly with a loud voice: "Your Majesty the King and the Princess, the civil war has ended now, but the glory of the two distinguished Majesties has not yet fully shined on every land of the Kingdom of Myanmar.  Some gangsters even used various despicable methods to escape punishment for their crimes!" At this point, he paused and shouted in a louder and louder voice: "I demand that the bandit leader Song Shen be deprived of all his official positions.  Declare him to be a despicable gangster, robber, and murderer, unprotected by the law. Anyone who brings his head before the palace will be rewarded, and if he is a noble, he will receive a fief and an official position;  If he is a commoner, he can choose to become the governor of a city and a village; if he is a slave, he can get freedom and the most gold he can get. Only in this way can the order of the kingdom be restored and the light of justice can shine.  In all the lands of Burma!" "Beheading!" "Execution!" If the applause expressed by the nobles in the Privy Council just now was a thunderstorm, then the applause that broke out this time was simply an earthquake.  The young king sitting on the throne even carefully looked up at the roof to see if it would be lifted by the applause.  The nobles who usually behaved very reservedly were slapping their palms and the table with red faces. Many of them even had their hands swollen.  As much as these nobles and senior monks usually hate Song Shen, they are so excited now. If in order to defeat the British, they have to temporarily compromise with this bandit in their eyes, then now that the threat from the British is no longer  existence (at least in their eyes it no longer exists), then tearing off the disguise in the next second and tearing the opponent into pieces is the instinctive choice of these nobles.  Thinking of the pain of losing their manor and the various sufferings they had endured in the past few months, the nobles wanted to whip this "lowly bandit" severely, then chop off his head and limbs and place them??On the various city gates of Mandalay, everyone who enters and exits the city gates can see the tragic consequences of violating the majesty of the nobles.  Luo Qin, who was sitting on the throne, looked at the nobles below with some flinch. He lowered his voice and said to Luo Lin beside him: "Sister, sister, I'm a little scared! Are these people crazy?"

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 109: Under the Privy Council

    "Brother, don't worry!" Luo Lin patted his brother's arm gently: "They just hate Songcan too much." "Songcan?" Luo Qin repeated the familiar name and asked curiously  Said: "What did this Song Shen do? Did he kill their father like Meng Ji?" "No!" Luo Lin shook her head. At this time, her mind suddenly flashed back to what Chen Zaixing said not long ago.  She said a sentence - "Destroying a person's wealth is like killing his parents!" She was slightly startled, and then whispered: "But that's about it!" "Then this Song Shen is really a Rakshasa. He killed such a person in the Privy Council.  The father of many people!" Luo Qin exclaimed.  Luo Lin smiled slightly and ignored her brother's words. She now began to understand the meaning of what Chen Zaixing had said to her a few days ago.  Indeed, compared to millions of self-sufficient peasants, thousands of arrogant nobles are much more disadvantageous to the king. At this time, a seed called power sprouted in the little girl's heart, although now this  The bud is still very young, but over time, it will eventually grow into a towering tree.  Luo Lin winked at the attendant on the side. The understanding attendant took two steps forward and struck the teak floor twice hard with the end of the scepter in his hand. The loud sound immediately resounded throughout the hall, and the noise of the MPs immediately  He fell silent and looked towards the throne where the king and the eldest princess were.  "My loyal nobles, I cannot agree to your proposal!" Luo Lin's voice paused slightly: "The reason is very simple. Not long ago, I had issued an order to appoint Song Shen as the governor of Central Myanmar.  At the same time, he also pardoned his past crimes. He also repaid my trust with his actions. Without him, the British will not be defeated. If I agree to your request, it will be equivalent to vetoing my own order. This is.  Impossible!" There were expressions of astonishment on the faces of the nobles, but soon anger took control of them again, and the whole hall was immediately filled with rude shouts.  A monk shouted loudly: "Songshen killed Samantabhadra and defiled the sacred temple. This is a blasphemy against Buddhism. Even the king cannot forgive such crimes!" "The king can forgive all crimes!"  Luo Lin retorted loudly. At this time, she seemed to be controlled by an invisible elf. She was not as weak as usual. She looked at the nobles below who were shouting at her, stood up, and grabbed the attendant.  With the golden scepter in his hand, he struck the ground twice with the end of it, and at the same time shouted loudly: "Guards, guards!" Soon, there was a rhythmic and heavy footsteps outside the hall, and the nobles were shocked.  Seeing a group of New Army soldiers wearing military uniforms and holding rifles with sharp bayonets appearing at the door, the fearful cold wind suddenly froze their tongues, and the hall quickly calmed down. Luo Qin looked aside in surprise.  sister, as if recognizing her for the first time.  Luo Lin's soft face now looked heroic and had a masculine beauty.  Luo Lin handed the scepter to the attendants on the side and said loudly: "Nobles, I don't like to remind you of the noble status of our siblings in this way. Please remember that our power comes from our sacred blood. Any  Those who dare to question the king's power will be punished by the law in the world, and they will not find peace in death. I can forgive you this time, but don't think of my tolerance as weakness! " There was a dead silence in the hall, except for the occasional soldiers holding weapons.  With a slight collision, the nobles in the Privy Council felt for the first time that their lives were so fragile, especially since the senior monk who loudly questioned the power of Her Majesty the Princess had been so frightened that he knelt on the ground and trembled all over.  Luo Lin looked at him coldly and continued: "Nobles, I understand your anger, but we have to face reality. No matter how you punish Song Shen, it is impossible to recover your losses. There are already thousands of  Many farmers have fled the estates, and a considerable number of them have weapons. Apart from violence, it is impossible for them to return to the estates and hand over the land and property they have obtained. The use of violence means a civil war in Myanmar.  It is impossible for the kingdom to have another civil war now!¡± The nobles continued to remain silent, but some of the smarter nobles had begun to consider what Luo Lin had just said. As Luo Lin said, killing Song Shen would not allow the peasants to do so.  He put down his weapons obediently and returned to the noble manor tamely, but could that be the end of it?  Could it be that Her Majesty the Princess did not hesitate to use force in the Privy Council just to announce this fact to the nobles?  "A wise man once said; 'Fools always regret past mistakes, while wise people look for new opportunities!' The king is like a scale, neither leaning to one side nor that side. Although the kingdom cannot  Issue a decree to force the peasants to return to their former manors, but they can find ways to compensate the nobles for their losses." After Luo Lin said this, he paused and continued: "The peasants can get freedom and land.??, but they must pay a monetary price to their masters for the freedom and land they received!  "The Privy Council Hall was boiling again. This time, even the bayonets of the guards outside the door could not suppress the anger of the nobles. For the vast majority of the nobles, this was simply a bolt from the blue. In the history of the Kingdom of Burma  , the nobles and the kings have always maintained such a relationship: the nobles recognize the king¡¯s supreme right to rule, but the king cannot interfere with the nobles¡¯ power over the land and people in their own territories. In other words, the nobles also  A king. Maybe some powerful kings have interfered with the territorial affairs of a certain noble in history, but there has never been such an act of simply uprooting the noble territorial system. ¡°No, absolutely not!  "A noble councilor shouted loudly: "God created the king with his head, the nobles with his chest, the peasants with his knees, and the slaves with his feet.  The knees cannot jump above the chest. Nobles are born to own land and farmers. This is the foundation of the kingdom.  If you admit that peasants can also own land, what is the difference between peasants and nobles?  So why does the king have authority over all things?  " "Yes, we will never agree!  " "I would rather die than agree. The sacred land must not be exchanged for dirty money!  "The nobles shouted angrily, and many people began to crowd towards the king and the eldest princess on the high place. The palace attendants hurriedly lined up in a human wall to block them. The nobles who could not climb to the high platform even picked up whatever they could find at hand.  Throw it at the eldest princess and the king on the high platform. "Sister, I'm scared!"  "Luo Qin cowered up in fear. The roars from the high platform and the ink bottles and wooden blocks that kept falling next to the throne reminded him of that night of gunfire. "Luo Qin, you are the king, you can't back down!  "Luo Lin grabbed his brother's arm tightly to prevent him from escaping, and shouted loudly to the attendants beside him: "Guards, let the guards in!"  "Suddenly, Luo Lin shook and fell to the ground. She covered her face with her hands in pain, and blood flowed from her white fingers. "Your Majesty, you are injured!  " "Doctor, where is the doctor?  " "Sister, sister!  " There was chaos on the high platform. The exclamations of the palace attendants were mixed with the frightened cries of the king. "Shut up!  "Luo Lin gritted her teeth and stood up again. Her right cheek was already covered with blood. She looked very scary. But what was even more shocking was her pair of eyes that were blazing with anger: "It's just an ink bottle, not an ink bottle.  Musketeers, blow the trumpet quickly, let the guards come in, and disperse the nobles!  " "Yes, yes, Your Majesty!  "The attendant stammered and turned to play the trumpet. Luo Lin turned around and walked to Luo Qin, squatted down, stared into the king's eyes, stretched out his blood-stained hand and touched his brother's cheek, and said softly:"  Luo Qin, the king has no right to panic, he must get used to blood and pain!  " Luo Qin didn't speak. With tears in his eyes, he nodded slowly. With the sound of shrill brass horns, the guards rushed into the hall and began to disperse the nobles with gun butts and wooden sticks. The wooden sticks hit people's faces.  The dull sounds and curses from the palace immediately filled the entire Privy Council Hall. The sculptures of the Burmese kings on the walls of this building looked dull, and their empty eyes were cast into the hall, staring at everything they heard.  In the lobby of Xiaowei Mansion, Zao Guoquan and Chen Zaixing were sitting opposite each other. Judging from the expressions on their faces and the constant laughter, the conversation they were having was very relaxed and pleasant. ¡°It¡¯s not good, it¡¯s not good.  !  "A voice came in from outside. Before the voice fell, Liu Zhixing was seen rushing in from outside. "There are all our Dashun elite soldiers outside Mandalay City. Why is Brother Zhixing so panicked?  "Zhao Guoquan smiled. "Master Xiaowei, something big has really happened!  "Liu Zhixing stumbled and said: "The eldest princess and His Majesty the King were besieged by the nobles in the Privy Council, but the guards dispersed the nobles!  "    "What?  "Zhao Guoquan and Chen Zaixing stood up suddenly. Chen Zaixing asked first, "Is there anything wrong with your majesties?  " "His Majesty the King is fine, but His Majesty the Eldest Princess was hit on the head, but after examination by the doctor, he said he was fine, just bleeding a little.  "Speaking of this, Liu Zhixing sighed: "But the eldest princess looks timid, but she is actually a ruthless character. If she hadn't made a prompt decision to let the guards in, I'm afraid things would have been unimaginable.  " Neither Zao Guoquan nor Chen Zaixing spoke. Zao Guoquan's face was livid, but Chen Zaixing's expression was different. After a moment, Zao Guoquan asked in a low voice: "What is going on? Why do those good nobles gather in a crowd?  Besieging the two majesties?  " "Before I came, I asked a few familiar members of the parliament, and it seemed thatHer Majesty the Princess wanted to issue a decree to allow farmers to purchase land and freedom through redemption, but the nobles immediately broke out!  " "So that's the case, no wonder, this is trying to touch the roots of the nobility!  "Zhao Guoquan nodded, sighed and said: "This eldest princess is not simple. She has such knowledge at a young age. This is really the only way to solve the chaos in Myanmar.  It's just that he's still young and behaves prudently.  There are so many people involved in something like this, how can it be accomplished overnight?  As long as we have completed all the hard work of external military preparation, internal affairs and civil affairs, the final success or failure is still between us.  "Liu Zhixing nodded: "Master Xiaowei is indeed a veteran in planning for the country. It must be that the eldest princess has an expert around her to give her advice, but after all, she has recently ascended the throne and there are no trusted veterans around her to plan for her, so she got into trouble like this!  " As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a sound, but it was Chen Zaixing who stood up and knocked down the tea cup on the coffee table beside him. Chen Zaixing was seen walking away quickly without even saying goodbye.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 110: Love

    Liu Zhixing looked at Chen Zaixing's retreating back in surprise, turned around and asked Zao Guoquan, "Master Xiaowei, who is this, Master Chen?" "It must be chaos caused by concern!" Zao Guoquan laughed and took the photo.  He patted Liu Zhixing on the shoulder and said, "Come on, Mr. Liu, let's just focus on our own affairs. Let others worry about other people's affairs!" "Faster, faster!" Chen Zaixing stomped his feet hard in the sedan, urging the bearer.  Speeding up the pace "Her Majesty the Princess was hit on the head and she bleeds!" Liu Zhixing's voice just now echoed in Chen Zaixing's ears. At this time, his heart felt like a hot coal, burning the muscles on his face.  Twitched.  "I still thought the problem was too simple, thinking that I only needed to show force and inducement to get the nobles to agree to distribute the land to the peasants, but I didn't expect that the nobles had already regarded the land and the peasants as belonging to themselves.  How can you be willing to make concessions in exchange for money if it is a matter of course? After all, no matter how much money you have, you can spend it all. How can you have the pleasure of being a local emperor in your own territory unless the old system has been clearly understood?  How could those nobles at the top of the pyramid agree to give in if there is no way out?" Chen Zaixing bit his lip in pain.  My heart was full of regret and bitterness. I had not thought carefully, but caused the princess to bleed in vain. It was pitiful that she was so young, when she was still a spoiled child in the arms of her parents, but she was so frightened!  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing was surprised to find that the princess from a foreign country held such an important weight in his heart.  In the blink of an eye, Chen Zaixing's sedan has arrived in front of the palace gate. The officer at the door has recognized his sedan and hurriedly opened the city gate to let Chen Zaixing and his party in.  When he arrived outside the palace where the princess lived, Chen Zaixing jumped out of the sedan chair and said to the palace attendant at the door: "The foreign official wants to see Her Majesty the eldest princess, please let me know!" The attendant recognized Chen Zaixing and hurriedly responded and turned around and went in.  After that, the attendant came out again and saluted Chen Zaixing with his hands together apologetically: "I'm sorry, your majesty, the eldest princess, is not feeling well today. She doesn't want to see Mr. Chen. Please come back in two days!" Chen Zaixing was stunned when he heard this.  It should be noted that he usually went to and from the palace to meet with the two His Majesty, and he always followed the instructions and never delayed. It was the first time that he was missing like this today. Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing felt a little unhappy in his heart, so he had to say to the attendants.  He thanked him and turned to leave.  But he turned around and walked a few steps, feeling more and more anxious. He turned around again, cupped his hands to the attendant and said, "May I ask, is the eldest princess seriously injured? How are you feeling?" "Mr. Chen, the eldest princess is not seriously injured.  It was very serious. When I came back, the doctor came in and bandaged it and the bleeding stopped. I was resting in bed." Chen Zaixing gritted his teeth, took a step forward, and said in a low voice: "The foreign minister really has something important to see your Majesty, please excuse me!  Come in and let me know, I'm very grateful!" The attendant also knew that Chen Zaixing was a powerful person, and he had a great relationship with the eldest princess, so he had an opportunity to buy it.  , of course you have to catch it: "Since it is Mr. Chen who has spoken, I will run over again. Your Excellency, please wait outside!" After that, the attendant quickly ran towards the palace gate and came out again after a moment.  , stretched out his hand to Chen Zaixing and said, "Sir, please come in with me." Chen Zaixing thanked him and quickly followed the attendant into the door. After passing two long corridors, the attendant stopped and pointed to the building in front of him.  The man in the room smiled and said: "The two majesties are in that room at the moment. Mr. Chen, please come over. I can only send you here!" Chen Zaixing bowed his hands to the attendant and walked quickly to the room. He arrived.  At the door, Chen Zaixing stopped and said in a deep voice: "Foreign Minister Chen Zaixing pays homage to your majesties!" "Master Chen, come in!" Luo Lin's familiar voice came from inside the room. Although Chen Zaixing heard the voice, it was a little weak, but he was full of energy.  But it was enough. I thought it was no big deal. I couldn't help but cheer up. I cupped my hands and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Then he walked into the house with his head held high.  When he entered the room, he saw only one person walking out from behind the curtain. It was King Luo Qin, but he did not see the eldest princess Luo Lin. He couldn't help being stunned, and then he bowed to the king and said: "The foreign minister pays homage to your majesty!  " "Master Chen, no courtesy!" Luo Qin responded. Seeing Chen Zaixing's eyes wandering, he pointed to the curtain and said in a low voice: "My sister has been injured on the head and hates strangers. Please give me some advice, Mr. Chen."  "That's it!" Chen Zaixing nodded, took two steps forward, walked outside the curtain, and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, what happened today is because of your poor thinking!"  " "That's all, it's no wonder Master Chen, after all, no one could have imagined that things would turn out this way!" A sigh came from within the curtain: "If those nobles had seen the prosperous scene of Dashun, they would not be so stubborn.  "Yes!" "Your Majesty, the eldest princess!" Chen Zaixing said in a deep voice:?To be disrespectful, you still think highly of those nobles. Even if they see the prosperous scene of Dashun, I am afraid that only a few are willing to give up their own interests for it. I think Her Majesty the Princess has also read your country's  In history, there are probably many nobles who betrayed their kings for the sake of their territory and wealth!  " There was no sound inside the curtain for a while. Just when Chen Zaixing thought Luo Lin was no longer inside, a sigh came from inside: "Now I finally understand the meaning of 'The Human Heart Is Dangerous' that I read when I was a child!  Yes, Mr. Chen, you are right. Today in the Privy Council, I said that I would give land and freedom to the soldiers, but some nobles opposed it. After finally passing this item, those nobles also said that the kingdom should pay to compensate those peasants who fled.  A nobleman who went to serve as a soldier.  well!  These people completely ignore the fact that the kingdom has gone through this disaster and the treasury is empty. How can there be money to compensate them?  Later I proposed to give the peasants land and freedom. Mr. Chen, you didn't see it with your own eyes. It was as if the roof of the entire hall was about to be knocked over by them. Why didn't you see them when the British and the puppet king came over?  What have you done? A bunch of bullies!  "Speaking of this, the girl's tone could not contain her disdain. "Haha!  "When Chen Zaixing heard this, he couldn't help laughing. He immediately felt something was wrong and hurriedly covered it up: "Your Majesty, the puppet king and the British did not touch their land and farmers.  Such a big thing can't be handled with just a few words in the Privy Council?  "    "so what should I do now?  I followed the method you taught me and told the nobles all the pros and cons of allocating land to peasants, but they didn't listen at all!  " "Your Majesty, you are still young!  If just saying a few words can do it, then why would Dashun and the British have hundreds of thousands of soldiers?  Chen Zaixing sighed: "Foreign minister, let me ask you, why did the nobles agree to give freedom and land to the peasants who served as soldiers?"  "    "this?  There was a nobleman who was very good at talking. He convinced many people, and everything went smoothly after that!  If I had bribed one or two prestigious nobles in advance, the situation today would not have happened!  " "Your Majesty, this is not a matter of eloquence at all!  "Chen Zaixing interrupted Luo Lin decisively: "Those nobles agreed to give the soldiers land and freedom because many of them had personally experienced the power of the peasant uprisings. They knew that without the army, they could not rely solely on their own strength.  It is possible to suppress the riots and protect their own land.  And they refused to allocate land to the peasants because they still felt that it was possible to continue to maintain their own manor. In this case, it was impossible for the nobles to make concessions on their own initiative!  " "Then why did you suggest that I ask the nobles to allocate land to the peasants?  " "Because this is beneficial to the Kingdom of Burma. The nobles only account for one percent of the population in your kingdom. You are the regent princess of the Kingdom of Burma, not just the regent princess of the Burmese nobles.  In today's world, it is impossible for a country where 99% of the people have nothing and the remaining 1% have everything to survive. India and Annan are both examples of Myanmar.  If the nobles are unwilling to make concessions of their own accord, you can force them to make concessions.  " "Force them?  " "Yes, it's the same as forcing them to agree to allocate land to soldiers!  You can spread the word about what happened in the Privy Council today and tell all the farmers.  Think about it, what are the consequences of this?  The peasants will love you and hate the nobles. You can declare that the land from your own royal family and the confiscated nobles' land will be distributed to the fleeing peasants and give them freedom. In this way, the peasants will flee from the nobles' manors.  out and develop the land under your control.  In this way, there is only one choice before the nobles - agree with your suggestion!  " "You are right!  "The curtain moved, and Luo Lin walked out excitedly. Her smooth forehead was lightly wrapped with white gauze. The girl walked back and forth excitedly for a few steps, then suddenly stopped and asked: "  So will what I do cause a larger-scale peasant riot?  This is not a good thing!  "    "possible!  "Chen Zaixing smiled happily. The girl in front of him did not seem to lack political talent. She quickly learned the art of balance: "The foreign minister has a suggestion. Control Song Shen as quickly as possible. This person is a peasant rioter.  At the core, this can show your attitude to the farmers that His Majesty the King is lenient, but will never allow the use of violence and robbery.  And there is another advantage to doing this-" "Stop, Mr. Chen, let me guess your next sentence!  "Luo Lin jumped forward lightly and stood in front of Chen Zaixing: "By controlling Song Shen in our hands, we can show our goodwill to the nobles, and it is also a backhand. If the nobles do not agree to allocate land to the peasants,  , then let this person out!  " Chen Zaixing looked at the girl in front of him with disbelief. The two looked at each other with a sly smile on Luo Lin.The corners of his mouth widened, and finally, Chen Zaixing clapped his hands gently, shook his head and smiled: "Your Majesty the Princess Regent, I have nothing more to teach you!" "No!" An impulse suddenly surged in the girl's chest.  , she took a step forward, pressed her forehead against the chest of the man she liked, and murmured in her mouth: "I still have a lot, a lot to learn!" Chen Zaixing looked at the girl in his arms blankly, the distance between the two sides was  Being so close, he could almost feel the other person's violent heartbeat. At this time, the huge gap that usually spanned the two people no longer existed. Chen Zaixing almost instinctively reached out to hold Luo Lin's weak shoulders and whispered.  : "Your Majesty, the eldest princess!" "Please call me Luo Lin!" Luo Lin's voice was not much louder than a mosquito: "At this time, there is only Luo Lin, and there is no eldest princess!"

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 111 Conspiracy

    In a tall mansion in Mandalay, the dining table was full of food and drinks. The people sitting around the dining table all had red cheeks and smelled of alcohol. It was obvious that they had just had a heavy drinking session.  "How about it? Do you agree with my idea?" A short and stocky man looked at the others at the dinner table with a fierce look in his eyes.  The other people at the dinner table had wandering eyes. Whenever the other person's eyes turned to him, they turned their heads away, not daring to look at him.  Seeing everyone else behaving like this, the fierce look in the eyes of the short and sturdy man became more intense. Suddenly, he pulled out the dagger from his waist, thrust it into the dining table, and shouted sternly: "Okay or not, please do it quickly."  The truth!" Everyone at the dinner table was frightened by the sudden action of this short and sturdy man. Several people jumped up from their seats, but they sat down again when they saw the fierce look in the short and sturdy man's eyes.  In the middle period, he said: "Wu Tu San, it's up to you, it's up to you!" Tu San sneered and pulled out the dagger from the dining table, but his eyes glanced at the few people who had not yet expressed their opinions, and he was playing with it in his hands.  The sharp dagger looked like it would be used against him if he didn't obey.  "I don't agree! Not only am I not going, but I can't let you go either!" His eyes suddenly focused on the opposite side of the table. Sitting opposite him was a slender nobleman in luxurious clothes. He was the first person in the Privy Council in the morning.  The nobleman who spoke in support of Luo Lin's allocation of land to soldiers was lazily reclining on an armchair, as if he had not heard what Tu San had just said, and he looked particularly annoying among the crowd!  When Tu San heard this, he was furious. He took two steps forward with his dagger and shouted: "Maung Ji, I remember that today in the Privy Council, you were the first to express support for the Princess Bird's land allocation to the soldiers, and now you are opposed to our plan. Are you right?"  Noble!" "Of course I am a noble!" Maang Ji sneered, not afraid of the bright dagger in front of him: "It's just that the head on my neck is not just for eating, and I don't agree with your crazy plan.  Enter the palace and kill the eldest princess, are you crazy? " "It's not me who is crazy, it's the eldest princess who is crazy! Infringe on the rights of the nobles and give the land to those mud-legged people. If we do this, the nobles of the country and  The monks will all support us. There is a good friend of mine among the palace attendants. He owes me a lot of money and has agreed to open the door for us that night when he is on duty. At that time, if we support the little king to rule, we will all  They are great heroes!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of their support for us?¡± Maang Ji sneered: ¡°How old is the regent princess? How do you know that what she said today was not caused by the Shun people behind her?  If you can kill her, can those Shun people break up with you? Have you forgotten what happened to Meng Ji? They had the support of the British and gave him thousands of rifles and cannons. What do you have?  ? Just with dozens of broken guns?" The room suddenly became quiet, and Tu San sat back in his chair, dumbfounded.  Maung Ji's words hit home just now. Indeed, as the other party said, if Shunjun supports the eldest princess, his adventure, whether successful or not, will have only one outcome.  "Then, what should we do? Should we just stay here and do nothing, watching the eldest princess give away the land that we have inherited from generation to generation to those mud-legged people?" A nobleman finally couldn't bear the suppressed silence and timidly  asked.  "Haha!" Maang Ji laughed twice and said: "The eldest princess in the Privy Council today was right in what she said: 'Fools always regret past mistakes, while smart people look for new opportunities!'  It is a fact that the farmers have fled the manor. It is stupid to be angry and regretful about this reality! " "What do you mean? Do you agree with the eldest princess's suggestion to give the land to the farmers?"  Tu San jumped up again, the dagger in his hand shining coldly.  "Sit down, sit down, can't you just listen to what I have to say?" Maung Ji waved his arms in annoyance. Tu San, who was originally furious, couldn't help being stunned when he saw him like this, and sat down hesitantly.  Maung Kyi sighed and said: "You were sitting next to me in the morning. Didn't you see whether I was against or supporting me? But thousands of mobs are rampaging in the countryside in middle and lower Myanmar. There are only two roads in front of us:  Once we admit that they are free, they divide the estates into small plots for farmers to farm and collect rent like those around Mandalay and Yangon - "No! There is a large area of ??wasteland around my estate. If we admit that the farmers are free,  They will run away without a single one left - there is enough wasteland for them to cultivate anyway!" Tu San categorically rejected Maung Ji's first proposal, and other nobles on the side also agreed in unison.  Most of our industries are located in remote areas of Myanmar, which are sparsely populated. Unlike the densely populated areas near Bagan and Mandalay, there are good returns from renting out manors to individual farmers, so these people are the best ones to give freedom to farmers.Definite opponents.  Maung Ji smiled and said: "Then there is only one other way left: declare that all farmers who leave their lord's land are not protected by the law, and anyone who encounters them has the right to arrest them. If the farmers resist,  He has the right to kill him. Anyone who harbors the fugitive peasants is guilty, and anyone who escorts the fugitive peasants to the original owner can be rewarded! " "Yes, Wu Maoji, your method is much more convenient!" "Yes, that's right!  It is a just law!" The nobles made a burst of agreement, and many people had smiles on their faces.  The most impatient Tu San simply shouted loudly: "Why don't we contact other nobles and jointly petition the two majesties to implement this decree! This will definitely win the support of most nobles and monks!" "Idiot!"  A cold voice interrupted the heated discussion among the nobles. Everyone turned their heads and were surprised to find that it was Maang Ji who had just spoken.  "Who do you think is a fool?" Tu San rushed to Maung Ji's side and shouted loudly: "The great King Anawrahta recorded in the code: Peasants are the property of his master. Taking away a noble peasant and seizing him without any reason  There is no difference between taking a nobleman's ox and an elephant, they will both be punished!" "You are not the only one who has learned Anuruddha's code! But there is no way to get Song Shen with just one code!  Go back to the noble manor with hundreds of thousands of peasants, without an army to back you up, the code is no more powerful than another stack of paper!" Maung Kyi finally couldn't stand the other party's stupidity anymore, he  Standing up: "To be honest, the reason why I oppose the eldest princess's plan is not because I will lose the manor. According to the eldest princess's plan, I can get money from farmers to compensate for the manor and population I have lost. Even if the money  It's not enough to compensate for my loss, but it's better than nothing." "Then why are you with us? You could have knelt down in front of that little girl's skirt in the Privy Council this morning. Maybe she would have grown bigger.  Reward you!" a noble retorted in a sarcastic tone.  "Because if we do this, the whole of Myanmar will become Chinese!" Maung Kyi replied seriously: "If we follow the princess's plan and let the farmers pay for themselves and their land, a lot of money will be needed, but these farmers  They have no money, and the nobles do not have enough cash on hand. Only the Chinese have money. The peasants can only afford to borrow money from the Chinese. Think about it, the peasants may be able to pay back this.  Will they be like bees trapped in a spider's web? The more they struggle, the tighter they will be entangled in the web of debt. In the end, even the farmers themselves and the land will become food for the Chinese. At that time, the whole of Myanmar will be  It's over!" Maung Kyi's eloquence silenced everyone in the room, and the horrific prospects he described made the nobles shudder.  A noble asked in a low voice: "U Maung Kyi, then, what do you think we should do?" "The nobles and farmers must each make concessions! Only in this way can Burma be preserved!" Maung Kyi replied without hesitation: "God  The nobility was created with the breasts, and the peasants were created with the knees. It is true that the nobility should be above the peasants, but without the knees, the breasts would fall into the quagmire. If, as Wu Tusan said, force the peasants to return to the nobles' manors,  Not to mention whether it can be done now, even if it is done, how many people will be able to return to the manor alive in the end? What does this mean to the nobles? And it is not entirely their responsibility for the peasants to escape from the village.  The foxes on the mountain are not willing to abandon their nests, let alone people? If the puppet king Meng Ji hadn't levied food and soldiers, forcing the farmers to live in the village, how could the nobles be like this?  It is feasible to review your own behavior and improve the treatment of farmers in your own village!¡± ¡°Wu Maung Ji is right, the Master once said that after harvesting crops on the public land, the widows in the village must be allowed to take the first place!  A man goes to pick up grains from the fields; families without men ask other families in the village to help them repair their houses. " "Yes, being kind to others is one of the virtues of a nobleman!"  The nobles nodded in agreement. Seeing that no one expressed objections, Maung Ji continued: "I think we should adopt a two-pronged approach. First, we should unite all the nobles and request an edict in the Privy Council to reduce the three-year tax exemption for farmers who return to the village.  annual tax, abolished some of the rights of the nobles in the territory, such as first night rights, mill taxes, hunting rights, etc., and limited the maximum amount of taxes that the nobles could levy on farmers. Secondly, -" At this point, Maung Keeton.  After a moment, he lowered his voice and said: "Song Shen should be killed or arrested so that the mob has no leader. Otherwise, with him around, the mob who already have weapons will definitely not give up their demand for land." "Yes!  " "Yes, the leader of the mob must be punished!"   The nobles in the room agreed one after another. If there were still some people who were reluctant to make concessions, then on the issue of killing Song Shen, all the nobles had an unprecedented consensus.  "But how to kill that Song Shen? I heard that he has many guards around him!" "You know Diok, the confidant of the false king Meng Ji!" Mao Ji smiled slightly: "He is a good friend of mine.  He is also resourceful and has connections among the Bagan nobles and the Shun army. He must have a way to deal with Song Shen. It is easy to deal with a machete in front of him, but it is difficult to defend against a dagger behind his back! " "Yes, this is a good way to bribe Song Shen!  If the people around Shen deal with him, we can promise a reward as heavy as Song Shen's body in gold!" "That's not necessary!" Maang Ji smiled: "But we have to sign the letter to Diok.  His future safety is deeply involved with the false king Meng. He must be worried about the trouble his two majesties will cause him in the future, otherwise he may not be willing to help!" The room fell silent, and the nobles showed hesitation on their faces.  It is not a safe thing to leave your name on this kind of letterhead.  Maung Ji still kept a smile on his face and waited quietly.  "Sign, just sign!" Tu San snatched the pen from Maang Ji's hand and was the first to sign his name on the paper.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 112 Arrest (Part 1)

    Bagan.  A group of cavalry passed through the city gate and galloped quickly along the avenue into the city.  Burmese people on both sides of the road moved out of the way in awe, and some even prostrate themselves on the ground.  Due to climate reasons, Myanmar's traditional army does not have cavalry as a unit, and is replaced by elephants.  Later, a small number of horses were also used as pack horses for towing artillery. After all, although there were a large number of cattle and elephants in Myanmar, these animals were easily frightened and were not suitable as camels for the artillery team.  Batu quickly jumped off his horse. The guards behind him looked curiously at the exquisite sculptures on the surrounding buildings. Although the Chinese team had been around Bagan for several months, this was the first time they entered the city. Compared with  Starting from Mandalay, the architecture in Bagan is more primitive and closer to the Indian style. This is the first time for many soldiers to see it.  "Everyone dismounts, and the whole team raises their swords!" Following the sergeant's command, the guards quickly led their horses into a horizontal line. They pulled out the sabers from their waists and held them in front of their chests, forming a sharp forest of swords.  , which makes people look forward to it.  Batu looked at his guards for a while, nodded with satisfaction, took two steps forward, and shouted: "Listen carefully to me, the Songshen is coming soon, please tighten your skin to show us  I've come to the country with great dignity and done well, so I won't say any more; if you have diarrhea, don't blame me for my harsh whip!" At this point, Batu glanced at the tensed faces of the soldiers and shouted: "Stop it!  Team, stand by!" "Yes!" The guards shouted in unison and dispersed to rest.  Batu took off the officer's big-brimmed hat and walked aside. This time he wanted to meet with the former bandit leader and mob leader, now the governor of the kingdom.  Of course, this meeting also included a show of force to warn the other party not to make any changes.  If according to Batu's own opinion, now that the reinforcements have arrived, half-soldiers and half-bandits like Song Shen, who have ulterior motives and come from troubled people, should be wiped out easily. Now is a great opportunity, and he will kill him when they meet later.  He chopped off the opponent's head and sent troops to kill all his cronies. The rest of the mob naturally dispersed. There was no need to abolish such a big chapter. However, Chen Zaixing was very cautious about it and reminded Batu several times in letters.  I have underestimated my opponent and must be cautious about him. If possible, it is best not to deal with him myself, so as not to suffer the consequences of being beaten to death. This time I wrote a letter specifically asking me to meet him and tell him my ideas.  They all revealed a lot, and Batu organized this meeting.  The meeting place was a temple. After these days of war, the monks in the temple had already fled, leaving only a few old people with inconvenient legs and feet who had nowhere to go and were still suffering in the temple.  Seeing the strong soldiers and horses under Batu's command, he knew that he was a senior official in the Shun army, so he hurriedly came over to invite him to serve tea.  Batu was too lazy to socialize with him, so he casually ordered his men to take some scattered silver as a reward, and asked him to clean up a cleaner room inside for the meeting later. Originally, with the power of Shunjun in the city of Bagan, he  It doesn't matter if the old palace is used as the meeting place, but Song Shen's current identity is not yet known. Batu is unwilling to let the meeting with him become known to the whole city, and is afraid of being plotted outside the city, so he goes inside the city.  We found a secluded temple as a meeting place.  The old monks were cleaning the house, but they all thought it was dusty, so they walked around in the courtyard. They saw that the courtyard was full of thorns and overgrown weeds. Apparently no one had cleaned it for some days.  But if you look carefully, you can see that the stone carvings on the four walls are very exquisite. The gaps between the stones are covered with dense moss, and there are many traces of wind and rain erosion. They must be quite old. A breeze blows, and you can vaguely hear the sound coming from behind the temple.  The bells rang one after another, presumably from the white pagoda.  In a trance, Batu seemed to see a group of monks wearing red and yellow cassocks walking through this ancient temple, just like they had for hundreds of years.  "Sir, Songshen's men are already here!" The deputy's voice interrupted Batu's reverie. He shook his head and said coldly: "Everyone gather and listen to my orders!" "Yes, sir!"  " Following the deputy's orders, the guards led their horses and stood in the courtyard.  Although Batu brought only more than twenty cavalry this time, they were all carefully selected and capable men. With an order, they saw white blades like a forest and the sound of horses neighing, immediately rendering this century-old Zen temple a masterpiece.  Murderous.  "Yes!" Batu nodded with satisfaction, made a gesture for the guards to sheath their swords, and then turned and walked into the house. When the adjutant saw Batu sitting down in the room, he turned around and shouted outside:  "Master Sima Batu of Dashun Protector's Office of the Burmese School has announced the Burmese people's ode to the audience!" The guards on both sides of the road in the courtyard shouted out. Under the excitement of the voice, although it was just a two-story Zen courtyard, it had arrived.  It smells a bit like the White Tiger Festival Hall of Han Jing Military Headquarters.  Outside the hospital, six or seven Burmese men heard the communication coming from inside. The leader, a man with dark skin and cloth clothes and straw shoes, smiled slightly, turned back to his companions behind him and said with a smile: "ThenSome gentlemen from the country are showing off their authority to us, and they want to scare us with this!  " " Leader!  Let's go back!  "A short man whispered: "You hear this voice is murderous. I'm afraid these barbarians are going to do you harm. It's too late to leave now!  " "What are you afraid of? Our career doesn't depend on me alone!"  Song Shen smiled and said: "I have already assigned them before I came. If I can't go back, I will let Earth Walker take over my position, let Gray Eyes assist him, and continue to lead everyone!"  We are here this time to explore the background of the barbarians. The barbarians are acting like this just to scare us. If we don¡¯t go in, it won¡¯t be in vain. Instead, we will make the barbarians look down on us. If you are afraid, go back alone.  Yes, I must go in!  " "Who said I want to go back!  "The man was so excited by Song Shen that his face turned red. He took a step forward and rushed into the door first. "Draw the sword!  " With a sharp shout, the Shunjun guards standing solemnly with clay and wood sculptures on both sides of the road in the courtyard pulled out their sabers with a sharp sound and pointed them upwards. Suddenly, there seemed to be a mountain of swords in the courtyard. The man who was the first to rush into the door  Seeing this, his legs went weak and he almost fell down, shouting: "Leader, run away, the barbarian is taking action!  " Song Shen stretched out his hand to support one of his men. He had stayed in the Shun Army for a while and saw that the guards just stood there with their swords drawn and did not charge towards him. He knew that this was just the enemy general showing off his power to him, not that he wanted to kill him.  Then he whispered: "Don't be afraid, they are just showing off, don't let the barbarians underestimate them!  "After that, he was the first to walk towards the sword door of the Shunjun guard with his head held high. Batu could see clearly inside the door, and saw the leader under the white blade, walking with his head held high, his back straight, his face as usual, as if he was idle.  It was like walking in the courtyard. Unlike several other Burmese people who showed more or less fear, anger, excitement and other emotions, Batu couldn't help but feel scared, thinking that this person must be the leader Song Shen.  , this person is really brave, otherwise how could he cause such a big disturbance as a farmer? "Stop!  " On the steps in front of the door, Adjutant Batu stood with his sword in his hand and shouted in a deep voice: "If you want to see the ministers of the Kingdom of China, you must first search for your weapons!  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 113: Arrested

    When the people behind Song Shen heard the request for an interpreter, their expressions suddenly changed. They were frightened to begin with, and now they all instinctively wanted to touch their bulging waists.  "Stop!" But Song Shen hurriedly stopped everyone. He turned around and saw the Shunjun adjutant standing on the steps with a disdainful smile on his face and his right hand raised high. It was obvious that he didn't care about what was happening in front of him at all.  As long as the opponent dares to draw his gun, the guards behind him will rush up and eliminate him in one fell swoop.  "My lord, why don't you let them wait outside the hospital, and I can go in alone!" At this point, Song Shen unbuttoned his shirt, raised his hands, and pretended to let the other party inspect him.  When the adjutant was hesitating, Batu's voice came from inside: "That's all, let him come alone!" "Yes, sir!" The adjutant hurriedly bowed to the room, turned around and carefully checked whether there was anything on Song Shen's body.  Weapons, and just signaled him to enter the house.  Song Shen came into the room, put his hands together and saluted Batu who was sitting at the top, and said to Batu in a somewhat stiff Chinese language: "Song Shen pays homage to your lord!" Batu looked up and down at the man who had just entered the door, and only  Seeing Songshen wearing cloth clothes and straw shoes, he was the worst dressed among the entourage.  Batu learned from his spies that Song Shen was born in an ordinary farmer's household. According to veterans who had participated in the pacification of Changmao in the past, rebels like this who were born at the lowest level were often from wealthy families.  They are more greedy for pleasure, and once they have the opportunity, they will become even more serious. Therefore, in the bandit army, there is often a phenomenon where the lower-level soldiers are ragged and have no food to eat, while a few leaders have wives and concubines, and they eat delicacies all day long. Compared with the ordinary soldiers in the imperial army,  The gap with the generals is even greater.  It is said that this Song Can was so powerful and once controlled a big city like Bagan. It can be said that there are countless properties. Not to mention being covered in silk and satin, it is common for him to sit in a sedan chair carried by seven or eight people. Like this  The man in civilian clothes walked over. If he hadn't seen him behave like that in the courtyard just now, Batu would have almost thought that the man in front of him was just a fake to fool him.  "Forgive me!" Batu returned the gift with his hands clasped together, and whispered to the adjutant: "Go out and call a few people who have seen Song Shen to see if this person is Song Shen himself!" In the end, Batu still said it.  Decided to confirm first.  "Yes, sir!" The adjutant bowed and retreated.  Batu turned around, with a smile on his face: "Why didn't you show the warrior Songshen his seat?" "Yes!" A soldier moved a maza, and intentionally or unintentionally, the maza was placed on the  The lower position of Batu.  "Thank you, sir, for the seat!" Song Shen cupped his hands, then sat down cross-legged and said with a smile, "Song Shen is just an ordinary farmer. He can't get used to sitting on that horse, so he still sits on the ground as comfortably as usual!" "Bold,  Ru Cao dares to be disrespectful to the marching Lord Sima!" The adjutant who had just handed over the order was furious when he saw it. He drew his sword and was about to step forward!  " "Stop!  "Batu He stopped the adjutant's actions. I don't know why, but his temper was particularly good today. "It's okay if you like this!  I invited you here today for a matter to discuss with you!  It doesn't matter whether you sit on the floor or in a chair, as long as the discussion comes to a conclusion!  " " Let's talk about a result?  Song Shen's face changed slightly, and he asked in a low voice: "But I don't know what you, a dignified military attache, are talking about with me, a Burmese farmer?"  "    "hehe!  Batu laughed twice, but did not answer. At this time, a soldier came into the room and whispered something in Batu's ear. Batu nodded, motioned for him to exit the room, and said with a smile: "You don't have to belittle yourself.  From a public perspective, you are now the Grand Governor of Burma in the Kingdom of Burma, and you can be considered a high-ranking official; from a private perspective, you have seven to eight thousand men and four to five thousand guns in hand, which are what the two kings have.  It may not be more powerful than you.  You are qualified to talk to me overtly or covertly, otherwise I would have had your head cut off from your neck, and why would I still be here rubbing my tongue with you?  " "Haha, you are a smart man. You should know that this official is just an empty hat. What do the gentlemen in Mandalay and Bagan think of me? If the British hadn't beaten me away, they would have sent someone to arrest me.  , hanged on the first big tree you could find. Do you still take this kind of hat seriously?  If you have anything to say, just say it!  "    "good!  "Batu's eyes shone with admiration. He admired the "bandit leader" in front of him more and more, as the nobles and monks called him. Compared with those who wore silk robes, various jewelry, and were surrounded by hundreds of slaves.  The Burmese nobleman in front of me seems to have just walked out of the paddy field, and he is more worthy of the word "noble." "Very good, you are also a smart person, and dealing with two smart people is very simple.  I won¡¯t beat around the bush!  Batu paused for a moment and replied in a very solemn tone: "As long as you order your men to stop attacking the noble houses."?'s attack, and laid down their weapons, reorganizing themselves into the kingdom's army.  You and your friends can be placed under the protection of the Dashun Protector's Office. No one can hurt you, no one!  " After listening to the translated words, Song Shen did not answer immediately. He just closed his eyes and meditated. Batu did not speak to urge him, but just looked at the other party quietly. I don¡¯t know how much time passed, but Song Shen finally  Opening his eyes, he raised his head and met Batu's eyes. "No, I can't accept this request!"  " Batu frowned. He directly understood the word "no" in Songcan's words without the need for translation. He thought it was because Songcan didn't believe in his promise, so he added: "Songcan, Dashun  The scope of protection includes a hundred friends, or two hundred, selected by you, as well as all the personal property you obtained during the war. Anyone who dares to violate this protection is an enemy of the empire. If you don't believe my promise,  I can also give you a protection order with the seal of the Burmese Protector's Office.  " "Sir, you are completely wrong. This is not a matter of your personal credibility!  Song Shen shook his head: "First of all, my men are not attacking the nobles' estates, but redistributing the land to their owners. The land should belong to those who have worked on it for generations, right?"  As for protection, my friends and I don¡¯t need anyone else¡¯s protection, whether it¡¯s a man named Dashun, a British man or the King of Burma. If I order them to hand over their weapons, then the noble lords will come back and take the land from the peasants.  Take away, put a heavier yoke on their shoulders, I can't let this happen again, absolutely not.  ¡± If Batu¡¯s opinion of the Burmese man in front of him just now was appreciation, after hearing these words, Batu had already begun to look at the man with admiration. His true courage and insistence on justice washed away him.  The dust on his body seemed to be inlaid with a golden rim that exuded holy light. As a well-educated mid-level military officer, Batu certainly knew that Myanmar¡¯s existing feudal land system was very backward and inhumane, but the society at that time  The environment also led him to hold a very ridiculous prejudice against Burmese peasants: Compared with the well-educated and intelligent nobles and monks, these peasants are stupid, short-sighted, and very lowly, without the unique noble sentiments of human beings.  They are human beings, rather than beasts that are close to humans in appearance. They do not understand what they really need and cannot build a country, so let these noble nobles and monks guide and educate these poor guys.  It is very necessary. In this case, it is natural for the nobles and monks to own land and other kinds of wealth. But the Burmese man in front of him completely shattered this prejudice. If the peasants were not dressed in shabby clothes and covered with dirt.  If more courageous and noble than the nobles and monks, he is at least as brave and noble as them. Even under various adverse circumstances, Song Sam still behaves very smart and far-sighted. In this way, Myanmar is now.  The feudal land system is becoming more and more absurd and stupid. "Wu Songcan!  Batu almost subconsciously added the word "Wu" in front of the other person's name (an honorific for the Burmese people, which means "Sir" and "Your Excellency"): "I fully understand your loyalty to your noble cause.  But let us be more sensible, or more realistic!  Batu's voice became cold and hard at this time: "The order given by the imperial court to the Colonel Protecting Burma is to ensure His Majesty the King's rule over Burma. Anyone who poses a threat to this rule, no matter who he is, will be attacked by the army."  Crusade!  do you understand?  This time all the nobles and monasteries will also side with the king. You will not have any chance of winning, not at all!  " "You are right, sir!  Song Shen's expression was surprisingly calm: "My men are not well trained, and they don't have cannons."  Maybe we can win once or twice, but in the end we will definitely lose.  "    "Are you crazy?  You know you're going to lose but you still fight?  Batu opened his eyes wide in surprise, as if the man in front of him was a madman. Song Shen smiled slightly: "Sir, I am different from you. You are a general, and you go to the battlefield just to win."  But I am not." At this point, Songcan stood up, walked to the wall, and stared at a Buddha statue on the wall: "When I was just born, I was told that the land belongs to the master, the river belongs to the master,  The forest belongs to the master, and the house belongs to the master.  Because of the gift and kindness of the masters, we have food to eat, clothing to wear, water to drink, a place to live, and a place to bury us after we die. This is how it was before, how it is now, and it will not change in the future, and it will always be like this.  Every child in the village was told this, and every one¡ª¡ª" At this point, Song Shen suddenly turned his head and looked directly at Batu. Batu suddenly felt a kind of emotion in the other person's eyes that made him unable to  Looking directly at the light. ¡°But is this really the case in this world?  Is this also the case in Dashun?  The aristocrat owns everything, while the peasant has nothing but his own hands.None?  Sir, please tell me?  "Batu opened his mouth, but did not make a sound. He lowered his head to avoid the other party's aggressive gaze, and whispered: "No, there are no nobles in Dashun. Except for the emperor and his family, everyone is born with  It's the same. Even the poorest person, as long as he can pass the imperial examination, can enter the court and become an important minister of the emperor!  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 114: Abuse

    The room suddenly became quiet, and Ba didn't even raise his head, but he could still feel Song Shen's burning gaze shining on him. What kind of gaze it was, as if Song Shen had already absorbed every part of his body.  A drop of blood, every piece of flesh is thrown into the fire, burning and radiating light.  Suddenly, Batu heard a burst of joyful laughter. He raised his head in surprise and saw Song Shen looking at the Buddha statue behind him and laughing loudly.  "It is indeed like this, it is indeed like this! Merciful Buddha! The world really shouldn't be like this! It really shouldn't be like this!" Song Shen smiled so happily, as if he had discovered some secret treasure: "Since it is  In this way, the blood of me and my companions will not be shed in vain. After this, the nobles will no longer be able to deceive the poor peasants, saying that it has always been like this. There will always be some brave people who will say.  , The land should belong to those who sweat and work on it!" Looking at the smile on Song Shen's face, Batu suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness that he had never felt before. He knew that the power he had always thought was invincible lay in the man in front of him!  It didn't work. Suddenly, a sentence he had read when he was young popped up in his mind: "You can't bend with force, you can't be slutty with wealth, you can't move with poverty, this is what a real man is!" There is no doubt that the man in front of him is a real man.  A true man.  "Wu Songcan! In this case, I have nothing to say!" Batu stood up and patted the handle of his knife gently. The adjutant who received the signal immediately shouted and rushed in from outside.  Six guards armed with carbines and sabers surrounded Song Shen.  Batu's face was as steely as he said in a deep voice: "Wu Songcan, under the secret order of Her Majesty the Princess, you are being arrested now." Songcan didn't resist, he just looked at Batu coldly: "It's useless for you to do this.  , I have appointed successors before I came, and they will continue to fight! " "It's a pity, they won't!" At this point, Batu took two steps forward and walked to Wu Songcan: "Tell me.  Good news for you. Her Majesty the Princess has decided to discuss the proposal of allocating land to farmers in the Privy Council. But before that, you must first eliminate this unstable factor, otherwise the noble Privy Council will definitely fail.  Yes, this is the minimum condition for the nobles to give in!" At this point, Batu turned to the adjutant and ordered: "Take him down, the treatment will be better, don't treat me badly!" "Yes, sir! What about those guys outside?  "Let them all go and tell them that as long as they stop attacking the nobles' estates, the safety of their leaders can be guaranteed!" Batu pondered for a moment and said: "Anyway, the order to allocate land to the peasants will be issued soon.  As soon as the clever trick of killing people was revealed, the bandits naturally dispersed. It would not be too late to deal with them then! " "Yes, sir!" The adjutant hurried out to carry out the order.  Batu turned around and looked at the majestic Buddha statue behind him. He suddenly sneered, pulled out the pistol from his waist, pointed it at the head of the Buddha and fired three shots, smashing it to pieces, and then turned around and left.  .  In the Bagan Palace, Diok was sitting at the desk, reading a thick stack of various letters in front of him. Diok was immersed in the pile of letters, reading the letters carefully and quickly, and from time to time he was reading the letters.  Write a few words in a certain letter.  If the current chaos in Myanmar is a whirlpool, then it is just a piece of duckweed. No matter how fast the water in this vortex rotates, the duckweed will always float on the water. When the whirlpool stops, people are surprised to find that many far larger  His more solid objects had long been swallowed up by the whirlpool, but Duckweed was still floating on the water intact.  Whether it is the puppet king Meng Ji, the British, the Shun people, the new king and the eldest princess, the relationship between them is intricate, and even the forces that are enemies of each other have not harmed him. This is simply an incredible thing.  "I order you to use any means to quickly arrest Song Shen and transport him to Mandalay. If the situation does not allow for the escort of a living person, a dead person can also be escorted. It is best not to cause a big conflict in this process!" Diok put down his hand.  This is an order from the Privy Council. After the last line of the letter, there are neat rows of signatures. Those are all the great nobles in the Privy Council.  According to Myanmar's past practice, if His Majesty the King is the supreme head of the kingdom, then the Privy Council, composed of the great nobles and great monks, is the other core of power in the kingdom. Most of the king's orders must go through the Privy Council to be implemented smoothly.  .  The new king's ascension to the throne must also be recognized by the Privy Council. For example, the puppet king Meng Ji who usurped the throne not long ago convened the Privy Council immediately after the event was completed to win the recognition of the nobles and monks.  At this time, Diok instead of the Burmese New Army got this letter, and its meaning is very intriguing.  "This Song Shen is undoubtedly the object of hatred among the Burmese nobles. It is not surprising that those guys in the Privy Council want his life, but why did they send a letter to me instead of to the king?"?What about the new army or the loyal army outside the city?  You know, that Song Shen has a lot of soldiers in his hands!  Could this be just those nobles acting behind the backs of the eldest princess and His Majesty the King?  "Diok thought secretly. As far as he knew, the new army compiled and trained by the new king after he ascended the throne was completely dependent on the training and formation of the compliant army, and it was difficult for the nobles to get involved. The attitude of some of the new troops who entered Bagan City not long ago  It was very ambiguous. They only controlled the area around Bagan City and restored local order, but they did not launch an attack on the rebel army led by Song Shen as the nobles requested, collect weapons and regain the land divided by the farmers.  . Connected with such an ambiguous behavior, a thought suddenly flashed in Diok's mind - Could it be that there was a conflict between the Privy Council and Her Majesty the Princess?  The gorgeous servant appeared at the door, and behind him stood a ragged man, standing there awkwardly, scratching his head and arms from time to time, as if his body was covered with fleas. The servant looked elegantly at Diok.  Shi bowed and said in a low voice: "Master, this person wants to see you. He said he has something important to report to you!  "    "very good!  You can go down now!  Diok made a gesture to his servant. When the servant retreated, he asked in a low voice: "Okay, what do you want to tell me?"  "The ragged man shrank his neck and asked: "Master, I heard that you are willing to pay a lot of money for useful information?  " "Yes, as long as your information is valuable, I will pay a high price. You will never get it elsewhere!  "Diok looked at the man in front of him with great interest. It was obvious that the man in front of him was a typical lumpen proletariat. He relied on informants, betrayals and other despised means to make a living at the bottom of society. Diok  After Gram returned to Bagan this time, he learned the lesson from last time and spent a lot of money on collecting intelligence. Not only did he send some trustworthy slaves to wander around the city every day, he also promised heavy rewards in the underworld. From these gangster proletarians  "Song Shen was captured by the Shun army!  "    "What?  "Diok suddenly stood up from behind the desk and knocked the pile of letters on the edge of the desk to the floor, but he didn't notice it at all. "How did you know?  When did Shunjun take him away?  " The man swallowed with some fear, and boldly whispered: "Master, you said there is a reward!  Diok snorted coldly. He walked to the wall, opened a small closet, took out a money bag from it, threw it into the man's arms, and said in a deep voice: "There are three hundred silver coins in this."  , if it is verified that your information is true, you can also get the same number of gold coins from me!  "The man opened the money bag, carefully took out a silver coin, looked at it carefully, blew hard, put it to his ear and listened carefully, and then carefully put the silver coin into the money bag.  , stuffed it into his arms, and whispered: "Master, this is what happened -" It turned out that this man was a beggar, and his youngest brother followed Song Shen to participate in the uprising not long ago, and this time he followed Song Shen to participate.  After Song Shen, one of the attendants at the meeting, was detained by Batu, the young man fled to his brother. After getting the news from his brother, the man found it valuable and ran to Diok with his brother on his back.  Whistleblowing, hoping to make a fortune ¡°So that¡¯s what happened!  "Diok nodded, lowered his head and began to think. The man looked at the thoughtful Diok hopefully, and asked: "Master, can I get my reward?  "    "Can you tell me your name?  " "Pudong, the villain's name is Pudong!  " "Wu Putong!  Diok glanced at Pudong who was a little flattered: "You should know the rules and talk nonsense. I can't give you gold coins just based on your empty words-" Pudong immediately became anxious and shouted loudly  Said: "Master, everything I just said is the truth!  You can definitely go to those Chinese barbarians for confirmation!  " "Wu Putong, if I don't have full confidence, it's impossible to go to the Chinese for verification, do you understand?  They are not easy to talk to!  Diok interrupted the other party's words: "There is only one way now, and that is to invite your brother here. Since he is Song Shen's follower, it is not difficult to confirm from his mouth whether what you said is true."  !  " "Master, this -" Pudong immediately hesitated. If betraying Song Ginseng has no moral burden on him, betraying his younger brother is a completely different matter. Diok saw the other party's look  , sneered, stood up and said: "Wu Putong, if you take me to see your brother once and clarify the matter, these gold coins will be yours!  "Diok took out another money bag from the closet, weighed it twice in his hand, and the money bag made a sound.With a crisp sound, Pudong's greedy eyes suddenly focused on the money bag.  "If you don't take me there, you are cheating on me. Not only will you not get the money, but you will also be punished!" Diok's voice suddenly became harsh: "I think you should know about cheating.  What kind of punishment will the nobles receive?" Pudong's feet softened and he fell to the ground with a plop. The sweat on his forehead was like rain. The majesty of the nobles he had witnessed in the past immediately appeared in front of him. He replied with a trembling voice: "Understood.  !¡± ¡°Very good!¡± Diok patted Pudong¡¯s shoulder lightly: ¡°It¡¯s up to you what to do!¡± Pudong raised his head tremblingly and asked: ¡°Master, I and I.  My brother shouldn¡¯t be in trouble, right?¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Diok laughed twice and asked in a deep voice, ¡°You should know who I am. What I¡¯m looking for is Song Shen. Who are you two?¡±  "Am I causing trouble for you?" "Okay!" Pu Dong gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "I'll take you there!" "That's right!" Diok threw the money bag into Pu Dong's arms.  , smiled and said: "You won't regret it!" Four hours later, Diok walked out of a dark room with a frown. Behind him, a servant hunched his back slightly and followed carefully.  "Go and clean up those two guys and find a secluded place to bury them. Also, I will go to Master Batu outside the city later. You can prepare it for me!" "Yes, sir!" The servant  He responded respectfully: "I will wait until it gets darker and throw it into the pond outside the south of the city. I will put two more stones in the sack and it will sink to the bottom. No one will know!" Diok nodded.  , at this time he turned a corner, and the light came in from the outside, and he found a few blood stains on his clothes. He frowned: "When did your clothes become dirty? Go and get them for me."  A new one is here, don¡¯t delay it!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The servant bowed to Diok, turned around and ran quickly to the inner courtyard.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 115: Transaction

    Shunjun camp.  There are seven steps from the door to the bed in a wooden house, and there are also seven steps from the window to the wall.  The floor is made of rough wooden boards. There is a camping blanket on the wooden board bed. There are several tree stumps used as benches and tables next to the bed. There are a few nails for hanging clothes on the wall. Although the whole house is simple, it is dry and comfortable.  It was clean, except for a few solid iron bars where the windows should have been, and it was no different from the residence of an ordinary mid-level Junjun officer.  Song Shen was lying on the camp bed, and a loud voice came in from the window. It was a Shun Army non-commissioned officer training his soldiers, and a burst of gunfire came from further away.  Song Shen is no stranger to all this. Just a few months ago, as a recruit of the Myanmar New Army, he personally experienced the whips and sticks of Shun Army officers.  However, Song Shen did not have any hatred towards the officers because of this. After all, these officers did not deduct his salary.  Moreover, while they were beating Burmese soldiers, they were also beating uniformly those soldiers who had not violated discipline.  From Song Shen's point of view, this was a bit like a slap in the face given by the master blacksmith in the village to his clumsy apprentice. It was just and natural.  It has been three days since Song Shen was imprisoned in this room. To be fair, he has been treated quite well. He has a clean residence, a clean bed, and a pretty good diet. He has not been whipped or humiliated, and he has no shackles or handcuffs.  Even after lunch, you can walk in the open space behind the house for twenty minutes and enjoy the sunshine after an afternoon. Of course, this is under the guard of two soldiers. The only restriction is that you cannot leave the house.  Even the soldiers guarding him began to think that he was a member of the Burmese royal family who was hiding his noble identity, otherwise it would be impossible to explain the preferential treatment he received.  "Stand at attention! Salute!" A prolonged command came from the window. Song Shen sat up from the bed. Almost at the same time, the door was pushed open from the outside, and a strong beam of sunlight came in from the outside.  , it happened to shine on Song Shen's face. He instinctively narrowed his eyes and saw a tall and burly figure standing at the door.  "Song Shen, please get up and pay homage to the Lord!" A high-pitched voice came from behind the figure.  "No need!" The man took two steps forward. At this time, Song Shen's eyes had gradually adapted to the light coming in from the outside, and he saw clearly that the man who came in was Batu, and he was wearing a straight t-shirt.  The woolen military uniform and the cloak behind him fluttered with the river wind blowing in from outside, making him look particularly majestic.  "Wu Songcan, I have been too busy these days and have no time to come to you. I have nothing to do today, so I came to see you." Batu smiled, pointed at the person behind him and said, "This person can also be considered you.  Mr. Diok, Her Majesty the Princess has appointed the governor of Central Myanmar to succeed you. He is here to act as an interpreter for you and me today. You and I can say whatever we want, and we don¡¯t have to worry about him spreading the word!"  Diok smiled at Song Shen, not at all the bossy look he had just now.  Batu slapped his hands lightly twice, and two soldiers walked in from the outside. There were some fruits on the tray in their hands, which were placed on the tree stump used as a table in the house. Batu picked up an orange and offered it to Song Shen.  He made a gesture to invite him to eat.  Song Shen glanced at Batu with some doubts, but still picked up an apple and took a bite. Batu smiled and watched Song Shen take a big bite of the apple, peeled the orange in his hand, and handed it over.  Song Shen stretched out his hand to ward off the orange: "What's the matter with you?" "Nothing, I have a question for you!" Batu took back the orange without feeling dissatisfied, took a piece and stuffed it into his mouth: "  Why do you still want to come in person when you know that my invitation to come for talks may be detrimental to you? You could have refused or sent someone to come!" Song Shen didn't answer Batu's question immediately. He looked at it.  Diok on the other side was smiling gently, as if he had completely forgotten that he was beaten out of Bagan by the rebel army led by Song Shen a few months ago.  "It's very simple. The great cause requires me to take this risk. The British are no longer here, and you have already freed up your hands. If I don't come to the talks, you will immediately fight with the king's army. Our current  The strength is still too small, we need to buy time!" "You?" Batu frowned: "What are you talking about here?" "Shunjun, you are not with the kingdom's army!  I was wiped out by you in Bagan city from the very beginning!" "This, this!" Batu's eyes widened in surprise. He never expected that the other party would discover this and try to take advantage of it. He started now.  I was glad that I had made the decision to arrest Song Shen three days ago. It was too dangerous to keep this person out of my control.  "Even so, you don't need to take such a risk?" "I already appointed my successor before I came, even if I can'tEven in the future, it will not affect the success or failure of your career.  As for me personally, just like many of my companions who have sacrificed their lives for me, I belong to a great cause!  As long as it is conducive to the success of my career, my personal life and death are insignificant!  " "Career success?  A sarcastic smile appeared on Batu's face: "Really? Let me tell you a news. At this time three days later, Her Majesty the Princess will pass a new law in the Privy Council. According to this law, all new armies of the kingdom will  A soldier, regardless of his status before joining the army, will automatically become a free man, and will also receive a field of approximately fifty acres and a homestead of five acres. This land will become private property and can be passed on to  His descendants, with this law, will collapse without a fight if they leave your team. Now do you still think that your great cause can still succeed without you?  " Song Shen's face did not show the excitement Batu expected. He smiled: "Maybe things will develop as you expected, but isn't this a good start?  Many farmers have already obtained land. Unless the eldest princess plans to start a civil war, she can only recognize this reality through law. I believe this decree is just the beginning, and soon the kingdom will extend this decree to all farmers.  .  You don't think this is because of the sudden conscience of the king and nobles, do you?  If it hadn't been for those of us who picked up guns and resisted, the nobles would not have made this concession in another thousand or ten thousand years.  In this case, how can we say that the great cause has not been successful?  " Looking at the smile on Song Shen's face, Batu suddenly felt a sense of weakness. Diok on the side smiled and retorted: "Maybe you are right!  Wu Songcan, it is because of the sacrifice and hard work of you and your companions that the farmers got the land, but future generations will not know it.  Remember that it was the monks and scholars who wrote history and recorded it in books and on temple walls.  Your actions have deeply hurt those nobles and monks. They will never leave the names of you and your companions, but will only attribute the credit for the land allocated to the peasants to the kindness and foresight of the king and nobles.  In fifty to a hundred years, when your contemporaries die, your name and achievements will be abandoned in an unknown corner. People in future generations will never know what you and your companions have done.  It's like this never happened!  " Diok's cold voice echoed in the room, and Batu and Songshen's faces turned pale. Neither of them lacked the courage to face danger, but the horrific reality that Diok had just revealed made them  The hearts of the two people shrank suddenly. The fruits of the warrior's sacrifice were usurped by the enemy, but the warrior himself would be buried in a dark corner forever. His name was forgotten, and his achievements were usurped by others.  What could be more cruel and terrifying than this? Song Shen was silent for a while and slowly raised his head. His face had been pale for a long time. It was obvious that Diok's words had given him a great impact, but he still remained.  Slowly but firmly said: "Yes, you are right, the fate of me and my companions in this world seems to be doomed, but fortunately there are gods and Buddhas in the sky, they are all-knowing and all-powerful, and their wisdom will not  Covered by the complexity of the world, when we leave this world, there will naturally be a fair judgment waiting for us.  ¡± As a well-educated Chinese, Batu is actually an atheist, at least an agnostic. He naturally does not believe in the existence of gods and Buddhas like Song Shen does, but at this time, he can¡¯t help being praised by Song Shen.  Shen was infected. He was about to say something when he heard Diok coughing. Then he came back to his senses and said coldly: "We have already talked about it today. Where to go depends on you.  Think about it!  "Having said this, Batu stood up, turned around and walked outside. Diok fell behind, glanced at Song Shen, sneered and followed him out. Only Song Shen was left in the room. In the military camp, Batu  They all suddenly stopped and asked Diok behind them: "Governor Diok, what do you think of Song Shen?  " "My lord, please don't mention this governor. I was involved in the death of the late king. This governor is just a temporary measure used by Her Majesty the Princess Regent to calm people's hearts. Without the protection of the great lords of the kingdom, I will be dead sooner or later!"  Diok smiled bitterly: "In my opinion, this Song Can can't be kept, so it's better to kill him."  "    "How to say?  Can't I use it for my own use?  "Batu's face showed a rare feeling of love and care. "Sir, a woman's kindness is indescribable!  Diok sighed and said, "I also know that Diok has backbone, ability, and prestige among Burmese farmers. It would be a pity to kill him."  But think about it, sir, he is not afraid of death, not greedy for money, not greedy for enjoyment, that¡¯s all. But he doesn¡¯t even care about his reputation, and he is not afraid of gods and Buddhas. He only thinks about his great cause. Is there anything you can do to stop this?  Can you keep him?  I remember that your Dashun has a book called "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", in which Cao CaoHe often liked a general named Guan Yu, and promoted him and gave him beautiful women. However, Guan Yu was still loyal to his elder brother Liu Bei. As soon as he got the news, he went all the way to join Liu Bei. As a result, he later led his troops to defeat Cao Cao.  defeat.  Think about it, if Cao Cao killed Guan Yu from the beginning, would there still be those troubles?  "    "Um!  "Batu nodded slowly. Diok's words moved him. Indeed, people like Song Shen cannot be driven by themselves. The more capable and honest he is, the less likely he is to keep him.  . ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave this person to you!  Batu turned his back to Diok and said, "Remember, you did all this behind my back and have nothing to do with our Dashun Army!"  do you understand?  " "That's natural!  Diok hurriedly said respectfully: "Please don't worry, sir. I will definitely handle this matter neatly. Also, the Chinese and Burmese nobles are a little bit interested. As a thank you for trapping this animal, sir, please  Check!  "Having said this, Diok took out a gift list from his arms and presented it with both hands. Batu was stunned when he heard the words. He turned his head and glanced at the gift list. He saw that it was densely packed with valuables, and he felt in his heart  I couldn't help but move, and then I remembered Song Shen's resolute look just now, and my heart softened again. I stretched out my hand to push the gift slip away, and whispered: "Well, this Song Shen is also a hero. Now the situation forces us to kill him."  .  But if I take these things, it will be as if I am just killing people for money!  " "That's it, that's it. Your Excellency recognizes and values ??heroes. I really admire them very much!  Diok held the gift list but did not take it back: "It's just that this list was made up by the nobles of Central Myanmar. If you don't take it, they will think too much about it. Please put the overall situation first and accept it."  Give them a little thought!  "This Diok is indeed the confidant of the false king Meng Ji. He can really talk the living to death and the dead to life with his mouth. After what he said, Badu seemed to have no choice but to accept it. " Badu frowned.  He nodded, took the gift list hesitantly, and said in a low voice: "If you say so, then, that's all it can do, but it won't happen next time!  " "Thank you, sir!  Diok bowed to the ground: "Then that person¡ª¡ª!"  " Batu felt the gift list in his arms. The crisp paper gave him a heavy feeling in his chest, making him feel comfortable. He waved his hand and replied casually: "You can bring two people to pick up someone.  Be careful on the road, don't make any mistakes!  " "Thank you, sir!  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 116: Interview

    The Andaman Sea in winter is dominated by northeasterly winds. Compared with summer when southwesterly winds prevail, the Andaman Sea receives less rainfall in winter and the ocean surface is much calmer. Looking from a distance, the sea surface presents a beautiful  Green, like a huge emerald.  The sharp bow of the second-class cruiser "Southampton" cut through the emerald ocean surface, leaving a white mark on the sea. Dozens of seagulls flew on the stern, pecking at the bread thrown by a few British sailors.  The whole scene is like a beautiful oil painting.  "Colonel Kitchener!" Captain Alexander, who was leaning on the bridge guardrail, gently knocked on his pipe twice and took out the ash inside: "If I am not mistaken, in ten to twelve  In an hour, you can see the spire of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, so I suggest you go to the cabin to sleep first, so that you can get back to work with strong energy when you get off the boat. ¡± ¡°Thank you.  Your suggestion! Alexander!" Kitchener turned around and put down a sketch that was two-thirds complete. As an officer who graduated in military engineering, he was also a good amateur painter. He returned to the coffee table.  , took a piece of gingerbread, and said with a smile while eating: "But I don't have to sleep for that long. In Africa, I am used to sleeping four hours a day. Also, please tell me how you know that we are now  Location? Inferred from the time you have been sailing? " "You have strong energy, which is a common characteristic of great people!" Captain Alexander smiled and complimented Kitchener: "No, my method is much simpler.  !¡± The captain pointed at the sea outside the ship¡¯s side: ¡°Have you noticed the color of the sea here?¡± Kitchener glanced at the sea and replied: ¡°It¡¯s beautiful green.¡± ¡°Yes, this?¡±  This shows that the sea water here is not deep, and the deepest depth does not exceed 500 feet. Most of the water in the Andaman Sea is not deep, especially in the northeastern part. One-third of the sea in the northeast is less than 180 meters (600 meters) deep.  feet), this is mainly caused by the large amount of silt carried by the Irrawaddy River to the sea. Maybe this place will become land after thousands of years!" "Bah, bang, bang!" Kitchener puffed twice.  Palm: "Captain Alexander, you are a man who knows the sea very well. Perhaps it is for this reason that the Royal Navy is so powerful!" "Thank you for your compliment, Colonel!" Alexander waved his pipe  : "But now times have changed. What determines the success of a naval battle is no longer the bravery and determination of officers and soldiers, but the speed of the battleship, the thickness of the armor and the caliber of the cannon, or which country has more  Lathes, more mines, and more engineers!" When Alexander saw the slightly confused look in his eyes, he explained with a smile: "I wonder if you have noticed that in the past hundred years, the navy's  The rate of replacement of warships is constantly accelerating. If Viscount Nelson had not died in the battle at Trafalgar in 1805, he would still be able to command the "Victory" and continue to sail on the sea thirty years later. But today.  It¡¯s different. A warship will become obsolete within twenty years at most after it is launched. The new warship far exceeds the former in terms of speed, armor and cannon caliber. The former will never be able to compete with the latter. Either way, his fate awaits.  The cannon is removed and reduced to a cargo ship, or sent to the ship-breaking platform to be scrapped. The one who can win in the end is the last one standing in this never-ending boxing match, but the naval officers and soldiers cannot.  "You are right!"  Alexander!  "Kitchener was convinced by the other party: "But fortunately, the engineers of Great Britain are better than those of France and Germany. As for the mines and workers, we will only be better, not to mention that Britain is an island country and does not need to spread its energy to  Army goes up, and the one who can stand in the boxing ring in the end will definitely be no one else!  "At this point, Kitchener winked at the captain. "As a naval officer, I am not as confident as you!  In the past twenty years, the gentlemen of the House of Representatives have sunk one warship after another, but our enemies continue to work hard.  Colonel Kitchener, if a hundred years ago, Lord Nelson could have defeated Napoleon's fleet with his genius and brave soldiers outnumbered.  So if a similar situation occurs again today, all we can do is pray to God to bless old England again!  " Kitchener gave a bitter smile and had no words to continue. As a professional soldier who has served overseas all year round, Kitchener is not ignorant of the development of the British Navy over the years. Since the Crimean War, it may be  Because the traditional old rival, the French, had an unstable internal political situation and were unable to compete with the British for global hegemony, while new maritime rivals were still in their infancy, the development of the British Royal Navy also entered a period of stagnation, from 1875 to 1884.  In the dark period of the Royal Navy, the authorized capital ships were far from meeting the British Navy's requirements for controlling world sea power; in contrast, France?After Napoleon III completed industrialization, although he lost to the Germans in the Franco-Prussian War, he vigorously expanded his naval fleet and almost surpassed Britain to become the world's largest.  Especially in 1884, the British Navy still had many old-fashioned broadside gun armored ships. These ships were basically built between 1864 and 1872. They were already outdated and could not be compared with the new steel-hulled armored ships with central gun profiles.  , which made Alexander, a young and promising officer who was very familiar with the development trends of the navy at that time, helpless to feel frustrated.  "Alexander, what about the 'Southampton'? How is this ship?" Seeing the other party's appearance, Kitchener deliberately changed the subject, wanting to say something that would make Alexander happy.  "Oh, are you talking about this ship?" Hearing Kitchener mention his warship, Alexander's somewhat gloomy face suddenly became cheerful: "Of course she is the best. She has just served for a year.  year, with a displacement of 8,400 tons, four 234mm/32x breech-mounted rifled guns, and most importantly, she can run as fast as fourteen knots. There is no cruiser in the world that can compare to mine.  The 'Southampton' is faster! There is no one!" "But you were still complaining that Parliament was unfair to the Navy?" "There is no contradiction between the two, Captain Kitchener, you know this is the Navy.  The third fast cruiser equipped in it, considering that the British Empire has territories all over the world, do we rely on three cruisers to deal with the enemy? This is simply a joke!" Alexander retorted angrily.  "Can you tell me what those are?" Kitchener asked, pretending not to understand anything, pointing to several things wrapped in canvas on the deck.  "That's a 6-inch 40-caliber rapid-fire gun produced by Armstrong. It can fire 7 six-inch shells in one minute. It's mainly used to kill people on the enemy's deck and buildings on the deck that aren't protected by armor. It can also be used.  "Come and shoot those fast torpedo boats." "Mr. Captain, if we go to war with the Chinese, I mean if." Kitchener considered the words and asked in a low voice: "How do you think our navy will act?"  "If we go to war with the Chinese, then I think we should organize a fleet of four to five battleships and corresponding cruisers to block China's coastline and bombard one of Guangzhou, Ningbo, Fuzhou, and Shanghai.  Force the Chinese fleet to come out to fight, and then destroy them. " "No, no!" Kitchener replied a little embarrassed: "Alexander, what I said about war is only the war in Myanmar. The Parliament has no plan for a full-scale war.  "What I mean is how the navy will act if the war is limited to Myanmar." "That's it!" The captain showed a disappointed expression: "If this is the case, then the navy has only two tasks: to arrive in Calcutta.  I personally think you should collect enough hydrographic data first to escort Yangon and support the army in inland rivers, and prepare some ships suitable for shallow water offshore operations. The draft of a ship like mine is too deep and the freeboard is too high, so it is not suitable.  Enter the river! There are a lot of these broken-leg rags in Singapore's Far East Fleet. "Thank you for your help!" Kitchener stood up with satisfaction and stretched out his right hand.  He was very satisfied with this conversation.  "It's nothing!" Alexander shrugged and took Kitchener's outstretched hand: "Remember what you once said to me, 'The flag of Great Britain will never retreat!'" Kitchener nodded seriously.  He nodded, shook the other person's hand firmly, and walked down the ladder. He decided to go back to his cabin to sleep for a while to recover from the fatigue of the past few days. Once he arrived in Yangon, he would devote himself to work.  At about 7:30 a.m. the next day, the "Southampton" arrived in Yangon. The energetic Kitchener got on the carriage waiting at the dock and whispered to the consul who greeted him: "Let Gillings go immediately.  Sir and Major Duncan come to my place, I want to meet them as soon as possible!" In the reception room of the consulate, Gillings and Duncan sat opposite each other, with uneasy expressions on their faces.  Just a week ago, an order from London had dismissed Gillings from his post as Consul General of the British Empire in Burma. A secretary from India had taken over Gillings's position. Moreover, the order did not include a new appointment for Gillings. This was surprising.  Not a good sign.  As for Duncan, as an officer with civilian background, he had no well-meaning nobles to speak good words for him in London. In his opinion, the next step would most likely be an order to retire from active service, and then he would have no choice but to take off his clothes.  The major's uniform that was still warm was rolled up in a small package and returned to his hometown in Scotland to farm.  In comparison, going to the Southeast Asian peninsula to find a local chieftain to be a military instructor is a job that is more suitable for his temperament.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 117: Interview

    But a new order came, a messenger from the consulate said that an envoy from London wanted to see them immediately.  Envoy from London!  Gillings has had enough of these big shots now. Just like Mr. Balfour not long ago, they came here from thousands of miles away, arrogantly scolded Fang Qiu, and then went back with honor, while he had to take the rest.  Everything is done.  Now another such big shot has come down, but I don¡¯t know if he will leave a bigger mess when he leaves.  "Duncan, what do you think this new gentleman from London is doing?" Gillings asked in a low voice.  "I don't know, but I think our experience in Myanmar is coming to an end!" Duncan had a cold these days, and his voice was a little shaky when he answered.  "Okay!" Gillings nodded helplessly: "After returning to the UK, would you like to accompany me on a trip to New Guinea? There are many novel birds there. I want to complete the bird book that my father did not finish.  "Mr. Gillings, I'm afraid not!" Duncan shook his head: "You know that my hometown farm is going bankrupt. I need to get some money to go back, so I may have to find a chief of the country first.  Go make more money!" At this moment, the door of the reception room was pushed open, and a voice came from outside: "Mr. Gillings, Mr. Duncan, I'm afraid you two don't have to think about bird encyclopedias and reorganizing your home for the time being.  Your Majesty the Queen needs you to continue to serve the Empire!" Gillings and Duncan turned their heads in surprise, just in time to see Kitchener striding in behind the consul, and loudly introduced himself: "Hello, I am.  It's Colonel Horatio Herbert Kitchener. Prime Minister Disraeli has appointed me to take charge of the upcoming war in Burma! " "It's a pleasure to see you here, Colonel Gillings!"  Duncan stood up quickly and greeted the other party nervously.  Although Kitchener was only 35 years old at this time, he was already famous throughout the civilized world for his rescue of Charles George Gordon in the Sudan.  Originally, the two of them thought that London would send a congressman like Balfour as before, but what they didn't expect was a professional officer like Kitchener. The resistance in their hearts suddenly disappeared.  "Please do not call me Your Excellency, Her Majesty the Queen has not given me such an honor!" Kitchener replied, and then he said to the Consul General on the side: "Mr. Consul, I want to be undisturbed with Mr. Gillings and Mr. Duncan."  After talking for a while, can I borrow this room? " "Of course! You can use it as you like!" The consul nodded slightly and turned to leave.  At this time, only Kitchener, Gillings, and Duncan were left in physics. Kitchener turned around and closed the door, motioned for the two of them to sit down, took out a notebook from his jacket pocket, opened it to a page, and asked: "  Gentlemen, as the new commander of the Myanmar region, I would like to ask you the following questions: First, what is the navigation situation of the Irrawaddy River? Where can shallow-water armored gunboats navigate? Second, what impact does the annual climate have on it?  To what extent have people been involved? How many troops have they committed? What is the traffic situation from Mandalay to the southwestern border with China? Third, what is the current internal situation in Myanmar?  How, which side do the local nobles and people prefer? Fourth, how many soldiers, how many warships are available in Yangon, how much clothing, ammunition and supplies can be maintained in the warehouse? " Kitchin?  Na's barrage of questions made Gillings and Duncan stunned. After learning the identity of the visitor, they had expected that they might be asked questions about the Burmese war. However, detailed and cumbersome questions like this made them stunned.  The two of them didn't know how to answer for a while.  Seeing this, Kitchener's beard on his upper lip twitched slightly and smiled: "Okay, maybe I have too many questions at once, so let's start with the first question, the navigation situation of the Irrawaddy River.  Can shallow-water armored gunboats be navigable to Mandalay? Does the season have any impact on it? " "Colonel!" Duncan licked his lips: "The water volume of the Irrawaddy River is very abundant, which can be compared with the largest rivers in Europe.  , this river is actually formed by the confluence of two rivers named Enmeikai River and Malikai River. The place where they meet is Myitkyina, the capital of Upper Myanmar. If it is the rainy season, ships can sail all the way to  There, if it is the season with less water, the ship can navigate to Bhamo, about 150 miles south of Myitkyina. The depth of the main channel near Mandalay in the dry season is also more than 40 feet, but the downstream passes through Youminwu!  There is a narrow river valley between it and Pya, where the width of the river is about 0.4 to 0.6 miles! Shallow water. ""Very good! Mr. Duncan!" Kitchener took it out of the leather bag on the side with satisfaction.Take a map of Myanmar, take out your unilateral eye and use a pencil to mark the place names mentioned by Duncan.  Then he raised his head and asked: "Do you think gunboats are important to the war against the Chinese?" "The importance cannot be overemphasized!" Duncan replied decisively: "Although it is rainy in Myanmar,  The plains between Mandalay and Bagan are very hot, and the rainfall is not abundant. Only the plateau in the west has more rainfall. If there are no waterways for most of the year, it will be difficult for a large number of troops to march by land.  A very difficult thing. The first and second imperial conquests of Burma were carried out by water! " "Very good!" Kitchener said while recording in his notebook and map: "Let's move on to the next one.  Question: How many troops did the Chinese invest? To what extent were they involved, and what was the traffic situation like? " Duncan glanced at Gillings, and Gillings replied knowingly: "The Chinese responded very quickly.  They immediately dispatched an army, regardless of the difficulties in the rainy season, and defeated the king we supported. Their army was not large in number, about two thousand to three thousand men, but their equipment and training were very good, and they could compete with us.  Compared with the first-class colonial troops. The road from Mandalay to southwest China is very bad. It is just a medieval road. The road surface has been solidified. Once too many vehicles pass by, the road surface will crack.  It's okay during the rainy season, but once it reaches the rainy season, it becomes a small river and is impassable. The ancient Burmese deliberately left it unmaintained as a means of defending against their powerful enemies in the north. Of course, the Chinese would definitely take this opportunity to attack it.  This road is reinforced and repaired. However, with such a road winding through the mountains, the Chinese army in Myanmar will not exceed 20,000 people! As for the current situation in Myanmar, I can use one sentence to describe it, that is.  Very bad!" "What do you mean?" Kitchener asked: "Do you mean that these Asian yellow people have an instinctive hatred for Britain?" "No, that's not what I mean!" Gillings replied:  "Colonel, if I remember correctly, you have spent a long time in Egypt!" "Yes, I have been assigned to draw maps in the Middle East since 1874, and three years ago I was assigned to command a  Cavalry regiment!" "What do you think will happen to Egypt if the Nile does not flood in a certain year?" "That means famine!" Kitchener understood what the other party meant: "You mean there is a famine in Burma?"  "Almost!" Gillings replied: "The largest rice-producing area in Myanmar is the Irrawaddy Delta region in lower Myanmar, and its capital is Mandalay in the middle and upper reaches, so a large amount of grain flows upstream along the Irrawaddy River every year.  , but the war destroyed this exchange; more importantly, in order to resist the Chinese attack, the usurper forcibly requisitioned farmers and grain from the village communities. Many farmers who could not survive had to flee their hometowns and became bandits, and even  The manors and monasteries of the nobles were robbed, and the dams were not repaired as they should be, which is very necessary for the arid central region. I believe that in the near future, there will be a large-scale famine in Myanmar.  " "What about my fourth question?  " "Colonel, Major Duncan and I are currently on leave, so we have limited knowledge of the specific situation in Yangon, so we are sorry!  "Gillings tried his best to pretend that nothing had happened, but he was extremely nervous in his heart. Whether he spent the rest of his life as an ornithologist or a civil servant in the British Empire depended on the man in front of him who wore a single-sided spectacles and had a long life.  As the colonel with a big beard, Gillings could almost feel that his heart was about to explode under his uniform. "I'm very happy for what you two have done for the empire!"  "Kitchener stood up, but the stiff expression on his face was exactly the opposite of what he said. Kitchener carefully packed up the notebook and map, put them into his bag, turned around and walked towards the living room, taking Duncan  "Prime Minister Gladstone made the right choice this time!"  This time the Chinese are in trouble!  Duncan waved his fist excitedly: "It's like the Iron Duke is reincarnated. I really hope I can avenge my shame under his command!"  "As a highlander, he admired this fellow countryman endlessly. "Yes, at least the colonel knew to check the warehouse first, so as not to let his soldiers lose the battle because they were not full. But in that case,  I'm afraid your estate in Scotland is going bankrupt.  The British Empire did not treat her officers as generously as the feudal chiefs!  "Gillings sneered and sarcastically said. He was worried about his future fate and felt uncomfortable seeing Duncan so excited. "You're right, Colonel Kitchener is an officer with better luck than me.  May God have good luck with him!  "Duncan glanced at Gillings and asked, "ThenWhat should we do now?  "    "right now we?  Gillings laughed: "Like a true Christian, be patient and pray to God!"  Hope God gives us good luck!  " At this time, Kitchener completely ignored the uneasiness in the hearts of the two interlocutors. He is currently busy in various warehouses, talking to grassroots officers who have participated in battles with the enemy, and collecting information needed to formulate combat plans.  All kinds of intelligence. Kitchener belongs to the kind of elite in the British Empire that was already rare at the end of the nineteenth century. He is taciturn, serious, brave as a lion, and will win every time. As a professional soldier, he is a dictator through and through.  Once the plan is made and the battle plan is determined, he will concentrate on using his amazing talents and command calmly. He will never discuss or consult with others half-heartedly. He is like a star in space.  , whether they are soldiers, congressmen, colleagues, or superiors, they are just planets or satellites around him. They must move under his gravitational pull. Everything is under gravity, everything is planned, and under his  There was no place for the word "accident" in his dictionary, so when he returned to the consulate in Yangon a week later, his leather bag, which he never left behind, was already bulging with stuff.  All kinds of plans, charts, maps.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 118: Bagnell

    10 Downing Street, London, UK.  Prime Minister Gladstone was sitting at the long table, reading documents attentively. On his right was his chief private secretary.  Although he was wearing a wig, a lot of white hair was still exposed under the wig, and it was not difficult to tell that he was old.  Perhaps the greatest British liberal politician of the nineteenth century, after experiencing the defeat in the Anglo-Boer War and the failure to rescue General Gordon in Khartoum in the Sudan, his prestige has been greatly reduced.  Therefore, although he successfully reorganized the cabinet by taking advantage of the internal instability of his rival Conservative Party, he was still very anxious deep down and tried every means to stabilize the status of his cabinet.  The private secretary looked at the clock on the wall, leaned down and whispered: "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, it is already three-thirty in the afternoon. Do you want to postpone the afternoon tea with Mr. Barnier at four o'clock in the afternoon?" "Oh.  "It's already so late!" Gladstone looked up at the desk clock, then looked down at the half-read document in his hand. After a moment's hesitation, he put the document in the box, locked it with the key, and put it in his own.  In his pocket, he said: "Prepare the carriage, we will set off immediately!" "Yes, Your Excellency!" The private secretary rang the doorbell, and the carriage driver came in from outside the door. He carefully locked the several boxes filled with documents.  The red suitcases were lifted up, and these suitcases filled with unread documents will be delivered to the Prime Minister's residence for the Prime Minister's review in the evening.  Gladstone himself put on his coat with the help of his personal secretary and walked towards the carriage outside the door.  Gladstone leaned on the back of the carriage. As an old man born in 1809, no matter how he took care of himself, his energy could not be compared with that of the "great William" in his youth.  But the meeting later is very important, related to whether his cabinet can survive for a long time.  As a sober politician, Gladstone has also clearly realized that as time entered the 1870s, British industry no longer had its original absolute advantage in the world. In the eyes of the European continent,  During the economic crisis, the Liberal Party's original free trade policy could no longer bring sustained prosperity. This was also the main reason for the collapse of Gladstone's first cabinet.  He finally came back to power in 1776, but because of his inconsistency on the Irish issue, Irish MPs defected to the Conservative Party, leading to the collapse of Gladstone's second government.  And Charles Stuart Parnell, the MP he was about to meet, was the leader of the Irish Home Rule Party in the House of Commons. The defection of the Irish MPs he represented was an important reason for Gladstone's resignation.  "Your Excellency Prime Minister, Westminster Palace has arrived!" The private secretary gently pulled the rope next to the door, making a crisp ringing sound, then opened the door, jumped out quickly, stretched out his hand to help the carriage from the carriage without leaving any trace.  Prime Minister Gladstone comes down.  Gladstone looked around carefully and walked quickly towards the door.  As soon as Gladstone walked into the revolving door, he immediately felt the aroma of cigar smoke in his nostrils. This smell mixed with the warm air in the room, plus the low voices of conversation and the slight collision of glasses, forming a perfect atmosphere.  A very wonderful atmosphere.  There are offices and restaurants on the first floor of the Palace of Westminster. During tea time, MPs often come here to talk and spend a wonderful afternoon.  Gladstone carefully walked to the pre-arranged corner. The towering sofa back divided the place into a small box to isolate the noise from the outside and make it difficult for others to hear the conversation.  He sat down comfortably and asked the private secretary beside him: "Punch?" When the secretary nodded, Gladstone whispered to the messenger behind him: "Two salmon sandwiches, two glasses of punch."  !" Soon, the waiter brought the wine and food that Gladstone ordered. The private secretary picked up the wine glass and took a sip, but when he saw the Prime Minister sitting there with a stern look on his face, he unconsciously put down the wine glass.  "Humphrey, do you think I was right to meet with Mr. Parnell this time?" "Huh?" Humphrey was stunned, and then he understood what Gladstone was asking him. He hesitated for a moment and said,  He replied in a low voice: "Your Excellency Prime Minister, it is God's authority to judge right and wrong. All we mortals can do is to move forward on our own path!" "You are right, Humphrey, we are just humble mortals!"  A smile appeared on Stone's stern face: "Humphrey, I never thought you had the ability to be a priest!" "Perhaps this is because of my great-grandfather. He was a Scottish Catholic lawyer. When I was a child, I often read from  My father told me so!" "What about your father? What is his occupation?" Humphrey showed an embarrassed look on his face, and then whispered: "He is a businessman, his main business is  They sold opium from India to China and Japan, and later transported black slaves to Brazil!" "Ahem, as you said, it is God's authority to judge right and wrong!" Gladstone said somewhatHe repeated the words of the private secretary awkwardly.  At this moment, a voice broke the awkwardness in the corner.  "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I'm late, please forgive me!" A middle-aged man in his early forties stood at the door of the box. He had a beard with sideburns and Celtic-specific light green eyes under his broad forehead.  , his limbs are burly and well-proportioned, and coupled with his decent clothes, he looks like a handsome British gentleman.  "No, Mr. Parnell, you are not late. It is exactly four o'clock as promised. I am early!" Gladstone took out a pocket watch from his coat pocket, opened it and looked at it. He stretched out his hand to  The seat opposite him made a gesture of asking him to sit down: "Please sit down, Mr. Barnier, would you like something to eat?" "No, Your Excellency, Prime Minister, let us skip the greeting stage!" Charles Stewart?  Barnier sat down opposite Gladstone and looked at Gladstone across from him curiously with his green eyes: "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I don't think your relationship with me is good enough to enjoy afternoon tea together.  "Mr. Barnier, I don't have such a pessimistic attitude towards the relationship between you and me!" Gladstone's dry lips twisted and a smile appeared: "Although last six  The collapse of the cabinet in March has nothing to do with you and your party, but we are engaged in politics after all. In this changing era, sometimes we must give up some principles!¡± After hearing what Gladstone said,  The guarded look in Barnier's eyes became less and he smiled: "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, although I don't completely agree with what you just said, an afternoon tea is nothing. Give me a cup of punch bar, just like yours!"  "Very good! As your respectable ancestors said, a glass of ale can heat up your brain and bone marrow!" Gladstone made a rare joke, and the private secretary turned around and left the box, returning after a while.  There was already a glass of punch in his hand, and he carefully placed it in front of Barnier. Barnier took a sip and said in a low voice: "After all, your Excellency, Prime Minister, the reason why you invited me here today!" "It's very simple.  , please tell me what requirements must be met in order for you and your party to stand firmly on my side, which is the side of the current cabinet!" "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, just like Cromwell deceived my ancestors back then!  Just like that, you are playing your old tricks again!" A sarcastic smile appeared on Barnier's face: "I patted you on the shoulder and said some sweet words to make my honest-minded compatriots stupid.  who took the word of the cunning Englishmen as their true brothers, until they found themselves deceived again when their pockets were empty. You now need to use me and my party to defeat the Tories, and you will make many promises.  , and then when the floor beneath your feet is firm, all previous promises will be pushed away. The cunning Liberals are always so forgetful!" At this point, Barnier drank the glass of punch in one gulp.  He put the empty glass on the table and said, "Thank you for the wine!" He stood up and walked outside.  "Why don't you sit down and listen to the conditions I propose? I promise, this is something you will never get from the Marquis of Salisbury!" Barnier stopped and turned around: "I believe this.  The land and freedom of the Irish will never come from the English, neither you nor the Marquess of Salisbury, but the difference between the Marquis of Salisbury and you is that he will not lie, he will know it clearly.  Tell you that you will never let the Irish people get land and freedom, instead of making a promise first and then using various methods to invalidate it after you succeed. I have learned your methods personally in prison.¡±  This refers to the fact that Parnell was imprisoned by the then-ruling Gladstone in the late 1970s for participating in Ireland's "Land League") "Mr. Parnell, now and then, we must look forward!  Gladstone raised his voice: "What do you think if I agree to push for the passage of the Irish Home Rule Act during my term, and the Irish can have all other rights except diplomatic, military and customs duties?"  I can get your support!" Barnier stopped and turned around: "I don't believe you, Prime Minister, you made a promise that you can't do. Such a bill cannot even be passed within the Liberal Party.  , Mr. Chamberlain will take this opportunity to tear you apart!" "Yes, if he knew, he would do that!" Gladstone replied: "Mr. Barnier, I agree to your request!  Not only is it to allow my cabinet to continue to survive, but the bigger reason is that if Ireland is to remain within the British Empire, she must be given certain autonomy rights. It is inappropriate to treat a civilized nation the same way as barbarians.  There is no doubt that Mr. Joseph Chamberlain loves our motherland, but he did not see the context of the times clearly.?, slaves and slave owners cannot exist in a modern country!  "Barnell looked at Gladstone doubtfully, shook his head and said: "I swear to God, you must be possessed by the devil, otherwise how could I have been almost convinced by you!  This is incredible!  " "Then you can make a cross on your chest!  This way you don¡¯t have to worry about the devil!  Gladstone made a rare joke: "It was the recent overthrow of government that made me understand that it is no longer possible to solve the Irish problem using the old methods. Great Britain cannot have hundreds of people in the country."  Rule the world without all enemies!  Then I should agree to your request. You are Irish and British!  .  You will never ask Ireland to secede from the British Empire!  " "I am British and Irish!  "Barnell repeated Gladstone's words in reverse order: "Of course I don't want Ireland to secede from the British Empire, but as you said, if this continues, Ireland will one day become a nation.  * of the country!  I'm glad you realize this. I can trust you for now, but I hope you can fulfill your promise as soon as possible, Prime Minister!  "Having said this, Barnier extended his hand to Gladstone. "You don't have to worry about this. I will propose the Irish self-government bill in two to three months at most. I think you should have this patience!  Gladstone shook the other person's extended hand: "Of course before that, I hope you can keep today's conversation confidential, which will also be beneficial to the passage of the bill!"  " "I understand this!  "Barnell nodded: "Mr. Joseph Chamberlain is a real lion!  " "Yes, but the lion will always be subdued by the trainer!  Gladstone smiled. It turned out that the Joseph Chamberlain mentioned by Parnell was the famous radical leader of the Liberal Party at that time. This man was a successful businessman before participating in politics, so unlike most other Liberals, he had already  Recognizing that Britain at that time had gradually lost its world-leading industrial advantage, faced with other late-developing industrial countries such as the United States and Germany that protected domestic trade, supported industrial and commercial development, and carried out colonial expansion abroad, Britain's old free trade policy  It was tantamount to inviting a wolf into the house. Therefore, Joseph Chamberlain vigorously advocated for external expansion, internal integration of various territories of the British Empire, making it a unified centralized state, and changing the old free trade policy. He was a rare outlier within the Liberal Party.  Therefore, after Gladstone won the second election in 1882, although he invited him to serve as Minister of Foreign Trade in his cabinet, it is conceivable that within the cabinet, Joseph Chamberlain was marginalized and excluded from the decision-making level.  He knew how he would vigorously oppose it if he learned that Gladstone and the leaders of the Irish Home Rule Party decided to pass the Irish Home Rule Bill in the House of Commons. Finally, I added that this Mr. Joseph Chamberlain had two sons: Austin Chamberlain and Nathan.  Will Chamberlain, Austin Chamberlain served as Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Neville Chamberlain was the famous British Prime Minister who implemented the appeasement policy against Nazi Germany before World War II. When Barnier left the box, Gladstone was in the box again.  He waited for a while so that the two of them would not go out together to attract the attention of other congressmen and cause unnecessary trouble.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 119 Punishment

    The scattered residence of the Burmese noble Tu, located in the south of Mandalay City, is definitely not the tallest and most luxurious house in Mandalay City even if it is not compared with the royal palace.  Today in the 21st century, this house, like many palaces and Buddhist temples in Mandalay City, has become part of a tourist area full of tourists.  However, in the last fifteen years of the nineteenth century, the interior structure and furnishings of this mansion could be compared with that of any of the richest nobles in Mandalay, especially Tu San and his friends.  The restaurant where the banquet begins at seven o'clock in the evening is famous throughout Central Myanmar for its luxurious structure and furnishings.  Six exquisite stone pillars divide a wide rectangular hall into two parts.  The stone pillars are covered with beautiful flowers, exuding the fragrance unique to the fields.  Along the four walls, there stand exquisite Buddha statues. These Buddha statues, decorated with gold or precious stones, have vivid eyebrows and graceful figures, glowing with the brilliance of oriental art.  On the exquisite teak floor, there is an image of Apsara dancing in front of the Buddha painted by a Burmese artist with extremely exquisite skills. The artist used his fantasy to make the dancing Apsara unabashedly reveal the most alluring posture.  Inside the hall, behind the six stone pillars, there is a round table made of the rarest and most precious marble.  There are three tall and large couches around the table.  The couch was covered with expensive purple felt, and there were several soft cushions on the felt.  An intricately carved candlestick made of gold and silver hung from the ceiling.  It illuminates the hall with brilliant candlelight and emits bursts of intoxicating fragrance, but this sweet fragrance can make people feel numb and delirious.  Next to the wall are three finely carved gold and silver cupboards, all covered with linden tree patterns.  In these cupboards were placed sterling silver dishes of all shapes and sizes.  Next to the cupboard are several benches covered with purple felt and twelve bronze statues of Bodhisattvas.  Each statue decorated with precious necklaces and gems held a sterling silver candlestick, illuminating the already bright hall even more brilliantly.  Tu San and his noble friends were reclining on the couch with their elbows bent on soft cushions. They were wearing dinner robes made of soft white cloth, and on their heads were flower crowns made of Bodhi branches and leaves.  The sumptuous dinner that Tu San had entertained his guests was almost finished.  There was a pleasant atmosphere among these nobles.  The banter, teasing, clinking of glasses and natural conversation fully demonstrated the superb skills of Tu San's cook, especially the eager service of his toasting servant.  In the corner of the restaurant, a group of musicians and dancers were sitting. They were all wearing very short clothes and dancing lewdly to the accompaniment of music, which made the atmosphere in the restaurant even more lively.  "Friends!" Tu San raised the wine glass. At this time, he was already forty-five points drunk, so his voice was particularly loud: "My friends, in addition to fine wine and dancers, I have also prepared a  It's a very special program. Now, I will present this program. I hope you like it!" At this point, Tu San gestured to the butler behind him. The butler bowed and turned around to retreat.  "Tell me, my friend, what program have you prepared for us?" A nobleman who was already drunk and stuttering asked loudly.  "Yes! Tell us about it! Satisfy our curiosity!" Tu San replied confidently: "Please rest assured, it is definitely a good show you have never seen before. After leaving my restaurant, you will still  I will remember this unforgettable night!" After hearing the owner's words, the nobles suppressed their curiosity and waited for the arrival of the new show. After a while, there was a faint sound of dog barking from outside the restaurant, and then they saw five people.  Six slaves led several fierce dogs into the restaurant.  "Tu San, is it possible that the show you've never seen before is dog fighting? This disappoints me a bit!" "Yes! Haven't we even seen dog fighting?" The guests made several complaints.  , but most of the nobles who were already full of food and wine still showed expressions of interest on their faces. These fierce dogs were tall and muscular, with deep barks and sharp teeth and claws. They were all fighting dogs.  If they fight, it will be fierce.  Tu San's face showed a proud look: "Dog fighting? No, no! Am I so tacky? Please be patient, tonight is definitely a show that you will never forget!" At this point, he  He slapped his palms twice and said loudly: "Come here, clear the table, and then bring that guy over!" The servants quickly moved the big dining table in the middle of the restaurant to make a clear space, and then uploaded the music from the corridor.  There was the sound of shackles mopping the floor, and a shackled man was dragged in by two guards holding iron bars.  There was a burst of discussion among the nobles immediately.  Tu San stood up from the couch.? shouted as loudly as he could: "My distinguished guests, the man before you is the man you are gnashing your teeth at, the leader of the bandits, the governor of Central Burma appointed not long ago by your Majesty. Tonight  The final show is to let the vicious dog fight with him to see who is more ferocious! " "Oh my God, is this true?" "It's great, Tu San, you are really a genius.  !¡± The nobles let out a burst of cheers. If we were to choose the most hated person among the nobles in Myanmar, Song Shen would definitely be the well-deserved first. If he didn¡¯t have thousands of people and guns under him, he would have been killed long ago.  He was hacked to death by the nobles.  Now that I heard that this enemy was actually caught in front of me, how could this kind of ecstasy be compared to anything else?  A calmer noble stood up and asked loudly: "Wu Tusan, it's not that I don't believe you, but is this person really Songcan? Isn't he in Bagan with thousands of people around him? Why?  He will be caught here!" "My guest, a bandit leader like Song Shen, is surrounded by mobs, but he is just taking advantage of the British to attack and profit from the chaos. Once the situation stabilizes, we can't deal with him.  It's just a matter of effort!" Tu San said proudly and said with a smile: "As for whether he is true or false, there will be news from Bagan in a few days, just confirm it!" All the guests thought the same!  , this Song Shen is no longer a small person now. If the real person is here, within a few days, there will be news from Bagan, and then the authenticity will be known!  So they responded with a bang and urged the show to start.  Tu San raised his hands to signal the guests to calm down. He took two steps forward and said loudly: "Come here, please remove the shackles of this bandit leader and give him an iron rod. Song Shen, before you die, you must remember  "Remember, you are just a dog, so you are only worthy of being bitten to death by your own kind. Your body will also be decomposed and hung on the four gates of Mandalay as a warning to future generations!" Song Shen did not answer immediately!  When the other party spoke, he rubbed his wrists that were somewhat numb from the shackles, picked up the iron bar thrown in front of him, weighed it, slightly bent his knees, and made a posture to resist the attack of the fierce dog.  Regarding the other party's calm performance, Tu San felt a burst of ignorant anger. He cursed in a low voice: "Damn gangster!" He turned around and made a gesture to the slaves holding the fierce dogs beside him, and the slaves quickly loosened their ties.  The leash was around the neck of the fierce dog, and the fierce dog, which could no longer restrain itself, pounced on it.  Song Shen calmly jumped to the side and leaned his back on a stone pillar to prevent being attacked by the vicious dogs. He swung the iron rod with his right hand and hit the front vicious dog on its nose.  Suddenly, it was the canine's vital point, and he immediately fell to the ground, and the barking in his mouth turned into a howl. When the other vicious dogs saw this, they no longer rushed forward, but surrounded Song Shen.  , on standby.  Tu San wanted to see Song Shen kneeling down begging for mercy or being bitten by a vicious dog and wailing loudly, but he didn't expect his opponent to resist without saying a word and holding an iron rod. Instead, his majestic dogs were defeated, and he couldn't help but feel.  He regretted that he should not have unchained him. He was not a deep-thinking person, and the expression on his face immediately became ugly.  A guest next to him saw it and comforted him in a low voice: "Wu Tusan, this is actually the funnier thing. If three or two bite him to death, it will be an advantage for this guy. If you feel sorry for those beasts, you can go to me tomorrow."  I'll let you pick out a few of them from the kennel!" When Tu San heard this, he turned from anger to joy and said with a smile: "What you said makes sense, these beasts are just for the taking.  That guy is beaten to death, so let's take a few more and start a carnage battle. Anyway, we must kill this guy to death tonight to relieve the hatred in our hearts." At this point, he shouted to the housekeeper: "Take more.  Bring some wine and fill everyone¡¯s glasses!¡± At the banquet, the nobles drank heavily and shouted loudly.  The butler on the side also sensed the owner's dissatisfaction and quickly winked at the dog slave. The dog slave understood and quickly cracked two whips on the top of the fierce dog's head and yelled loudly.  The fierce dogs couldn't be pushed anymore, they barked several times in unison, stopped waiting around, and pounced forward.  Song Shen was knocked down on both sides, but after all, he was alone and weak, so he was knocked down by a fierce dog behind him. The dogs rushed forward and bit him together. Although he tried his best to resist, he was outnumbered and was about to be killed by the vicious dogs.  Killed on the spot.  "Bite well, bite well, bite hard and kill this bandit leader!" Tu San drank heavily of wine while waving his arms crazily, while the guests beside him also shouted selflessly.  .  The shouts of the nobles and the barking of vicious dogs mingled together, making the entire restaurant feel like a madhouse.  "Wu Tusan, has Song Shen been taken away by your people?" A voice interrupted the carnival in the hall, and Maang Ji appeared at the door of the restaurant, his chest rising and falling rapidly: "What's going on? Hurry up.  , get out of my way!"But Maung Kyi's voice was immediately drowned out by the barking and shouting. People in the restaurant seemed to be possessed, shouting and drinking wildly. No one paid attention to Maung Kyi at the door. Maung Kyi had no choice but to pull out the pistol from his waist.  , fired two shots into the air, the loud gunfire broke through the madness in the hall, people looked at Maung Ji at the door in stunned silence, he grabbed a long stick from a slave, shot and killed two vicious dogs, and used a long stick to kill the two vicious dogs.  Stick drove away the remaining three vicious dogs, looked at Song Shen who had been bitten and bruised all over, turned around and ordered: "Take him down, ask a doctor to come, and give him a look!"  After waking up, he staggered over and shouted: "Wu Maung Kee, you actually, dare to shoot in my house!!" Maung Kee looked at him with disdain and was already drunk.  Tu San turned around and ordered to the housekeeper: "Your master is already drunk. Take him down to rest. Also, call the doctor quickly!" The housekeeper looked at his master's drunken appearance and paused for a moment.  After weighing the situation, he decided to obey Maung Ji's order first. He made a gesture to the servants on the side, and the two male servants immediately stepped forward to support Tu San, half supporting and half pulling him towards the bedroom.  "I'm not drunk, I'm not drunk. Wu Maung Kee shot at my house, killed my dog, and prevented me from taking revenge on my enemies. I swear to the Buddha that I must take revenge, I must take revenge!" Maung Kee did not.  He ignored Tu San's drunken nonsense, but his face became even paler.  Seeing this, the other guests also retreated outside.  Servants also began to enter the dining room and clean up the floor that was stained with blood and food residue.  Maung Ji looked around and was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly heard someone behind him shouting in a very rough voice: "You, wait a minute, yes, it's you I'm calling!" Maung Ji turned around and just said  Seeing the man lying on the ground with blood all over his body staring at him, it was obvious that he was the one who shouted just now.  He hesitated for a moment and asked: "Song Shen, what's the matter with you?" "I want to tell you, I won't be grateful to you for killing those vicious dogs just now. Between me and you nobles, there is nothing but blood and blood."  There will be nothing else besides hatred!" Maang Ji was stunned for a moment. There was something terrifying in the eyes of the unarmed man lying on the ground. For the first time, he began to doubt himself.  Is everything you do meaningful? "Songcan, you are right. There can only be hatred and blood between you and us. I stopped the vicious dog just now not because of mercy, but because a person should not be punished."  Such treatment, even if we are sworn enemies, Wu Tusan's behavior insulted himself and all the nobles, including me!" Maung Ji made a gesture to the waiting doctor Fu Songshen.  Get up: "If I or any noble falls into your hands in the future, you can use all the means you can imagine to treat me. This is the right given to you by God!" "I swear, I will!  Song Shen stared at Maung Ji, and then passed out. The doctor carefully checked Song Shen's injuries and whispered to Maung Ji: "Wu Maung Ji, this man fainted because of excessive blood loss and  I was too nervous just now, there is no other problem!" "Well, do your best to take care of him!" Maang Ji nodded, turned and walked out.  Heavy footsteps echoed in the corridor. It was already late at night, and Maung Ji was still pacing back and forth in the corridor.  As a well-educated noble, Mao Jian instinctively felt disgusted with Tu San's previous inhumane behavior, but he had to admit that the nobles had the power to do whatever they wanted to the rebellious peasants.  Such contradictory emotions stirred up in his chest, making his mind restless.  "What makes people like Songshen appear?" Maung Kyi asked himself in his heart: "Myanmar is a Buddhist country. The relationship between farmers and nobles has been like brothers and chests since ancient times. Farmers work hard to support the nobles, while the nobles educate and  How did they end up protecting the peasants? Don¡¯t they know that the result is that both the peasants and the nobles will eventually become slaves of foreigners, and the country of Myanmar will be divided and cannibalized by the Chinese or the British?  Just like what is said in the Buddhist scriptures, is it the end of Buddhism? Oh my God, why didn¡¯t I live in such an era and witness such a tragedy with my own eyes?¡± Maung Ji couldn¡¯t help but think of this.  He sat down slumped against the wall and buried his head between his knees.  I don't know how much time passed, but Mao Ji stood up. His face was as pale as a dead person, only his eyes were emitting a strange light, like a fever patient, and he murmured to himself: "Yes, I want to go."  Let¡¯s talk to Song Shen and let¡¯s have a good talk! ¡± Author¡¯s words: I want everything from recommendations, collections, and reviews to Xiami. It¡¯s been a mess recently in the rankings of the same category. If this continues, Daihua will be ruined!

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 120: Despair

    The moonlight came in through the narrow window, and the iron bars of the window divided the moonlight into several pieces.  The dappled moonlight shone in the cell, making it feel even darker inside.  A ragged man lay motionless in a pile of hay, not knowing whether he was dead or alive.  At this time, a mouse came out of the corner of the cell and carefully spied on the unknown person for a while. After a few minutes, the cautious little guy finally determined that the other person was just a dead person and ran forward boldly.  A few steps.  Suddenly it stopped, its ears twitched a few times, and it quickly turned around and ran away.  After a few breaths, footsteps and low voices came from the corridor outside the cell.  ¡°My lord, it¡¯s already very late now, why don¡¯t you come back to see the bandit leader tomorrow!¡± The housekeeper in the corridor smiled apologetically at Maung Ji and tried to dissuade him.  "I want to see him now. I'll tell Tu San and I won't embarrass you!" "Yes, yes, but this cell is very filthy. How about you rest outside and I'll give it to you later?"  Send someone over?" Maung Ji was already a little impatient and said coldly: "Open the door!" The housekeeper could tell from Maung Ji's cold tone that the adult's patience had reached its limit.  Not daring to say more, he could only wink at the guard beside him. The guard hurried forward, took out the key, and opened the iron door of the cell.  "Sir, be careful, it's a little dark in here!" The housekeeper held a lantern and diligently pushed open the iron door. A musty smell of straw and human sweat rushed out from the cell. Mao Jian covered it up with his sleeves.  nose.  The housekeeper on the side saw it and hurriedly whispered: "This is the smell of aging in the cell. According to your instructions, the bandit leader has asked the doctor to take a look and the straw has been replaced with new ones." Maung Ji snorted coldly and was too lazy.  After struggling with the servants, he really couldn't bear the smell in the cell. He turned around and walked out of the cell, whispering: "I want to say a few words to him and get me a cleaner room!" The housekeeper saw Maung Ji.  Without holding him accountable, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and said respectfully: "Yes, sir!" Maang Ji returned to the outside. A moment later, the housekeeper led two servants and dragged a bruised man in. It was Song Can.  Maung Kyi gestured for the housekeeper and his men to go out. Only Song Shen and himself were left in the room.  "After I leave, will someone clean up your wounds?" Maung Ji asked in a low voice.  "Haha!" Song Shen, who was half leaning in the armchair, laughed twice, as if he was laughing at the other party's hypocrisy.  "Why do you ask such an irrelevant question? For a person who only has a few days left to live, what is the use of treating wounds? I have experienced the compassion of noble gentlemen personally, or  Forget it!" "I didn't come here to argue with you, Songshen!" Maung Ji frowned: "Let's talk openly! After all, we are all Burmese and followers of Buddha!  " Song Shen didn't speak. Maang Ji gritted his teeth and whispered: "Have you never thought about dividing the land into small pieces according to your method and handing it over to the peasants without the protection and protection of the nobles?  Guidance, what will happen to these farmers? Soon they will make everything a mess, and everything will fall into the hands of the Chinese. "Is it going to be worse than it is now?" Song Shen sneered.  Farmers in many villages have been relying on rice bran and wild vegetables for half a year to satisfy their hunger. Almost all young people have been drafted into the army. Even those nobles are kinder to their dogs! Could it be that the Chinese will treat them worse?  ?" Maang Ji was dumbfounded. He had to admit that Song Shen's words were closer to the truth. You can't ask the farmers to be so loyal when facing the threat of starvation.  He stood up and whispered: "Okay, maybe what you said makes sense, but now Burma is surrounded by powerful enemies. Both the Chinese and the British have occupied our land. If the nobles and farmers continue like this, Burma will  It will be divided by them." Song Shen was silent for a while and replied in a low voice: "Why are you telling me this?" After hearing Song Shen's answer, Maung Ji cheered up and said quickly: "Farmers are from Myanmar.  People, the nobles are also Burmese. When foreign enemies invade, the nobles and peasants should unite to resist the foreign enemies. If you stop attacking the noble estates and call on the peasants to put down their weapons and return to the village, I can guarantee your safety.  Life is safe! " "Haha!" Facing Maung Ji's hopeful eyes, Song Shen sneered twice: "Wu Maung Ji, you are really a tolerant person!  The people who fought for the land said: The benevolent nobles have forgiven your crimes. Now you can go back to your villages, continue to put the ox yoke on your necks, and continue your past life. Anyway, the yoke is on your neck.  Play with thisI am used to you!  " "No, no, that's not what I meant!  "Maung Ji's face was burning up. He couldn't help but secretly rejoiced that the lights in this room were dim and the other party would not see the redness on his face: "Your soldiers do not need to return to the village. They will get land and land after the war.  free.  Even for other peasants who have returned to their villages, after driving the enemy out of Burmese territory, I will try my best to get laws passed in the Privy Council to improve the position of the peasants.  " "Because of the invasion of foreign enemies, the peasants must put the overall situation first and return to the manors of the noble gentlemen?  Then why didn¡¯t the aristocrats put the overall situation first and give the peasants land and freedom so that they could fight the enemy together?  Wasn't the invasion of the Chinese and British caused by the machinations of the noble lords?  Wasn't it because the nobles launched a coup that led to the death of the late king, and the British and Chinese were involved?  Why should the peasants bear the consequences of the problems caused by the nobility?  Don't you think this is ridiculous?  " "Perhaps what you say makes sense. As a person, I am willing to give up my manor in exchange for reconciliation between the nobles and the peasants, but -" Maung Ji stopped here. "But the other nobles don't agree, right?  Haha, when we were in Bagan, Samantabhadra would rather join forces with the shun army outside the city to massacre us, and the British were the same.  Maybe there are no British, Chinese or Burmese in this world.  There are only poor people and rich people; those who are stepped on and those who ride on top.  ¡± Maang Ji stared at the scarred man in front of him, speechless. For the first time, he felt that although he and the other person were close at hand, there was actually an invisible gap between him and him. This gap was formed by tradition and law.  The ravine was so deep that it was so difficult for both parties to even talk, let alone walking to the other side. Thinking of this, Maung Ji suddenly felt a deep sadness. Could it be that he loved her so much.  Is this country going to perish like this? Maung Kyi stood up and asked: "Oh Song Can, I want to ask you one last question, do you love Myanmar?  " "Love, at least no less than what you love, but the Myanmar I love and the Myanmar you love are not the same thing!  " Hearing the other party's answer, Maung Ji sighed, walked out of the door, and said in a deep voice to the butler waiting outside: "Give him better treatment. If your master blames him, say it was my order!  "After that, Maung Ji walked to the backyard. Under the bright moonlight, the fragrance of flowers in the courtyard was refreshing, and the bells on the pagoda could be heard in his ears. The night in Mandalay was quiet and peaceful, like a fairyland.  But in the eyes of Maung Ji at this time, the foundation of this fairyland was silently decaying and collapsing. He had never been so desperate. At this time, he couldn't help but come up with a famous saying from a philosopher: "The one who exists must be the general."  Destruction, the only constant in the world is change!  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 121: Chance Encounter

    After flowing through the central arid zone, the ancient heartland where Bagan was located, the Irrawaddy River merged with the Chindon River and continued to meander through the densely populated arid zone to reach the Ren'an Qiang. Since then, it has mostly flowed southward.  It flows through a narrow valley between Minwu and Pyay downstream, with forest-covered mountains on both sides - the peaks of the Arakan Mountains to the west and the peaks of the Bago Mountains to the east. On both sides of the mountain peaks, there are dense  Precious hardwood forests, Myanmar¡¯s world-famous teak with the best quality is produced on the slopes of both sides of the Taiwan Strait.  After flowing through this narrow valley, the Irrawaddy River enters the last part of the Irrawaddy River Basin - the most fertile Irrawaddy Delta region.  On the rugged mountain road, Zhang Qi was walking panting with a rifle on his back. His dark face was already a little chapped by the mountain wind. Behind him were fifty equally dark and thin soldiers and soldiers from the army.  There are twice as many Burmese civilians. Looking from a high altitude, this small team is like a thin line, winding on the hillside beside the river.  It turned out that this small Shun army was an advance reconnaissance team sent by Batu. Its main task was to explore the British defense situation in the canyon between Minwu and Pyay downstream.  After this advance force arrived at Minwu by boat, they disembarked and walked instead to avoid being discovered by the British patrol boats on the river.  "Help!" A cry for help suddenly came from the end of the team. Zhang Qi stopped and looked back. He saw a Burmese farmer clinging to a small tree on the steep slope. His feet were already dangling in the air.  It is the fast-flowing Irrawaddy River.  "Get out of the way, get out of the way!" Zhang Qi scolded his men in a low voice, and quickly ran towards the end of the team. When he reached the place where the man who had lost his footing was, he saw that the man was still carrying a heavy luggage, and between the man and the luggage  Pulled by the weight, the small tree was slowly bending and in danger of breaking at any time.  "What's going on?" Zhang Qi shouted sharply.  "Sir, this man just slipped and slipped -" a civilian leader replied in a low voice. Zhang Qi looked around and found a cedar tree as thick as a thigh, and shouted: "Get a rope quickly!" Soon the rope was obtained  When he arrived, Zhang Qi tied one end of the rope around his waist and the other end to the tree trunk. He carefully grabbed the rope, held the knife in his mouth, and slid down the steep slope step by step.  The stones on the steep slope have been weathered by the river wind for thousands of years. If someone touches them, they will roll down, which looks very scary.  Zhang Qi just ignored him and moved towards the small tree without saying a word. When he got closer, he raised the knife and cut the cloth belt on the farmer's shoulder. The heavy cloth bag immediately rolled into the river.  , the splash of water is chilling to hear.  Then Zhang Qi tied the civilian husband with himself, and with the soldiers pulling him up the hillside.  "Idiot!" As soon as Zhang Qi untied the rope around his waist, he kicked the civilian husband. The civilian husband did not dare to tell the difference, but just kowtowed and thanked him.  Zhang Qi snorted coldly, looked at the sky and the surroundings, then pointed to a mountain col not far away and said: "There seems to be an open space over there. Everyone, please work hard and rest and eat there!"  All the soldiers had left long ago, but Zhang Qi was running the army in a strict manner and did not dare to say a word. Hearing the sound, he cheered in unison.  Everyone now had a goal, and their pace was three points faster.  After half a cup of tea, everyone had arrived at the col. Sure enough, there was a piece of flat land. Everyone gathered firewood and boiled water for cooking.  Zhang Qize compared the map with the help of two young officers, marked his current location, and prepared for tomorrow's action route.  "My lord, my lord, there is movement on the river!" "What?" Zhang Qi raised his head, and a soldier replied breathlessly: "There is no spring water here, so my two brothers and I went to the water at the foot of the mountain to fetch water.  I found a British ship sailing slowly, so I came to report it!" "A British ship? You can be sure!" "It's true, there are a few yellow-haired soldiers on the bow.  "It's very slow. Why do you stop every now and then?" Zhang Qi pondered for a moment. It's very close to the delta area controlled by the British. It's not surprising that a British ship appears, but it doesn't sound like it from the soldier's description.  It would be better to go down and take a look at the appearance of the patrol boat.  Thinking of this, Zhang Qi ordered: "Give me the order to put out the bonfire. Everyone will eat dry food today and prepare weapons and stand by. I will go down and see for myself!" "Yes, sir!" A young officer immediately responded, and another said: "I'm here.  I also know a little about the British ships, so why don't you let me go down with you?" "That's fine!" Zhang Qi said with a smile, "Wei Sunan, I'll trouble you!" In the forest, Zhang Qi and the young man  Under the leadership of the soldier, the officers moved forward carefully. Through the gaps in the trees, they could already see the British ship that the soldier said was moving upstream at a slow speed. At the bow, two British soldiers were heading toward the water.  There was a rope inside, and he would turn around and report a number from time to time. A man behind him was holding a notebook.The soldier was writing in his notebook.  "What are you doing?" Zhang Qi asked.  Wei Sunan frowned: "They should be measuring the depth of the channel. I have a brother serving in the Fuzhou Navy. He once mentioned to me that some large warships want to enter inland rivers or harbors. In order to prevent stranding, they must first use  Only small boats can measure the waterway so that large warships can pass. "You mean the British are preparing for large warships to go upstream?" Zhang Qi's face immediately became serious, although he had not personally experienced the British Royal Navy.  The powerful power, but in the fierce battle outside Bagan not long ago, the scene of British surface ships bombarding one's own military camp with rockets and heavy artillery was still vivid in his mind, which immediately made him vigilant.  "Sir, I'm not sure, but it's very likely!" Wei Sunan's face was also very solemn. Compared to Zhang Qi, he was better educated and naturally understood better that once a large British warship went upstream, it would have a profound impact on the battle situation.  Influence.  Zhang Qi looked at the sky and whispered: "The British people on this ship who are measuring the water depth are probably not ordinary people. If we attack the enemy ship and catch two alive, we will definitely be able to get a lot of real information from them.  , I don¡¯t know what you think!¡± Wei Sunan nodded in agreement: ¡°What your Excellency said is true. Even if the British don¡¯t say it, as long as we know the water depth of the channel they measured, we can roughly know the draft and approximate size of the British ships that are coming in, regardless of the situation.  We can target them by laying mines or sinking ships, but we only have a few rifles in our hands. "Haha, it doesn't matter!" Zhang Qi smiled and stroked his short beard.  : "Think about it, looking at the speed of their boat, it can only travel two or three miles in an hour. And they can't do their job when it's dark. It's getting late now. They either have to stop in the river and anchor, or they can find a boat.  We have to find a place to rest on the shore. If they stop in the river, there is nothing we can do. But if they rest on the shore, God has left them in our hands. " "It is true what your Excellency said!  "Wei Sunan high-fived and praised.  "Let's do it like this. I'll go back immediately and let the brothers eat and rest. You can hang two people far away on the mountain road and leave marks along the way. There is no cover on the river anyway, so you don't have to worry about this guy getting lost. Wait for the group to eat.  We will deal with it after catching up after resting!" "Yes, sir!" "The Thames" is a schooner with a displacement of 140 tons. It has a slender hull and graceful curves. The only weapon is the bow and  The two six-pound guns at the stern are very light and agile, which is why Kitchener chose them.  After getting the ship, he also installed a steam engine on the "Thames". If the wind is favorable, coupled with the power of the steam engine, the ship can reach an astonishing speed of seventeen knots.  In his opinion, this modification is necessary for future operations.  While Zhang Qi and Wei Sunan were discussing in the forest, Kitchener himself was concentrating on marking the channel on the drawing in the cabin.  Like most outstanding soldiers, he likes to go to the front line in person and collect necessary intelligence with his own hands and eyes. In the military plan he has drawn up, the inland river fleet assumes an extremely important task, and the lower reaches of the Irrawaddy River  The hydrological conditions of the river fleet cannot be overestimated.  "Colonel!" An officer walked into the cabin and gave Kitchener a military salute: "The captain invites you to have dinner with him!" "Yes!" Kitchener nodded and stood up from the desk.  He looked at the sky outside. Half of the sun had disappeared under the ridgeline on the left. Soon the river would be shrouded in darkness. In this case, it was meaningless to continue measuring the channel.  "Stop the measurement and let the measuring officers sort out the data. I'll bring it to my cabin after dinner!" "Yes, Colonel!" Kitchener tidied up his clothes and headed toward the back of the ship under the guidance of the officer.  Walk past the officers' mess.  Generally speaking, until the beginning of the 20th century, the life on the Navy's ships was very bad. The narrow spaces, poor air circulation, and poor food all destroyed the physical and mental health of the sailors on the ships.  But if you turn your attention to the senior officers on the ship, the situation is completely different.  Not only did the officers have a more spacious resting place, but the food they received was also much more exquisite.  At this time, what was placed in front of Kitchener was fresh steak and white bread, as well as fish soup, and dessert after the meal.  After enjoying all this, Kitchener's mood became happier.  "Colonel, please taste the black tea!" The captain smiled and made a gesture of invitation: "I know you prefer coffee, but this ship is too small and requires too many utensils to make coffee. But Ceylon's black tea is also  Very good, you can try it! ¡±  Kitchener nodded, picked up the white porcelain tea cup and took a sip. A strange bitter taste spread to the tip of his tongue, and soon turned into a faint sweetness. He frowned slightly and said:  "Nice drink!" He then put the tea cup back on the table and asked, "Mr. Captain, what do you think is the maximum tonnage of a ship that can sail to Mandalay?"

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 122 Night Attack

    "Colonel, if I guess correctly, you are planning to organize an expedition against the Burmese!" The captain blinked slyly. He was not informed of the true purpose of the trip at the beginning, but after considering various  situation, it is not difficult to deduce the truth.  Kitchener did not give a direct answer. The captain shrugged and replied: "The Irrawaddy River is a river with abundant water and suitable for shipping. However, the Burmese have not cleaned up the river channels, and many river channels have not built dams."  , so the depth of rivers in many places in the central arid areas will not exceed fifteen feet. This depth may only accommodate shallow water armored gunboats! As far as I know, there are not many such boats in Myanmar! " Kitchener Silent Point!  He nodded, as the captain said, although this kind of shallow water armored gunboat has thick armor and large main gun caliber, it has a low center of gravity, shallow draft, and low freeboard. Its main purpose is offshore defense. In fact, it is a kind of water fort. It not only sails  The speed is slow, and it is easy to sink in the ocean with strong winds and high waves. The British Royal Navy's main combat method is to protect its own lines of communication. There are not many such ships in Myanmar. I am afraid they can only slowly come from India, and some even have to be towed.  , it takes a lot of time.  "Mr. Captain, thank you for your hospitality! If possible, can I invite you to take a walk at the stern of the ship later?" Kitchener reservedly put the white porcelain teacup back on the dining table: At this time, there was a violent sound coming from the ship.  Shaking, the teacup tipped onto the table, and the light red liquid immediately wet the white tablecloth.  "This is the northeasterly wind blowing from the inland. It is very common on the Irrawaddy River in this season. I am honored to be invited by you, Mr. Colonel!" The captain nodded, and then he ordered the trainee sailor beside him: "You tell  First mate, ask him to dock the boat! "Will it be attacked by the local natives?" Kitchener frowned slightly.  "Local natives?" The captain smiled disdainfully: "The thirty sailors and fifteen fully armed marines on the Thames are enough to repel more than ten times the native attack, and here usually  There will be no more than twenty natives at most. Even if more than this number of enemies appear, the boat can sail to the center of the river in five minutes, and we can use the six-pounder gun on the boat to deal with those rude guys.  "Seeing the other party's confidence, Kitchener stopped insisting and said with a smile: "Very good, this is your boat, I'm just your guest!" "Finally, we've reached the shore!"  Wei Sunan's heart hanging in mid-air finally calmed down. In a small river bend less than 300 meters away from him, the British schooner was gently undulating with the waves. From his position, it could be clearly seen through the telescope  I saw seven or eight sailors on the deck dropping anchor. It was obvious that the ship was preparing to spend the night here.  Just now, he was also afraid that if the other party anchored in the middle of the river, he would have to give up his original plan.  Wei Sunan looked at the treetops shaking violently above his head, and whispered: "God is really protecting me!" It was already midnight, the biting northeast wind blew across the Irrawaddy River, setting off waves of waves, and the sentry Jack stood at the stern of the boat.  He raised the collar of his navy coat and tried his best to block the cold wind from blowing into his neck.  Listening to the sound of waves coming from the river, Jack couldn't help but secretly rejoice. Fortunately, the captain did not park the boat in the middle of the river like he did a few days ago. Otherwise, if there was no cover or blockage, the wind might be four or five times stronger than here.  , I, as a sentinel, have suffered a lot.  Jack looked at the aisle behind him, carefully pulled out a flat-mouthed bottle from his coat pocket, unscrewed the opening, and took a swig of the liquid inside. He immediately felt warm from head to toe.  "Jack!" Suddenly a low voice came from the darkness, and Jacket was so frightened that he threw the wine bottle in his hand into the river. He hurriedly stuffed the bottle into his pocket, then turned around and shouted: "Who?  Is it Mr. Henry? " First mate Henry walked out of the darkness. He raised the light in his hand and shined it on his men's faces. He asked with confusion, "Jack, what are you doing? " Jack, are you okay?  He easily swallowed the sip of wine and tried his best to pretend as if nothing had happened and replied: "Nothing, Mr. Henry, I just heard some noise below, and I was about to poke my head out to take a look when I heard your voice again.  , I just scared one!" "Is there a sound?" The first mate stretched out the light and looked out in confusion. The weak light quickly dispersed in the night, and he could only vaguely see the undulating water from the side of the ship.  , the first mate listened again, and still heard only the sound of waves and strong wind blowing through the woods on the shore.  "I didn't hear anything?" the first mate shook his head: "You weren't playing tricks on me, were you?" "Of course not, I can swear to God, I really heard a strange sound just now, Mr. First Mate!"  "Jack explained quickly.  "Wait a minute!" the first mate suddenly said deeply.After taking a few breaths, a look of understanding the truth immediately appeared on his face: "Jack, you bastard, you secretly drank while on duty again, how dare you lie? Tomorrow morning, I will tear your back into pieces with a nine-tailed whip.  !" As the mate spoke, he reached for Jack's jacket pocket, and his fingertips immediately touched a hard object - it was a flat-mouthed whiskey bottle.  "Mr. First Mate, please forgive me. I swear to God, I only took a sip. I really only took a sip. The main reason was that the wind on the deck was so strong!" Jack begged, and he couldn't blame his bones.  Soft, the flogging of the Royal Navy is really terrible. One lash of this kind of leather whip, commonly known as the "cat with nine tails", can make a person miserable, and four or five lashes can make a strong man faint. However, there is no coma or torture.  Such a good thing, if you lose consciousness, the sentence will be suspended temporarily, and the execution will continue after being splashed with cold water to wake you up.  An offense like this while standing guard and drinking privately will result in at least 25 lashes, which is enough to keep him in bed for three to five months.  "Shut up, you Scotch bumpkin!" the first mate Henry scolded: "You have violated the sacred chance and you should be punished. Now, I order you to stand at attention and continue to perform your duties. I will report this matter tomorrow morning  Captain, he will impose specific punishment on you! " "Yes, Mr. First Officer!" Jack lowered his head in frustration. The captain is the real dictator on a ship. He has almost unlimited power over all the crew members.  , any argument is meaningless.  The first mate snorted coldly, stuffed the whiskey bottle into his pocket, picked up the lamp and turned to leave. As soon as he took two steps, there was a dull sound of a heavy object falling to the ground behind him.  "Damn idiot, are you so drunk that you can't even finish this shift?" The first mate turned around angrily, and he made up his mind to advise the captain to punish the sailor as severely as possible tomorrow morning.  But when the first mate turned around, the scene in front of him almost made his blood freeze: Sailor Jack had fallen to the ground, and his hand was clutching his throat, but the blood still flowed from his fingers.  There was blood flowing out from the seam, and his limbs were twitching before death.  Next to Jack's body, a wet black figure was staring at him coldly, holding a dagger in his right hand. Behind him, a black figure was climbing up from the side of the ship!  This moment was almost as long as a century. Suddenly, the first mate finally reacted and reached for the revolver at his waist. Almost at the same time, the man opposite also threw his dagger, and the sharp dagger scratched deeply.  Entering the first mate's left chest, this blow immediately shattered his resistance, and the lantern fell from the first mate's hand to the deck.  The dark figure reached out to pick up the lantern, and came close to the first mate's face. Under the light, the ferocious face of a sudden death appeared. He sneered, reached for the other man's waist and groped for a while, and found a revolver.  He carefully looked at the bullet inside and loaded it again.  "Well done, Xiao Wei!" A deep voice came from behind, and through the light, another black figure could be seen crossing the side of the ship.  He looked around, stretched out his hand to unbutton the clothes of the corpse on the ground, and whispered: "Let's put on their clothes to keep out the wind, and we can also use them to pretend to be their people!" "Yes, sir!" Wei Sunan said  He inserted the pistol into his belt and began to untie the dead first mate's clothes. The schooner was still more than thirty meters away from the shore. He and Zhang Qi had swum here just now. Now when the river wind blew, they immediately felt all over their bodies.  A bone-chilling chill.  The two put on their coats and threw the two bodies into the river. Fortunately, the sound of the wind and waves covered up the sound of the bodies falling into the water.  Zhang Qi looked around and saw that there was no one around. He raised the lantern in his hand and drew three circles. A fire came up and he also drew three circles. After a while, several bamboo rafts rowed over from the shore and came closer.  Wei Sunan and Zhang Qi found a few ropes and threw them down, and soon there were more than twenty wolf-like and tiger-like soldiers on the deck.  "Xiao Wei, you take five people to guard the door of the bottom cabin and don't let the sailors and soldiers inside rush out. I will take the remaining people to control the officers and captain!" Zhang Qi whispered.  "Yes, sir!" Wei Sunan responded in a low voice. In addition to rifles, the soldiers behind him also picked up short axes, broadswords and other weapons they could find that were useful for hand-to-hand combat in the narrow space on the ship. One soldier also found a gun next to the front deck.  With a barrel of gunpowder, he carefully poured some black powder near the cabin door, and then stood away.  Like most warships at that time, the accommodation areas for officers and sailors on the "Thames" were separate. Unlike the narrow and crowded cabins below the deck for the sailors, the accommodation for the officers was much better, often on the aft deck.  superior.  Kitchener's eyes suddenly opened. His sleep, which had been short and shallow due to a professional military career that began as a teenager, had saved him more than once during his military career in the Near East and North Africa.  life.  He was about to follow his previous habit of getting up and doing some gymnastics in the cabin to prepare for the day.After getting ready for work, a gunshot suddenly sounded in my ears, followed by a scream and rapid footsteps.  "Under attack?" Kitchener immediately made the correct judgment. He jumped up from the bed, took out the pistol from under the pillow, and was about to put on his shoes when two more gunshots were heard outside.  Kitchener gave up putting on his shoes, grabbed his pants and ran outside while putting them on.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 123: Captured

    "Come on, rush in!" Zhang Qi shouted loudly, and kicked open the cabin door, just in time to collide with a British officer who rushed out. Zhang Qi, who reacted very quickly, hit him hard  The pistol handle hit the opponent's nose. The enemy let out a sharp scream and ran into Zhang Qi's arms, knocking him to the ground. Zhang Qi stretched out his leg and brought the opponent to the ground.  The two people immediately rolled on the ground and started wrestling.  Kitchener felt a sharp sting all over his face, as if a wooden wedge had been embedded in his skull. The blow must have broken his nose bone and penetrated the nerve, otherwise it wouldn't have been so painful.  .  He tried his best to hold back the pain, turned over suddenly, pressed his opponent to the ground, and clamped his hands on the opponent's neck.  With the help of the light from the fire on the deck, he could vaguely see the enemy's waxy skin on the ground, his high cheekbones, and slightly slanted eyes.  "It's the Chinese, and the attackers are the Shun Army! Did the Chinese decide to strike first?" An idea immediately flashed in Kitchener's mind. At this moment, there was a loud noise on the deck, as if something exploded.  Kitchener was stunned for a moment, and his hand relaxed a little. Zhang Qi, who was struggling on the ground, seized the opportunity and used all his strength to give Kitchener a hard blow on the ribs with his elbow.  "Ah!" Kitchener reached out to cover his left rib, and the flank nerve bundle quickly transmitted the pain to his brain, making his mind go blank at this moment. Zhang Qi took the opportunity to force it out of his body.  Overturned, climbed up.  Several Jun soldiers rushed forward and pushed Kitchener to the ground.  "Tie him up tight, don't let him escape!" Zhang Qi gasped, staring at the enemy who almost strangled him to death with lingering fear.  At dawn the next day, there was a miserable scene on the deck of the "Thames", with bullet marks left by the battle everywhere. At the doorway into the bottom cabin, a large piece of the solid teak deck was damaged, and there were jagged cracks on the edges of the crack.  This is the remnant of last night's battle.  The attackers poured gunpowder on the hatch, and then when the sailors and soldiers waiting in the bottom heard the sound of gunfire and rushed to the deck, they fired at the gunpowder on the ground. The exploding gunpowder immediately burned seven or eight British sailors to death.  In order to deal with the stubborn enemies in the bottom cabin, Wei Sunan simply lit the remaining gunpowder and the barrels and threw them into the bottom cabin, thus forcing the British in the bottom cabin to stop resisting.  Fortunately, the ship's bottom deck is still very strong, otherwise the "Thames" would have been at the bottom of the Irrawaddy River by now.  In the woods on the shore, a dozen British prisoners were digging pits with pickaxes, preparing to bury the more than twenty companions who died in yesterday's battle. When the pits were dug, they put the bodies into the pits one by one.  After covering it with soil, a makeshift cross was inserted on top.  A bearded chaplain prayed softly in front of the cross. The other British prisoners also took off their hats, stood behind him with their heads bowed, and crossed themselves on their chests.  The Shunjun soldiers standing aside watched all this with interest.  "Brother, that guy in the robe and long beard must be a foreign monk and Taoist priest!" asked a soldier from the Shun Army who still had pimples on his face.  "It doesn't really look like it, but it looks a bit like the Feng Shui master in our village. Look at the silver thing on his chest, maybe it's the compass used by foreigners!" Another soldier said, pointing to the cross on the chest of the chaplain.  .  At the same time, on the other side of the forest, Zhang Qi and Wei Sunan were standing next to four or five officer prisoners, discussing what to do next.  "Sunan, do you think we should send some of our people to escort these officers back to Bagan, and the rest of us should continue moving forward, or should we all go back?" "Sir!" Wei Sunan thought for a moment and replied: "I think  We should all retreat. If our guess is correct, then the British attack is imminent, and there is no point in our continued advance!" "What if we guessed wrong?" "Sir, you last night?  The captured officer is a colonel from his uniform, which is already a very high-ranking officer among foreigners. If such a person is captured alive, the British will soon notice it. If we continue to move forward, won't we be committing suicide? " "  Well, what you said makes sense!" Zhang Qi nodded: "Then we will return to Bagan by boat immediately. It's a pity that you only know a few words in English, otherwise you can ask these guys here first!"  At this point, Zhang Qi sighed.  In the bottom cabin, Kitchener pressed his hand on his right rib, which made him feel better. From the deck, there was a burst of laughter. This was last night's attacker celebrating his victory.  "How stupid. If you insist on anchoring in the middle of the river like a few days ago, the Chinese will not be able to successfully attack. The tools they used to board the ship yesterday were just a few simple bamboo rafts, which were obviously improvised by them.  !" Kitchener felt a sharp burning on his cheek.Even the pain in my nose is no longer so uncomfortable.  As a British gentleman with a high self-esteem, Kitchener was unwilling to shift the responsibility for the failure to the captain. And most importantly, the captain of the "Thames" had already seen God at this time - a bullet penetrated it.  His left lung was already fatally injured in this crude environment.  "But this group of Chinese should be just a reconnaissance force, not the vanguard of a large army. Otherwise, they should continue to move forward instead of all boarding the ship and escorting themselves back! The Chinese should already know their military rank, but they still  He didn¡¯t know his true identity. Fortunately, the few officers who knew his identity had died in yesterday¡¯s battle. The remaining sailors and soldiers didn¡¯t know the truth. If they were lucky, they might be able to escape. "Kitchener.  Thinking calmly, he knew in his heart that the only weapon he had after death was his mind: "Calm down, you must be calm, Kitchener! You must be like Julius Caesar, even if he was captured by pirates, he still behaved  With dignity and wisdom, I will crucify all these Chinese bandits when I get the chance!" Bagan, Pier.  Batu stood nervously at the table. A telegraph operator was wearing earphones nervously and recording the codes on the paper. After a while, the telegraph operator put down the earphones and started decoding.  Then he handed the translated message to Batu.  Batu received the telegram and saw only six words on it, "Everything goes well, call back!" He breathed a sigh of relief and heard the congratulations of the officers in his ears.  "Congratulations, sir, the telegram between Bagan and Mandalay has finally been connected!" "Yes! Once the telegram is connected, there is no need to be like in the past. If something happens here, Mandalay will only know about it after four or five days!"  Batu suppressed the excitement in his heart, stuffed the copy into his arms, and said in a deep voice: "Call me back, everything is fine, don't miss it!" It turned out that with the efforts of Zao Guoquan and Chen Zaixing, Shunjun finally completed Mande  With the establishment of cable telegraphs between Le and Bagan, and the upstream Myitkyina, Lashio and other places, the Kingdom of Myanmar has completed control of more than two-thirds of Myanmar¡¯s territory, leaving less than one-third  , but the richest Lower Burma region was still in the hands of the British.  As soon as Batu walked out of the telegraph room, an officer rushed over from outside and saluted him: "Sir, the group of Burmese bandits outside the city are causing trouble again and asked us to hand over their leader!" "Their leader!"  ?" Batu snorted coldly: "Didn't you tell them that Your Majesty has a decree to summon Song Shen and let them wait in peace? " "My lord, I have already said so, but those Burmese bandits just  He didn¡¯t listen, and he still said, and said¡ª¡± At this point, the officer lowered his head, and it was obvious that the following words were not very polite.  "What else are you talking about?" Batu asked forcefully, his face darkening.  "They also said that if they don't see Song Shen within two days, they will rebel!" "Hmph!" Batu snorted coldly: "They are indeed a group of villains without a king and father.  For their sake, they were wiped out a long time ago, so why are they still jumping up and down now?" He thought for a moment and whispered: "Go to the city and ask Governor Diok to come over. I have something important to discuss with him!" "Then!  How should we deal with those Burmese bandits? " "You said that the round trip from Bagan to Mandalay will take at least ten days, just let them wait patiently!" Batu waved his hand impatiently and dismissed them.  If he had followed his own temperament, he would have sent troops to annihilate them long ago, but he also knew that the situation in Myanmar is complicated now, and the British may invade again at any time. It is not difficult to defeat these Burmese bandits, but the rest of the gangs are spread throughout Central Myanmar. Once they are torn apart,  Face, the situation will soon deteriorate. Thinking of this, Batu couldn't help but regret his decision to hand over Song Shen to the Burmese nobles. Otherwise, if he was in his hands now, he would have a way out.  About two hours later, someone announced that Diok had arrived.  Batu hurriedly got up and went out. He was still seven or eight steps away from the opponent and asked urgently: "Is Songshen still in Bagan now?" "How come you are still there? I will send him to Mandalay by boat that day!"  "Oops!" Batu stumbled and said: "Those gangsters are making a big fuss and want their leader from me!" "Sir, you don't want to put the ginseng back, do you?" Diok's face showed a smile.  Surprised look: "Don't you Shun people have a saying? 'It's easy to tie a tiger but hard to control it!'" "Of course I know, but now it's time to rush, even the poison must be taken, otherwise those gangsters  If it breaks out, the whole situation will be ruined! " "So what?" Diok said with a smile: "My lord has thousands of troops, how can it be difficult to deal with just a few bandits?  "It's a good thing?" "What do you mean?" Diok looked around and said in a low voice.If they start an uprising, your Excellency can deduce in the book that you have detected in advance that they are ready to make a move, so you will first arrest the leader of the bandits through a trick, and then attack the rest.  It¡¯s really a great achievement!  " Batu was stunned when he heard this. Indeed, as Diok said, Mandalay did not know the causal relationship between the arrest of Song Shen and the gangster uprising. As long as he can handle the matter properly in the end, his superiors will not  The person who accused me of acting like a fool and provoking a civil uprising has naturally pocketed the large sum of benefits I just received. However, it feels like I am being led around by others, which makes me very unhappy when I think of this.  Batu suddenly sneered and asked: "Mr. Governor, when you suggested that I arrest Song Shen, did you already anticipate the current situation?  Diok smiled slightly when he heard this: "Sir, if people like Song Shen are left outside, do you feel at ease?"  If he hadn't been arrested, maybe there wouldn't be such a big fuss now, but if something happened, it would be a hundred times more troublesome than it is now. Isn't it obvious what should be done?  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 124: Interrogation

    "Hmph! What you said is right, but that is a matter in the future, and people in the future will have to worry about it. But this is a matter now, but it falls on me, an outsider. How can it be said?" Batu  He replied angrily, his meaning was very clear, maybe Song Shen would cause more trouble in the future, but he might not be in Myanmar at that time, so of course it was none of his business, but now he had to worry about it, of course  It's quite different.  "Haha, sir, it's your fault to say so! Although China and Myanmar are called two countries, they are actually one. You have laid telegraph lines here, measured waterways, and done so many long-term things. Is it true?  Isn't it for long-term preparation?" "This?" Batu was stunned. He and Chen Zaixing had already tacitly understood that after defeating the British invasion, the Shun army would definitely not leave, and most of the rest of his life would be lost.  It's here, but it hasn't been exposed on the surface, but I didn't expect to be torn apart by Diok, a Burmese, and I couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.  Diok took a step forward and laughed in a low voice: "Sir, although there are many thieves, there is no such prestigious canal leader as Song Shen among them. As long as you show your power to them and make them known to you, it is actually not difficult to deal with them."  ! Nowadays, people in Myanmar are in panic, and the nobles are worried that the king will violate their own interests in order to please the farmers? If the adults can calm down the chaos, the nobles will naturally know who is the Dinghaishen in Myanmar." Batu listened to Dio!  Ke's words reminded me of what Chen Zaixing once said to himself: "If we want to gain a foothold in Myanmar, we must uproot everything in Myanmar, whether it is nobles, monks, village communities, or kings.  Our enemies, and these rioting farmers are the best tools in our hands, they are like fire, burning everything on the ground, leaving fertile soil just for growing our crops." According to Chen Zaixing, now I am.  You only need to ensure that the military camp and the connection with Mandalay are intact, and you can just watch other matters with a cold shoulder. But if you do this, will all the nobles be driven to the British side like last time?  That would be bad.  When Batu was in a dilemma, an officer suddenly came in from outside, leaned over and whispered a few words in his ear.  Batu's expression immediately changed drastically, and he whispered to Diok: "There is an urgent military situation. I want to go and see it immediately. I will leave you to take care of the bandit soldiers!" After that, without waiting for Diok's reply,  Then he rushed out the door without thinking about himself.  Looking at Batu's leaving figure, Diok whispered thoughtfully: "What is so urgent? Could it be that the British are calling again?" Kitchener sat up from the bed, with the stain on his cheek  The bruises have not faded yet, they are the marks left by the physical fighting when he was captured five days ago, but the pain in his ribs is much less.  A doctor in a robe was turning his back to him, washing his hands in the basin.  This doctor had just examined his rib fracture. Although Zhang Qi had already asked the army doctor to pick up his bones on the "Thames", he had just returned to the military camp in Bagan when a more experienced doctor was immediately there.  The sprain doctor examined Kitchener's rib injury to make sure he was receiving proper care.  However, Kitchener is not happy about receiving good treatment. This can only represent one possibility - the Chinese people already know his identity quite well, at least they have understood that he is not a British official traveling on his own. If  The various documents and maps in their wallets also fell into their hands, and their true identities and the British team's next combat plan were about to come out.  Although Kitchener used some codes in his notebook that he only understood, he did not think that this simple secret method could hide from those cunning yellow-skinned monkeys.  Thinking of this, Kitchener deeply regretted why he had not thrown these precious information into the Irrawaddy River that night.  The door of the room was suddenly pushed open, and the soldiers and doctors inside the room immediately stood up straight and saluted the young man about thirty years old who came in.  Although Kitchener still couldn't understand what they said, it was not difficult to guess that the young man who came in had a high status in the enemy's army, and might even be the top commander of the Shun Army stationed in Bagan - that  Batu, the young cis**man who defeated Duncan a few months ago.  Batu looked at the prisoner in front of him for a while. The white gauze on his head and the bruises on his face that had not receded made him look a little funny, but his expression was calm and he looked at himself calmly. There was no trace of any of the prisoner's traits.  Frightened and uneasy, it was obvious that the man in front of him was the kind of real soldier who was used to being around danger and had no fear of death. Against such an enemy, those little tricks were of no use.  "Colonel Kitchener!" Batu made a gesture to signal the guard to retreat, and said in English with a slight accent: "I am very happy to meet you, the hero of Khartoum. I am very grateful for your expedition in Sudan two years ago.  I deeply admire the preparation, it is a masterpiece of military scholarship!" "Thank you for your praise!"Na replied coldly: "If God allows it, the British Empire's third expedition to Burma will not be worse than that one. But since the God of fate is on your side and has put me in your hands, I will also  He will face God's arrangements calmly like a true gentleman!" Batu smiled slightly and ignored the thorns in Kitchener's words. As a winner, he had enough courage to be tolerant in front of a prisoner.  Batu made a gesture, and the guard behind him brought a leather bag. Batu opened the bag, took out a notebook and a bunch of maps, waved it in front of Kitchener, put it on the table beside him, and asked in a low voice  "Colonel, are these all your things?" Kitchener closed his eyes and did not answer.  Batu smiled slightly and whispered: "I have already read the plan inside. It is an excellent plan. It is simple and rigorous. It takes into account many details and has amazing operability. If it hadn't been written on it, you  "I simply doubt that this is the work of an outstanding military officer who has served in Myanmar for many years." Kitchener sneered and replied, "If I'm not wrong, you should be Batu! You braved the rainy season to cross."  The march on the rugged road from Lashio to Mandalay was also a masterpiece. In fact, you don¡¯t need to compliment me like this. As a soldier, you should know that all great military plans have a common feature, that is, surprise.  No matter how perfect my plan is, now that you know it, it¡¯s worthless!¡± ¡°Okay, very good!¡± Batu looked at Kitchener with admiration and smiled: ¡°  God bless me, China! "Come here, send Colonel Kitchener down, take good care of him, don't neglect him!"  ¡± Like most villages in Central Myanmar, Jimao Village has a hillock behind the village as a public cemetery. Whenever a member of the village ends his life, the villagers will solemnly carry the body of the compatriot to the cemetery.  On the hill, prepare a shelter for him next to the tomb of his ancestors. For these simple farmers, there are three kinds of people in the village: the living, the dead, and the unborn. They are a whole.  , even death cannot separate them, and this hill is a very sacred place for all the villagers. The trees on it cannot be harvested, so they grow particularly lush, especially the teak tree on the top of the hill.  It is as tall as a canopy, and the area covered by the tree canopy is almost half an acre of land. The villagers believe that the souls of their ancestors have resided in this big tree. If there is a difficult matter that cannot be solved, the villagers will kneel down and worship under the tree.  By praying, you can hear the words of the ancestors' spirits, solve their problems, and guide them in the direction of progress. During the war in 1885, like many villages outside Bagan, the villagers of Jimao Village suffered a tragic fate.  The villagers of Jimao Village were conscripted into the army by Meng Ji, and the remaining villagers also fled their homes to avoid endless labor and taxes. However, when the war subsided, the villagers of Jimao Village did not return to their homes. Maybe they died.  , maybe they found a better way out, and the village became an abandoned place. Only the trees on the hill behind the village were still lush and lush, and they seemed to be protected by the souls of the villagers' ancestors.  Destruction of war. Under the noon sun, a young man ran along the bushes in front of Jimao Village, hunched over and quickly ran towards the hill behind the village. This man moved very alertly. When he reached the foot of the hill,  At this time, he looked back to see if there was anyone following him. When he confirmed that no one was following him, he picked a leaf from the side, put it in his mouth and made two sharp whistles, and soon the bushes on the hillside were standing there.  Two men with rifles stood up "Green Peacock!"  I came from the leader of Liba!  "The man said the password. The sentry nodded seriously, made a gesture for him to go up, and whispered: "Well, go up quickly, you are the only one left. The two leaders, Gray Eyes and Earth Walker, are on top.  It¡¯s been a long time coming!  "The man quickly ran to the top of the hill and saw that there were already people sitting under the largest pomelo tree. At a rough calculation, there were only forty or fifty people. There were two people sitting on the bluestone under the tree.  It was Earth Walker and Gray Eyes. Unlike usual, everyone was silent, as if waiting for some extremely important news to be announced. When they heard the footsteps, dozens of eyes were cast on the man.  A layer of cold sweat broke out immediately. ¡°Just find a place to sit down, I¡¯ll be waiting for you!  "The Earth Walker said in a deep voice. When the man found a place to sit down, he said in a deep voice: "We have gathered everyone together today for a big event!  "At this point, he paused and said loudly: "Eight days ago, the general of the Shun Army invited the leader of Song Shen to participate in a negotiation. After that, the leader did not come back!  " A burst of exclamations immediately erupted from the crowd. These people had just learned the news and shouted loudly: "What?  ""How could this happen?" "Earth Walker, why did you just say it now!" "Quiet! They are talking one by one. Who can hear clearly in such a noise?" Gray Eyes, who was sitting next to Earth Walker, stood up. He was usually very quiet.  He spoke less, but as a military commander, his majesty was even greater. When everyone saw him speaking, they all sat down.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 125: Grain Platform

    Seeing that everyone had become silent, Gray Eyes turned around, nodded to Earth Walker, and sat down as well.  The Earth Walker coughed lowly: "I didn't hide it from you on purpose. The leader told me before he left that if there is any abnormality within five days, no trouble should be made. I discussed it with Gray Eyes before calling you together to discuss countermeasures!"  After that, he sat down and waited for everyone to speak next.  "Rise up immediately, gather all the people, surround the Shun Army camp in Bagan, and ask them to hand over their leader!" "Yes, if they don't surrender, just rush in!" "Yes! Just rush in!" "Absurd.  !" A voice was like a ladle of cold water poured on everyone's heads. The Earth Walker stood up and said, "Thousands of British people have cannons and warships, but they can't get in. How can they get in with just these thousand foreign guns?  You will only harm the leader!" "Then what do you think we should do, just watch the leader be killed by the Chinese?" A voice broke out from the crowd.  "Wait, as long as the leader is in the hands of the Chinese, his life is not in danger. It is the nobles who hate the leader, not the Chinese. They will not kill people for the nobles without enough benefits." "Wait, wait until  "When?" "When the Chinese have no strength to deal with us!" Tu Xingzhe shouted: "The Chinese have been sending troops to Bagan during this period, and they will have to fight again sooner or later.  If there is a war, then when we start an uprising, the Chinese will not have the strength to deal with us, so they will have to hand the leader back to us!" The crowd fell silent. These people were all middle-level leaders of the rebels. Tu Xingzhe looked back at Hui Xingzhe.  Eyes, loudly said: "What we should do now is to disperse the brothers we can trust to various villages, so as not to be wiped out by the Chinese. When the time comes, we will start a fight together! Raise your hands if you agree with my proposal!"  Here, Earthwalker was the first to raise his hand.  "I agree!" Gray Eyes was the first to raise his right hand.  "I agree!" "Agree!" Seeing everyone in the crowd raising their hands, Earthwalker showed a proud smile on his face. Suddenly, the muscles on his face twitched nervously, and the smile disappeared.  It turned out that the corner of his eye caught the gray eyes standing behind him, and he saw this man sitting there with an expressionless face, as unshakable as a boulder.  Mandalay, the Palace of the Protector of Burma.  "Master Chen, Master Liu, this is the message just sent back by Master Ba from Bagan. Take a look!" Zao Guoquan picked up a message from several cases and handed it to Chen Zaixing on his right, who was careful.  After receiving the telegram and reading two lines, his fingertips couldn't help but tremble and he almost dropped the telegram. Fortunately, he reacted very quickly and caught it in mid-air. After Chen Zaixing read it, he handed it to Liu Zhixing. After Liu Zhixing also finished reading the telegram,  After reading the message, Zao Guoquan said in a deep voice: "My lords, you have read the message. What do you think?"  I'm afraid the provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou will not be able to rest in peace. Since the British are going to use a large number of troops, we have no choice but to fight to the death! In my humble opinion, I should ask Lord Ba for more troops and weapons, and at the same time request the court for more troops and fight to the death with the British!  "What Mr. Liu said is true!" Zao Guoquan nodded, turned to Chen Zaixing and asked: "Sir Chen, you have been in Myanmar for many years and are resourceful. You must have great ideas!" "Sir Zaixing Surong!"  Said: "Master Ba is a veteran, so there is no need to talk too much about using troops to fight. Since the British are planning to use shallow-water armored ships to sail upstream and advance both by water and land, they will increase the number of heavy artillery, speed up the construction of forts, and lay out mines as requested by Master Ba.  "Of course you have to hurry up. It's just your responsibility to be in charge of Liangtai. I don't know whether to say something or not!" "There are only three of you in this room, so what can't you say?"  "Thank you, sir. I have been busy building the road from Mandalay to our border in the past few months. Although it has improved greatly after these days of hard work, the roads in many areas are still only paved with dirt.  Heavy rain or too many people and vehicles will make it impossible to pass. According to the following estimates, once a war breaks out, the consumption of food and ammunition will be huge, and the maximum number of troops that can be maintained on this road will not exceed 30,000. Therefore, the increase that Mr. Liu just mentioned.  When the soldiers said this, the subordinates disagreed! "Liu Zhixing immediately retorted: "Master Chen, the food can be obtained from the local area, there is no need to transport it from the country!" "Master Chen!  Since then, the chaos in Myanmar has been going on for nearly a year. The puppet king Meng has recruited a large number of civilians, and many villages have not grown grain for two seasons. A large number of farmers have fled, leaving some places where the rice is ripe but no one is harvesting it.  The food storage situation in Dele, Myitkyina and other places is not optimistic. I am afraid that once the war starts, it may not be possible.It¡¯s enough to get it locally!  " "Is this serious?  "After listening to Chen Zaixing's words, Zao Guoquan's expression immediately became serious. As a veteran, he naturally knew the importance of military rations. "Sir Zao, as far as I know, the food stocks under our control in the area near Mandalay are no more than  Fifteen hundred tons, and your majesties still have more than three thousand tons in their hands. This number seems not small, but once the war breaks out, refugees from all over the country will definitely flow into Mandalay. Once there is a shortage of food, the situation will immediately become unstable.  , the rear is unstable, how to fight in the front?  " "Is it possible to transport food from other places?  " "Morning, sir!  "Chen Zaixing immediately showed a troubled look on his face: "Originally, the main grain-producing area in Myanmar was the Irrawaddy Delta area in Lower Myanmar. In the past, during the grain harvest season, a large number of ships would go up the Irrawaddy River to transport grain.  to Mandalay and other places.  But now that the British have occupied this area under the pretext of the treaty signed with Meng, they will definitely not transport food to us.  As for the Central Myanmar and Upper Myanmar regions, in fact, food was enough to be self-sufficient in the past.  But the problem is that now farmers have fled their estates in large numbers and no one is farming. This problem cannot be solved in a short time.  "    "Um!  "Zhao Guoquan nodded. He already understood what Chen Zaixing meant: the supply bottleneck determined that Dashun's military power in Myanmar was limited. The British, who had maritime advantages and controlled the port, once again had the upper hand at this time.  "Thirty thousand people!  "Zhao Guoquan sighed. After retiring from the position of Governor Annan, he naturally knew how much troops the British could invest in Burma. As early as 1852, in the second Anglo-Burmese War, the British invested 20,000 people.  The above army does not include a powerful river squadron. Today, more than thirty years later, the British, who have completely digested India, can naturally invest more troops. Facing the world's most powerful country, their own numbers are huge.  Liu Zhixing interjected from the side and said, "Mr. Chen, you are the supervisor of the Grain Platform, and Mr. Hu Xianggong, the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, is your advisor. No one else can handle this matter except you."  Who else can afford it?  " "I can't hold on to Mount Tai and cross the North Sea!  "Chen Zaixing's face darkened: "There are only two ways to open up a passage between Myanmar and China. The first is to defeat the British Far East Fleet and transport grain by sea; the second is to build a railway from Kunming to Mandalay.  If you do any of these two points, all difficulties will be solved!  " "Poof!  "Liu Zhixing almost laughed out loud when he heard this: "Not to mention your second thing, if we can defeat the British Far East Fleet, then I'm afraid not to mention Myanmar, even the three provinces of Annan, and even the entire Central South China.  The peninsula is also in my Dashun's pocket, but the problem is that the few broken ships in the ports of Fuzhou and Shanghai are not enough for the British. Aren't you kidding me?  " Chen Zaixing said coldly: "So Mr. Liu, you also know that this is a joke, so why bother to push this burden to Fusheng's side? Isn't it difficult to get down?  "    "OK OK!  "Zhao Guoquan saw that the two people were about to quarrel, and hurriedly said: "We are all ministers of the country, and we must take state affairs as our top priority. Now that the British are about to invade the country with their troops, we must come up with a countermeasure. Such anger  What's the use of saying it?  "The superior had already started to reprimand him. Chen and Liu quickly stood up and apologized: "I have spoken out against Meng Lang, I hope you will forgive me!  " "That's all, now that we are all in the same boat, we should work together as one!  " Chen and Liu looked at each other and apologized to each other unwillingly. For some unknown reason, Liu Zhixing had an indescribable dislike for Mr. Chen Zaixing who was killed in the slanting stab. Chen Zaixing was supposed to be leading the troops.  Breaking into Mandalay would still be a life-saving grace for him, but Chen Zaixing's subsequent actions in Myanmar made Liu Zhixing dissatisfied. This time when he heard the two conditions that Chen Zaixing had just proposed, he couldn't help but  "Actually, we are not helpless!  "Chen Zaixing walked to the table, pointed to the map spread out on it and said: "The rainy season begins in April every year in Myanmar. Large-scale military operations during the rainy season are very difficult. If the British cannot stop military operations before April, they will  Wait until after September.  As long as we get stuck in this place, it won't be a big problem!  "Zhao Guoquan and Liu Zhixing looked in the direction of Chen Zaixing's finger, and saw two Chinese characters written on it - Pyay. "The river here in Pyay is narrow, and it has been the trade link between the middle reaches of the Irrawaddy River and the delta area since ancient times.  Traffic channels from south to north.  The Arakan Mountains and the Bago Mountains are only a few dozen miles apart here, and the Arakan area controlled by the British and the Dongge Mountain Pass, a traffic artery in the Irrawaddy River Valley, are also not far apart. As long as we occupy this place, build forts, and block the river  , the British would not be able to enter the hinterland of Myanmar.  In the first Anglo-Burmese War, after the British occupied this place, the Burmese king had no choice but to ask for peace!  "Chen Zaixing beheadedHe replied bluntly that he had been doing business in Myanmar for many years and was a thoughtful person. He was very familiar with the military geography of Myanmar's interior and he immediately pointed out the key points.  "Well, strike first and strike later to control others. Since we have determined that the British are going to take action, we should take the first step!" Zao Guoquan, who was also a veteran, immediately made a decision and said to Chen Zaixing: "Tomorrow I will lead Manchu  Dele's army goes south and joins Lord Ba's army to go to Pyai. It will be troublesome for Lord Chen to guard Mandalay and transport military supplies and supplies! " "You should do your best to ensure that the soldiers on the front line have enough food and ammunition!"  Chen Zaixing said solemnly.  "Okay!" You want to recommend, you want to collect, the competition on the category list is fierce!  Please support!

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the Southern Kingdom Chapter 126: Humiliation

    Ten days later, Bimai.  Clover.  Jensen sat on the bench, waiting for his lunch.  His long legs and flaxen hair stood out in front of a group of Burmese porters.  As the only reporter stationed in Myanmar for the British "Daily Telegraph", he has been in this hot and rainy Southeast Asian country for almost six months, although he endures all kinds of things every day.  He was tortured by strange parasites from the East, but he was still motivated by the desire to obtain first-hand news information. You must know that just a few months ago, the current Prime Minister Mr. Gladstone read his speech in Parliament.  What could be more enticing to a rabid journalist than a story in the Daily Telegraph that led directly to the downfall of a former Prime Minister?  "Sir, your things are here!" A Burmese boy placed a wooden plate and a pottery bowl in front of Janson.  He looked at the contents on the plate and bowl: the plate was rice with some yellow-green viscous liquid poured on top, and some plant tubers and fish meat could be seen in it. The pottery bowl was filled with soup made from shrimps and seaweed.  Although he hasn't started eating yet, a pungent smell has penetrated into Jenson's nose.  He suppressed the doubts in his heart, stirred the plate with a spoon, took a spoonful and put it into his mouth.  "It's so spicy, so spicy!" Jenson immediately jumped up from the bench. It was as if someone had set a fire in his cavity. He spit out the food in his mouth and opened his mouth to take a big breath.  The cool air reduces the burning sensation in the mouth.  "Hey, hey!" The young man next to him hurriedly brought the pottery bowl over. Jansen grabbed it and drank a few mouthfuls. After a while, he felt better, but there was still a faint burning sensation in his mouth.  The sensation was still reminding him how spicy the food on the plate really was.  "Bring me another plate of rice. I just want rice, not anything else!" Janson made gestures while explaining his request to the boy who was the waiter in half-baked Burmese. It took a while for the boy to be confused.  Puzzled, I took away the plate that I had only eaten one bite of. I clearly took the green curry that is the favorite of the locals. Why did this foreigner become like this after only one bite?  Jansen was eating plain white rice without any seasoning. Behind him came the whispers of other Burmese people. He didn't have to look back to imagine the eyes of those Burmese people who regarded him as an alien. At this time, he felt a little depressed. He was already in  I have been staying in this ghost place for almost a month. After careful research, I found that if the British Empire was about to have a large-scale conflict with the Chinese, this place must be the center of the battle, so I came here in advance, hoping to get the best chance.  Get first-hand information first.  But the question is, nothing has happened so far, and my body already stinks like the crocodiles in the swamp outside. Should I return to Yangon first, rest for a few days, and enjoy the life of a civilized person, and then go back to Yangon?  What are your next plans?  While Jenson was hesitating about his next move, a Burmese man rushed in from outside, shouting a few Burmese words, and the store suddenly became chaotic.  For a moment, Jenson couldn't quite understand what the other party meant, but judging from the looks of everyone, it seemed like something big had happened.  At this time, Jensen no longer cared about eating. He grabbed a Burmese man who was running by and asked loudly: "What happened?" But the Burmese man looked like he was in danger and shouted to Jensen several times in panic.  He couldn't understand the words, so he broke away and ran away. Janson caught a few other Burmese people, but they were also like this.  While Jensen was in a hurry, his arm was suddenly grabbed by a hand. When he looked back, it was the Burmese boy who served him the meal.  "Money, you have to pay!" The young man grabbed Janson's hand and shouted loudly.  Jensen looked around and saw the hotel owner and a few waiters trying their best to intercept the escaping guests. He shook his head, took out a few coins from his pocket and handed them to the young man, asking: "What is going on?  Why do they seem to be crazy?¡± The boy carefully checked the authenticity of the coins, raised his head and looked at Jenson with a strange look, and said, ¡°Are you British? Run away, the Chinese have already attacked.  Come here!" Without waiting for the Burmese boy to hand over the change, Jenson rushed out and saw two boats docked on the pier at the riverside less than two hundred meters away. They were wearing black military uniforms and carrying guns.  The soldiers in leggings were running down the gangplank of the ship.  On the river, you can see that the decks of many ships are crowded with soldiers waiting to go ashore. With a pair of sharp eyes honed from hunting rabbits in the woods of Wales as a boy, Jensen can clearly see one of the flat-bottomed gunboats.  He was holding a large flag embroidered with a golden dragon. It was the flag of the Chinese people.  "Damn it, the Chinese took action first!" Jenson cursed, and immediately became excited again. He had endured mosquitoes, bed bugs andIsn¡¯t the food you¡¯re afraid of just waiting for this moment to come?  Soon everyone in the civilized world, from Her Majesty the Queen to the workers of London's East End, will know that Clover.  Jensen's name.  It was he who brought first-hand news from Burma of the heroic battles between the British Empire and the barbarian armies.  Thinking of this, Jensen quickly ran back to the hotel, took out a paper and pen from his backpack, and started writing a text message. Then, he ran to the door and quickly drew a sketch with a pencil.  Then he put it all into an envelope and sealed it, then called the Burmese boy just now and asked: "Are you willing to earn some money? For example, five pennies?" "Of course, sir! But it must be with those who get it."  It has nothing to do with the Chinese gunmen, I don¡¯t want to die!¡± the Burmese boy replied vigilantly.  "Of course, you don't have to take any risks!" Jenson smiled and handed the envelope to the boy: "You take this envelope to the trading company with an elephant painted on the wall to the east for me, and they will give you five pennies.  "This envelope?" The Burmese boy looked at Jansen warily and replied after a moment of hesitation: "I can deliver the letter for you, but five pennies is not enough, I want ten!" "You little devil?"  !¡± Janson shook his head angrily: ¡°Eight pence at most!¡± ¡°Okay, give me the letter!¡± The boy extended his hand to Janson.  "The letter is fine, but the money is not. You can only get the money if you deliver the letter!" Jensen insisted. The young man reluctantly took the letter and ran eastward.  Jensen looked at the other party's leaving back, turned around and looked at the Chinese soldiers who were coming ashore, and murmured in his mouth: "It was a text message at first, now it should be an in-depth report!" Batu walked out of the cabin and took a deep breath.  He took a breath, and the cool air with a slight soot smell flowed into his nose, which immediately woke up his already groggy brain.  Batu looked in the direction of the pier and saw that the embankment was densely packed with soldiers from the army. Their black military uniforms and white leggings were very conspicuous. From a distance, they looked like a swarm of ants.  "So far, so good!" Batu asked without looking back.  "I tell you, your lord, everything went smoothly. A group of soldiers led by Zhang Qizhang have already landed and occupied the tax office and warehouse. There are almost no guards here. It is a complete vacuum zone!" "Yes!" Batu was satisfied.  He nodded, looked at the situation on the dock, and ordered: "I want to go ashore immediately, and ask the squadron to step up the blockade of the river and prohibit all ships from traveling downstream to prevent the news from leaking! Also, all the people in the city must be taken away."  The warehouses in the merchant house will be confiscated, as long as they are useful! " "Yes, sir!" Batu turned around and carefully climbed off the rope ladder. His heart rose with the rising and falling of the boat.  , the contents of the telegram received from Zao Guoquan a few days ago flashed in my mind: "Brother Batu: The British Chief Kitchener you captured has arrived in Mandalay. From his mouth, I learned that the British want Burma.  It has been decided, and the plan is huge. It is said in the art of war, "It is better to force others than to force others!"  It is the throat of middle and lower Burma. Our army takes this place first and forces it to attack before its bow is fully drawn. However, the British are a great country in the world. Their armor is sharp and their soldiers are refined. They are unparalleled in the world.  By nature, they are like snakes in the Changshan Mountains, greedy and insatiable. If they are allowed to occupy Burma, they will definitely gain access to Longwang and Shu. I fear that there will be no peace in the southern border of Dashun. We are the emperor's military ministers, and we are loyal to the emperor. Now we can only do our best to defend the enemy.  Outside the borders of the country, you should be clear in your heart!" He was only ten years old when he was in Guoquan, and he had heard of the name "Bu Tu Hou" when he first joined the army.  I know that this person is different from the nobles from Han Jing who only know how to play bitch and play sannyasin every day and enjoy the shadow of their ancestors. This person inherited his father's job and joined the army when he was young. He stayed in Annan for more than ten years and defeated  More than 10,000 French invading troops forced the French to vomit out a lot of half of Annan they had already eaten. There is a saying in China that "the south is morning and the north is high". Such a big shot showed in the message  Looking completely unsure, how could Batu, as a general, settle down.  When Batu came ashore, he was still worried. Suddenly he heard someone shouting: "Sir, I got a British craftsman!"  People are already prepared. Otherwise, as soon as they arrive in Biaimai, enemy spies appear, so they have to change their plans.  Thinking of this, Batu asked in a deep voice: "Bring it up!" "Yes, sir!" The officer gave a military salute and then retreated. After a while, two soldiers pushed a man who was tied up tightly.  When I came up, I saw that the man was tall and long-legged, with a head full of light yellow hair. He turned out to be a white man. Although he was tied up with a bunch of rags stuffed in his mouth, he was still struggling hard. If he hadn't been tied up, I'm afraid those two  All the soldiers in the army were helpless.?him.  ¡°Is this the British craftsman you are talking about?¡± Batu asked the officer who first reported the matter doubtfully.  "That's the man!" "Yes!" Batu nodded, a little confused in his heart, for no other reason than that, as a very experienced frontline commander, he knew very well how conspicuous a white man was in a place like Pyai.  , the appearance of such a person would probably immediately attract a large group of local people to watch, so how could he be a spy?  Not to mention the language barrier.  The British have occupied Yangon for almost decades. They could select a few Burmese or even Indians to send out, and the effect would be much better.  But before he was sure, Batu was not willing to express his attitude casually. He just whispered: "Take off the cloth from his mouth!"

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 127 Reporter

    "Yes, sir!" The officer turned around and shouted loudly: "Take off the gag!" Then he smiled at Batu and said: "Sir, this British spy has such a loud voice, it's scary, and I can't listen.  If you understand his bird language, just stop it and save your worries!¡± ¡°I protest, I am not a spy, your behavior is the behavior of barbarians! Wuwu¡ª¡ª¡± As soon as the cloth in Janson¡¯s mouth was removed, he used  He yelled as hard as he could. Just after he yelled twice, the two soldiers next to him immediately stuffed the cloth strips into his mouth again, blocking his screams back into his throat.  "Don't block him back, let him shout!" Batu sat down on a horse and ordered coldly: "Also, untie this guy's rope and take his things over!" "  "Yes, sir!" The two soldiers responded and untied the rope from Janson's body. This time, Janson didn't shout as loudly as before. He just rubbed his numb wrist and carefully looked at the person sitting in front of him.  Batu, who was on the Mazar, had obviously learned a lesson from what he had just experienced.  Batu looked up and down for a while, and suddenly asked in English: "You just said you were not a spy, then what are you? Why are you in Pyay?" "Thank God, I finally met a civilized person who can speak English!"  A surprised smile appeared on Jenson's face: "My name is Clover Jenson. I am a reporter from the Daily Telegraph in London, England. I came here hoping to get first-hand information on the conflict between China and Britain.  , but these people suddenly arrested me, and I demanded the treatment that a British citizen deserves. " "He is lying!" Just as the interpreter was translating Jenson's words, the officer who had just captured him grabbed him.  He replied: "When I caught this man, he was writing something in his notebook. I also found this on his body!" At this point, the officer took out a piece of white paper from his arms, with abbreviations on it.  The pencil drawing of the Shun Army's landing scene was drawn using his sketching technique!  "    "Um!  Batu took the painting, looked at it for a while, raised his eyebrows slightly, turned over and pointed at the image on it and asked, "Did you paint this?"  " "I drew it, but that doesn't mean I'm a spy. It was used to send illustrations to the "Daily Telegraph". The camera is too heavy and not suitable for use here. This is my ID!  "Speaking of this, as if to strengthen the persuasiveness of his defense, Jenson added: "I also have a copy of the "Daily Telegraph" from a few months ago in my bag, which contains information about the Chinese Communist Party's attack in Bagan.  The report of the defeat of our troops was the report that led to the resignation of the recent Prime Minister, the Marquess of Salisbury.  Yes, that¡¯s this newspaper!  "Jian Sen shouted, pointing to the newspaper in Batu's hand. Batu looked at the newspaper in his hand with interest, which was obviously very carefully protected. Jan Sen carefully folded it and sandwiched it in a book.  It was easy to find the report that Jensen mentioned in the thick Bible to prevent it from being worn out, because the proud reporter had finally marked it out with a pencil.  After reading the report, he raised his head and said with a smile: "Your article is not bad, but there is an exaggeration!  " "Exaggerating?  "Jian Sen retorted unconvinced: "I wrote this after personally going to Bagan to collect information. Where do you think I exaggerated?  " "You blew me away in this article!  Batu smiled slightly: "Actually, I was surrounded by your army and fought hard in the camp for more than 20 days. If it weren't for good luck and you had a mutiny, I'm afraid the situation would be reversed. It wouldn't be as powerful as you said!"  "    "'I'?  "Jian Sen was stunned when he heard this, and it took him a while to react. He shouted overjoyed: "Are you the calm and composed General Batu?  " "Yes, my name is Batu, but I am not a general, let alone a descendant of Genghis Khan. I am a dignified Chinese man, and I have nothing to do with those Mongolian Tatars!  "Batu's face was a little ugly. After reporting on the war, Jensen also expressed his thoughts on Batu's life, comparing him to Bor, the founder of the Golden Horde, who was famous in European history.  ?Batu contacted him and speculated that he might be related to him, which made Batu quite uncomfortable. ¡°Haha!  "Jenson touched the back of his head with some embarrassment: "Excuse me, Your Excellency, this is a very common news technique in the UK. Please rest assured that this has absolutely no derogatory meaning. It is completely a tribute to your outstanding military talents.  Kind of a compliment!  " Batu shook his head in disbelief, put the newspaper back in the Bible, and asked with a smile: "The report you just made directly led to the change of prime minister in the UK. Is this true?  " "Of course, I am an honest person!  "Jensen's face immediately turned red: "The current Prime Minister, Mr. Gladstone, read my report aloud in the House of Commons. This was a decisive blow to the former Prime Minister!  If you don't believe it, you can look at another report.??, also in the Bible, it evaluated the role of my reporting.  " Batu opened the Bible hesitantly and found another newspaper sandwiched in the middle. After reading it for a while, he shook his head and sighed: "It's really difficult. One newspaper can make your prime minister resign.  Isn't this a mess?  "    "hehe!  "Jenson smiled proudly: "In Great Britain, without the support of MPs, it is impossible for the Prime Minister to sit firmly in No. 10 Downing Street.  Members are elected by voters in each constituency, so¡ª¡ª, you can now believe that I am a reporter from the "Daily Telegraph", and you can let me go!  " "I believe you are a reporter!  Batu smiled and replied: "But that doesn't mean you're not a spy?"  And even if you are not a spy, you are still a British person. You have discovered our military operations. In order to prevent this information from being leaked, I must imprison you for a period of time!  "Then, Batu made a gesture to stop Jensen's defense: "But you can rest assured, we will give you good treatment, at least no worse than what you are living now!  Immediately, Batu ordered to the officer on the side: "Leave this person alone and keep him in separate custody. The treatment will be better!"  " "Yes, sir!"  "Jianson, who was about to say something, was pushed down by the soldiers escorting him. Batu was left looking at the two newspapers he left behind, and said with a smile: "What a strange country, the prime minister was actually  This thin piece of paper is omitted. Could it be that if they can't change each other every three days, then what kind of dignity will the country have?  "While the Shun Army was attacking Pyay, the British authorities in Yangon were already in chaos. Because the night attack launched by Zhang Qing that night was very successful, almost all the British soldiers and sailors on the "Thames" were killed, no?  To be killed was to be captured alive, and the location of the ambush was a very desolate place. Only loggers and hunters passed by occasionally. There was no wireless telegraphy at that time. As a result, six days later, Yangon did not wait for the planned return of the Thames.  After the Thames returned, they panicked and hurriedly sent two of the fastest gunboats upstream along the Irrawaddy River to look for the Thames, but there was no trace of it. When the search team finally found the Thames with the help of two hunters,  When the bodies of British soldiers were buried in the woods, the British authorities in Yangon had to face the terrible possibility that the newly appointed supreme commander of the British army in Burma, Colonel Kitchener, might have fallen into the hands of the enemy.  What is this?  "Theson, who succeeded Gillings as the British Consul General in Burma, pointed at a few dark pieces of wood and broken pieces of clothing on the ground and asked: "Just take this and let me report to my superiors that Colonel Kitchener is no longer here.  Already?  " "Your Excellency, Consul!  "A secretary replied: "We have carefully searched the place where the incident occurred and the nearby waters, and found no trace of the sunken ship, and the body of Colonel Kitchener was not found in the cemetery in the woods.  According to our guess, a certain group of Burmese bandits attacked the Thames docked on the shore at night, and Colonel Kitchener had fallen into their hands.  " "Why can't it be Chinese?  Their weapons are better. There are dozens of well-equipped sailors and marines on the Thames, as well as artillery. Can the Burmese gangsters do this?  " "This is the worst case scenario!  However, there were almost no Chinese troops in the place where the incident occurred. Since they defeated our army's attack in Bagan a few months ago, the Chinese army has stagnated in the Bagan area, seeming to be content with controlling upper Burma and Myanmar.  In the Central Myanmar region, it is hard to imagine that they would suddenly launch an attack and provoke a conflict!  " " Provoke a conflict?  Tessen angrily repeated what the other party said: "The conflict has already happened. It started in April last year. Now I finally know why we have been defeated again and again. The blood of more than a thousand British people has been lost."  The land of Myanmar has been sprinkled all over the land, but there are still some among us who naively think that the conflict has not happened yet?  God!  Maybe the Chinese deserve this land more than we do!  "The secretary's face turned red by Tessen's angry shouting, and he stammered in explanation: "Mr. Consul, what I mean is that due to the power of the empire, the Chinese should not dare to initiate a surprise attack. From the beginning, they  Just avoiding direct conflict with the British team!  "    "enough!  "Tesen's roar interrupted the other party's defense. He suppressed his anger and said in as calm a tone as possible: "Remember, the battlefield is chaotic. You never know what will happen next. Maybe  The Chinese generals are unwilling to have a direct conflict with us, but this does not guarantee that the officers of every small unit below them also think so.  And even the enemy's top officers, if they determine that the next large-scale conflict with us is inevitable, guess what they will do?  " "We will fight with all our strength!  "The secretary replied in a low voice, his face pale. "This time?That's right, don't forget that the Chinese are determined and capable of maintaining their presence in Myanmar. This is what they proved with resolute actions in April last year.  "At this point, Tessen paused and continued to yell: "Now, you go out and continue searching, and you must determine Colonel Kitchener's whereabouts as soon as possible. Do you understand?  " "Yes, Your Excellency, Consul!  "The secretary, who had been frightened into a daze by Tessen's roar, bowed to him and rushed out the door. Tessen slumped back into his seat and pressed his hands on his sore breasts.  Temple, muttering to himself: "You can't leak the news of Kitchener's disappearance now, no, otherwise there will be an uproar in London, and maybe the Prime Minister will change again, and it will be all over!"  " At this moment, there was a sudden rush of footsteps outside the door. Before the consul could react what was going on, the heavy teak door was slammed open. The consul raised his head in surprise and saw that  The secretary who had just left rushed in and stammered: "No, it's bad, the Chinese already occupied Piaimai five days ago!  "    "What?  The consul suddenly stood up and asked loudly: "Repeat it again!"  " "Five days ago, the Chinese already occupied Piaimai!  " "Five days ago?  Why are you telling me now?  "The consul's chest swelled, as if there was a small animal beating violently inside, trying to jump out and tear everything apart. "The Chinese have blocked land and water transportation, that's why it's so slow¡ª¡ª"  ,    "enough!  The consul closed his eyes and whispered to himself: "Kitchener must have fallen into the hands of the Chinese, it must have!"  That's why the Chinese learned about our intentions and decided to take the initiative!  "The secretary on the side looked at the consul as if he was hysterical. He sat in a chair with his eyes closed and muttered to himself. He wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say. At this moment, he only heard  The consul whispered: "Go out now, close the door, and let me be alone for a while!  " "Yes, Your Excellency!  "The secretary retreated with relief. After closing the door, he breathed a sigh of relief. His nerves were almost broken in the room just now. "Bang!  "There was a sound in the room, as if something heavy fell to pieces on the ground, and the secretary's nerves that had just relaxed suddenly became tense again. In the office, Tessen panted and looked at the shattered porcelain bottle on the floor.  A moment ago, this exquisite Song Dynasty porcelain plate could be sold in London for at least five hundred pounds, but now it has become a pile of worthless fragments. Just as the secretary was wondering outside the door, suddenly.  There was a summons bell. After hesitating for a moment, he gently opened the door and saw a pile of porcelain tiles on the ground. The consul's burly body sank deeply into the armchair, and he had returned to his usual calm.  "Sir, why did you ask me to come in?  " "Immediately issue a communiqu¨¦ in my name, ordering Yangon City to immediately impose martial law, mobilize all soldiers, drive the indigenous residents out of the city, distribute weapons to all European residents, let them serve as self-defense forces, and impose a curfew after eight o'clock at night.  No one is allowed to leave the house without permission!  "At this point, the consul paused for a moment and said in as calm a tone as possible: "Also, in my name, the Consul General of the British Empire in Burma, I sent an envoy to the Chinese in Pyay, asking them to infringe on the interests of the British Empire.  Give a reasonable explanation for your behavior!  " "Yes, Your Excellency!  "The secretary already sensed the seriousness in his boss's tone, and his thin shoulders immediately trembled: "Please allow me to ask a question, is Yangon going to be besieged or attacked?  This is the territory of the British Empire!  "Terson did not get angry at the secretary's stupidity. He gave the other party a meaningful look: "Dear Arnold, facing the current situation, all we can do is prepare for everything and accept everything!  " "Yes, Your Excellency!  I will carry out your order immediately!  "The secretary calmed down under the consul's comfort. His body stopped trembling, he bowed to his boss, turned around and hurried out the door. The consul looked meaningfully at the other person's leaving back, raised his head and looked at the original figure.  The dome said to himself: "The most important thing now is the truth, and figuring out the truth takes time.  May God bless the Queen and her people and be on our side.  ¡± When the Irrawaddy River passes through the narrow valleys of the forested Rakhine Mountains and Bago Mountains, it divides into many small rivers, which eventually flow into the Andaman Sea. The most fertile and rich Irrawaddy River Delta in the entire Myanmar is made up of hundreds of these small rivers.  The two sides of the Irrawaddy River Delta are formed by the Bago Mountains in the east and the ends of the Arakan Mountains in the west. The apex is Xingshida, 130 kilometers northwest of Yangon, and the Arakan Mountains in the west.  There is a narrow strip of land between it and the Indian Ocean, then??Arakan Province in Myanmar.  After the first and second Anglo-Burmese Wars, Rakhine Province and part of the area near Yangon had been ceded to the United Kingdom by the Kingdom of Burma, thus becoming a base for the British Empire to further invade Burma.  Pyai is located right at the end of the narrow valleys of the Arakan Mountains and the Bago Mountains, and the only easily accessible Dongge Pass in the Arakan Mountains is also located to the southwest of Pyay. Therefore, if the British want to enter the hinterland of Myanmar, whether from Pyai  To open a province or start from Yangon, you must first capture Pyay.  Pyay, this former royal capital in the eighth century AD has now declined, with only a few dilapidated pagodas left. The open space between the pagodas has long been occupied by vines and shrubs, and only the occasional ruined walls and palaces can be seen.  Only the foundation can occasionally reveal the prosperity of the year.  Except for a few farmers who provide fruits and vegetables, the vast majority of the more than 6,000 residents here are dockworkers and merchants who rely on Mandalay and the downstream transshipment trade.  The civil unrest in April last year changed everything. The ships carrying rice and ore that used to travel upstream and downstream disappeared, leaving only the empty river. Workers and small businessmen fell into despair. When Batu led the army to  When we arrived here, there were less than 3,000 residents left in the entire city of Pya, and the rest had to leave here to find a new way of life.  Less than half an hour after the soles of his shoes were stained with humiliating soil, Batu had already announced that the dilapidated city was under his own military control, facing a large group of foreign soldiers and rifles armed with sharp bayonets.  Facing the dark muzzles of warships on the river, the residents of Piaimai chose to remain silent.  Then Batu sent engineers to survey the local terrain and prepare to build fortifications to resist the upcoming British attack.  Five days after Batu arrived in Pyay, three reinforcements led by Zao Guoquan also arrived. Along with him came Kitchener, who had been captured not long ago.  The unlucky colonel received quite good treatment: a separate residence, fine meals, clean and crisp shirts and well-polished leather boots, an orderly at his disposal, and even Zao Guoquan invited him to review with him  He met a group of loyal soldiers and asked for advice. The only difference from the past was that they had no weapons and freedom.  Kitchener, on the other hand, accepted his fate calmly like a true British gentleman. He enjoyed everything the enemy provided him, carefully observed and pointed out the formation and offensive tactics of the cis army infantry with the eyes of a professional soldier.  Already somewhat lagging behind the modern army equipped with breech-loaded rifles and shrapnel, it was as if he was not a prisoner, but a military consultant hired by the Chinese government with a high salary.  "Sir!" Kitchener said to Zao Guoquan, who was standing on the deck and looking at the soldiers of the Sun Army who were shouting slogans on the dock and laboriously unloading cannons from the ship: "What do you think?  Is the current action wise?¡± After hearing the words of the translator beside him, Zao Guoquan turned around and replied with a smile: ¡°Colonel Kitchener, you can just say what you think!¡± ¡°There is no doubt that,  Occupying a key point like Pya is a huge victory in terms of pure military science, but it is a disaster in terms of supply!" Kitchener shrugged: "You are now more than 1,500 meters away from your supply base!  kilometers, enough to go from Madrid to Warsaw. Although a considerable part of it is river transport, don't forget that there is a large group of hostile Burmese behind you. Neither we, the British, nor you Chinese are obedient and loyal subjects.  "Haha!" Zao Guoquan laughed twice: "Colonel Kitchener, if you talk about the distance from your home country, you British are probably further away! As for the Burmese, we Chinese have dealt with them for a long time.  After thousands of years, I think we know how to deal with them!" At this point, Zao Guoquan paused for a moment, and his face became serious: "If we don't occupy this place first, will we be able to get peace?  ? I'm afraid we will face the attack of the British army soon. Don't tell me that you, the 'Hero of Sudan,' are here to enjoy the sights!" "I have not denied the purpose of my trip, but this is  It was under the premise of your country's sudden invasion of Myanmar. Your army's occupation of Myanmar has broken the strategic balance of the entire Indochina Peninsula and even threatened the empire's existence in India-" "Then who instigated last April?  "What about the military coup?" Zao Guoquan interrupted the other party: "Who even blatantly trampled on the norms of international law and bribed thugs to kill my predecessor in Mandalay. Don't forget, the Kingdom of Myanmar belongs to me.  This is clearly stipulated in the "Arakan Treaty" signed by your country after the second Anglo-Burmese War!" Kitchener pursed his lips tightly, which was what made him angry in his heart.  It showed that as a senior officer of the British Empire, he felt humiliated that he actually had to argue with a general from a semi-barbaric empire in the East. What made him even more humiliated was that he actually became a prisoner of the other party.  He turned around with his back to Zao Guoquan and said, "Master Zao, you and IAs a soldier, let the war finally determine our right and wrong. Now, please take me to a place where prisoners should go!  " Zao Guoquan smiled slightly and made a gesture. Two soldiers stepped forward and took Kitchener out of the cabin. Qu Duan on the side sneered and said: "Sir, this foreign devil is very arrogant, but he is just a person who depends on him for life and death.  The prisoner under the human hand can still speak so loudly, all his skills are focused on his mouth!  " Zao Guoquan sighed and his face became gloomy: "Actually, what he said is right. Indeed, there is no right or wrong between countries. The winner is right and the loser is wrong. If this battle  Britain won the war, and what was written in the previous treaties did not count. Naturally, no one came to trouble them!  " "How can we lose when adults are here!"  " "I am also taking a risky move. It is such a long journey from here to the country, and those Burmese people are not sure of winning!  "At this time, Zao Guoquan finally revealed his innermost worries in front of his confidants. "Then when you faced the French in Annan, didn't you also win?  " "At this time, Annan was backed by the country and had been part of China for more than two hundred years. They were united as one and had no worries about getting their troops and food. However, the legal boat divisions were far inferior to the British, and their food and equipment had to be brought from thousands of miles away.  When it comes, I am the master and he is the guest. It is not difficult to break.  However, the British navy was powerful, and India was not far away, so it was not difficult to obtain troops and supplies. The host and guest changed positions, and the outcome was naturally unpredictable!  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 128: Weighing

    When Qu Duan heard this, he couldn't help but panicked: "Then, what should we do next?" "Act according to the opportunity!" Zao Guoquan whispered: "The British lost a big general without fighting, and the morale of the army will definitely be shaken. If  If we can take the opportunity to negotiate a peace, it would be a great blessing for the country to cede Burma to them." Qu Duan heard the implication and asked in a low voice, "What if the British refuse to agree?"  He sighed and said, "If the British don't agree, then we can only cede the area below Bagan to the British to make it happen!" Qu Duan asked with a layer of cold sweat on his forehead: "What if it still doesn't work?  " Zao Guoquan snorted coldly: "Huh, if it still doesn't work, then a certain family can only fight to the death. Myanmar is my Dashun vassal country. It doesn't matter if it is in the hands of others. If the country falls in my hands, I'm afraid that it will be recorded in the history books of future generations.  It's very ugly!" His eyes were wide open at this time, and his beard was shaggy, like an angry lion, with the majesty of a famous general in the world.  "My lord, I'm about to get on the ship with my palm flag, please see my lord!" An officer ran over and reported in a low voice.  "Please quickly!" Zao Guoquan stroked his beard and his face became gentle. He still wanted to win over Batu, a subordinate who had entered Myanmar early and had made great achievements.  "General, I will see you at the end, Mr. Xiaowei!" Batu stopped and was about to bow to Zao Guoquan.  "That's all, Lord Ba, no courtesy!" Zao Guoquan took a step forward, stretched out his hand to support Batu, looked at him up and down, and suddenly smiled: "Okay, okay, okay, Lord Ba was in his prime, majestic and heroic, compared to  "I feel a little depressed when I get up!" "I don't dare to praise you as an adult!" Batu thanked him hurriedly. Unlike Chen Zaixing, he still respected the already famous military senior in front of him.  "You deserve it, you deserve it!" Zao Guoquan made a gesture of invitation: "Based on your merits, I'm afraid the order to promote generals from the military should have been issued long ago. I remember Lord Ba now  Not thirty yet? It has been more than 200 years since the founding of the country. Apart from the founding fathers, there are probably not many people who can become generals and lead a single battalion at this age!"  Quan praised him so much, Batu was also very happy, and hurriedly raised his hand and said: "With your good words, if I can do this in the future, it will be a great blessing from you!" The two of them entered the cabin, and Zao Guoquan pointed to the opposite side.  He took the seat and said with a smile: "Sit down, sit down! You came here a few days before me, and you have dealt with the British several times. If you have any experience, you can't hide it!"  "Don't dare!" Batu thanked him a little, and then said what he had been thinking these days: "The British are a powerful country in the West, and they have their own unique features in terms of weapons and soldiers. Especially the weapons are very powerful.  Huge. Our army spent a lot of time building fortifications in Bagan. It is not said to be weak, but the casualties under the British artillery fire were still very large. If luck was not on our side, I am afraid that the general would not be able to stand here.  "Yes!" Zao Guoquan sighed: "Western ordnance has changed rapidly over the years, and it has become a bit outdated. Come here, call all the officers and soldiers on the ship, and listen to Lord Ba's opinion. This is unacceptable.  What an opportunity!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the guard responded, and a few moments later more than a dozen generals came into the cabin, all of whom were close associates of Zao Guoquan¡¯s department, and they all paid homage to Zao Guoquan and Batu.  It was enough for Zao Guoquan to just nod slightly at his seat, but Batu was different. Most of the generals who came in were of the same rank as him, and most of them were older and more senior than him, so he had to stand up quickly.  They returned the favor one by one, causing chaos in the cabin.  "Ahem!" Zao Guoquan coughed twice, and the cabin immediately calmed down, and all the generals' eyes suddenly focused on Zao Guoquan's face.  "Listen carefully, Mr. Ba has already fought with the British. I will say later that all the lessons are gained with blood. Now I will tell you about it. You must not be negligent. Otherwise, don't blame a certain military law school."  Ruthless!" "I will obey my orders!" The generals' loud responses immediately echoed in the cabin, full of chilling intent.  Zao Guoquan stood up, bowed his hands to Batu and said, "Master Ba, please speak!" Batu knew in his heart that this was Zao Guoquan's deliberate promotion of himself in front of the generals. After all, all of these generals were dead.  It can be said that most of the people who came out of mountains and seas of blood and held the lives of thousands of people in their hands were those who did not believe in evil. Their qualifications and official positions did not overwhelm them. If they did not dampen their spirit first, I am afraid that someone else would be there later.  If you jump out and embarrass yourself, you won't be able to continue talking.  But no matter what, as the commander-in-chief of an army, the other party could not help but feel good about him when he promoted himself in front of everyone.  "General, I will obey your order!" Batu returned a salute to Zao Guoquan, turned to the generals and said, "I was at Pu'an last year.?I once fought against the British. The British's soldiers were refined and their firearms were sharp, and they were truly the best in the world.  I stayed in Bagan for several months and prepared parapets, trenches, multi-faceted forts and forts.  However, when the British attacked, bullets rained down, and the soldiers suffered countless casualties" As Batu explained, he took out a pen and paper, spread out white paper on several tables, and drew pictures to explain. The generals listened to his detailed words, and felt in their hearts  There was a lot of contempt, and people came up to watch. From time to time, some people asked, "Master Ba, you said that parapets, trenches, and multi-faced forts were all in place. Why were there so many casualties under British artillery fire?"  " "You don't know something, my lord, but the British firearms have improved greatly over the years. Not only has the accuracy and range been greatly increased, but there are also many more types of ammunition.  In the past, the army mostly used solid bullets, which only needed to be hidden in parapets or trenches, and there was no serious problem.  The newly made shrapnel and grenades can shoot steel ball shrapnel thousands of meters away. Not to mention hiding in parapets and trenches, even hiding in a multi-faceted fort is not safe!  "The generals couldn't help but be speechless, and one person said loudly: "Is Master Ba serious?  As far as I know, these two gadgets have a short range. How can they hit them from a thousand meters away?  Could it be that there was a mistake?  "It turns out that shrapnel is a type of artillery shell invented in the late 18th century. Its main principle is to launch a cannonball filled with gunpowder and lead bullets over the enemy's head, and then let it explode to kill enemy personnel. The power of this weapon  Although it is large, its reliability is not good, because the quality of the delay fuze and shell shell produced under the technical conditions at that time is very poor, and it is easy to explode early under high pressure and high temperature when the gun is fired, causing accidental damage. It is generally used in  Mortars and other low-pressure, short-range artillery, so these loyal generals were shocked when they heard that the British could fire shrapnel at such a long distance. Batu smiled bitterly and drew on the white paper.  After a few strokes, he raised it and turned it around in front of everyone so that everyone could see clearly: "This is the pattern I took apart based on an unexploded shrapnel I picked up. This kind of shell looks ordinary from the outside."  There is not much difference between the custom-made artillery shells, but the inside is filled with black powder, steel balls and steel arrows. A section of copper pipe is used at the tail, and the delay fuze is placed in it. The copper pipe is cut off according to the distance to the target before firing.  The fired shells can explode in the sky above the target, shooting out dense steel balls and steel arrows, just like firing a shotgun at it at close range. Breast walls and multi-faceted forts have little protective effect on it!  "After hearing these words, everyone couldn't help but feel horrified. They were all officers and naturally knew that the prevailing fortifications and infantry tactics were based on the weapons technology at that time. Due to the smoothbore cannons fired in the first half and middle of the 19th century  The effective range of shotgun shells and shrapnel shells is very short, even closer than the rifled guns equipped by the hunters, while the longer-range solid shells have a very average killing effect on a single infantryman, so artillerymen are often killed by the opponent's hunters.  In many cases, they are even captured by dragoons or infantry using resolute assault tactics. However, the emergence of this new type of shrapnel makes the above two situations unlikely. Well-trained artillery can use one shot from a safe distance.  Shrapnel can defeat a platoon or even a company of infantry or cavalry. When the infantry launches an attack, the distance from the column to the skirmisher line must also be changed, otherwise it will become a living target for the defending artillery.  The fortifications used by the army are mainly breastworks, short and thick earth walls, or semicircular forts, or multi-faceted forts. The main function of trenches is to resist local impacts rather than to allow soldiers to hide in them. The main defense object of these fortifications is the horizontal direction.  It shoots enemy rifle bullets and solid bullets, but the effect against shrapnel shells that can explode overhead and splash out a large number of shells is not satisfactory. After all, early shrapnel shells can only be fired by low-pressure artillery such as mortars and howitzers. These  The artillery has a short range and a high trajectory curvature. Without passing through trenches and other engineers, it is difficult to approach the enemy's position without being destroyed by the enemy's ordinary artillery with a straight trajectory and more accurate shooting. The emergence of new shrapnel has changed everything.  The soldiers have to adapt to this change, otherwise they will pay the price of failure. "Master Ba, how do you think we should respond?  " "Yes, Mr. Ba, you fought against the British in Bagan and defeated them. You must have a lot of experience, but you can't hide it!  "Batu made a salute to everyone: "My lords, although the general repelled the British invasion in Bagan, if I say he won, I am really ashamed. I can only say it was a fluke.  Over the past few days, after discussing with several subordinates, I have come to the following opinions. I hope you will not laugh at them!  "Speaking of this, Batu picked up a pencil, drew a few times on the white paper, and said: "First, no longer build parapets. The main functions of parapets are two: to shield the enemy's bullets and to block the enemy's infantry and  The impact of the cavalry, but under the British artillery fire, the defensive effect was very average. Instead, it became the target of the enemy's artillery. As long as one shell exploded over the parapet, it could kill a dozen soldiers standing behind the parapet.  Soldiers, even breastworks cannot stop the enemy's attack!  ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t build anything¡±What did the soldiers use to cover the wall?  " "Trench!  Batu said: "But this is not used to block the enemy's attack, but to allow soldiers to hide in it. In this way, most of the soldiers' bodies are below the horizon, and naturally they are less likely to be hit by enemy bullets."  , and the trench was much smaller than the target of the breastworks.  "Having said this, Batu drew a few more times on the white paper: "In order to reduce the damage caused by local shrapnel to our infantry, I plan to build a shelter every sixty or seventy meters in the trench, that is, first  Dig the trench wide, then cover the top with logs and thick soil. When the enemy is shelling, the soldiers in the trench can hide in the shelter. When the enemy infantry attacks, they can enter the trench to shoot. I don't know the list.  What do you think?  ¡± If you want a vote, you need a vote, Weber looks forward to everyone¡¯s support!

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South, Chapter 129 Release (Part 1)

    Loud commands came from the corridor outside the house, but the white man lying on the bed still lay motionless on the bed.  At this time, the door was pushed open, and Zao Guoquan and Batu came in. Batu frowned slightly when he saw the situation in the room, and made a gesture with his right hand behind his back.  Two guards immediately rushed forward, pulled the guy lying on the bed up, shook him twice to wake him up, and brought in a bucket of clean water from outside.  "Mr. Jensen, I'm sorry for waking you up from your nap!" Batu pointed to a bucket on the side and said to the sleepy Jensen: "Now I need to talk to you when you are awake. There is a bucket of water here, which can help.  You will regain consciousness immediately." Jenson looked at Batu, then looked down at the bucket of water. He did not pick up the wooden spoon for drinking water in the bucket, but plunged his head into the wood.  In the bucket, he immediately stood up, shook off the water drops from his hair, stood up straight again, and said to Batu in a sober tone: "Master Batu, you can tell me if you have anything to say now!" "Jian  Mr. Sen, are you satisfied with your life here these days?" Batu nodded and asked with a smile.  Jensen shrugged his shoulders and wiped the water drops from his hair: "Thank you very much for providing me with so many good wines, but as you know, I am a reporter, and the "Daily Telegraph" gives me travel expenses and remuneration.  , I didn¡¯t come here to hide in a house and drink every day!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± Batu asked with a smile. Suddenly, his face turned serious: ¡°It¡¯s to help Grai.  Will Mr. Stone regain the position of Prime Minister? ""You, you¡ª¡ª" Janson's eyes widened in surprise. As a senior reporter who has been in the British newspaper industry for many years, he naturally knew that he  The "Daily Telegraph" he worked for was leaning towards Gladstone's Liberal Party, and he received such a generous allowance and was sent to Burma, a place far away from the British public eye, to write specifically about the Sino-British conflict.  Report, he had more or less guessed it beforehand, especially after learning that his report played a key role in the Conservative Party's cabinet collapse, Jenson could roughly determine that the generous payment was  Where did it come from.  But Batu, a chieftain who in his opinion was nothing more than a barbarian army, surprised him when he told the truth.  "How do I know all this?" Batu asked with a smile. He turned around and made a gesture. Two guards walked in silently. They tidied up the room lightly and put three armchairs and a  Zhang Chazi, there is also tea.  Batu stretched out his hand and motioned for Jenson to sit down, and he also sat down, smiling: "How I know is not important, what is important is Mr. Clough Jenson, the special correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph", are you  Do you want to take your reputation to the next level in the journalism world? How about completely getting rid of the level of a novelty writer?" Jensen's face turned slightly red. He naturally understood what Batu's last sentence was referring to, although he  They were already in the upper middle class among journalists, but their income was only 75 pounds a year. This income was enough to support a clerk in London, England in 1885, but it was far from a decent life.  degree, let alone finding a decent wife.  Therefore, Jenson often had to cater to the curiosity of white readers at the time, and wrote many things that were completely inconsistent with the facts, but were more likely to win readers' favor. For example, he described Batu as a Mughal prince.  Deep down, I feel a deep sense of shame about it.  Batu saw that Jan Sen remained silent and did not express any objection. He knew that the other party had agreed to his suggestion. He smiled slightly, reached out and gestured to Zao Guoquan who was sitting next to him and said: "This is my superior.  That is my Dashun¡¯s highest official in Burma¡ªDa Shun¡¯s Burmese Protector Captain Zao Guoquan Zao!¡± Zao Guoquan heard his name and smiled at Jan Sen, who quickly stood up and saluted.  Batu waited for him to sit down again and said in a deep voice: "Master Zao and I are here today. We hope to tell Dashun's true attitude on the Burmese issue to your king and the whole country through Mr. Jensen's channel, so as not to  A misunderstanding has resulted in consequences that neither people of the two countries want to see.¡± After listening to Badu¡¯s words, Jensen¡¯s breathing immediately became heavy. He naturally knew the deep meaning of the other party¡¯s words. It was obvious that the other party hoped to use his own means to influence.  The domestic political situation in the UK has allowed moderates on the Myanmar issue to come to power, thus turning the situation to its own advantage.  In this process, no matter what the outcome is, as an intermediary channel, you will win a huge reputation, and reputation is money and power in the journalism world.  Imagine that you are directly interviewing the Governor of Burma, the greatest empire in East Asia, and getting first-hand reports on the Sino-Burmese war. What a huge honor this is for a journalist!  Thinking of this, Jansen's hands on his knees began to tremble violently!  ¡± Batu noticed the other party¡¯s trembling hands, and he understood it.?He hesitated, after all, in his opinion, this enemy's suggestion could easily be understood as a trick, and in fact it was indeed a trick.  So Batu decided to throw a sweeter bait: "If Mr. Jensen is willing to serve as this bridge! Mr. Zao will be happy to pay you a personal reward, such as two thousand five hundred pounds. Please don't worry, Mr. Jensen."  Regarding the channel, you can choose from Bank of England checks, gold, silver, or British pound cash! " "Thank you for your kindness, but I cannot accept your personal gift because it violates the professional ethics of journalists!  Shun Zai told His Majesty the King and the people the true situation on the Myanmar issue, but I cannot get money from you, otherwise what I said would have lost its fairness and objectivity, which is the most valuable thing for a journalist.  "Jensen finally refused such a huge temptation. This is almost equivalent to the total salary he has earned in more than thirty years. It can immediately promote him from his current living situation to a status that he could not imagine in the past.  , he can even find a gentleman's daughter as his wife, so that his next generation will become a truly decent person.  But Scots stubbornness held him back, deep inside.  He is also unwilling to gain money from an enemy country at the expense of his own country's interests.  Batu frowned slightly. The other party's answer made him a little confused. He refused the monetary bribe and agreed to his previous request, which made him a little uneasy.  Zao Guoquan on the side saw this and chatted with him in a low voice. Batu's brows relaxed and he said with a smile: "I admire Mr. Jenson's conduct. In this case, I will not force it."  . However, after this incident, we also felt the importance of newspapers. If China and Britain understood each other, how could there be such a big conflict in Burma due to misunderstandings, causing soldiers to be killed and wounded, and wasting military pay?  The people of China and Britain understand the plan. My boss plans to set up a newspaper in the UK for communication and propaganda purposes. The money will be used to start the newspaper. Two thousand five hundred pounds may be a little too little. I don't know if five thousand pounds is enough.  "Use?" Jenson was slightly stunned, and for a moment he didn't know why the other party changed the topic here, but he still replied: "If it's just the start-up cost of five thousand pounds, that's enough." "Okay, that's enough!"  However, our country has not been civilized for a long time, and there are not many people who are familiar with the situation in your country. The position of editor-in-chief of this newspaper belongs to Mr. Jensen!" Batu stopped Jensen's refusal and said with a smile: "Mr. Jensen, I am a  Soldiers, don't beat around the bush. If you seriously spread our country's intentions back to your country, I'm afraid you will offend some dignitaries in your country. In this way, I'm afraid your comments in the "Daily Telegraph" will be ruined.  The position is not guaranteed. How can I bear to let you suffer because of our affairs? We really need a talent in this field, so why do you want to shirk it?" After hearing what Batu said?  , Jenson also lowered his head. As the other party said, if he sends the report back according to the other party's request, it will cause another stir in the British political arena, which is probably not what the ruling Liberal Party wants to see.  At that time, my future and position in the "Daily Telegraph" would be affected, which was not a happy thing, let alone becoming an editor-in-chief and controlling a newspaper of my own. Wasn't it my long-cherished wish?  ?  Thinking of this, Jenson raised his head and replied seriously: "If you are willing to give me the corresponding power and respect the integrity of journalism, I am willing to accept the position of editor-in-chief!" "That's natural, that's natural!"  Batu smiled and said: "We are all soldiers, and we don't know anything about newspapers. We just hope to have a place where we can talk. We don't want the people of the two countries to be deceived and cause unnecessary conflicts. Since Mr. Jensen is the editor-in-chief,  Naturally, I will let you decide what to say!" At this point, Batu and Zao Guoquan looked at each other and laughed.  The two of them thought to themselves: As long as you eat this piece of bait, it's not up to you what to do.  Now that the previous matter has been settled, the relationship between the three of them has become that of shareholders and managers. Naturally, they have become more friendly. Batu asked the soldiers to bring drinks and snacks. The three of them talked while talking.  While eating, the cell felt a bit like a salon for receiving guests.  Jenson ate two pieces of snacks and asked casually: "My lords, you said that you want to inform the whole of Great Britain of your country's true position on the Myanmar issue, but what is your country's true position on the Myanmar issue?  ? Can you give me some advice?" Batu glanced at Zao Guoquan, and when he saw the other party nodded slightly, he smiled and said: "Actually, Dashun has only one attitude in Myanmar, and that is to maintain the status quo.  The intention of annexing it is not to mention threatening your country, India, but Myanmar is a vassal state of Dashun, blocking the southwestern provinces, and we will never allow other countries to annex Myanmar, thereby threatening our southwest." At this point,  Batu's expression became serious: "If someone wants to annex Myanmar,?There is only one battle in Dashun!  " "Well, I understand what you mean!  "Jensen nodded: "But the existence of your army in Myanmar itself is a threat to Great Britain's Indian colony?  It was precisely because of the invasion of Burma by your troops that the British troops became involved on a large scale!  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 130 Released

    "If you knew the ins and outs of the matter, you wouldn't say that!" Batu Surong replied: "It was your country's former Yangon consul Mr. Gillings who caused the civil war in the Burmese royal family. It was he who gave the puppet king Meng Ji  With the promise of arms and support, Meng Ji was able to launch a mutiny and kill the former legitimate king of Myanmar, Xipao. After the coup was successful, he even hired gangsters to attack Dashun's embassy in Mandalay and kill his predecessor.  Mr. Shi Zhao Youting, the head of the Burmese Protectorate School, killed the diplomats. This is an act that blatantly tramples on international law! "Jian Sen had a surprised expression on his face: "Is all this true?" "Of course! This can be done by Mr. Liu Zhixing!  Testify. I was also in the captain's mansion at the time. If I hadn't escorted the prince and princess to Dashun, I might have died in Mandalay that night. If you need it, I can provide more evidence to prove it!  Mr. Gillings has a very close connection with all this! "But I don't understand why Consul Gillings sent people to attack your country's diplomatic officials in Mandalay. This does not do him or Britain any good!"  "It should be to force the puppet king Meng Ji to completely surrender to the British and sign a treaty." Batu had already obtained most of the inside information about the coup from Diok: "At that time, after the puppet king Meng Ji came to power in the coup, he wanted to  Continuing to maintain the suzerain relationship with Dashun, in order to force Meng Ji to completely turn to the British, Gillings launched an attack on Dashun officials in Myanmar and blamed Meng Ji for it. "Jianson did not answer, but from his perspective!  From the expression on his face, Batu knew that the other party had understood the whole story.  Zao Guoquan on the side coughed lowly and said: "We are not saying this to punish Mr. Gillings. There is an old Chinese saying, 'A dog barking at Yao is not the noble planter who practices Yao. A dog barking is not its owner.  Yes! ', from Mr. Gillings's point of view, it is natural to do so. But now it is obvious that Britain cannot obtain the colony of Burma at a small price, and a protracted war breaks out between the two empires just for Burma.  A small and barren colony, is this wise? I hope that I can convey my thoughts to the leaders of your country to avoid unnecessary regrets!¡± The translator on the side took a while to translate Zao Guoquan¡¯s words.  After listening to it in English, Janson was silent for a long time, and finally raised his head and said: "I'm honored that you gave me this opportunity. I will try my best to do this well, but I want to ask a question.  My Lords, your country hopes for peace, but what are the conditions for peace? " "Restore the status quo quo! This is our condition. Of course, we can discuss the specific details through talks, but the general conditions can only be based on this.  , This is the lowest condition that Dashun can accept!" Zao Guoquan replied word by word: "I have one more thing I want to tell the people of your country through you. Have you heard of Kitchener, Holey?  Colonel Shaw Herbert Kitchener? " "Of course he was a hero to Great Britain, and although he did not succeed in rescuing Mr. Gordon in the Sudan, God rest his soul, there is no doubt that Colonel Kitchener was.  He is one of the most capable officers in the army!" When Jensen said this, he asked with some confusion: "My lord, why did you mention Colonel Kitchener?" "The British government appointed Colonel Kitchener not long ago.  As the top commander of the British army in Burma, during another personal survey of the march route, Colonel Kitchener's ship was attacked by our reconnaissance force. He and a large number of documents he carried were captured.  Now in my army, of course as a prisoner! " "What?" Janson jumped up from the armchair almost immediately. What he felt at this time was not anger, but shock and joy.  The journalist's professional sensitivity overwhelms the national sentiment at this moment, and the national hero personally surveys the military situation and is captured, while the journalist Jenson rescues him from the enemy's cell through eloquence and persuasion.  This will draw all the attention of the civilized world to itself.  He dared to bet on whether he would be saved after his death. If all this was written by his own pen, at least within three years, the living room of any nobleman in London, even Paris, Berlin, Vienna, and St. Petersburg would be filled with the knowledge of himself, who was a man not long ago.  An illiterate young reporter opened the door.  Thinking of all this, Jenson almost felt that his throat was being blocked by an invisible hand.  "Two adults!" Janson licked his dry lips and asked in as calm a voice as possible: "How can I believe that what you are telling the truth is not a lie used to create chaos?  As far as I know, you Chinese have never been taboo about using tricks in war." Zao Guoquan and Batu looked at each other with a smile, and then said to Jan Sen with a smile: "Mr. Jan Sen, I understand you!  Doubtful. But Colonel Kitchener is not an ordinary British officer. He is very famous in the UK and has been appointed as the supreme military commander of the British Army in Burma.The editor of the "Daily Telegraph" will be careful to verify the report sent back. If Colonel Kitchener is safe and sound, we are lying, and such a report will not be published in the newspaper!  " Jensen thought well and nodded: "Yes, but before that, I have to meet with Colonel Kitchener, and if you want me to write a report, you must let me be free!  " "Of course, you can go see Colonel Kitchener now. There is a boat waiting for you at the dock, ready for your orders at any time!  "After Zao Guoquan said this, he stood up and tapped his palm twice. A young officer came in from the door. Zao Guoquan ordered the young officer: "Now take Mr. Jensen to Colonel Kitchener.  Then send him to the pier and get a boat to take him to Yangon!  " "Yes, sir!"  " Zao Guoquan nodded and walked out of the house, with Batu following closely behind him. At this time, only Janson and the young officer who stood silently waiting for Janson were left in the house. Janson  After a moment of silence, he stood up. The young officer glanced at him and walked out of the door. In a small building next door, Zao Guoquan and Batu watched from the window as Janson followed the young officer out of the house.  Go, Batu hesitated for a moment and asked in a low voice: "Sir, do you think this reporter will do what we want him to do?  Would he change his mind after meeting that Kitchener?  "    "What do you think?  "Zhao Guoquan didn't answer, but asked instead. "I think it's very dangerous. That Kitchener is a very smart man. I'm afraid he can easily guess our intentions and inform the reporter. Then the reporter may not  He will do things for us!  "    "Maybe!  But I guess the reporter is going to do it for us anyway.  He is different from the colonel. He is just an ordinary reporter. If we give him a chance to get ahead, he will seize it!  I can't even kick it away!  Batu asked in surprise: "But he clearly knows that this is not good for his motherland?"  " " Batu!  "Zhao Guoquan sighed, patted Batu's shoulder gently, and called him by his name for the first time: "You still have too little dealings with these foreigners. These foreigners are different from our country.  Our country's scholar-bureaucrats have been accustomed to "discriminating between justice and benefit" since childhood.  But these foreigners are different. Both the common people and the noble gentry in their country are only interested in profit and have no shame at all.  For example, this reporter, even if his reports later lead to adverse national affairs, as long as he gets huge profits, not only will he not feel guilty, but other people will take it for granted and have no intention of condemning him. Therefore, no matter what the colonel says, as long as the reporter  Thinking that there is huge profit, he will still do what we ask him to do after returning!  " "That's it. Thank you for your teaching!  Batu's expression suddenly changed: "But if that's the case, then in these Western Yi countries, everyone must be self-interested, and there is no time for internal fighting. How can the country be so prosperous?"  Conquer all nations?  Is this really weird?  " Zao Guoquan also showed a tired look on his face: "Yes, I am also puzzled. If I can understand the secret, the rejuvenation of our great country of China will be just around the corner.  I am old, I will leave this secret to you young people!  "In the cell, Kitchener was sitting at the table, writing something quickly at his desk. From time to time he raised his head to think for a while, then continued to write with his head down. Since he was imprisoned in this temporary cell converted from a commercial building, he has been working hard to  Working as if he were not in a prison cell but in his office in Yangon. ¡°Bang!  "There were two knocks on the door, and Kitchener shouted loudly without raising his head: "Please come in!"  The lunch bowls and chopsticks are on the coffee table!  " "Colonel Kitchener?  "An English speaker with a London accent came from the door. Kitchener raised his head in surprise and saw a tall white man standing at the door, looking at him with inquiring eyes. When he saw himself raising his head, he asked  He said: ¡°Can I interrupt you for a few minutes?  " "Are you -" Kitchener stood up doubtfully. The appearance of a strange white man in this place was really confusing. He looked behind the white man carefully and saw a man carrying a bayonet.  Rifle¡¯s Sentinel Stand Upright ¡°Allow me to introduce myself!  The white man took off the hat on his head and bowed slightly to Kitchener: "I am Clough Jensen, the special correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph in Myanmar."  " "Nice to see you here, Mr. Reporter!  "Kitchener looked at the other person calmly for a while. He had a tall figure, skin tanned by the subtropical sun, a thin layer of calluses on the second knuckles of his index finger and middle finger, and a pair of excited eyes.  Light. Kitchener extended his right hand and pointed at the seat next to the desk: "Please sit down, I'm sorry there is no coffee or tea here, can you have some water?"  "While talking, Kitchener poured a glass of water for Jensen from his own cup. "Thank you,Mr. Colonel!  "Jenson took the water glass and took a sip. Kitchener smiled and watched the other person drink the water cleanly: "Do you need another glass?  " "No, thank you, Colonel, I'm not thirsty anymore!  "Jenson put the water glass on the desk, and he was no longer so excited. Kitchener smiled and asked: "Mr. Reporter, can you tell me the reason for your visit now?  " "Colonel Kitchener, I am here today to interview you as a reporter for the "Daily Telegraph". I hope you can accept my interview!  "Jan Sen swallowed and lowered his voice: "I can let the civilized world know about your capture by the Chinese. I hope this will allow you to regain your freedom as soon as possible, and at least improve your treatment!  " Kitchener did not answer. He glanced at the door. The sentry was still standing there upright, as if he was a lifeless sculpture. But he was sure that there was an enemy proficient in English listening in a hidden place.  Kitchener thought for a moment while looking at his conversation with this somewhat rash reporter, and replied: "As you can see, the treatment I received from the Chinese was good, even too good for a prisoner.  If you really want to be of help to me, Mr. Reporter, I hope you will mention in your article that my men, four officers in total, and thirty-two soldiers and sailors, were also captured.  But I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m still alive?  Where are you now?  "    "I will!  "Jensen wrote a line in his notebook and continued to ask: "Is there anything else you want me to mention in the report?  "No, Mr. Reporter, as a Christian, I can only accept God's arrangement!"  Kitchener replied: "I have only one question, why do the Chinese, our enemies, allow you to interview me?"  How did you do that!  " Jensen was slightly stunned. He immediately weighed the pros and cons in his mind. There is no doubt that if he told the full story of the conversation between the two generals of the army not long ago, the Colonel Kitchener in front of him would  I am afraid that he may not be interviewed by himself. After all, if he reveals all the facts in the "Daily Telegraph", I am afraid that there will be another big earthquake in England's political arena, which is not a good thing for the upcoming war.  Janson thought for a moment and found a reason: "Colonel, I don't know the specific reason. Maybe these barbarians hope to get some information from our conversation!  " Kitchener nodded. The other party's answer coincided with his guess. He decided to use this opportunity to minimize the impact of his capture. "Mr. Reporter, if you can return to Yang  Guang, I hope you will convey my personal opinion to Mr. Consul: Attack the Chinese as quickly as possible, victory can solve all problems!  As for me personally, that doesn't matter!  " "Colonel, I remember it!  "Jenson nodded, and Kitchener's courage impressed him deeply. The interview was completed very quickly. It only took twenty minutes from start to end. The reason is very simple. Janson's purpose was just to identify the captured people.  The person was Kitchener himself, and Kitchener was unwilling to say more to avoid letting the enemies outside the house get something they didn't deserve. When Jenson left Kitchener's room, the young officer immediately took him to the dock.  , there was a clipper waiting for him.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 131 Joseph Chamberlain

    At London Railway Station, the steam locomotive was breathing heavily as it slowly drove into the platform. As soon as the thick black smoke from the roof chimney entered the air, it mixed with the snow falling from the sky, forming a deathly gray that enveloped the station.  over the sky.  Joseph Chamberlain awkwardly moved his burly body and walked out of the carriage.  He is a fat man six feet tall and weighs more than two hundred pounds. His rosy and plump cheeks, dark beard, broad shoulders, and well-developed muscles give people the look of an energetic manual worker.  Indeed, this successful former businessman and current leader of the radical wing of the Liberal Party is indeed an anomaly in the House of Commons, which values ??style and family status. Even within the Liberal Party, many colleagues look at him with side eyes.  A servant who had been waiting outside the carriage came forward to take Chamberlain's suitcase, stretched out his hand and said, "Mr. Congressman, the carriage is just outside the station. Please come with me!" "Yes!" Chamberlain nodded deeply, saying  After taking a breath, a moist cold air mixed with the smell of coke entered his lungs, which made him frown slightly. Compared to a country villa, London is indeed not a pleasant place!  Under the guidance of the servant, Chamberlain quickly walked out of the station through the special passage and walked towards the carriage waiting for him. A newsboy keenly judged that this burly gentleman was likely to buy a newspaper and caught up two steps ahead.  He shouted loudly: "The Lion of the Sudan has been captured, and the war in Burma is worrying. Sir, buy a newspaper!" "Myanmar? The Lion of the Sudan?" Chamberlain frowned, took out two pennies from his pocket and threw it to  Newsboy: "Give me a copy of the Times and a copy of the Daily Telegraph." "May God bless you, sir!" The newsboy quickly handed over the two newspapers Chamberlain wanted and bowed to him.  Bow, turn around and run towards the passengers coming out from behind.  Chamberlain boarded the carriage and spread out the "Times". He saw a line of bold black words written on the front page - "Kandahar returns? (In 1842, the British invaded Afghanistan and suffered a disastrous defeat near Kandahar. The entire army  Destroyed) - the supreme commander of the British Empire in Burma has been captured!" Chamberlain's heart skipped a beat and he closed the newspaper. After a while, he opened the newspaper again and read it carefully. After reading the "Times", Chamberlain opened the "Daily"  "The Telegraph". Sure enough, the front page of this newspaper was about the capture of Colonel Kitchener, the top commander of the British Army in Burma. Judging from the content of the newspaper, the report of "The Daily Telegraph" was much more detailed and rich. Obviously, "The Telegraph"  The Times should have reprinted the Daily Telegraph's report, and the Daily Telegraph has first-hand information.  "Your Excellency, it is eight o'clock now. Should we go to the apartment first or to the House of Commons?" The question outside the carriage interrupted Chamberlain's thoughts. He opened his eyes and replied: "Go directly to the House of Commons!" Outside the Parliament Hall  In the corridor, parliamentarians chatted in small groups according to their political leanings and personal relationships. At the end of the corridor, there were smoking rooms, restaurants and clubs. For hundreds of years, England's parliamentarians sat in the hall before making the final vote.  In these places, discussions, negotiations, compromises, and finally major decisions are made.  Chamberlain stepped onto the steps of the corridor. His sharp eyes swept through the crowd, looking for someone. He had a premonition that something important would happen in Westminster Hall today. Before that, he had to meet  The leader of his own party, Prime Minister Gladstone, first needs to talk to each other and reach a certain tacit understanding. No matter how different his political views are from those of the other party, he is still a member of the same party.  After two minutes of searching, Chamberlain did not find the Prime Minister in the corridor, which made him a little disappointed. Just when he was about to go to the smoking room or other places to look for it, an attendant walked up to him quickly and whispered.  He said: "Your Excellency, the Prime Minister is here on the 10th. He wants to discuss something with you alone!" Chamberlain perked up and nodded: "Okay!" In his opinion, this might be about what he just saw in Myanmar.  During the parliamentary discussion in the afternoon, the Conservative MPs will definitely seize the opportunity to criticize what happened. As one of the parliamentary leaders of the ruling party, of course, they must make advance preparations with the Prime Minister!  "When Chamberlain stepped into the door of No. 10 Official Residence, it was already ten o'clock in the morning. Chamberlain had nothing to worry about about the upcoming meeting. In his opinion, based on Gladstone's many years of political career,  This setback is nothing, and may be an opportunity. After all, judging from what was described in the newspaper, Kitchener's capture was entirely an accident and not the Prime Minister's fault. The crisis can instead be used to win over centrist MPs and voters.  A good opportunity. So when Chamberlain walked into the Prime Minister's Office, his mood was very high. "Dear Joseph, please sit down!"  "When Chamberlain came in, Gladstone showed rare enthusiasm. He stood up and pointed with his right hand at the leather chair opposite the table. Chamberlain sensitively noticed what happened.Apart from himself and Gladstone, only the party secretary was left in the room. The other cabinet officials such as the permanent secretary and private secretary were not there. This only meant one thing: the next discussion should be about the decision-making within the party.  , rather than international affairs.  "Joseph, I asked you to come to my office today because I hope to get your support within the party on a policy!" Gladstone did not beat around the bush. He knew very well that what he was about to say was absolutely impossible.  To get by with these little tricks, he was willing to make the most concessions to the man across the table in order to be able to reach a compromise.  "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, as long as your policies are for the benefit of Great Britain, I will definitely stand on your side!" "Very good!" Gladstone nodded with satisfaction, and the fat man in front of him, who was usually not pleasing to the eye, became more pleasing to the eye.  It seems that I may not need to pay such a high price in the next negotiation.  Gladstone smiled and said: "Joseph, you should know that my success in forming the cabinet is not because our party has a majority in the House of Commons, but because there are problems within the Conservative Party. But this has also led to the current cabinet.  It¡¯s a weak cabinet. We don¡¯t have a majority in the House of Commons. It¡¯s like a leaky boat that could capsize at any time. So I plan to ask His Majesty the King to dissolve this parliament and hold an early election!¡± ¡°An early election?¡±  He was stunned for a moment, and then asked carefully: "Mr. Prime Minister, do you think this is a suitable time? Are you sure you can win a majority in the general election?" It turns out that the official name of the British government at that time was "Her Majesty's Government" or "The King's Government"  His Majesty's Government" (depending on the reigning monarch), is responsible for the administrative functions of the United Kingdom.  The Prime Minister is the head of government and is appointed by the British monarch, but by convention this person must be the member of the House of Commons who is most likely to win the support of the House of Commons.  After the Prime Minister is appointed, he selects other ministers and administrative heads to form the government.  Approximately 20 of the most senior government ministers and the Prime Minister himself form the cabinet.  The government is accountable to Parliament and answers parliamentary questions.  If any bill proposed by the government is not passed by Parliament, it may face a motion of no confidence in Parliament. Once this vote of no confidence is passed, it will force the Prime Minister to either announce his resignation or dissolve Parliament and hold a new election.  In practice, each political party appoints a "party whip" to ensure that all members of the party vote in accordance with the party's policies.  This ensures that a party with a large proportional majority in the House of Commons can form a stable government.  But a government formed by a party with only a slim majority in the House of Commons, or even a multi-party coalition government, will be more fragile.  If the leader of a government party with a slight advantage feels that he is sure to win a majority in the next election, he can also apply to the king to dissolve the government in advance and hold an early election to gain a dominant position in the House of Commons.  That's why Chamberlain raised this issue with Gladstone, because once the election fails, even the existing weak government will no longer exist, and the Liberal Party will have to become the opposition party again.  "That's why I asked you to come!" replied Gladstone.  "Your Excellency Prime Minister!" Chamberlain perked up after hearing this and shouted loudly: "Do you remember my previous proposal? In order to ensure the victory of the Liberal Party in future elections, we must make some changes. With the artificial intelligence of the Germans and Americans  For the progress of the industry, pure free trade is a dead end. We should establish a unified customs union with all dominions and colonies to ensure the interests of British industry! Only in this way can we win the election in the future!" "Joseph!  Sir, this is not possible. Your suggestion violates the principle of 'free trade', and the interests of the empire depend on it!" "Your Excellency, perhaps twenty years ago, 'free trade' was beneficial to the empire, but now the situation has changed.  , the industries of countries such as Germany, the United States, and France have gradually developed. They have also established high tariff barriers and provided high subsidies to exporting industrialists. Their labor is cheaper than ours, and they have begun to use  With newer technologies, the competitiveness of these countries is constantly increasing. If the empire continues to maintain its old policies without making changes, Manchester and Liverpool will be replaced by Ruhr and Hamburg before long!¡± Grace!  Dun frowned, and finally managed to endure it, and replied in as gentle a tone as possible: "Joseph, let's talk about this issue next time! We have more important issues to discuss today. You know, Funakoshi  "The bigger the situation, the harder it is to turn around." "I understand, Your Excellency Prime Minister!" Chamberlain's face was full of disappointment, and he also knew that his attempt had failed again.  As a successful former businessman, Chamberlain was different from these congressmen. He intuitively felt that the current "free trade" policy had become harmful to British industry after helping Britain ascend to the throne of world hegemony. However, there were people in the Liberal Party  A large number of congressmen represent the interests of the insurance, shipping, and financial industries. They are unwilling to change the "free trade" policy that is beneficial to them.??Made Chamberlain even more anxious and angry.  Gladstone also noticed the other party's unhappiness. He took out two cigars from the drawer, cut off the heads, lit them and handed one to the other party as a little comfort. He smiled and said: "Joseph, I understand you very well."  But only a strong and stable government can implement your policy. "Yes, Your Excellency," Chamberlain nodded. Gladstone's words made him feel better.  To implement your own political views, you must first let your party win the general election and occupy a dominant position in the House of Commons, otherwise everything will be a flower in the water and a moon in the mirror!  " At this time, Gladstone felt that the atmosphere between the two parties had been lively enough for him to tell the truth. He smiled and said, "Joseph, you just asked me whether I was sure of winning the election.  I can answer you now: ¡®Yes!  ¡¯, but there is a prerequisite, you must cooperate with Mr. Barnier!  " "Charles Stewart Parnell?  The Irishman?  "Chamberlain's brows frowned, and his broad forehead almost formed a "ji" shape. This is not a good sign. "Yes, that's him. Mr. Parnell is an old ally of the Liberal Party. With him  With help, we can defeat the Conservative Party in the next election and win a majority in the House of Commons!  "Gladstone replied confidently. "This Judas (here refers to the alliance between the Irish Republican Party and the Conservative Party represented by Parnell not long ago, which defeated the Liberal Party in the election)!  Chamberlain cursed contemptuously: "What conditions did he put forward this time?"  " "A Home Rule Bill for Ireland!  Demand that the Irish be given self-government powers in addition to military, customs and foreign affairs!  " "Then you promised him?  "The muscles on Chamberlain's face did not tremble, but if you look carefully, you can find a gloomy spark bursting out of his eyes. "Yes, I promised him to raise this issue in the House of Commons immediately after winning the election.  A motion!  Gladstone tried his best to persuade the other party: "Please support me, Joseph, this is the only way to solve the Irish problem. We cannot win a battle with our own compatriots on our own territory. Ireland has already involved the empire."  Too much power.  I promise you that if we can win this election I will do my best to help you pass the policy of the Imperial Customs Union.  " Chamberlain stood up silently and walked out of the conference room. When he reached the door, he stopped, turned and shouted to Gladstone: "Mr. Gladstone, I cannot agree to your proposal to unite with the rebels.  To win an election is to make a deal with the devil, to sell your soul to win eternal life.  You thought making concessions to the rebels and giving them some power would calm things down.  You are wrong, they will only push forward and use the concessions you made as new weapons to launch a more violent attack. If your bill is successfully passed, there will be only one final result, and that is Ireland's secession from the United Kingdom!  For this reason, it is impossible for me to continue serving in your cabinet!  "Having said this, Chamberlain bowed to Gladstone and strode out. Gladstone looked at the other person's leaving back and finally lowered his proud head in despair. That afternoon, Joseph Chamberlain issued a message  Statement, resigned from the position of Minister of Foreign Trade in the cabinet, and led the Liberal Party radical MPs who supported him to form the Liberal Party Coalition, allying with the Conservative Party against the current Prime Minister Gladstone, who had lost his majority in the House of Commons.  Don had no choice but to submit his resignation to Her Majesty the Queen, and the Marquess of Salisbury, leader of the Conservative Party with a majority of seats in the House of Commons, returned to power and became the new Prime Minister of the British Empire.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 132 Question

    In Myanmar at this time, it would take some time for the waves in the center of the pond to spread to the shore, and there had not yet felt the huge changes that had taken place in London, thousands of miles away.  The war between the British and the Chinese to compete for the colonies is still being prepared in full swing. However, in the hinterland of Myanmar, another war that is not noticed by the world is also brewing and may break out at any time.  ??Mandalay, after Zao Guoquan led the main force of the Shun army southward, it seemed like a mountain forest without tigers, and the atmosphere became a little weird.  Although the nobles of the Privy Council recently passed the decree of Her Majesty the Princess Regent granting land and freedom to the fleeing peasants, this does not mean that the nobles accepted it willingly. The heavily armed soldiers patrolling the streets were reminding them.  Which of them is the real owner here?  But now the situation has changed. The powerful army has gone south to fight an uncertain war, and Mandalay has returned to its original state.  "Master Chen, Master Chen!" Chen Zaixing raised his head and saw an angry Liu Zhixing rushing in from outside.  Liu Zhixing paused at Chen Zaixing's copywriting from the thick stack of documents in his general's hand, and said sternly: "Master Chen, I can't do this Privy Council job anymore, so I'd better hire someone else!" "Master Liu, please sit down!" Chen Zaixing  He quickly stood up, asked Liu Zhixing to sit down, and said with a smile: "This was assigned by Shangguan before he left. I am responsible for the transportation of food, grass and military supplies for the army. Even if you can't deal with those Burmese barbarians in the Privy Council, you have to find Mr. Zao. Why?"  You came to me?" "Huh!" Liu Zhixing snorted, pointing to the pile of documents on the desk and said: "Why don't you blame me? If you hadn't pushed the eldest princess to pass the decree,  Why are those nobles making such a fuss in the Privy Council about the land and freedom of the fleeing peasants? Look, these are the land dispute documents of those nobles. I said Chen Fusheng, Chen Fusheng!  Aren't you a person who doesn't know what's important? If you make such a fuss, you won't be afraid that the imperial censors in Hanjing will tell you something. Then your advisors may not be able to protect you!" Chen Zaixing doesn't care about that either!  Wenmu said with a smile: "Mr. Liu, you can't say that. Whenever there is a war in Myanmar, farmers will flee. In the past, the king would also pardon some fleeing farmers and resettle them in his own territory. This is also common.  It's just that the scope of the war is larger this time, and there are more fleeing peasants!" "But you also want to see when this is? Are you afraid that some nobles will go to the south?  Are the British fighting? " "I'm more afraid of trouble caused by the fleeing peasants!" Chen Zaixing's expression turned grim. He pointed to the stack of documents on the right side of the desk: "Mr. Liu, these are the things that happened along the way in the past three days.  The report of the attack on the grain team. Think about it, if those fleeing farmers are not given land and freedom, they will become bandits. At that time, such reports will crush this table. I don¡¯t have that many troops to protect everyone.  The caravans and road construction teams coming and going. "As for the nobles, they can only be wronged for a while. At this time, someone has to make sacrifices.  Liu Zhixing did not continue to argue, but judging from the look on his face, it was not that he had been convinced by Chen Zaixing, but that he could not find the words to refute for a while.  After about half a moment, Liu Zhixing paused, turned around and walked out bitterly, leaving Chen Zaixing alone in the room.  Looking at Liu Zhixing¡¯s leaving figure, Chen Zaixing¡¯s expression did not become lighter.  The purpose of instigating Luo Lin to give land and freedom to the fleeing peasants at this time was of course not only to let the fleeing peasants return to the land, but also to take advantage of this rare opportunity to destroy Myanmar's old village community system.  Because under the old village commune system, the farmers in the village commune were self-sufficient. Except for a very few necessities, they almost did not need to purchase any external goods, and most of their surplus products were exploited by the nobles. In this way,  Later, except for a few luxury goods, the goods that Shun Guo could sell were extremely limited.  The farmers in the village communities were also tied to the land and had no real personal freedom. It was very difficult for foreign businessmen from Shunguo to mine or hire workers, especially since Myanmar at that time was vast and sparsely populated, and the population was far away.  Before reaching the state of overpopulation at the time of Dashun, this shortage of free labor was even more serious.  Chen Zaixing has been doing business in Myanmar for many years and is keenly aware of the above two points.  Now, whether it is the construction of the Yunnan-Burma Railway or the monopoly on China-Burma trade, its value depends on the size of the Burmese market and raw material origin. In his view, a Burma composed of countless isolated and unrelated small farmers is better than what it is now.  Burma, which is composed of tens of thousands of villages under the rule of the aristocracy, is much more beneficial to him. These villages are like the hard shells of coconuts. Only by breaking them into pieces can he freely suck the juice of wealth from them. This is  The real purpose of taking such a big risk at the beginning was to escort the two fugitive princes to Dashun together with Batu.    The premise of all this is that the war can be won, at least to force the British to recognize Dashun's control over the central and northern parts of Myanmar.  Otherwise, all the hard work and wealth you have put in before will be in vain.  Just as Liu Zhixing said just now, the admonishers in the capital will not let him go this time. Not to mention his mentor, even the current empress dowager may not be able to protect herself.  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but turn around irritably. His sleeve happened to bring a stack of documents on the desk, and it suddenly fell to the floor with a snap.  "Damn it!" Chen Zaixing cursed and leaned over to pick up the documents. Suddenly, a few lines of words on a document caught his attention. He picked up the document and read it carefully: "Bagan's Day"  The giant thief dispersed, and his troops were scattered, plundering everywhere. It is said that the leader of the thief, Song Shen, has been arrested. "" Arrested?" Chen Zaixing repeated several times in a low voice, and suddenly rushed to a nearby file cabinet like a madman.  , took out a stack of letter paper from the drawer and looked through it.  Suddenly he took out one letter from the middle, read it from beginning to end, and then took out another letter. After reading all the letters, Chen Zaixing suddenly cursed: "Batu, Batu, since you took it."  Why didn't Song Shen tell me? Now his subordinates are scattered and they have all become bandits. It's not me who is unlucky!"  Batu was walking in the trenches, followed closely by more than a dozen officers and guards. A few sparse gunshots were heard in the distance. When Jensen arrived in Yangon, the British colonial authorities confirmed from his mouth that Kitchener had fallen.  into the hands of the enemy, they immediately appointed the highest-ranking officer in Yangon, Colonel Alexander, the captain of the fast cruiser "Southampton", as the commander to launch a military operation to recapture Pyay. The British troops acted very quickly.  On the eighth day after Jenson left Pyay, the British River Squadron appeared on the river and bombarded the Shun army's position with its eight-inch main gun.  "Sir, you shouldn't come to such a forward place. There are many British snipers on the opposite side!" An officer whispered to dissuade.  "Sniper?" Badu smiled disdainfully: "The bullets that can kill me haven't been made yet!" He looked at the soldiers squatting against the inner wall of the trench and asked: "How is this trench? Compared with  Is it a good or a bad thing to build up the previous parapet? " "Good!" the officer replied: "The enemy's artillery has been bombarding for several days, and only seven or eight of my men were killed and wounded, and two or three of them were injured.  Those who were killed by snipers from the opposite side, most of the shrapnel from the shells flew over the soldiers' heads, but - "Just what?" Batu asked quickly.  "Sir, this place is very close to the river. The groundwater level is very high. If you dig a little deeper, water will seep out. In the lower areas, there is a pool of mud in the trenches. Many brothers are barefoot. It is not possible during the day.  That¡¯s all, I¡¯ll have to sleep in the mud at night. I won¡¯t be able to light a fire to cook. If this continues, I¡¯ll lose all my strength!¡± The officer pointed to the sky and said, ¡°It will be the rainy season in a few months, sir.¡±  You also know what the weather was like in Myanmar at that time. If the trench collapsed, the people inside would be buried alive!" Badu looked at the ground. Sure enough, as the other party said, there was already a layer of water on his feet.  It is already covered with a thick layer of mud, and it is still high here. If you go to a low-lying area, I am afraid that the mud on the ground will be thicker.  Batu thought for a while and replied: "You are right, the trench wall must be reinforced with wooden rafts. As for the other things, I have no way at the moment. I will go back and convene everyone to discuss for a while and then come up with a solution!" "Sir!  I can't thank you enough for your sympathy." The officer quickly bowed and thanked him.  Batu waved, "Okay, okay, let's go ahead and take a look at your layout!" The officer hurriedly led the way. The trenches along the army were not in a straight line, but in a wavy shape.  This can cause side fire damage to enemy troops attacking from the front.  At the top of the wavy trench, there is a firepower point reinforced with logs and earth bags, which is often equipped with a Gatling gun. This continuous firearm can exert a very terrifying killing effect when firing sideways. This has been achieved in previous battles.  It was verified, so Batu made special adjustments to the fortification layout this time.  In order to prevent being destroyed by enemy artillery fire, the perforations of Shunjun's fire launch points are very low from the ground. From the outside, they look like little earth bags. Some fortifications are also specially sprinkled with loose soil and weeds.  It is impossible to see the true appearance of these soil bags from a distance. There is also a ring of trench protection around the launch point.  Ammunition, weapons and soldiers usually hide in specially dug basements behind the firing point. They will not enter the firing point until they are about to fire, so as to avoid being killed by the artillery fire before the enemy infantry attacks.  "Not bad, well done!" Batu nodded with satisfaction after checking three such launch points.  Just as he was about to turn around and leave, there was a blast of artillery fire from the Irrawaddy River, and the British squadron on the water was shelling the defenders on the shore.   "Let's stop here today!" Batu said to the commander at the launch point: "I'm going to go to the fort on the shore to have a look. The British have started shelling there again. You can't relax here. The British are ready at any time.  They may launch an attack!" "Yes, sir!" The officer raised his chest and gave a military salute to Batu.  Batu nodded, returned a salute to the other party, turned around and left quickly.  On the river, four huge warships were moving slowly at a speed of four knots. The eight-inch cannons on the front and rear decks were pointed at the river bank. Every minute or so, a ball of fire was ejected from the muzzle. After about ten seconds,  A ball of fire rose from the shore thousands of meters away.  These four warships are the largest and most powerful shallow-water armored ships in the Inland River Squadron. Counting from the front, they are the "Counterattack", "Courage", "Resistance", and "Orange"  , "Counterattack" is the flagship of the squadron, and the commander of the British army, Colonel Alexander himself, is on the "Counterattack".  On the bridge of the "Repulse", a young officer asked for instructions from the commander, Colonel Alexander, who was observing the effects of the bombardment with a telescope: "Colonel, the enemy on the shore did not fight back. Captain George on the 'Courage' used a flag to ask for permission to dock.  Come closer for bombardment!¡±

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 133: Gunboats and Mines

    Alexander did not answer immediately. He just continued to observe the river bank with his binoculars. Through the binoculars, he could clearly see clouds of smoke rising from several forts on the river bank, but no human figure appeared, let alone a counterattack.  The artillery fire started.  After a moment, he put down the telescope and replied: "Answer Captain George, continue to maintain speed and distance, pause the bombardment, and let the Kaiming and Serenity get closer to test it out!" "Yes, Colonel!" The young officer asked Alexander  After giving a military salute, he turned around and ran under the bridge. A moment later, two much smaller clippers passed from behind the Repulse. These were the "Enlightenment" and "Tranquility" that Alexander just mentioned.  Both are old wooden-hulled iron-clad ships, but they are much faster. They are equipped with six large-caliber mortars on their decks. If the Chinese don't fire yet, they can use the six mortars here.  Bombarded the fortifications and forts on the shore at close range, killing and wounding the defenders in large numbers.  Alexander looked at the four shallow water heavy gunboats under his feet and behind him, and sighed softly. These four boats have a common feature, low freeboard, and a displacement of nearly 4,000 tons, but the lowest one is above the water.  It is less than one meter, and the highest is only two meters. The speed and seaworthiness of such a ship are naturally very poor. It can only sail along the coast or inland rivers. It is not so much a warship as a mobile fort.  Compared with his own "Southampton", these four ships are simply four piles of waste that should have been thrown into the trash can long ago.  Of course, he also knew that this kind of shallow-water gunboat was more suitable than the "Southampton" on the Irrawaddy River, but no matter what, he still instinctively felt a sense of disgust.  "Colonel, the Chinese are fighting back!" A voice woke Alexander up from his thoughts. He saw fire shooting out from two places on the shore that had not been discovered in advance, splashing with waves around the "Kaiming" and "Tranquility".  Tall and thick water columns, it is obvious that the Chinese hid their real forts and waited until the enemy got closer before launching a sudden attack.  "Cunning fellow! Quickly order the firing of artillery to suppress the enemy's fort, and let the 'Kaiming' and 'Tranquility' come back!" Alexander ordered loudly, and the four shallow-water heavy gunboats on the river also turned their guns and opened fire on the shore.  The fort opened fire.  The two clippers also quickly turned around and accelerated away from the distance.  At this moment, a fire broke out on the rear deck of the Kaiming in front, and a shell hit there. From the bridge of the Counterattack, the rear deck of the Kaiming could be clearly seen.  The two mortars weighing hundreds of kilograms flew up like toys.  "Damn it, the Kaiming was hit!" Alexander cursed in a low voice. As an experienced senior naval officer, he could even tell by the firelight rising from the point of impact that the Chinese shells had also triggered the mortar.  The explosion of the opponent's propellant next to the cannon was a very fatal damage to the wooden-hulled iron-clad warships.  Without urging from the officer, the British sailors on the warship increased the frequency of shooting, trying their best to pull their companions out of the grasp of death.  But fate was cruel. Like most warships at that time, in order to save tonnage, the armor of the "Kaiming" was not laid evenly. The 3.5-inch-thick wrought iron armor belt only protected the sides above the waterline, and below.  The shells flew parallel to the water, and the shells hit the rear deck. The violent explosion tore through the fragile oak deck, and the hot air and air waves tore the steam engine pipes and sailors below the deck into pieces. "  Kaiming's speed suddenly slowed down and she became a target for the cannons on the shore fort.  Less than a minute after the first hit, the second shell hit the building on the deck. The air waves and shrapnel generated by the explosion swept across the deck and easily wiped out the sailors who were still working hard to extinguish the flames on the deck. Now  Even the most optimistic British sailors had to admit that the Kaiming was doomed, and no effort could save it from the Chinese fire.  Colonel Alexander had a sullen face and whispered: "Show the flag and ask Captain William to abandon the Kaiming!" "Yes, Colonel!" After receiving the order, the British sailors on the Kaiming began to scramble amid the flames and shrapnel.  After lowering the lifeboat on the side of the ship, a series of Chinese shells hit the ship, and the flames quickly devoured anything that could be burned on the ship.  In less than five minutes, the fast gunboat "Kaiming" with a displacement of 1,200 tons had turned into a pile of burning torches on the river. The surviving sailors were struggling on the river, begging for help from their companions.  "Stop the bombardment and send out boats to rescue the sailors!" Alexander ordered.  As the British stopped shelling, several small boats with red cross flags rowed towards the sailors on the river. The Chinese on the shore also stopped shelling. At this distance, their artillery fire hit the four British heavily armored gunboats.  The threat is not great.  Just nowThe rumbling river surface finally calmed down.  "Retreat to the anchorage!" Alexander ordered the officers on the side, and turned back to the bridge. The officers around him looked at each other and dispersed.  In the cabin, Alexander was frowning at the map on the table, which marked the fortifications of the Shun Army in detail. The squares of different colors represented the forts, trenches, various fortifications and troops of the Shun Army.  Alexander frowned and thought for a long time. As a naval officer, he could only be said to be unfamiliar with land warfare, if not unfamiliar. The governor-general, Earl Dufferin, appointed him as the commander of the highest military operations. Of course, he was a local  The reason for being the highest-ranking officer, and the more important reason is that the invasion of Myanmar cannot be separated from the support of the squadron. A commander who is proficient in naval business is more conducive to the coordination of the army, but the problem before him now is that the Chinese  They occupied a favorable position and blocked the water with forts. What's different this time is that they received a large amount of reinforcements from the mainland, and the generals' actions will not be as conservative as in Bagan.  Alexander rang the bell and ordered the orderly who came in: "Have Major Duncan come to me immediately!" "Yes, Colonel!" Two minutes later, Duncan walked into Alexander's cabin and gave him a military salute: "  "Colonel, I'm here!" "Major, please sit down!" Alexander pointed to the chair opposite him and began to look at the man in front of him carefully. This time Duncan was not appointed as the commander of the unit, but as Alexander.  A staff officer from the headquarters came to Piaomi. More than an hour ago, he was watching the sinking of the "Enlightenment" on the lower floor of the bridge.  "Major, you have been in Pyay for fifteen days. As an experienced army officer, can you give me some advice? Defeat our enemies!" Duncan licked his lips to relieve  He was always a little nervous when facing an unfamiliar commander.  Alexander saw his nervousness and smiled slightly: "Major, there are only two of us here. Please treat this as an intimate conversation between two friends in private? You have served here for more than fifteen years, and you have met with the Chinese  "Colonel, thank you very much for your trust in me!" Duncan replied in a low voice: "If you want to ask my personal opinion, I think it is difficult to defeat the Chinese now. They have occupied the country.  They have obtained favorable terrain and built good fortifications, and according to my observation, they have also learned lessons from the last battle and made improvements to our artillery. I carefully observed the shooting effect of the artillery.  The damage they caused was minimal. Without more and larger caliber heavy artillery, it would be very difficult to break through the Chinese defense line!" After hearing Duncan's answer, Alexander felt a little disappointed, but this was consistent with his opinion.  , and in several conversations with Kitchener, Kitchener also spoke highly of the combat effectiveness of the Chinese Army and believed that the right choice was to make full preparations before launching an invasion.  Alexander admired Kitchener's military talents very much.  "Major, is there any way to bypass the Chinese defense line? Since they have deployed so many troops here, the rear must be empty. If we can bypass their defense line and cut off their supply line, then there is no need to fight.  "Victory!" "Colonel, this is very difficult!" Duncan stood up and pointed at the map and said: "Although Myanmar has a large land area, the most important part is in the Irrawaddy River Valley.  Located at the junction of this valley and the Irrawaddy River Delta, if we want to bypass Pyay, our army must cross the Arakan Mountains or the Bago Mountains. This is very difficult militarily. Before we cut off the Chinese supply line, we  The army will starve by itself!" "No, there is a third way!" Alexander's eyes were bright, his fingertips fell on a green line on the map, and Duncan's eyes followed the other person's pointing.  Jian looked over and whispered: "Irrawaddy River?" "|Yes, Irrawaddy River!" Alexander said proudly: "If we break through the Chinese defense line, go upstream, and use the Marine Corps to directly occupy Bagan or even Mandalay  "What will happen to the Chinese defenders here?" "They will collapse without a fight!" Duncan instinctively replied, but then his expression changed: "But the Chinese have deployed mines and forts on the river.  It¡¯s not so easy to pass!¡± ¡°That¡¯s my business!¡± Alexander showed a confident look on his face: ¡°This is not an insurmountable difficulty in front of the Royal Navy!¡±  The activities of the British squadron suddenly became much rarer. The four shallow-water heavy gunboats that were the core of the squadron almost never appeared in front of the Shun Army.Only a few faster light ships appeared within the river line, and these light ships no longer approached the shore as they did in the past, trying to use mortars and other weapons to destroy the forts. Instead, they only moved near the channel in the center of the river. Once encountered,  When they encountered artillery fire from the Shun Army, they quickly broke away. Even when they encountered the poor gunboats of the Shun Army, they did not dare to fight.  On the contrary, the activities of the army on the shore became more frequent, and several tentative attacks were launched against the Shun army's defense line. It was obvious that the British army was looking for weak links in the enemy's defense line and preparing for the upcoming onslaught.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 134: Gunboats and Mines

    One night three days later, when the moon was at its dimmer, the mountain wind blowing from the Arakan Mountains blew across the river, making a whining sound. Soldiers from both armies huddled in their shacks to reduce losses.  The heat, enjoying the rare silence.  The "Repulse" was completely dark under the blackout. There were only two gas lamps on the bridge, which were used to illuminate the commander.  Alexander stood on the bridge and looked at the fleet following the "Repulse".  The entire squadron moved in single file, like a flock of ducks following their leader.  The reason for choosing this formation is very simple. Although the navy has used small boats to clear a channel in the minefields laid by the Chinese these days, due to time and conditions, no one can guarantee that the minefields will be completely cleared.  Well, if we line up in one column, the probability of hitting a mine is the lowest.  "Colonel, there is a minefield ahead. The captain invites you to go to the captain's cabin below. It is safer there!" A young officer whispered to Alexander.  It is true that compared to the captain's cabin, the danger of the bridge located at a high place is much greater once it hits a mine.  "No, you thank the captain for me, but as the fleet commander, I should stay where I can see all the ships clearly!" "Yes!" Alexander stood on the bridge, with the rhythmic sound of the steam engine in his ears.  , in order to reduce the noise and reduce the possibility of being discovered by the Chinese, Alexander ordered the entire fleet to pass through the minefield at a full speed of four knots.  Alexander knew that all ships were under blackout and it would be very difficult to pass the enemy blockade on this dim moonlit night, but he firmly believed that well-trained Royal Navy sailors would be able to complete this task.  Time is passing slowly. With the sharp eyes trained in the navy, Alexander can see the white waves rolling next to the bow of the ship. At this time, his fearless heart can't help but rise.  According to the intelligence obtained, the Chinese have laid hundreds of mines here. Only one of these powerful underwater weapons is enough to sink their own ship. Although they have tried their best to send ships to clear a channel in the minefield,  But anything can happen in a war. Who knows whether a mine will escape the cleaning and appear in the "Repulse" channel?  I don¡¯t know how much time passed, but the expected explosion never happened. Alexander breathed a sigh of relief, took out his pocket watch and took a look under the gas lamp. Twenty-five minutes had passed. According to previous calculations, the fleet should have passed.  A minefield laid by the Chinese.  "It seems that God is on the side of Great Britain this time!" Alexander made a cross on his chest and was about to walk off the bridge and go to the captain's cabin for a drink.  To be honest, his nerves were so tense that he couldn't bear it now.  At this moment, there was a violent vibration under his feet. Before Alexander could react what was going on, he fell off the bridge.  "Damn it!" When Alexander climbed up from the deck, he felt a sharp pain in his right arm, which was obviously injured in the accident just now.  Alexander checked his arm and confirmed that it was broken. He tore off a piece of cloth from his clothes and hung the injured arm around his neck to avoid being hurt twice in the next action. Then he stood up.  , quickly ran towards the direction of the captain's cabin.  It was already chaos on the "Repulse". Groups of sailors were running on the deck, almost knocking Alexander down several times. It took him six or seven minutes to reach the captain's room.  "Captain Busson, how is the situation on the Repulse?" Alexander shouted as soon as he opened the hatch.  "Commander, you are injured!" Captain Busson noticed Alexander's arm hanging around his neck: "I'll get the doctor over right away!" "It doesn't matter, a commander doesn't need to shoot, as long as his head can still work.  That's it!" Alexander asked loudly: "How is the ship?" "It's very bad!" Captain Busson replied in a low voice: "The starboard side of the ship was struck by a mine, and it was under the waterline and had no armor protection.  So a big hole opened up in the back, and a lot of water was pouring in. I have tried my best to rescue it. In order to prevent the ship from tilting, I have ordered the port side to also start filling with water to ensure that the ship is balanced, but you know, this is a big problem for the 'counterattack'  "The ship is very unsafe!" Alexander immediately understood what the other party meant. Generally speaking, in order to prevent warships from tilting and sinking due to water intrusion, the navy at that time would actively inject water on the other side of the ship's side to maintain the balance of the ship. However,  The draft of a shallow-water gunboat like the Counterattack is already very shallow. If too much water is added, it will sink directly. Therefore, this method is particularly dangerous for the Counterattack.  "As the captain of this ship, I will persist until the last moment! But Colonel, you are the commander of the entire army. I suggest that you immediately transfer to another ship and continue to command the battle!"  "Okay!" Alexander immediately understood that Captain Busson was not optimistic about the situation of the 'Repulse'. The Chinese on the shore must have known the movements of the British fleet. If he, as the supreme commander, continues to stay,  on board the Counterattack, which would be detrimental to the entire operation.  "Take the commander to the port side and prepare a speedboat to take him to the "Courage"!" Captain Busson ordered an officer next to him.  "Yes, sir!" Alexander followed the officer to the side of the ship, got into the lifeboat with the help of two soldiers, and then lowered the lifeboat. Due to the tilt of the ship's hull, the lifeboat collided with the outer wall of the "Repulse"  Rubbing, making a sharp sound.  Alexander endured the severe pain from the fracture of his right arm and listened to the shouts from the deck above. He couldn't help but feel a slight regret in his heart, wondering whether his action was too risky this time.  Suddenly, Alexander felt a shock underneath him. He immediately realized that the lifeboat had fallen to the river. The experienced man quickly grabbed the handrail on the side to avoid falling into the bumpy lifeboat.  The old Scottish petty officer from Aberdeen on the ship jumped up quickly, cut the rope with the iron hook on his left hand, shouted loudly, and directed the sailors on the lifeboat to go to the "Courage" hundreds of meters away.  Cross out.  On the shore, Shunjun Battery C.  "Master Feng, Master Feng!" The hurried shouts from outside the door woke Feng Kaigui from his sleep. He jumped up from the thatched bed, grabbed the pistol under the pillow, and shouted: "What's going on, Britain?"  "The British did not attack, but there were explosions on the river. It must be that the British fleet wanted to sneak over and encountered the mines we laid last night. Please go to the fort and take a look."  "What?" Feng Kaigui groped on the bunk twice and found his hat and coat. After putting it on, he pushed the door open and rushed out. He rushed to the fort in three steps and saw that there was indeed a place on the dark river.  In the light of the fire, he picked up his telescope and looked in the direction of the fire. He could vaguely see the shadow of the huge ship's mast.  "Great!" Feng Kaigui slammed his palms and ordered loudly: "Send the order, all gun positions, aim in the direction of the fire and fire!" "Yes, sir!" The officers and soldiers on the fort responded in unison, and then  Running around, although it was already late at night, the morale of the soldiers on the fort was extremely high.  These soldiers all knew that the mines used by the Shun Army contained at least hundreds of kilograms of yellow gunpowder and were extremely powerful. If a British ship hit a mine, even if it did not sink immediately, it would lose its ability to move and become a living target for the fort.  These fort officers and soldiers have been hit by British ship shells a lot these days. Now that they have a chance to take revenge, their morale is naturally high.  Soon, the nine-inch cannon on Battery B where Feng Kaigui was located fired its first blast. The heavy shell tore through the air, flew over the masthead of the "Counterattack" and landed on the water more than 70 meters away, exploding.  The grenade splashed water columns tens of meters high.  "Damn it, the Chinese on the shore have already discovered it!" Alexander cursed in a low voice on the lifeboat. The lifeboat was less than two hundred meters away from the impact point of the shell just now, and the falling water was like a heavy rain.  and the sailors on the ship were soaked to the skin, and the rough waves almost overturned the lifeboat in the middle of the Irrawaddy River.  "You idiots, please concentrate on paddling, or I will use the iron hook on my left hand to pull out your intestines! Break your necks!" At this moment, the loud voice of the old Scottish sergeant pierced the night sky  , his voice was so loud that even the rumble of cannons from the shore couldn't suppress it.  Although his curses were very rude, they were very effective. The sailors restrained their panic and accelerated their oars. The distance between the lifeboat and the "Courage" was quickly shortened.  When the lifeboat was only sixty or seventy meters away from the "Courage", Alexander suddenly discovered a terrible problem: in the dark, they had no way to notify the "Courage" to stop so that they could board the ship.  At the time of radio, the only way for warships to communicate at close range was semaphores, which were replaced by lanterns at night. However, when the Chinese on the shore were engaged in an artillery battle with the fleet, it was simply impossible to use semaphores to notify the other party to stop.  There were constant shells piercing the sky above the lifeboat and falling on the river. Alexander sat in the lifeboat and was stunned.  At this time, there was another dull explosion from the rear of the British fleet. With the help of the fire from the exploding shells, Alexander could see half of the hull of the transport ship "Tuna" at the end of the fleet emerging from the water. Compared with other warships,  The hull of the transport ship "Tuna" with a displacement of 3,200 tons was much thinner. The huge impact caused by the mine explosion tore the hull of the "Tuna" into two ends.? And lifted half of the hull out of the water, and then the two hulls quickly disappeared under the water. Also disappearing with them were two battalions of infantry and a large amount of military supplies. Seeing all this, Alexander was in pain  's eyes closed.  "Colonel, Colonel!" A burst of hurried shouting made Alexander open his eyes again, just in time to see the ugly old Scottish noncommissioned officer shouting at him: "Colonel, dive quickly, the 'Courage' is coming.  !" Sure enough, behind the petty officer, the dark bow of the Warrior pressed towards the lifeboat, and several sailors dropped their oars in despair and jumped into the river.  "Damn it!" Alexander jumped out of the boat in a hurry. As soon as he left the lifeboat, the bow of "Courage" crushed the poor lifeboat to pieces. Except for some wood chips on the water, there was no trace left to show that there had been anything here.  What exists.  The fort was in a mess, thick smoke filled the air, and the air was filled with the strong smell of burning propellant. Since they had been fired many times in a short period of time, the barrels of the two cannons on the B fort were overheated, and the firing had to be suspended.  Wait for two minutes to cool down.  Feng Kaigui straightened up and wanted to take two steps forward to use a telescope to see what was happening to the enemy ship that had hit the mine. However, his foot slipped and he almost fell. When he looked down, he found that the ground was full of fired shells.  shell.  "Damn, clean it up quickly, or we'll be in trouble later if the shells fall to the ground!" Feng Kaigui cursed a few words, ran to the observation port, picked up the binoculars and looked at the fire, only to see the line that had hit the mine earlier.  The warship was blazing into the sky, and shells fired from other forts exploded around it from time to time. The warship was also unable to move. It was obvious that the warship had been severely damaged and it was only a matter of time before it sank.  On the dark river surface, streaks of fire flashed from time to time. This was other enemy ships on the river fighting back, but under such brightness conditions, the damage to the Shun army was minimal.  Feng Kaigui smacked his mouth in satisfaction. This may be the biggest loss suffered by the British since the war began. At this time, he had already begun to daydream about his future promotion.  Suddenly, another ball of fire rose on the river, and a few seconds later, a dull explosion sounded in Feng Kaigui's ears.  "Another enemy ship struck a mine?" Feng Kaigui could hardly believe that he had such good luck. The order he inadvertently sent out to lay mines last evening actually received such a generous reward.  At this time, there was a burst of cheers in his ears, which came from the soldiers on the fort. Apparently they also saw the explosion on the river.  "Quick, let's see if the barrel temperature has dropped! Seize the opportunity and keep shooting!" Feng Kaigui didn't bother to scold the soldiers. Anyway, under the protection of the night, they were safe.  The morale of the soldiers on the fort was also very high at this time. They quickly loaded the cannonballs into the barrels and started shooting at the enemy ships on the river.  There was chaos on the river. Although there were only two ships hit by mines, the fleet's formation was destroyed. From the lowest trainee sailor to the captain, a thought flashed in their minds: "Could we have taken the wrong route? Navigation  We have entered the enemy's minefield!" But changing the channel in the dark is very dangerous. It is easy to collide with the ships in front and behind, and if you turn on the lights, you will become a target for the enemy's shore artillery. Faced with this dilemma,  Choice, it was almost evenly split between captains in the fleet making different choices.  The other three shallow-water gunboats with large displacement and thick armor all chose to turn on the lights. Anyway, with their armor and large-caliber main guns, they could only shoot at the forts on the shore. The remaining small ships and troop carriers chose to keep the lights on.  .  The sound of gunfire, explosions, and calls for help from drowned sailors echoed on the water of the Irrawaddy River, forming a cruel symphony.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 135: Peace Talks

    When the rising sun of the next day climbed up the ridgeline of the Bago Mountains and cast its sunlight onto the fertile Irrawaddy River Valley, the soldiers on the shore could clearly see a huge ship leaning askew, like a dead fish, stranded on the shore.  On the beach.  That was the HMS Counterattack, the flagship of the British Empire's Burmese Irrawaddy Squadron. Last night, this behemoth with a displacement of 3,800 tons took in a lot of water after hitting a mine on its side.  To make matters worse, in order to carry out damage control, the "Counterattack" had to break the light blackout. Coupled with the fire caused by being hit by a mine, the battleship became a target for the Junjun battery on the shore.  After being hit by four more nine-inch shells, the fire on the "Repulse" became more and more intense, and more and more water entered. In order to prevent the ship from sinking, the captain of the "Repulse" had to steer the ship towards the shore.  Grabbing the beach in the shallows.  During last night's fierce battle, two British cargo ships, the "Tuna" and the "Big Herring" hit mines and sank. Nearly 800 soldiers and a large amount of cargo on board sank into the river.  There are countless other smaller losses.  In addition to all the accidents mentioned above, there is an even more shocking loss - Colonel Alexander, the newly appointed supreme commander of the Burma Expeditionary Force, disappeared during last night's operation. After losing this supreme commander and carrying a large number of weapons, it has been speculated that  , the most likely possibility is that the "Repulse" was hit and sunk by a warship in the dark on the way from the lifeboat to the "Warrior" after hitting a mine. It was already a disaster.  After losing its supreme commander and the transport ship carrying supplies and marines, and most importantly, the British fleet began to doubt whether the previous clearing of the enemy's minefields was successful, and had to abandon its previous combat plan and return to the starting point  .  India, Calcutta, Governor's Palace.  Governor Earl Dufferin was sitting in front of a leather chair, reading a telegram that had just been sent. Opposite the table, a young guest sat, looking at an oil painting on the wall with interest.  "Alas!" Earl Dufferin sighed softly and slumped down in the leather chair. His originally straight back became stooped, and with his gray hair, he seemed to have aged ten years suddenly.  The young man's eyes left the oil painting: "Your Excellency, if you don't mind me being presumptuous, may I ask what is in the telegram!" "No, no, dear Arthur!" Earl Dufferin handed the telegram to the young man opposite.  The special envoy to Burma sent by the Marquess of Salisbury, who had just returned to the throne of Prime Minister, was his nephew Arthur Balfour.  "We have suffered another defeat in Burma. We have lost another commander. This is the second commander we have lost in the last two months. If I were not a devout Christian, I would even believe that  What kind of strange witchcraft did the Chinese use and what kind of supernatural power did they make a deal with the devil to achieve this result? "No, if you really went to Myanmar to understand the situation, you wouldn't think so!"  " Balfour replied in an almost rude tone: "The Chinese commanders have very good abilities, and their officers have amazing initiative, so they have seized the initiative in the war.  This is what happened on the first day, and with a little luck, it ended like this. " "Arthur, maybe you are right! But this will not help the situation of the war. Your Excellency, the Prime Minister asked you to come here.  In order for you to praise the courage and strategy of the Chinese, the members of the House of Commons will not pay attention to your eloquence. You must know that the Burmese army costs taxpayers 40,000 pounds every day. The purpose of your coming here is.  Winner!" Balfour smiled slightly: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid there are some omissions in your calculations. The cost of the war between the Empire and China is far more than the military expenditure of 40,000 pounds per day. You must know that due to the war in Burma, the British Empire and the Chinese  Trade has been hugely affected. According to figures I got from customs in London and Liverpool, in just the four months from August to December last year, trade with East Asia fell by 1.7 million pounds.  , and according to normal circumstances, it should grow at a rate of 5%. If the war continues to expand, the trade between the two countries will definitely be damaged to a greater extent. Businessmen engaged in Far East trade will definitely protest in the House of Commons.  "Okay, please tell me, Arthur, what are you going to do next?" Balfour replied decisively: "It's very simple, end this war as soon as possible and sign a treaty with the Chinese!" "Okay?"  , a treaty must be signed, but under what conditions do you plan to sign the treaty? You know, the Chinese army has not been defeated yet, you cannot ask them to accept a treaty that is too harsh!" "Earl,  The interests of the empire do not require too harsh a treaty!" Balfour replied: "If the Chinese agree to recognize the empire's occupation of the Irrawaddy Delta, freedom of inland navigation on the Irrawaddy River, teak, rice monopoly, and restrictions on garrisoning in other areas of Burma.  , I am willing to sign a treaty with them! I think they should?Agree for peace!  " "Just these three?  No compensation for military expenses?  Not expanding territory?  "Earl Dufferin frowned with a white brow: "Believe me, Arthur, even with the help of the Prime Minister, your treaty will be difficult to pass in the House of Commons.  " " No, it won't!  Balfour showed a sly smile on his face: "Members of Congress are not fools. They know that the benefits of trade with the Chinese are far greater than controlling the barren land of several provinces in distant Myanmar. Compared with these, that little compensation  Military spending is negligible.  As long as we control the Irrawaddy Delta, the outlet for Myanmar's rice and teak trees is under our control, and coupled with the inland waterway rights of the Irrawaddy River, we can completely absorb the sweet juice of Myanmar's citrus and leave it to the Chinese  It's just an empty shell like cotton wool.  In fact, the biggest purpose of this war is to prevent the Chinese from using Myanmar as a base to threaten India.  As long as the Chinese can recognize Burma's neutralization and demilitarization, the goal has been achieved, and there is absolutely no need to continue a war that costs a lot of money and yields little!  " "Well, even if you can pass it in the parliament, those reporters will portray you as a loser of the Chinese in front of the voters, and your political career will be completely over!  " "No, most voters in my constituency rely on foreign trade, and they will continue to support a congressman who helps them become rich.  As for other constituencies, since the newspapers are in the hands of the rich, reports that go against the will of the rich cannot be printed!  "    "All right!  "Earl Dufferin, who was impressed by Balfour's impeccable argument, sighed, stretched out his right hand and said: "Then I wish you success, Arthur!  Also, if possible, I hope the Chinese can hand over to us Colonel Kitchener and the soldiers who mutinied in Bagan last time.  " "Okay, I will remember it!  "Belfort took hold of the other person's outstretched hand: "Your Excellency, Earl, I hope you can support me¡ª¡ª" "Don't worry!  Arthur, I also understand that the empire needs a prudent helmsman!  ¡± For Chen Zaixing in Mandalay, March 27th was simply his lucky day. Just as he was struggling with piles of various paperwork in his room as usual, a document came from the front line  The telegram saved him from all this - the British proposed peace talks. To prove their sincerity, the British even moved their front line back twenty kilometers. The frontline commander Zao Guoquan asked him to hurry up  Going to the palace, obtaining the authorization from the King and Princess of Myanmar, and requesting them to send a Burmese official to start preliminary negotiations together, this was like hearing about the Bird of Paradise for Chen Zaixing, who was looking forward to an early peace to realize his ambitious plan.  Sing in your ears "Quickly, prepare my clothes and sedan, I want to enter the palace immediately!"  "Chen Zaixing loudly urged his followers. He was full of excitement at this time. He didn't know whether he could get rid of the heavy paperwork or see the beautiful eldest princess again. "Master Chen, Master Chen!  "There were rapid footsteps outside the door. Chen Zaixing turned around and saw Liu Zhixing running in panting: "Mr. Chen, something happened, something big happened!  " When Chen Zaixing saw this, he quickly stretched out his hand to support the other party and said: "Master Liu, drink some water, sit down and talk!  " "Mr. Chen, riots broke out in dozens of villages and towns including Biaobei, Yangmiding, Disongji, etc. The mob took up arms and besieged the granaries of the villages and towns. The acting officials in many places were killed!  "    "What?  "Chen Zaixing stood up suddenly. It turned out that the places Liu Zhixing mentioned were villages and towns near Mandalay. In order to collect military rations and supplies, Chen Zaixing sent agents to collect food in these villages and towns. But these days, although there have been a few raids on food  A group of bandits appeared, but such a large-scale riot happened without any warning. It was really unexpected. ¡°Master Liu, who did you get this news from? Why don¡¯t I have any news at all?  Liu Zhixing asked in surprise: "Alas!"  I got the news from a nobleman in the Privy Council. His house was burned to the ground and his family fled to Mandalay. He asked me to help him find a house to live in. That's when I came to ask you.  Mr. Chen, why don¡¯t you know?  " "Yes, I still got the news from you!  "Chen Zaixing's face became gloomy. Obviously, there was a powerful organization behind this riot that had been preparing for a long time and wiped out all the acting officials in these villages and towns. That's why he in Mandalay would  Being kept in the dark, the harm of such a large-scale riot can be imagined. At this time, Liu Zhixing did not care about his dignity and directly asked: "Master Chen, before I left, I entrusted the rear affairs to your hands.  , you are like this, how can you report to the morning captain?  " "This is indeed my fault. I will figure it out when I come back early."Please forgive me!  Chen Zaixing said in a deep voice: "But before that, you and I must work together to stabilize the situation as much as possible to avoid missing important events!"  "Liu Zhixing stared at Chen Zaixing, and after a while he said dejectedly: "Forget it, Mr. Chen will lead the army and leave the affairs of Mandalay to me.  "    "Um!  "Chen Zaixing nodded: "In short, we cannot let the Burmese people have the opportunity to take over the military power, otherwise there will be endless troubles!  " Just as the two reached a consensus, there was another rush of footsteps outside, and a clerk ran in quickly and said: "My lords, there is an urgent call!  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 136: Siege Part 1

    Chen Zaixing took the telegram, opened it, and his expression suddenly changed. He handed it to Liu Zhixing and whispered: "Mr. Liu, it seems that the Burmese thieves have been planning this for a long time. The scale of this attack is huge. Magui, Sagaing and other places  Civil uprisings have occurred! Moreover, the thieves have been instructed by experts and have begun to attack the telegraph points from Bagan to Mandalay. It seems that we need to move faster!" Liu Zhixing opened the telegram and saw that the content was that he was attacked.  When the enemy besieged us, the situation was extremely critical, and we requested support. Judging from the contents of the telegram, it was estimated that this telegraph point would fall before long, and the telegraph connection from Bagan to Mandalay would be cut off.  "Master Chen, what are you going to do?" "Go into the palace immediately to see His Majesty!" Chen Zaixing stood up and asked his attendants to change his official uniform while explaining: "Mandalay is heavily fortified. There are six to seven thousand people here.  There are still more than 500 loyal soldiers left behind in the new army. Don¡¯t worry. I will go to Bagan immediately after meeting your two majesties. I will save it there first. Most of the army¡¯s transportation materials are in Bagan. If something happens, the consequences will be disastrous! "  "Okay, then how many soldiers do you want to take? Give the order now and let them prepare first!" "No, just a team of guards will do!" Chen Zaixing checked his clothes in the mirror and said solemnly  : "The new army cannot be used yet. It has been established for too short a time, and many of them are fugitive farmers like these Burmese thieves. Once they get involved with the thieves, the consequences will be disastrous!" "Then you plan to use Bagan's garrison?"  Liu Zhixing asked: "But in the important warehouse area over there, I'm afraid the guards are not allowed to move lightly, right?" "No, I already have a plan!" Chen Zaixing said: "I just received a message from the front line, and the British have already requested peace talks.  , and took the initiative to move the army back 20 kilometers. We must deal with this issue as soon as possible, otherwise I am afraid that the British will use this issue to put pressure on us at the negotiation table to obtain more and greater benefits."  Chen Zaixing lowered his voice: "Do you remember the Sikh mercenaries who mutinied in the last battle of Bagan? They have stayed on the outskirts of Bagan since that incident. I plan to use them this time to use the barbarians to fight the barbarians." Liu Zhixing News  Yan was stunned and asked: "Is this okay? Military affairs are no joke!" "Batu told me that these Sikh soldiers are very well trained by the British and are far better than the Burmese soldiers. And they are very close to the Burmese soldiers.  People don't understand each other and have different races. Don't worry about them getting involved. They have no other way out now. As long as they offer a heavy reward, I don't worry about them not being able to help. I plan to open up the connection from Mandalay to Bagan first, and then I will betray them.  Kill the thief's head, put this momentum behind, and then take care of it after the peace talks are over!" "That's fine, Mr. Chen, please come to the palace! I'll leave the matter to you in Bagan!"  Well!" Chen Zaixing tidied up his clothes and walked out quickly.  Five days later, the army camped in Bagan.  Chen Zaixing's face was ashen as he listened to the officers left behind reporting to him the situation of the rebellion.  "Sir Chen, according to the intelligence analysis I have collected from various places in the past few days, the key to the Burmese bandit riots is not in the central area between Bagan and Mandalay, but in Yan'an Qiang!" Chen Zaixing's  He glanced at the map above and asked in a low voice: "Ren'an Qiang? Why do you say that?" "Sir, although the riots that broke out between Bagan and Mandalay were quite powerful, they were mostly caused by lack of food.  The hungry people who arose were nothing more than a mob. Several strongholds reported that although the besieging mob numbered thousands, the weapons in their hands were only wooden sticks and bamboo guns, and there were not even a few iron tools, let alone firearms.  . However, the Ren'an Qiang side kept reporting emergencies. The thieves not only had firearms, but also several cannons. By comparison, it was obvious that the old thieves were there, and the Bagan side was just a side force to attract our attention.  That¡¯s it!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chen Zaixing asked.  "First save the Ren'an Qiang and open up the connection between Bagan and Pyay. As long as the peace talks on the front line are completed, those Burmese thieves are mostly hungry people. As long as the first harvest of grain is harvested in May, they will naturally disperse. At that time, as long as kindness and power are combined,  It¡¯s not difficult to calm down!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Chen Zaixing nodded.  Nyanqiang is a small town located in the central and western part of Myanmar. It is located on the right bank of the middle reaches of the Irrawaddy River and has a hot and dry climate.  But there is a very important resource here - oil.  Yan'anqiang means "Oil River" in Burmese. As early as the 13th century, crude oil was being exploited locally. Although the historically famous Yan'anqiang Oilfield did not officially begin operations until a year later, in 1887.  However, at that time, there was already a small oil well built by the British in Ren'anqiang. Like most colonial trading stations, this trading station was a small militarized fortress with a water reservoir, a church, and a fort.  There is also a villa for senior staff, and there is even a beautiful dhow on the dock for fishing.?It is guarded by armed staff and soldiers.  When the Shun army passed by this place, the staff in the trading station surrendered.  Since there are intact docks and warehouses here, it is a very important stronghold. The Shun army left a hundred people to defend and protect the oil wells and docks.  However, at this time, the commercial station had completely changed its appearance. The white exterior wall painted with lime had been stained by smoke and smoke. The stained glass windows of the church had long been shattered by bullets, leaving only the bare wooden frame.  The gate has also been replaced by a barrier made of sandbags. Looking into the perforation hole, you can vaguely see the black muzzle of the gun, pointing coldly at the open space outside, sending a chill to your bones.  "Damn Beikou!" Earthwalker punched the tree trunk nearby, and the muscles on his face were twisted with great pain.  On the lawn in front of him, there were corpses everywhere. On the empty lawn, the neatly trimmed shrubs were also shot to pieces by the bullets exchanged between the two sides. Except for a few foraging ravens in the open space,  , then there is nothing else.  This is the trace left by the rebels who launched several attacks five days ago. After discovering the overwhelming number of enemies, the defenders immediately abandoned the town and retreated to a better-defended trading station.  Under the intensive firepower of the well-trained shun army, the numerical advantage of the rebels was meaningless. They just became the targets of massacre. The damage to the defenders hidden behind the fortifications was minimal, and even the corpses could not be recovered. This was the only way.  Being exposed to the air and becoming food for the ravens made the Earthwalker increasingly miserable inside.  Among the rebels, he and Gray Eyes are the two most capable generals under Song Shen. He is more senior and the rebel army was organized by him, but Gray Eyes has a reputation of being good at fighting, especially by  After several military campaigns under his command were successful, Gray Eyes' reputation has gradually surpassed his own.  In order to reverse this momentum, Tu Walker advocated in the meeting to lead the main force to attack Ren'an Qiang's Shunjun trading station, cut off the connection between Bagan and the frontline Shunjun, and let Gray Eyes lead the rest in Bagan and Mandalay.  Launch a civil uprising among them to distract the enemy.  From TuWangZhe's point of view, there were only a hundred defenders of the Shun Army, and he had more than a thousand breech-loading guns in his hand. He was sure to win no matter how hard he fought, but he didn't expect that he would bite a hard nut this time.  Suddenly, there was a sound behind Earth Walker. He looked back and saw a man in black clothes leaning over. These days, the snipers from the sniper army in the church bell tower have caused a lot of damage to the rebels.  Trouble, at least twenty people have been hit by bullets fired from the bell tower in the past few days, so the insurgents quickly learned the technique of lowering their body weight when moving to avoid being hit by enemy snipers.  "Chief, the cannon has arrived!" "Okay!" The soilwalker gritted his teeth and pointed to the church bell tower in the distance: "Knock this down for me first!" "Yes, leader!" All the furniture and furnishings in the church bell tower  The bronze bells have been removed, and the walls and windows have been blocked with sandbags, leaving only a few perforations. Therefore, although it is broad daylight, the light is very dim, with only a few light beams coming in from the perforations.  , shining on the dark wall.  Fei Xianghong curled up and leaned on a sandbag, looking at the flying dust in the light beam with interest. However, he was careful not to let his body touch the light beam. The reason was very simple. This would increase his risk of being hit by stray bullets.  There is a possibility that two companions have been concentrated here by stray bullets.  But he was still happy to stay here. The reason was simple. He was a good shooter. In this place with a good view, he could hit more targets, which meant more rewards. He did some calculations,  So far, he has killed at least twelve enemies, including five bosses. The reward is one hundred and fifty taels of silver. This is a quite large amount of money. Fei Xianghong is already enjoying it.  He planned to return to his hometown after this battle, use his savings to buy dozens of acres of good land, marry a wife, have six or seven children, and live a comfortable life.  A beam of light had moved down to the mark on the wall, which meant that it was time to "work" again. Fei Xianghong took out a copper coin from his arms and threw it casually. The copper coin fell on the floor and rolled a few times.  It was different. Fei Xianghong reached out and touched it - facing up, he turned over, carefully opened a blocked observation hole, and began to look out. Fei Xianghong was very smart, he knew how to avoid being hit by the enemy.  , the best way is to prevent the opponent from discovering the pattern of his actions, so before he shoots, he throws a copper coin. If it comes up heads, he will shoot. If it comes up tails, he will continue to wait until the light reaches the next  When marking, he tossed the coin again until it came up heads up. Fei Xianghong squinted his eyes and searched for the target for a while - his eyesight was very good and he could clearly see the sparrow on the branch fifty meters away. Just when he found it.  When he was about to fire at a target, there was a sudden dull sound in his ears, and then he felt a violent blast from the sack under his body.Move.  Fei Xianghong instinctively lowered his head. When he raised his head again, he found that the bell tower had become brighter - there was a hole the size of a child's head on the wall five feet away from him, and the sunlight was shining through it.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 137 Under Siege

    "Shells!" Fei Xianghong almost rolled down the stairs. He knew very well how lucky he was. Those sandbags and thin walls couldn't block the shells at all. If the rebels had just fired shrapnel instead of solid bullets,  The reward money accumulated by oneself can only be used to benefit others.  "You mean, those rebels already have artillery?" The officer frowned and stared at the frightened sniper in front of him with doubtful eyes. He had just woken up from his sleep and didn't hear the sound of the artillery at all.  , and the damage caused by the solid bullet was too small-just two holes in the bell tower on the top of the church.  "Yes, sir, they just fired a shot at the bell tower. Look!" Fei Xianghong pointed to the hole on the top of the bell tower and said, "That's the bullet hole!" The officer squinted his eyes for a while, but under the strong pressure  He really couldn't see clearly in the bright sunlight. He lowered his head in annoyance and shouted at Fei Xianghong: "I don't care if they have it or not, even if those gangsters really have artillery, you have to go up there and figure out what it is."  What's going on?" At this point, the officer grabbed the telescope and handed it to Fei Xianghong: "Go back to the bell tower immediately and confirm where the enemy's artillery is!" "Yes, sir!" Fei Xianghong took it with a grimace.  Using the telescope, he looked up at the bell tower, swallowed, and was about to walk into the church when a second shell flew over. This time the impact point was higher than the last time, and it hit the crossbar where the bell was hung.  , only a click was heard, and half of the roof of the bell tower fell down. Fortunately, Fei Xianghong reacted quickly and jumped to the side to avoid being hit. When he got up in shock, he saw that the man who had just scolded him  The officer had been pinned down by the fallen beam. Fei Xianghong and several soldiers on the side quickly moved forward to move the beam away, shouting: "Sir, sir! Wake up, wake up!" That officer  He finally regained consciousness, but when he saw that his face was golden and purple, his breath was dying, and his life was in danger, he raised his head and glanced at everyone, whispered: "Hold on, keep the telegraph machine!" before passing out.  When everyone saw this, they couldn't help but look at each other. This person was a flag bearer, the highest commander in the trading station. The deputy was transferred to the front line a few days ago due to something unexpected, and there was not even an officer among the remaining people.  When Fei Xianghong was having a headache, he saw someone pointing at him and saying, "Old Fei, you are the oldest here. You have been serving for eleven years. You can be the temporary flag bearer!" "I, this -"  Fei Xianghong was stunned when he heard the words, and just as he was about to refuse as usual, he was surrounded by inquiring eyes, and he swallowed the words as soon as they reached his lips.  "Old Fei, everyone has traveled thousands of miles to get here. There are Burmese thieves outside. If they are attacked, even the bones will not be able to return home, and they can only become wild ghosts. You have been a soldier for the longest time and have seen the most battles.  , after surviving this time, we all think of you!" "Yes, we all think of you!" Fei Xianghong swallowed and replied in a low voice: "That's good, but I'll say it first.  There are military rules in the army. If there is a fight later, if you don't obey my orders, you have to follow the military law!" "That's natural, otherwise the chaos will cause the Burmese thieves to break in. We are not familiar with the place here.  "Where are you going?" "That's right, everyone is used to being beaten to death, and there's nothing to say!" Fei Xianghong swallowed when he heard what everyone said, and said, "In that case, I will."  You're welcome, the Burmese thieves have cannons, so we can't fight like this. Everyone digs holes to hide, and only comes out to fire when they hear the gunfire!" Seeing everyone nodding, Fei Xianghong turned to an older man and said.  "Old Qi, take a few people and pull the Gatling cannon inside. The thieves have knocked down the commanding heights, and they will definitely blast the door next!" "Yeah!" The man named Qi nodded and whispered: "  Lao Fei, this is not an option. They have artillery and there are many people. If this continues, they will have to force people in sooner or later!" This man surnamed Qi is a real man. He speaks Hebei dialect and has a strong accent, plus his voice.  He spoke in a low voice and very quickly. Except for Fei Xianghong, none of the soldiers around him could understand him.  "I know, let's postpone it until night, and then find a way to fight out!" Fei Xianghong replied in a low voice: "It's dawn now, there are few of us, we will suffer a loss if we go out!" "Yes!" The man surnamed Qi nodded, turned around and took the  Several soldiers rushed outside. Fei Xianghong also asked a few soldiers to move the flag into the room. He picked up the telescope from the ground, looked up and saw that a section of the church bell tower was missing, and said to himself:  "In life and death, wealth and honor are in the sky. If you lose your head, you will have a scar as big as a bowl. I'm afraid he is a bird!" He walked towards the church with a stoop.  Fei Xianghong carefully walked up the spiral wooden staircase. The wooden boards under his feet creaked, as if they might break at any time. He carefully grabbed the handrail and looked up. The sunlight shone through the damaged parts of the top of the tower.  When it was taken down, there was an extraordinarily dazzling feeling, and he was in a trance for a moment.    Fei Xianghong climbed up to the bell tower, knelt down quickly, climbed a few steps forward, carefully stuck his head out and looked through the gap, and saw hundreds of meters away, enemies gathered in groups of three or five, sitting in a circle.  Beside the campfire, you should be cooking your own dinner.  There was no sentry sent out. Looking from a distance, it looked like a group of ants foraging for food.  Seeing such a scene, Fei Xianghong couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.  At this time, there was a sound of gunfire in the air. Fei Xianghong hurriedly poked his head out and saw a puff of white smoke rising from under a banyan tree more than 500 meters away from the church. He quickly took out his telescope and looked over there.  Looking over, I can see dozens of Burmese thieves busy around a cannon under the shade of the trees. The gun looks like it should be a 12-pound smoothbore Napoleon cannon from the mid-19th century. This kind of gun is popular in the United States.  The artillery that became famous during the Civil War can be said to have reached the pinnacle of the front-loaded smoothbore cannon. It is not only cheap to manufacture, highly maneuverable, but also can achieve amazing accuracy within 1,500 meters.  It can be said that it is of high quality, low price and large quantity. It is very common in Southeast Asia and even the whole of Asia. It is also found in some teams in the Shun Army with relatively outdated equipment in the mainland. Fei Xianghong has been serving military rations for more than ten years, so he is naturally very familiar with this kind of weapon.  "A bunch of idiots, they're still so far away when it's more than 400 meters!" Fei Xianghong cursed, with a disdainful smile on his face. From the tower, he could clearly see that the enemy had just missed a shell.  , the shell flew seven or eight meters away from the outside of the turret of the commercial station, fell into the water, and splashed water all over the sky.  "But luckily they don't have a gunner, otherwise the first shell would have sent me flying to the west!" Fei Xianghong chuckled twice and continued to observe the surrounding layout of the enemy's artillery. As Fei Xianghong observed, his brows gradually  Wrinkled, although the enemy's discipline and military literacy were not very good, they still built a parapet in front of the artillery. Although he could not see how many people there were, there were eighty in the area he could see.  It was obvious that the Burmese thieves were very careful to protect this Napoleon cannon. What was worse was that in front of the parapet, more than 20 people were digging trenches, which meant that if it came at night, the defense of this cannon would be even more complete.  .  At this time, a bullet hit the top of the tower, splashing a lot of dust, and landed on Fei Xianghong's head. Apparently the rifleman on the opposite side also noticed him, so he quickly shrank his neck and crawled down.  As soon as Fei Xianghong's feet landed, he saw the middle-aged man named Qi running over with a very serious expression on his face: "Old Fei, the thief's cannon just hit the barrier at the door!" "Did anyone get hurt?" Fei Xiang  Hong asked quickly. In order to leave an exit for counterattack, Zhang Qi opened the gate at the beginning, piled sandbags into a barrier, and deployed the only Gatling Cannon there to lure the enemy to attack the gate. Sure enough,  It worked wonders and killed many enemies.  "Fortunately, you just evacuated both the people and the cannon, but you only injured one person. The ricochet of the cannonball after it penetrated the barrier hit him and injured his leg!" "Well, carry it to the house behind and let the doctor take good care of him.  !" Fei Xianghong whispered: "Ignore the sandbags at the door. Let the brothers build a new bunker with sandbags in the blind corner, place the Gatling Cannon there, and sweep it away when you rush in!" "Well,  I'll have someone do it right away!" The man surnamed Qi nodded, and after a moment's hesitation he said in a low voice: "But Lao Fei, the sun is long here, and there are still three hours until dark, so let them go down like this.  "It's not a big deal!" "Well, I've changed my mind too. I'll pack the gun later!" Fei Xianghong squatted down, took off the bayonet of the rifle and drew a "dent" on the ground, and said: "  You see, the thieves' artillery is placed under the big banyan tree on the right side of the gate. They are building a parapet on our side and on both sides, and they are also digging trenches in front of the parapet. Apparently they are also preparing for our attack in the dark. " "  What are you going to do, Fei?" The man surnamed Qi looked at the simple map on the ground and tried to ask: "Go through it from behind?" "Well, let's go together." Fei Xianghong patted his thigh.  "Behind the commercial station is the river. Let's pick a dozen brothers to get a small boat and go around the water to catch him off guard!" "Is this okay? There is no obstruction on the water. If the thieves find out, they will run away.  There is no place to run!¡± Fei Xianghong quickly walked to the wall, looked out from a gun hole, and said to his companion: ¡°Lao Kong, look, the river bank over there is high, at least two feet higher than the river surface.  High, as long as the thieves don't look towards the river, they can't be found. I just saw it from the tower. The thieves are a mob, all cooking around the fire to keep warm, and the sentries are also very lax. As long as we act quickly, at least  There is a 70% chance of winning. " "Well, I will pick eight smart young men to go for a trip! If I can't come back, I will bother you." The veteran Qi agreed and agreed.  We know that if we don't take risks, even if the thieves outside are not accurate in artillery, it will be a matter of time before the gap is opened. At that time, the defenders will no longer be able to attack.If you can't resist the enemy's huge numerical advantage, you will still be dead, so you might as well fight to the death.  Fei Xianghong patted his chest and agreed: "Lao Qi, don't worry, if something happens to you, your mother will be my mother, and I will take care of her till the end of her life!" The sun shines on the river surface, showing something similar to transparent jade.  In light green, a fish carefully swam up the water, as if it wanted to breathe. This was the sound of a cannon from the shore. The fish seemed to be frightened, flicked its tail, dived into the depths of the river, and disappeared.  "Quick, paddle hard!" Lao Qi ordered in a low voice. The four soldiers behind him silently put the oars deep into the water and paddled hard. The other four held rifles and covered themselves with fishing nets, holding their breath.  Breathing through the gaps in the fishing net, he watched the river bank vigilantly.  The attackers used a small boat called a "labu". This kind of boat is long and narrow, a little larger than the canoe used by South American Indians. The locals of Ren'anqiang often use it for transportation and fishing, and in trade.  When the station was not under attack, in the evenings there were often locals rowing such boats selling fresh fruits or fish and shrimp to the stationed Shun troops and British.  The reason why Lao Qi chose this kind of boat is very simple. Without a mast, it is not easy to be discovered by enemies on the shore, and even if it is discovered, it may be mistaken for a local fisherman.

 Volume Three: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 138 Under Siege

    Ten minutes later, Lao Qi saw a small patch of reeds appearing on the river bank in front of him. He turned around and made a gesture. The knowing soldier rowed the boat toward the reeds. When the boat approached the shore, Lao Qi  After making a gesture, the first one slipped into the water and held the edge of the boat with his hands. The other soldiers imitated his example and pushed the boat together into the reeds.  Lao Qi carefully separated the reeds and looked towards the place where the gunfire was concentrated. He was pleasantly surprised to find that the straight line distance between the big banyan tree and the place was less than 200 meters. He could even clearly see the second rear of the Napoleon cannon.  There were two or three oak barrels containing gunpowder stacked more than ten meters away. It was obvious that the besiegers did not follow the artillery regulations at all, otherwise they would not have placed so much gunpowder so close to the artillery instead of placing it in the trench to avoid danger.  Hit by a stray bullet and killed.  "That's great, Qi Touer. Those bastards are just babies, but it saves us a lot of energy. At such a distance, a blind man can hit the powder keg. A burst of gunfire will solve the problem!" said a man behind him!  The soldier whispered excitedly.  "Yes, at such a close distance, none of those gunners can survive!" A low voice of response came from behind Lao Qi. These people originally came to be death squads with the preparation of death, but now there is no need to take risks, the feeling in their hearts is  The joy is naturally beyond words.  "No!" Lao Qi shook his head and whispered: "Now that we are here, we have to finish things. We have to go over and break the cannon!" "Did it?" The soldier who just spoke  He asked back: "Then what should we do?" Lao Qi looked back and saw that the soldiers behind him were all wearing shirtless pants and Burmese clothes for the convenience of movement. He whispered: "You all follow me, don't  Speak and follow my gestures!" After that, he got out of the reeds and walked towards the big banyan tree.  Seeing this, several people behind him gritted their teeth and followed.  The group of people walked straight towards the cannon, and met several groups of Burmese people sitting around the campfire eating and chatting on the way. Lao Qi just walked past as if it was nothing, and pretended not to hear anyone saying hello.  These insurrectionists were originally gathered together temporarily in dozens of teams, and many of them did not know each other. They all thought that the enemy was still surrounded, and they did not expect that these few people were coming around from behind.  The answer is to go eat and drink.  He actually let Lao Qi break through like this.  Finally, a guard standing next to the gunpowder barrel shouted: "Which leader are you from? Why are you running around? This is not a place for running around!" Lao Qi couldn't understand what the other party was saying in his mouth, so he shouted in a low voice.  : "Ignore him, rush over to kill first, and then seize the cannon!" After saying that, he shouted loudly, pulled out the dagger from his waist with his right hand and stabbed the opponent's throat hard. He twisted it hard and felt a warm feeling on his fingers.  of liquid flowing down.  "Kill the thief!" The soldiers behind him stood up and shouted, straightened their bayonets and rushed over. The cannons were busy beside the cannon. The gunners didn't know what was going on, but they were stabbed to the core by the shining bayonets. Even if they reacted quickly,  The one who turned to run away was immediately shot from behind and fell to the ground.  "Quick, load double the shotgun!" Lao Qi shouted loudly and looked behind him. He saw that the soldiers in the back who were eating and drinking by the campfire had not noticed the situation here yet, but there were more than 20 uprisings resting on the parapet in front.  The strangers discovered the situation here, and while shouting something to each other, they came closer.  "Quick, move quickly! Lower the muzzle!" Lao Qi saw his men lowering the muzzle, grabbed the short spear wrapped with a fuse that was thrown aside, and lit the fuse on the fire door.  With a loud bang, the 12-pound Napoleon gun jumped back violently, and a red flame was ejected from the muzzle. A scream suddenly came from the opposite side, and nearly a hundred iron bullets fired at close range tore apart the gun.  He broke the penis under the rag and knocked it to the ground.  A gust of river wind blew away the white smoke produced by the burning gunpowder. Lao Qi was satisfied to see that there were no enemies standing upright on the lawn opposite.  "You guys go over and clean up those guys on the ground, and you clean the barrel of the cannon!" Lao Qi casually gave two orders, turned around and found a powder barrel and a long length of match rope from the cannon, and waited until his men used a gun full of vinegar to  The brush roughly cleaned the gun barrel a few times, and he poured seven or eight tablespoons of gunpowder into the muzzle, then tamped it down, put a shell in, often inserted a piece of fuse through the gun door, and then put the few pieces of gunpowder into the muzzle.  The barrel of gunpowder was moved to the cannon, and after lighting the fuse, he threw the torch aside, turned to his men who were watching dumbfounded and said, "Run!" Then he was the first to turn around and run towards the parapet.  In the bamboo shed, the earth traveler was lying on a pile of dry straw, sleeping soundly.  These days, he has united dozens of troops to besiege the trading station. He is so busy that he sleeps no more than three hours a day. Just now he couldn't stand it anymore, so he got into the bamboo shed and slept for a while.  There were a few sparse gunshots, but Earthwalker regarded it as drizzle and continued to sleep.Snoring like thunder.  Suddenly, there was a loud noise outside, like a thunder in the plains, which woke up the earthwalker. Before he fully woke up, he instinctively pulled out the pistol on his waist, rushed out of the bamboo shed, and shouted loudly:  : "What's going on? What's going on with that noise just now?" The Earth Walker shouted twice before he saw one of his men running over in a panic, shouting repeatedly: "It's not good, it's not good, the cannon is broken!  "What?" The soilwalker was stunned when he heard the sound, and then became furious. He pushed the man away and ran quickly towards the twelve-pound Napoleon cannon. When he ran to where he was, he saw the gun.  The surrounding area of ??the cannon was pitch black, full of traces of gunpowder explosions. Only two broken wheels were left on the cannon carriage, and only the dark cannon body was left. Moreover, four or five cracks had appeared on the solid barrel, and in some places there were even  It was slightly twisted and deformed, which was obviously the result of someone loading an excessive amount of gunpowder into the barrel and then igniting it.  The earthwalker was almost driven crazy and shouted loudly: "Where are the gunners? I'm going to hang them alive. Damn it, didn't I tell you that no matter how much medicine you put in, you have to follow the rules. One point more and one point less.  No way, who asked them to release more? " "Chief, leader!" The subordinate replied timidly: "It wasn't the gunner who put the wrong amount of gunner, it was the Bei bandits in the trading station who killed the gunner and then shot him again.  There was a lot of gunpowder in the barrel, and then the cannon was fired! ""Bei Kou?" The soil walker glanced around and saw more than a dozen corpses scattered on the grass. They were obviously the gunners who had just been killed. He was moving back and forth.  After taking two steps, he pointed at the breastwork and said angrily: "There are only a few Bei bandits in the trading station. You have a breastwork and cannons, and yet they came over to kill you and blew up the cannons? Even the pigs in the forest are better than you."  ! At least when they were killed by the Northern invaders, they still knew how to hum and tell their companions that the enemy was coming." The soil traveler knew that there were only a hundred people in the trading station, and there must have been some casualties in the past few days. At most, there are no more than three people who can be used to fight back.  There were ten people, and there were nearly a hundred people guarding the artillery on his side, and there was also a parapet to rely on, but the other party blew up the cannon. How could he not be furious?  "Leader!" The subordinate was a close confidant of the Earth Walker. He felt a little aggrieved, but he did not dare to confront him, so he had to explain in a low voice: "The Northern invaders came from behind. There was no parapet over there. They took the opportunity to kill the gunner.  After the guards on the parapet were discovered, they were blasted by shotguns and dispersed. When the guards elsewhere found out, they had already exploded their cannons and rushed back to the trading station. " The soil traveler was stunned when he heard this.  He walked back and forth a few steps, observed his surroundings again, and understood what was going on.  It turns out that these people are composed of dozens of small groups ranging from more than 200 to 20 to 30 people. There is no close connection with each other, let alone strict military discipline.  Under special circumstances, when carrying out small-scale ambushes and sneak attacks, you can still fight well. However, as the number of people increases, the combat effectiveness will continue to decline, especially since the soil walkers do not have enough military experience and are not as clear as Gray Eyes.  We should try our best to maximize our strengths and avoid weaknesses, limit the scale of our military operations to less than two or three hundred people, and avoid tough battles and large-scale field battles. This resulted in such a big flaw in our encirclement line, and we were beaten by the enemy.  Suddenly.  Now that there is no such heavy artillery, which was obtained with great difficulty, it will be even more difficult to break through the enemy's defense.  "Chief, what should we do now?" the subordinate asked in a low voice.  Earth Walker suddenly felt an unprecedented irritability in his heart. For the first time, he felt that he was so far away from the goal he had always dreamed of. He shook his teeth and waved his arms impatiently: "Take the body away.  , bury it well!¡± ¡°What a good man, Lao Qi is really a good man!¡± ¡°He charged into the midst of thousands of troops and blew up the enemy¡¯s artillery without losing a single person. This is simply Guan Erye!¡± ¡°What is Guan Er!¡±  "Sir, Lao Qi is from Zhending, Hebei. He is clearly Zhao Zilong from Changshan. He killed seven in and seven out, beheaded more than fifty members of General Cao Ying, and captured seven spears. He was full of courage!"  Everyone was jubilant, with smiles on their faces. A few of them argued endlessly over whether Lao Qi was Guan Yunchang or Zhao Zilong. No wonder they were so happy. Lao Qi not only blew up the opponent's cannon, but also all eight people he brought with him.  They were not injured. When they escaped over the parapet and returned to the trading station, the enemies on the front line had no idea who they were and thought they were an attack by their own side. When it was discovered later, they had already fled back to the trading station.  "Thanks to you this time!" Fei Xianghong patted Lao Qi's shoulder excitedly: "More than a hundred lives of everyone depend on you." At this point, he turned around and shouted to the others: "Thief  We don¡¯t have artillery, so we can¡¯t open our village. There is food, water, and bullets here. As long as we hold on for three to five days, the traitors will have no choice but to retreat!¡±  ??!  " A burst of cheers broke out from the crowd, soaring into the sky. Under the big banyan tree, Tu Xingzhe sat under the big banyan tree. Not far away, dozens of soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield. After a while, several men came over. The leader of the group came to Tu Xingzhe.  The traveler saluted: "Chief, that cannon no longer works!  " "Is there no other way?  " "Chief, the gun carriage, medicine rod, measuring cylinder, musket meter, etc. are all gone, and there are already cracks in the gun body. If the gun is fired, it will explode, and only one of our own people will be hurt!  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 139: Scattered

    Earthwalker nodded and signaled his subordinates to step back. He had also seen the artillery just now, but he was still holding on to the hope of contingency. Now the words of those subordinates who had been gunners in the king's army dispelled the last thoughts in his heart.  A little hope.  Seeing him like this, other people on the side did not dare to come forward and talk to him, lest they cause trouble.  I don¡¯t know how much time passed, but a voice pulled the Earth Walker out of his thoughts.  "Chief, there are a few young leaders who want to see you." Earth Walker raised his head and frowned: "Tell them that I have something urgent here, and ask them to go back to their own people first, and we can talk about anything tomorrow!"  The subordinate did not leave, but insisted: "Chief, they refused to leave. They all said there was an emergency!" At this point, the subordinate hesitated for a moment, but whispered: "They also said that if you don't go to see them,  They took their own people and left first!" "Leave first?" A cold light flashed in TuWangZhe's eyes, and he stood up immediately and straightened his clothes: "I'll be there soon, you go first.  Find fifty trustworthy people and hide them outside my bamboo shed!" "Yes, leader!" The subordinate nodded and turned away.  The Earth Walker pulled out the revolver from his belt, checked the bullets inside, and walked quickly towards his bamboo shed.  When the earth traveler approached his bamboo shed, there were already sixteen or seventeen men in different colors inside. His face changed slightly, and he turned his eyes to the side of the subordinate who had just reported the news to him. The subordinate hurried forward and whispered in his ear:  : "Chief, there were only six or seven just now, and these all came here just now!" "Turkey, I won't say polite words to you anymore. We are here to say goodbye to you, and I want to take my brothers with me.  Go back to Bagan!" "Yes, me too!" "I want to go too!" One after another, people in the crowd came forward and said, Tu Xingzhe suppressed the anger in his heart and forced a smile on his face.  Why did you suddenly want to leave? Didn't we agree in advance that we would work together to knock down the Ren'anqiang trading station? Why are we saying that we are leaving now?  When we go back to Bagan, we also fight the Beibei bandits. It¡¯s not like we die in vain. How many Beibei bandits have we killed these days? But how many people have we killed?¡±  When the leader who left said this, he glanced at the other leaders: "I don't know how many of you have died, but this is the number of people who have died here!" He stretched out his right hand and opened his five fingers to compare, and then turned it over to compare.  : "Twenty-five in total, not including those who were injured." "I have more dead than you, a full thirty!" "I am less, thirteen, but I have less capital, and the whole gang is talented.  There are less than fifty people!" Listening to everyone's argument, Tu Xingzhe showed a wry smile and said with a forced smile: "Everyone, everyone, how can there be twenty more people in this battle than Beikou?  Many times, no matter how hard we fight, we can win! If we hold on for a few more days, I, the Earth Walker, can definitely defeat this trading station!¡±  There were more than a thousand guns and cannons, but the result was like this. Even the cannons were blown up by the Northern invaders. When Song Shen was the leader, he had never fought like this. How much he cared about the lives of his brothers. That was it.  You are compassionate!¡± There was a burst of cheers from the crowd, and these little leaders began to praise the battles of the leader Song Shen. Under the clever management of Gray Eyes, the sacrifices made by the rebels in each battle were minimal.  , but the loot obtained was very rich, unlike now where so many people died, but not even a little bit of loot could be obtained. The face of the earthwalker who stood aside and listened clearly became more and more ugly.  "Earth Walker, I don't blame you!" The little leader who was the first to speak took a step forward: "Not everyone has the ability to be a big leader and Gray Eyes, otherwise everyone can be a leader.  It's dry and hot here in Ren'anqiang. We've almost run out of food these days. How can we fight without food? I've figured it out. It's just over April when I go back, and the first harvest of rice is almost done.  I will always get a lot of loot if I follow Gray Eyes. "Yes, that's right. If you follow Gray Eyes, it will definitely not be like this!" "That's right, if you can't defeat the Beikou, just attack the noble master's manor!"  As the discussion continued, Earth Walker gritted his teeth tighter and tighter. Seeing this, the subordinate on the side stepped forward and said, "Chief, how about I go out and let our people come over, and then-" "No!" Earth Walker paused for a moment.  He hesitated and rejected his subordinates' proposal. He had just estimated that the sixteen or seven leaders had probably more than half of the total strength. If he won the battle, he would use the power of victory to detain them and reorganize them.It's not impossible to have more manpower, but if we do this under such a low morale situation, the only result will be that it will be torn apart, the organization will be scattered, and the enemy in the trading station may even take advantage of it.  You can't do such stupid things.  "Everyone, everyone!" The soil traveler raised his voice, overpowering everyone's discussion: "It's not impossible for you to leave, but you can't leave in a hurry, otherwise the Beikou in the trading station will take advantage of you.  Let¡¯s do this! Let¡¯s all come together and go back together. What do you think?¡± These little leaders all know that Tu Walker is a very scheming and difficult person, and they are ready to have a big fight with him today.  But they didn't expect that the other party was so easy to talk to, so they all agreed to his suggestion.  So everyone agreed to set off together tomorrow morning to return to Bagan.  On the Irrawaddy River, a fleet of eight wooden sailboats was sailing down the river. Since it was March and the area was controlled by the dry and cold northeast monsoon, all the sailboats had their half-sails raised. The water flow plus the wind force  , the ship is very fast.  The moonlight shines on the white sail, showing an almost translucent color. From a distance, it looks like a fairy boat.  "Sir, the boat is very fast. We should arrive at Ren'anqiang at noon tomorrow!" Wei Sunan told Chen Zaixing, who was sitting in the cabin reading a book.  "Well!" Chen Zaixing nodded: "Very good, Sunan, how are those Sikh soldiers doing now?" "This?" Wei Sunan hesitated for a moment, then whispered: "Mr. Chen, although these Sikh soldiers look  They seem very calm, but if they are not of my race, they must have different intentions. It is better to break them up and let them be controlled by our generals. " "Oh!" Chen Zaixing put the book in his hand aside: "I'm on board.  There are only about a hundred people in Dashun, but there are thousands of Sikh soldiers. Could you please tell me how to control it? " Wei Sunan was stunned. There is such a disparity in the numbers of the two sides. If the Shun army is broken up and made into officers, it will be even worse if something goes wrong.  For trouble.  "These Sikh soldiers and I, Dashun, do not speak the same language and have different customs. If they are forced to break up and mix, it will easily cause trouble. It is better to simply unite the soldiers according to their clansmen and avoid trouble. Sunan, you have also read  "Students, do you remember how Ban Dingyuan answered Ren Shang, the new governor of the Western Regions?" Wei Sunan recalled it carefully for a while, and finally replied with a face full of shame: "I don't know!" "Beyond the Great Wall!"  Officials are not filial sons and grandsons. They all moved to the border villages because of their sins. However, the barbarians have the heart of birds and beasts, which are difficult to raise and easily defeated.  It's simple, lenient and small, just a general outline." After Chen Zaixing recited that paragraph in a low voice, his expression became solemn: "It's a pity that Ren still thought that what Pan Gong said was just like this. He only served for a few years, and all the countries in the Western Regions were affected.  On the contrary, Ban Gong¡¯s more than thirty years of achievements have been ruined in one day!¡± Wei Sunan bowed his head and said: ¡°Master Chen¡¯s lesson, I understand!¡± ¡°This is not a lesson at all. Back then, Ban Dingyuan only led three people.  Sixteen people, no more than a thousand, can pacify the territory of the Western Regions. In fact, the key is just one sentence: "Use the barbarians to control the barbarians!" The same is true for the British. If we want to gain a foothold in Myanmar, we cannot rely solely on the army.  We have already sent all the elite troops from the southwestern provinces into Burma, and the daily cost is no less than 100,000. How can this last forever? Regardless of whether we win or lose this time, the imperial army will go back. If we want to gain a foothold in Burma,  You have to remember what Ban Gong said, and you can¡¯t be like that Ren Shang!¡± ¡°Well!¡± ¡°Go and invite the two leaders of the Sikh soldiers to come to me, please be careful!¡± Wei Sunan said respectfully!  : "Yes, sir, please rest assured. I must be respectful. I will never make a mistake!" Listening to Wei Sunan's leaving footsteps outside the door, Chen Zaixing's mind was filled with thoughts. These days, his life  Being filled with all kinds of chores and constant changes, I was so busy that I had no time to think about myself.  Coincidentally, this sudden rebellion gave him time to think carefully on the ship.  Regarding the upcoming battle, Chen Zaixing has nothing to worry about. Although he does not know the number of rebels, what is known is that the rebels have no warships. Although his eight sailing ships cannot be compared with the British warships, they  After all, it has been specially modified by the craftsmen of Mandalay, and it is equipped with artillery on the deck. It is definitely not a temporary ship obtained by the rebels that can resist it. Even if the battle situation is unfavorable for a while, and they control the water, they are already invincible.  land.  Moreover, these Sikh soldiers are in a foreign country, and their only reliance is Dashun. If they don't want to be handed over to the British by Dashun, the only way out is to fight to the death to show their worth. They must also know this, so there is no need to worry about them.  There is something different.  The only problem now is the next negotiation with the British.  But what flashed through Chen Zaixing¡¯s mind at this moment was not stacks of documents.How to strive for benefits in negotiations, but Luo Lin's beautiful figure, he said goodbye to him before leaving, the affection contained in the other party's eyes, anyone can feel it as long as he is not an idiot, Chen Zaixing is naturally not an idiot, it is just two people  In particular, there are many restrictions between the two that are not easy to overcome.  But for some reason, the more he thought about this, the more Chen Zaixing's heart shook and he couldn't help himself.  Chen Zaixing was thinking wildly in the cabin when a heavy footsteps came from outside. He realized that Wei Sunan, who had gone to inform the Sikh leader, was back, so he hurriedly sat upright and behaved like an official from a foreign country.  Wei Sunan bowed to Chen Zaixing and said, "Master Chen, I've invited the person you want here!"

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 140: Winning over

    "Well, please step back first!" Chen Zaixing nodded, with a reserved smile on his face, and said in English to the two dark-skinned Sikh men with black cloth-tangled heads who walked in behind him: "You two, please feel free to do so.  , I¡¯m bored at night, I¡¯ll ask you two to chat and pass the time!¡± Cindy and Simba looked at each other. They have been under the British for seven or eight years, and they can understand some basic English.  This high-ranking official of the Shun Kingdom suddenly called the two of them here. He must have something important to do. Otherwise, seeing as he was so busy during the day, why didn't he sleep at night and chat with his two foreign mercenaries?  They don't think they are that attractive.  "As you wish!" Cindy and Simba put their right hands on their chests, bowed to Chen Zaixing, and sat down cross-legged.  Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "You two are Sikhs. Although you and I, Dashun, are of different races, our country has had contacts with your country since ancient times. Kumarajiva during the Southern and Northern Dynasties was an eminent monk of your country. He is really honored."  We have a lot of benefits. We are destined to meet in the foreign country of Myanmar this time. We must get along well." Cindy and Simba looked at each other. Compared to their companions, his city was much shallower, so he couldn't help but ask directly.  Said: "My noble man, apart from asking us to help you kill the Burmese people, what else do you want to do with us?" Chen Zaixing frowned and finally understood Cindy's Indian English with a heavy accent. Fortunately, he was here.  Burma has been struggling for many years and has also dealt with Indian businessmen. Otherwise, I really can¡¯t understand what the other party said. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said: "Is this strong man going to ask how to arrange your positions after the war?"  " "That's right! " "Although you are not from Dashun, there is a saying in China that follows the rule of law and vassalage. After this incident, if you want to return home, just give me your travel expenses!  "What if he doesn't want to return home?" Cindy asked anxiously. He was different from the others. He was the leader of the mutiny. Maybe the other British soldiers would let him go, but he and Simba would definitely die.  "If you don't want to return home, you can get paid in our Dashun Army, or you can be paid in the fields and farm your own food. What do you two think?" Cindy and Simba looked at each other, although they said something about Chen Zaixing.  His words are still unclear, but the general meaning is still clear. As long as they are not sent back to the British, they will be satisfied.  So the two of them bowed to Chen Zaixing and said, "Thank you, sir!" Chen Zaixing originally recruited these two people just to calm people's hearts and understand the psychological dynamics of these Indian soldiers.  But as the conversation progressed, I gradually became interested in the two Sikh men in front of me.  Especially Simba, after his initial wariness was gradually removed, although he did not speak much, he had a very thorough view of current affairs, which was quite similar to Chen Zaixing, and quite different from his background and education.  Commensurate; although the other person was not as discerning as Simba, he had a strong sense of self-esteem and resoluteness in his speech. He had quite a sense of contempt and resentment towards the British. He did not have the same contempt for the British and even the British as many Indian businessmen Chen Zaixing knew in his past business dealings.  All white people revere the feelings of gods.  This made Chen Zaixing more and more curious, and he couldn't help asking with a smile, "Boss, I have been doing business in Myanmar for many years. I have also dealt with many businessmen from your country, and most of them have very different attitudes towards the British than you two."  "It's different!" Cindy sneered: "That's natural. We are Punjabis and brave warriors. How can those Mughal slaves compare with us!" Chen Zaixing was confused when he heard this.  He naturally knew that Mughal was the name of the empire before the British invaded India, but he did not know that Sikhism was a sect that was founded by the feudal lords in the Punjab region of India to resist the conquest of the Mughals who believed in Islam.  It was formed by Hinduism absorbing some advanced factors from Islam, so it has amazing fighting power. It was also the last part of the entire Indian subcontinent to be conquered by the British. It is precisely because of this factor that the Sikhs are very hostile to the British colonists.  Hatred, and contempt for the feudal lords in other parts of India, thinking that they were just cowards who succumbed to the knees of tyrants.  During the Indian National Uprising in India from 1857 to 1859, because the uprising was based on the slogan of reviving the Mughal Empire, the Sikhs in Punjab not only did not participate in the uprising, but instead stood on the same front as the British.  It was also a main reason for the failure of the Indian uprising.  Seeing Chen Zaixing's appearance, Simba on the side quickly took out a pen and paper, explaining and writing on the paper. It took a lot of effort for Chen Zaixing to figure out a general idea.  After listening to Simba's story, Chen Zaixing sighed after thinking for a moment: "Two heroes, from the standpoint of outsiders, I have to say that the decision of your ancestors back then was very unwise!" Simba stretched out his hand and held it down.  Cindy was about to stand up: "Why do you say that, sir!" Chen Zaixing smiled and said: "We Chinese have an old saying: 'BrothersBuild a wall to protect yourself from humiliation!  ¡¯ It means that although there are disputes between brothers, if a foreign enemy appears, they will put aside the dispute and jointly resist the foreign enemy.  Although your ancestors hated the Mughals at that time, we had lived there together for hundreds of years, but the British came from thousands of miles away, and everyone resisted together. Your ancestors not only did not help, but instead sided with the British. As a result, you ended up  When you are attacked by the British, no one will come to help you.  As far as I know, Tianzhu has been a big country since the founding of China, with a vast territory and a prosperous population no less than that of China. But now it has become a vassal state of the British, with men as slaves, women as maids, and the ancestral temples as ruins.  Although it is said that it is not without destiny, it cannot be said that it is not without the merit of human affairs, right?  " Cindy snorted coldly and retorted: "Humph, you don't know how the Mughal emperor treated my Sikhs. The fifth generation guru Arjunadeva died tragically in the hands of the Mughal emperor. Others  The number of Punjabis who died at the hands of the Mughals was even more numerous. How could they fight side by side with such a blood feud?  " "This is not true. In 1644, Wu Sangui led the Eastern captives into the pass. Emperor Dashun Gao was defeated in a stone. The situation was so critical that it was almost impossible to do anything. The following year, he was succeeded by Emperor Taizong.  My Emperor Gao was born into poverty, and more than a thousand of his brothers, nephews, and nephews died at the hands of the previous dynasty. The tombs of our ancestors were also dug up by officials of the previous dynasty. It can be said that we have sworn hatred.  If Emperor Taizong hadn't endured the humiliation, sent money to the Xiangming Dynasty and made an alliance with the brothers to attack the Eastern captives together, how could we have had Dashun for 300 years?  If it were like your ancestors, I'm afraid that China today would have become the country of Yi and Di!  " After Chen Zaixing said these words, the cabin suddenly became quiet. Cindy and Simba showed thoughtful expressions on their faces. They were from humble backgrounds. Naturally, they had never read the classics and history like Chen Zaixing, let alone China.  Since ancient times, people have attached great importance to absorbing wisdom from history. The number of historical books that detail the gains and losses of political and military struggles in the past can be said to be unparalleled in the world. Even Simba, who prides himself on his intelligence, heard so much fresh knowledge at once.  She also felt that her head was about to burst, and she could not speak for a while. Cindy asked unconvincedly: "Then, why unite the Mughals to resist the British instead of uniting with the British to deal with the Mughals?  We all want to unite as one anyway, why do I think the Mughals are more hateful?  " "Without him, the British are strong and the Moguls are weak. If they unite with the British to attack the Mughals, then the British will definitely attack me after annexing the Mughals. If we unite with the Mughals to fight against the British, there is no need to worry about this.  More importantly, I heard you say that the Mughal uprising has already taken hold of key areas. The British must attack the Mughals first. There is no need to worry about the British attacking us first. In short, if we are weak and the enemy is strong, we must win.  Only by connecting with the weak can we resist the strong!  " "Stop talking, he's right!  "Simbala stopped Cindy who was still unconvinced, turned to Chen Zaixing and said: "It is indeed as you said, if the Punjabi people want to restore their old glory, they must let go of their hatred against the Mughals. The master once said,  The truth is more precious than gold and gems, and you cannot have enough respect and gratitude for those who tell you the truth.  "Having said this, Xin Ba and Xin Di bowed down to Chen Zaixing solemnly. "You two warriors don't have to be like this!  "Chen Zaixing quickly turned his body to let the two of them kneel down and said, "China and your country have been connected by mountains and rivers since ancient times, and we have many exchanges. We can be said to be countries of brothers.  Nowadays, the British are powerful and greedy, which is also the situation for me, Dashun. If I help others today, I am helping myself!  I wonder what your plans are for the future?  " Simba glanced at Cindy and said with a smile: "Originally, I had no plans. I just wanted to find a piece of land to farm here in Myanmar. But just after hearing what the adults said, my eyes immediately lit up. If possible, I plan to  After this incident, I went back to my hometown and told the elders what I just said. Let all Punjabis know that if they want to restore the former glory of the Golden Temple, they must first forget the grudges of the past and extend justice to other Indians.  Take action!  " "What about this strong man?  "Chen Zaixing turned his eyes to Cindy. "Simba and I are cousins. I will go with him wherever he goes!  " Chen Zaixing was secretly happy. He knew that even if the peace negotiation with the British was successful, it would only be a temporary truce. Both the British and Dashun domestic capitals are constantly in need of larger raw material origins and product markets. This contradiction cannot be solved  In order to gain the upper hand in the next struggle, in addition to strengthening one's own strength, one must also weaken the opponent's strength as much as possible. Instigating revolution and riots in India, the most important and largest British colony, is the lowest cost.  The most cost-effective way is that India is Britain's most important colony and base in Asia. As early as the late 1850s, the first British-Subordinate War was caused by the Indian national uprising that forced Britain to give up much of its  Favorable war situation, the Treaty of Guangzhou was signed with the Shun Empire, and the Shun Empire also seized this opportunity to suppress the domestic peasant uprising and carry out financial and military reforms, thereby avoiding the fate of becoming a colony in the future.  Inciting large-scale riots will not only completely dismantle the Shun Empire,??The vassal state of the Indochina Peninsula is safe and can also provide the basis for further southward expansion. It is really a very profitable deal.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 141: Winning over

    Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing showed a worried look on his face: "You two strong men cannot do it. After the last incident in Bagan, the British must hate you two to the bone and want to kill them quickly. If you go back  , Isn¡¯t that just throwing yourself into a trap?¡± Cindy smiled and said, ¡°Sir, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. We Sikhs are not afraid of death. Everyone will die, but not everyone can die with dignity!¡±  Ba Ye smiled and said: "Yes, sir, please don't worry about us. We have many friends in Punjab, and the British will not catch us so easily!" "You two, I mean why don't you stay in Myanmar for a while?  What about going back?" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "There are at least a thousand Indian soldiers here. If you can tell them everything you heard today, even if only one tenth agrees with you, there will be a hundred.  If we go back with them then, wouldn't it be far better than the two of you?" Simba and Cindy looked at each other, with joy on their faces, and said in unison: "Thank you, sir!"  Chen Zaixing smiled reservedly, took out his pocket watch and said, "I'm having a great chat with you two tonight, but I didn't expect that it's getting late, so why not just come here? Tomorrow we will arrive at Ren'an Qiang, and we will have to rely on you two to conquer the Burmese thieves."  Where is the warrior?" "Please don't worry, sir!" Looking at the two people leaving, Chen Zaixing had a proud smile on his face. His talk just now left a foreshadowing for dealing with the British in the future. The same words came from his own mouth.  The effect of coming out is very different from coming out of their mouths. These soldiers will also use a lot of lives against the Burmese thieves in the future.  At noon the next day, the fleet finally arrived at Ren'an Qiang. However, what surprised Chen Zaixing was that Dashun's Canglong flag was still flying over the trading station. Obviously, this extremely important stronghold was still in the hands of the defenders.  The last telegram sent before the telegraph line was cut off said: "The situation is extremely critical, and the number of Burmese thieves is countless!" It looked like a last message. Looking from the ship now, although the church bell tower in the trading station  The damage was serious, but the outer wall was still generally intact, and it didn't look like the war situation was very critical.  "Su Nan, fire a cannon to tell the people in the trading station that we are here. Don't fall into the Burmese bandit's trick!" "Yes, sir!" Wei Sunan turned around and walked to the back deck. A moment later, there was a sound coming from behind the ship.  There was a loud sound of cannon, and after about half a cup of tea, a figure appeared on the church bell tower, waving a flag towards Li Li.  "Reinforcements are coming, reinforcements are coming!" Fei Xianghong stood on the top of the bell tower, waving the flag vigorously and shouting wildly!  Looking at the shadow of the boat on the river, his eyes blurred, and tears welled up involuntarily, flowing down his stained cheeks, breaking out into two gullies, revealing the waxy yellow skin underneath.  "What, the reinforcements are coming, the reinforcements are coming!" "Really? That's great!" The trading station was filled with excitement. The soldiers who had been holding on for many days couldn't believe their ears. In the past few days,  , the besieging enemies can take turns to rest, but with only one-tenth of the enemy's number, they have to grit their teeth and persist. They can only take turns to take a nap every day. Even though the Burmese thieves have withdrawn this morning, they still dare not completely  After relaxing, who knows whether the enemy deliberately withdrew to make them paralyzed, and then suddenly came back to kill them. Now seeing the flag of Dashun floating on the river, many people lost control of their emotions and couldn't help but fall to the ground and cry bitterly.  "I pay my respects to Master Chen!" Fei Xianghong knelt down and saluted Chen Zaixing, while Lao Qi knelt beside him.  Chen Zaixing glanced at the shoulders of the two men in front of him. There was no yellow star representing an officer. He asked in a deep voice: "Don't you have any officers here?"  He was crushed by a heavy object and fell unconscious. The flag officer went to the front line before the siege. " Chen Zaixing heard this, his eyes softened: "That's it, good, you do it.  Very good! What's your name?" "Thank you for your compliment, sir. My name is Fei Xianghong. I just did my duty." When Fei Xianghong said this, he suddenly thought of Lao Qi behind him and added: "Sir.  , Qi Wu behind the villain also put in a lot of effort. If he hadn't risked his life to blow up the traitor's cannon, we wouldn't have been able to get the army to come to our rescue!" "You're good too!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile, "Get up.  I will mention you two in my memorial to Mr. Zao!" | "Thank you, Mr. Chen, for the promotion!" Fei Xianghong and Qi Wu stood up and looked at each other excitedly. They had both heard of this person.  Master Chen's origin, if he had to mention it in front of Master Zao, it would be a sure thing that he would be transferred to the merchant station. It seems that staying at the trading station this time was a blessing in disguise.  Chen Zaixing ignored the joy of these two little people.After he climbed up the bell tower of the church and looked around, his face became serious. He called Fei Xianghong and asked, "How many Burmese thieves are there?" "Two thousand, maybe three thousand, certainly a lot.  "More than two thousand people!" "Yes!" Chen Zaixing nodded. Fei Xianghong's answer was similar to what he had judged from the traces left by the camp outside. What were they planning to do when so many bandits suddenly retreated?  "When did the thieves leave?" "Some people started leaving yesterday afternoon, and there was no one in the camp this morning!" Fei Xianghong said with a look of shame on his face: "The villain is afraid of being deceived.  I hope you will forgive me for pursuing me!" Chen Zaixing waved his hand and said with a smile: "That's all, you have less than a hundred people here, and you are outnumbered. It is enough to defend the trading station! By the way, do you have a reliable guide here?  " "Sir, there are more than twenty locals in the trading station, including hired workers and businessmen who fled here to escape the war. They are all familiar with the roads in Ren'anqiang!" "Very good, you call them all!  , I have something to ask them!" "Yes, sir!" Chen Zaixing looked at Fei Xianghong's leaving figure and fell into thought. It is said that his main purpose of this reinforcement was to secure the important stronghold of Ren'anqiang and the front line and Bagan.  Even the telegraph communication between Mandalay and Ren'anqiang has been ensured, but the main force of the rebels has not been damaged. Everywhere hundreds of kilometers from Mandalay to the front line will become a target of the rebels' attack. From a military perspective, now  A determined pursuit should be carried out, because judging from the organization of the rebels, it was very difficult for them to organize a successful retreat.  But the only force Chen Zaixing has available now is a group of visiting troops. The will and willingness of this kind of army to fight are very questionable. If they are defeated by the rebels, the rebels will gain momentum and a large number of them will be full of foreign enemies.  Peasants who hate the invaders and their own nobles will rush to join the rebels, which will be troublesome.  "Sir, everyone is here!" A voice interrupted Chen Zaixing's thoughts. He raised his head and saw Fei Xianghong standing at the door, followed by more than 20 Burmese people dressed in different styles. The only thing these Burmese people had in common was  His face was all pale. When Chen Zaixing glanced over, they quickly lowered their heads to show respect for this foreign official.  "Have any of you ever dealt with Indian businessmen?" The crowd was silent for a while. After a moment, an arm was raised in the crowd, and a timid voice said: "I have been to Dhaka and Calcutta!" Chen Zaixing's face  He showed a smile: "Then can you communicate with Indians?" "A little bit!" The businessman replied: "But there are many ethnic groups in India, and even a villain can only know a few of them!" "What about the Sikhs?  "Punjab? That's okay. There are many Punjabi businessmen in Calcutta, and several of my business partners are from there!" "Very good!" Chen Zaixing took two steps forward and asked the still uneasy businessman.  "Then are you willing to be our guide? I will pay you, how about twenty taels of silver?" The businessman hesitated for a moment and replied: "Sir, I still have some goods in the trading station that I want to transport to  "Mandalay's -" "That's no problem, I can buy your goods immediately - at Mandalay's market price minus the freight, what do you think?" Chen Zaixing's face was full of smiles. He has been doing business in Myanmar for many years.  , know how to deal with these businessmen.  "That's no problem. I'm happy to serve you!" The businessman showed a grateful smile. Obviously, it would be unwise to refuse the request of the master in front of him under such circumstances.  Chen Zaixing nodded. He selected two more businessmen who knew Chinese among these people and asked Fei Xianghong to take them down to prepare. Then he ordered Wei Sunan to call Simba and Cindy.  Chen Zaixing had already made up his mind at this time, even if he had to take certain risks, he would wipe out the rebels as a scourge.  Fifteen minutes later, Cindy and Simba walked into Chen Zaixing's house under the guidance of Wei Sunan.  Chen Zaixing looked up from the map, smiled and said to the two of them: "Nice to see you, warriors. Please sit down, I want to discuss with you how to deal with these hateful rebels!" After listening to Chen Zaixing's speech  After the introduction of the enemy, Cindy and Simba exchanged a look, and Simba replied cautiously: "If according to your statement, these rebels should be just a group of bandits, otherwise they would not be able to attack this trading station.  After all, there are only a hundred guards inside, and there are at least two thousand of them. The difference in numbers is too big! " "You think your companions can defeat them?" "Yes, it is not difficult, with the bandits marching at such a speed!  It won't be fast, we will catch up with them in two to three days, and the rest will be veryIt¡¯s easy!  "Compared to his companions, Cindy's attitude is much more confident. "Sir, we must have a local guide, otherwise we will not be able to catch up with them!  "Simba added cautiously. "Of course, of course!  Chen Zaixing smiled and pointed to the three businessmen sitting aside: "They are all locals and can serve as your guides. There is also one of them who has been to Dhaka and Calcutta and knows some Punjabi!"  " "That's great, even birds can't fly out of my hands!  "Cindy happily made a clenched fist gesture, but Simba on the side was not so excited. He had a hunch that the always smiling Master Chen was not as talkative as he looked. "But I have  One request: You must not only defeat those rebels, but also eliminate as many of them as possible, otherwise they will reunite soon and become a new trouble!  "Chen Zaixing smiled. "This is impossible, Mr. Chen.  Simba replied: "We are foreigners. In our eyes, all Burmese people are the same. If they are defeated, we just need to throw away their guns, get into the grass, and put a little mud on their faces. We will win."  Can't tell them apart anymore.  Not to mention that we don¡¯t know the local roads at all. If they disperse and escape, there is no way we can catch up with them with just such a guide!  "    "impossible?  Chen Zaixing smiled slightly: "Really?"  Well, I have an idea here. You guys should listen to it first and see if you can catch all these rebels?  "

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South, Chapter 142: The Pursuit

    After two days of marching, the rebels were already exhausted. After eating a simple dinner, they lay huddled around the campfire. The trees on the hills not far away also made bursts of sound under the blowing of the night wind. However, these  The noise did not disturb their sleep, and many people had already fallen asleep with heavy shouts.  However, the Earth Walker did not sleep. He sat by the bonfire. The night wind blew the bonfire, transforming it into various strange shapes. The Earth Walker's eyes swept across the bonfire and turned to the hills not far away, reflecting in the swaying light of the fire.  Below, the woods and bushes began to change.  The tall branches dance ferociously.  Withered and tangled dwarf trees rustled on the ground at the edge of the forest.  The tall weeds squirmed like eels in the cold wind.  The hazel mango flexes and moves, as if stretching out its long arms and claws to grab people.  The clumps of hay moved quickly in the wind, as if they were fleeing in a hurry as a disaster was imminent.  In all directions there were desolate open spaces.  Seeing all this, Earthwalker couldn't help but shuddered as he remembered the stories of forest spirits told by the old man in the village when he was a child.  "Chief!" A voice woke up the Earth Walker, and he turned around sluggishly.  I saw a young and capable young man looking at him with surprised eyes: "What's wrong with you? Are you cold?" "Cold? Maybe a little!" The Earth Walker prevaricated with some embarrassment, in order to prove that he indeed felt  When it got cold, he tightened the collar of his jacket.  "But you are sitting next to the fire. Are you sick? That would be terrible!" The young man had a worried look on his face.  "No, no!" Seeing the sincere concern on the young man's face, Earth Walker couldn't help but feel a little guilty in his heart. He squeezed out a smile and said, "I'm in good health. There's really nothing wrong with me. Give me a glass of hot water. Drink it."  Just some hot water and you'll be fine!" "Okay, Chief!" The young man turned around and left. After a while, he brought an iron pot over and poured a cup of hot water for the Earth Walker.  The earthwalker took the cup, took a sip of water, and asked in a low voice: "How is it, Aung San, how is the situation of the team?" The young man named Aung San immediately showed an unhappy look on his face: "What should I say?  What? It's not good. It should be said that it's very bad. It's terrible. Many teams just find places to lie down and sleep without sending out sentries. This is not an army, it's just a group of fleeing farmers. Leader, you should put these in.  The leader of the guys grabbed them and whipped them hard on the back. Otherwise, if the Chinese caught up, they would be doomed.  This will only make things worse. If they were willing to listen to me, we would never leave Ren'anqiang!" "Hey, it would be great if Lord Wu Songshen was still here!" Aung San hung down in frustration!  Then he realized that he had said the wrong thing and defended in panic: "Chief, please forgive me, I didn't mean to accuse you!" "No, no, Aung San, you don't need to apologize!" The soil traveler looked at him with loving eyes.  Looking at Aung San, I can see that he likes this young man very much: "You are telling the truth. I can't compare with Wu Songcan. He can capture the hearts of everyone in the team. Even if he doesn't say a word,  Do nothing. As long as he is in the team, everyone will know what to do. If we lose him, it is like a flock of sheep losing its ram. No one will be convinced and no one will listen to anyone. " Aung San Ye.  Sighing, he knew in his heart that what the Earth Walker said was right. After losing Song Shen, there would never be another leader among the rebels who could convince the crowd like him.  Perhaps the soil walker has excellent organizational skills and Gray Eyes is an excellent military commander, but neither of them is like Song Shen who can instill dignity and enthusiasm into the minds of Burmese farmers filled with fear and superstition, leading them to fight against  The nobles fought against the foreign invaders and changed the fate that had remained unchanged for thousands of years.  In a sense, Songshen is irreplaceable.  The two fell silent, and for a moment it seemed as if something invisible was holding their throats, making them speechless.  Aung San and Tu Xingzhe thought hard, could everything be over like this?  So many people have shed blood and lost lives in vain, just like the bonfire in front of us. Although there is still light brought by the flames, it is so weak compared to the night, and as the wood grows older  The less you burn, eventually this light will always be swallowed up by the night.  Aung San was thinking hard when he suddenly saw the face of the Earth Walker opposite him change, and he jumped up and said: "No, something happened!" Aung San was stunned, turned around and looked where the Earth Walker was looking, and saw only a few  A hundred meters away, more than a dozen fires had risen. The fire spread so fast that in the blink of an eye they had joined together and burned towards the rebel camp.  "Damn it, that bastard didn't take care of the bonfire. You must be taught a lesson tomorrow morning!" Aung San cursed and jumped up. He was about to ask someone to go down and take a look, but was grabbed by the Earth Walker by the arm: "  Get everyone up quickly, thisIt burned too fast, someone set it off!  " "Someone released it?  "Aung San was still a little doubtful. At this time, there was a burst of human voices over there. Apparently the nearest groups had discovered the fire and got up to put it out. At this time, there was a burst of gunfire in the night sky, and then a scream was heard.  , apparently the people who went to put out the fire were suddenly attacked. "It was a night attack, and the Chinese came to kill them!"  "Screams suddenly came from the camp. Almost at the same time, several bugles were heard from the other side of the fire. The insurrectionists who had dealt with the Shun army knew that this was the signal for the opponent to launch a charge. There was a sudden chaos in the camp.  Chaos. ¡°Get up, get up, don¡¯t sleep, the Chinese are coming!  "Aung San and the Earth Walkers shouted loudly in the camp, while using fists, feet and gun butts to wake up their men from their sleep, and then tried their best to organize them into formation. At the same time, there were bursts of gunfire in the night sky  and screams, the fire also spread very quickly. The area near Yan'anqiang was originally a relatively dry area in Myanmar. In addition, it was March, the last month of the dry season. Most of the branches of trees and shrubs around the camp were  It didn't have much moisture. Once it was ignited and the wind was strong, it burned very quickly. In the blink of an eye, the fire had already turned half of the sky red. Although Tu Xingzhe and Aung San tried their best to wake up their men and organize the team.  , their men are much more disciplined than other rebels, but even the most elite army will inevitably fall into chaos when attacked at night, so they wait until the soil walkers and Aung San finish organizing the team.  By that time, about twenty minutes had passed. By the time they had fully taken control of their own team, most of the rebel team had been routed and were fleeing in panic in the opposite direction of the enemy. ¡°Let¡¯s retreat too!  "Aung San shouted to the earthwalker. "Well!  "The Earth Walker nodded, picked up a torch, pointed in the direction of the fire, and shouted loudly: "Everyone, follow me!  Let's break out to the east!  " "Chief, there are enemies over there. With just a few of us, we can't defeat the Chinese!"  "Aung San shouted loudly. He thought that the soil walker had lost his mind. Why did he choose a direction for the enemy's attack to break out? Wouldn't it just hit the enemy's arrow? "No, the main force of the Chinese is definitely not there.  side!  On the contrary, the Chinese should put their main strength in the opposite direction!  Earth Walker pointed to the direction where most of the rebels were fleeing: "If we run that way, we will become prey of the Chinese!"  " Aung San asked in confusion: "Chief, but obviously the fire and gunshots are in the east?  " "That's just an illusion the Chinese want us to see. Haven't you noticed that gunfire is very rare?  Earth Walker whispered: "Have you forgotten how hunting is done in the village?"  First, let the women and old people set fire and beat gongs to scare the beasts out of the woods and grass, and drive them to the place where the hunters ambush to kill them.  Think about it, how many people could the Chinese kill if it were a frontal attack?  They don't know the way, so they can't pursue us at all. Maybe they can defeat us, but most of them can escape smoothly.  If I were the Chinese commander, I would definitely use a small number of people to frighten and drive us away, then put the main force in the opposite direction, let us escape to the preset battlefield, and wait until dawn, and then treat us exhausted.  Hunt!  " "Yes, the Chinese generals are really vicious!  Aung San suddenly understood. He slapped his thigh fiercely and said to the earthwalker: "Then let's tell our companions quickly, otherwise they will all fall into the hands of the Chinese!"  " "It's too late!  Earth Walker shook his head: "Is there any way you can find a few people in the dark and convince them?"  I'm afraid they will treat you as an enemy and beat you to death. Come escape with me. All we can do now is to protect ourselves!  " "No, Wu Songcan once said: All poor people are one. If you don't help others when they need you, no one will help you when you need others. The result is that you will be separated by the nobles.  Break!  Aung San said calmly: "Chief, please take the brothers away. I will work with the remaining people to rescue as many people as possible!"  " "No, you just died in vain!  "The Earth Walker stretched out his hand to grab Aung Shan, but the young man jumped quickly and avoided his hand, and then disappeared into the darkness. The night wind brought his voice: "Chief, you must be alive.  You must take your brother out alive!  " "You must live!  "The Earth Walker stared at the dark night. The young man's description just now seemed to be still jumping in place. He suddenly felt a little moist at the corners of his eyes. The Earth Walker closed his eyes suddenly. When he opened his eyes again, all the emotions and  The weakness disappeared from his eyes. ¡°Listen up, everyone, follow one by one, our direction is east!  Facing the fire!  Do you understand?  "    "yes!  ?There was a low response from the crowd.  Under the night, a small team rushed towards the fire.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 143: The Pursuit

    In the darkness, Cindy stared at the darkness in the distance. From time to time, faint gunshots came from the night sky. The distance was according to the arrangement of the Chinese Master Chen. He led the main force - 800 Indian soldiers to guard the road.  His good friend Simba led two hundred people on the mission to attack the enemy camp and drive them over.  To be honest, Cindy is not so convinced by the always smiling Chinese official. Who knows if those bandits will rush towards Simba?  You know, he only has two hundred people!  However, Simba was very convinced of Mr. Chen, and rejected his suggestion to set up the blocking position closer to the enemy camp. When he was leaving, he said to himself: "Cindy, you don't have to worry about me, I am in the dark."  It's more like a beast, because he can't see anything, so he often acts on his own instinct rather than his mind. When the beast encounters fire and gunfire, he will instinctively turn his back to the fire and run away, as long as he has it.  There is no way to escape, so my two hundred people are enough. The further away your blocking position is, the more energy it will take for the rebels to reach you. In the end, you will face a group of exhausted enemies.  He said, "A wise man can make the sun, the moon, and everything in the world become his arms, so even the great king must bow before the sages." Master Chen is an extremely wise man, and we must obey him.  His command will lead to victory!" As time passed, the sky became dim.  Cindy could already vaguely see the bushes on the hills on both sides of the road. The sound of gunfire in the distance had become more sparse. One was often heard every three to five minutes. It was obviously a battle to attack the rebel camp.  It was basically over, which made Cindy feel a little more relaxed. It seemed that Mr. Chen's judgment was correct. After the night attack, the rebels did not fight back with all their strength, but fled in fright. As for whether it was as he expected.  Cindy didn't care much about him escaping to his side like that. He cared more about Simba's safety than winning the battle.  After a while, Cindy could vaguely hear the dense crowds and gasps. Obviously, the judgment of Mr. Chen was correct - the main force of the rebels, at least a considerable part of the rebels, chose to start from him.  direction to escape.  If it weren't for the local morning fog that often blocked his sight at dawn, Cindy believed that he could have seen the enemy with his own eyes at this time.  But Cindy was not worried about this. As a descendant of a glorious Sikh warrior family, he had long known from the older generation of warriors how to maximize the ambushers' advantages.  He stood up, walked gently behind the soldiers, tapped their shoulders gently with the short staff in his hand, indicating to them to stay calm, and stared at the blurry enemy figures in the fog.  He mentally estimated the distance between the front row of enemies and his own position.  Soon, the figure of the first escapee emerged from the mist, and Cindy could see him clearly, his forehead covered in sweat, his chest heaving rapidly due to the intense running, and his eyes widened in shock.  and a mouth opened wide in preparation for a loud cry.  "Bang!" Cindy calmly fired a shot at the enemy less than twenty meters away. The pistol bullet shot out of the opponent's open mouth, blocking the scream in the throat.  The gunshot was like a signal. A row of fire flashed in front of him. The hazy fog was torn into pieces by the bullet rain. Cindy could clearly see many blurry shadows in the fog swaying and falling. There was a sound coming from the opposite side.  There was a scream.  The rebels who were attacked head-on were immediately defeated. Most of them had already relaxed mentally. The sudden attack at this time cut off the last thread maintaining order.  .  People controlled by the escape instinct began to flee aimlessly in all directions that they felt were safe, but they were often greeted by violent volleys of guns and sharp bayonets - Cindy had already occupied a favorable position.  After doing this several times, the vast majority of the people knelt down in despair, dropped their weapons, and raised their hands in surrender¡ªtheir physical strength had long been exhausted in the previous wild runs, which made their courage even more exhausted.  "Sikh warriors, move forward, kill those who are still resisting you, and spare those who surrender!" Cindy pulled out the command knife from her waist and shouted loudly.  The Indian soldiers stood up from behind the cover and lined up in two rows to advance at a walking speed. A few insurgents who still wanted to resist were immediately knocked down by bullets. The rest lay on the ground in despair, holding their faces tightly.  They were close to the ground, and the soldiers used bayonets and rifle butts to drive them together, and then tied their hands together with ropes, just like a kind of meat skewers that Punjabis like to eat.  "Three hundred and fifty people were killed and 1,275 were captured!" A satisfied smile appeared on Chen Zaixing's face: "Great, it can be said that this organized rebel army no longer exists!  His Majesty the King and His Majesty the Princess will definitely reward you for your achievements!¡± ¡°This is all thanks to your plan, sir. We are just following your plan!¡±?Simba and Cindy lowered their heads.  "Plans are one thing, fighting is another!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "Without the bravery of the Sikh soldiers, my plan would be just a plan! Don't worry, I will write to the regent later.  Your Majesty, I request you to be rewarded accordingly. ""Sir, I have something to tell you first!" Simba replied in a deep voice: "Not all the rebels were eliminated. Yesterday I raided the enemy.  When we were at the camp, we saw that a small group of rebels did not do what you expected. On the contrary, they launched an attack on my right wing. Since I had very few troops, this rebel army broke through my blockade and escaped!  "Oh!" Chen Zaixing smiled nonchalantly: "This is just their good luck. If this happens, even if the remaining fish escape us, they will die in the hands of nobles everywhere.  "You two heard that our ancestors were also a noble family, but they fell into decline after the British came. Don't worry, after I go back this time, I will ask Her Majesty the Princess to ennoble you two. " Cindy and Simba heard this.  The eyes lit up, especially Cindy's dark face turned red, and she stuttered a little: "This, is this true?" "Haha, don't worry, you two heroes, if you can do it this time  After repelling the invasion of the British, the eldest princess and His Majesty the King will definitely ennoble a group of nobles. You two have made great achievements in battle. I think it won't be a big problem!" Cindy and Simba looked at each other, thinking in their minds!  All warmed up.  The two of them were born into Sikh warrior families, and were considered small and medium-sized aristocrats in Punjab. However, after the British occupied Punjab, they lost their territory, and their family fortunes gradually declined, and they were reduced to working as mercenaries for the British.  Now that they know they have the opportunity to revive their family business, you can imagine their excitement.  Especially Cindy, who was excited, took a step forward and said: "Mr. Chen, I am willing to pursue the escaping bandits, and I will definitely catch them back!" "No need! Even if they are allowed to escape with just a group of bandits,  What kind of situation could it be? We have more important things to do now." Chen Zaixing stood up and placed his palm on the map on his desk: "A man should use a country as a chessboard and an army as a chess piece to do something great.  Let¡¯s put these little things aside for now!¡± The valley is covered with gorse, sand cypress, paved cypress, and salix.  Since it is March, most of the leaves on these shrubs have fallen off to reduce water evaporation, and the branches have become dry and stiff.  Suddenly, the bushes shook, and a doe poked her head out. After carefully observing her surroundings for a while, she came out, followed by a fawn, which should be her child.  After the mother and son made sure that there were no enemies around, they began to eat the more delicate parts of the branches and leaves of the surrounding shrubs with confidence. There was no water source for more than ten kilometers near this valley, so they could only absorb the water by eating the leaves of the shrubs.  Suddenly, the doe's head raised up, and her ears trembled nervously. Apparently, this alert beast had sensed that some kind of danger was approaching it and its children. Its powerful retreat was slightly bent, and the next moment it  It will shoot into the bushes like an arrow off the string and disappear from the hunter's sight.  At this moment, with a "bang" gunshot, a bullet penetrated the doe's strong chest, splashing blood, and the doe's strong body fell weakly into the grass.  "Great, hit! There is deer meat to eat!" Two people rushed out of the bushes more than 20 meters away and rushed towards them. The fawn circled around its mother's body and fled into the bushes in terror.  In the middle, the two hunters didn't care about anything else. They held down the doe that was still struggling on the ground. One of them pulled out a dagger and cut the doe's throat. Blood immediately poured out from the wound. The doe's hind legs finally kicked hard twice.  Down, motionless.  "This deer is so fat, we can finally have a good meal!" A hunter murmured happily while busy peeling off the bark from the bushes nearby and twisting it into a rope to tie the doe's body to  Pick it back from the sticks you brought.  "Hurry up, you just fired, be careful to attract the pursuers!" Another person urged his companions while looking around at the situation.  "Okay, okay, how about deer meat if you don't shoot? You're almost starving to death and still worried about the pursuers? You have time to rush me, why not come over and help!" The man on the ground retorted while immersed in rubbing the rope, and the man watching the wind retorted.  They had no choice but to lower their heads to help. The two of them were quick with their hands and feet. After about two minutes, they picked up the doe and ran deep into the valley. After a while, she disappeared into the grass.  Earth Walker was leaning under a white oak tree. Around this huge oak tree, there were nearly a hundred men sitting or lying in various places.  Two or three people were digging hard on the ground nearby.  This kind of thick tree is very common in this generation. Not only is it a good timber for construction, but the acorns are also a supplementary food for local farmers. Whenever food is insufficient, local farmers willFeed on acorns to get through the toughest times.  Suddenly, the men digging holes in the ground shouted excitedly: "I dug it, I dug it, catch it, catch it!" People around them also gathered around, and the men suddenly sighed in unison.  : "Damn it, let him run away!" After a while, a man came over, holding some acorns in his hand, and said to the earthwalker with a smile: "Chief, we just found a vole hole, but it's a pity that the vole ran away.  , but I also found some acorns in it, please eat some to fill your stomach first!" "No, I'm not hungry, you can eat it!" Earth Walker pushed the other person's hand away and refused the acorns.  "It's been two meals since last night. You haven't eaten at all. How can you not be hungry? Eat some first!" The Earthwalker couldn't stand the other party's kindness, so he had to pick two acorns randomly.  , and let the rest be distributed to others. If the man persisted, the Earth Walker stopped talking.  The man who delivered the acorns had no choice but to retreat, and the others quickly gathered around and scrambled together.  At this time, a gunshot was heard in the distance. Earth Walker jumped up suddenly, pulled out the pistol from his waist, and shouted: "Where did the gunshot come from? Is the enemy chasing us?"

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 144 Prologue

    Everyone immediately became confused and seemed to be fleeing in all directions. Earthwalker sent people to check what was going on. After a while, someone reported back that the gunshots just now were caused by two people going to hunt deer privately.  "Shoot to hunt deer?" The soil walker was furious when he heard this: "You dare to shoot without permission at this juncture, and you are not afraid of attracting pursuers?" He wanted to order the two men who violated the ban to shoot and be dragged down and beaten for twenty  Whip, but all he saw was that the subordinates who saw the deer meat swarmed up and cheered in unison. Obviously if he gave this order, not only would it not be carried out, but it might even attract a group of subordinates to attack him. After all, he is no longer that person.  A big leader with thousands of people under his command is just a bandit with more than a hundred defeated soldiers.  Seeing his men skinning and living there happily, the Earth Walker felt extremely hesitant in his heart. He had no idea where to go next.  When he broke through the enemy's siege, he still had more than 200 men under his command, but as he fled, more of his men continued to disappear into the grass.  If he doesn't come up with a solution, it won't take long before he will be left with only a dozen confidants. At that time, any servant of a village or noble can arrest him. The royal family and nobles will definitely  Someone who is willing to pay a fortune for his head.  What¡¯s the next step?  "Escape back to Bagan and join Gray Eyes?" Earth Walker shook his head slightly. This was impossible, not to mention that he was not willing to succumb to Gray Eyes at all. More importantly, he had now completely won the cause of the farmers.  No more confidence.  No one among the rebels can capture everyone's hearts like Song Shen. The rebels are scattered and unconvinced and cannot resist the attack of the well-equipped and well-trained shun army, let alone the numbers.  The huge new army of the kingdom and the armed forces of the nobles.  The Earth Walker is willing to take risks and make sacrifices, but he is not willing to take risks and sacrifices for a cause that is doomed to fail.  "Escape to the south and join the British!" An idea suddenly flashed in the mind of the soil traveler. Now that the British and the Chinese are fighting fiercely, they must need helpers and guides who are familiar with the inside story of Myanmar.  If the British finally win and occupy Burma, they will definitely get generous rewards; if the British lose, they still need a powerful helper to prepare for the next invasion. In any case, there will be good results.  But is this good?  Earthwalker hesitated.  A burst of yelling and cursing awoke the Earth Walker from his thoughts. When he looked up, he saw his men arguing over how much venison should be divided into. Some of the impatient ones even pulled out their swords and guns, and an internal fight broke out.  About to explode.  The earthwalker jumped up quickly and shouted loudly: "Stop it, put down your swords and guns!" The place became quiet. The men put down their weapons and stopped quarreling and fighting. But judging from their faces, these  People were not convinced by the Earth Walker's orders, and a series of failures had greatly damaged the leader's prestige.  Earthwalker also felt this from the silent silence.  He coughed lowly and said, "Don't grab it, there's only so much meat, it's not worth using a knife or a gun!" After that, he turned and left.  ?????????????Everyone looked at the back of the Earth Walker as he left, and then rushed towards the deer without saying a word, and the silent fight began again.  Listening to the sounds of fighting behind him, Earthwalker made up his mind: he had only one way out - to surrender to the British.  Pimai, the breath of spring has also arrived in this small town, and grass buds have grown on the bullet-riddled soil outside the city. It seems that nature has also noticed the message of peace talks, and released the wind of peace, blowing the land.  "No British patrol boats have appeared in the past few days?" Zao Guoquan put down his telescope on the fort, turned to Feng Kaigui and asked.  "Yes, sir!" Feng Kaigui replied carefully: "As you can see, the British patrol boat has not appeared for more than ten days. I think the losses they suffered in the night attack last time were too great. This time they are  I sincerely seek peace!" "Don't say I want it!" Zao Guoquan's voice became serious: "At this time, we must be more careful. Negotiations are a matter for ministers, and we military people must be cautious.  There can't be any trap!" "Yes, sir!" Feng Kaigui hurriedly lowered his head and said, "The general will urge his soldiers to be on guard and not give the Yingyi any opportunity to take advantage of it!" "Yes!" Zao Guoquan put down his telescope.  Turning around and walking down the steps, if you are a subordinate who is familiar with him, you can tell from his steps that your old boss is actually in a good mood now. The reprimand to Feng Kaigui just now is actually just an old habit in the military.  A few dozen minutes ago, Zao Guoquan had just received a telegram forwarded from Hanking. In the telegram, the imperial court had granted him full authority to preside over the upcoming negotiations with the British. Zao Guoquan was still very optimistic about the outcome of the upcoming negotiations.  Yes, after all, his army has won most of the victories on the battlefield, and this will inevitably be reflected on the negotiation table.  However, Zai Guoquan himself was still waiting for Chen Zaixing andThe arrival of a Burmese official who was officially authorized by the king, because according to the contents of the telegram, the most important goal of Dashun in this negotiation with the British was to restore Burma to the situation before the puppet king Meng Ji launched the mutiny, and ensure that Burma became a  The role of the southern border barrier of the empire.  In other words, on the premise of ensuring Dashun's status as the suzerainty of the Kingdom of Myanmar, it is necessary to recognize and protect the sovereign status of the Kingdom of Myanmar.  After all, with Dashun's current national strength and financial situation, annexing the Kingdom of Burma would not only destroy the already-embarrassed central finances, but also cede the British population and become the trigger for the next war.  Therefore, no matter how weak Myanmar is between Shun and Britain, a representative of Myanmar is indispensable.  "Sir!" A voice interrupted Zao Guoquan's thoughts. He raised his head and saw a young officer reporting to him: "Ren'an Qiang sent a message. Lord Chen Zaixing has led troops to defeat the bandits surrounding that place.  Let¡¯s take a boat to Pimai. We can reach Pimai in two days!¡± ¡°Well, it seems that Mr. Chen is really Yunwen Yunwu!¡± Zao Guoquan said with a smile, and he counted on it: ¡°Congman.  The Burmese officials from Dele should have arrived today. Come and let the British know that formal negotiations can begin in five days!¡±  When the ship arrived at the dock in Pya, it was just getting dark, and torches for lighting began to be lit on the dock and on the road.  As the negotiator of the Kingdom of Myanmar, Maung Kyi himself did not know why Her Majesty the Princess Regent chose herself to undertake this mission. Was it to reward him for being the first to speak in the Privy Council in support of the Princess's proposal to grant land and freedom to the soldiers?  Or is it a punishment for later loudly opposing the second decree of Her Majesty the Princess?  Everything was blurry, just like the town on the shore shrouded in twilight.  "Stand at attention and raise your rifle!" Following a powerful command, the soldiers on both sides of the springboard straightened their bodies and held their rifles on their right ribs. The two rows of bright and sharp bayonets looked particularly impressive under the firelight.  Maung Jian swallowed instinctively. Although they were still more than twenty meters away, he could already feel the difference between these strange soldiers who were full of murderous intent and those slovenly Burmese soldiers in Mandalay who were dressed little different from beggars.  There is a difference.  These soldiers are like a group of wild beasts. As soon as the iron chains around their necks are loosened, they will pounce on them and swallow them whole.  "Wu Maung Ji!" Batu, who was dressed in military uniform, stood by the gangway with a smile, and smiled at Maung Ji, who was still a little dazed: "I have been ordered by Mr. Zao to welcome you here. Mr. Zao has already set up a toilet in the shogunate.  Let¡¯s take care of you!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it, I can¡¯t do it!¡± After reacting, Maang Ji hurriedly walked down the gangway and said with a smile on his face: ¡°How can I be worthy of receiving you personally?¡±  They all smiled slightly, and the two stepped forward: "You are the envoy of the Kingdom of Burma, representing the two His Majesty, why can't you do it? Please get in the car, Mr. Zao is in the palace!" Maung Ji sat on the carriage,  His heart was like a bumpy train. Although Batu, who was sitting upright opposite, was smiling, the straight military uniform on his body, the saber and pistol at his waist all reminded Maung Ji of the true identity of the man in front of him.  It was at this time that he truly felt for the first time how weak he and his country were in future negotiations. If the Chinese and British paid their lives and money to compete for an advantageous position in a foreign country, the Burmese  They made more sacrifices but gained nothing. They couldn't even decide which strong man they were about to control. This was really an absurd and terrifying world.  At this time, the wheel of the carriage hit a stone, and the carriage jolted violently. Maung Ji, who was leaving, staggered and almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, Batu on the opposite side reached out to support him: "Wu Maung Ji, the road is uneven.  , please be careful!" "Speaking of roads! I would like to ask if you have any inside information about the British saying that they want to negotiate?" "This!" Batu was stunned when he heard this, and then smiled: "Sir, this is the case.  I don¡¯t dare to take matters into my own hands, so why don¡¯t you ask Mr. Zao in person when you arrive at your house?¡± After a while, the carriage arrived at Zao Guoquan¡¯s residence.  What made Maung Kei a little flattered was that Zao Guoquan, the highest authority representative in Myanmar's Dashun, actually lowered his rank to welcome him. Although he kept telling himself that this was just superficial, he still had to treat the unspectacular middle-aged man in front of him.  The young man developed some good feelings.  When the two of them sat down, Maung Ji asked impatiently: "My lord, I have just arrived here. When will the negotiations with the British officially begin?" "Wu Maung Ji, please."  Have tea!" Zao Guoquan said with a smile: "I have sent an envoy to the British side. If nothing happens, formal negotiations will begin in five days!"

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 145: Talk 1

    "Five days? So soon?" Maung Ji was slightly surprised.  He was also prepared to find out the inside story first, but now it seemed that time was running out.  "We in China have an old saying, 'Long nights and many dreams'! The British have a cabinet system, and the ministers in power may resign at any time. Once they resign, the previous policies may change. If we cannot take this opportunity to reach an agreement, if there is  Things have changed and the war has continued, and the situation is uncertain! The battlefield is on your soil, and your country also hopes to reach a contract as soon as possible? " "Yes!" Maung Ji nodded, and there was a sense of hope in his heart.  The nobles naturally hope to reach an agreement as soon as possible and restore their estates and interests.  Thinking of this, he asked cautiously: "Master Zao, if the peace negotiation with the British succeeds, what are your next plans?" Zao Guoquan smiled and raised his hand to the northwest: "Next step? I am a minister of the imperial court.  Of course we have to obey the imperial court¡¯s will!¡± ¡°Sir!¡± Maung Kyi gritted his teeth and asked bravely: ¡°I mean, if the peace agreement ends, will your country still have a rebel army in Myanmar?  "There are so many. If we leave the army of Shangguo, something would be wrong." "Oh?" Zao Guoquan's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Maang Ji immediately felt that he was no longer the ordinary middle-aged man in front of him.  The man was a fierce tiger that chose people to devour. He opened his mouth, but his voice stopped in his throat, as if something was blocking his throat.  "Wu Maoji, I think this kind of thing is not what a minister should say, right?" Although Zao Guoquan's voice was still very soft, the cold air in it could not be concealed.  "Good morning, Mr. Zao, what I mean is -" Maung Ji was about to explain, but was interrupted by Zao Guoquan's voice: "Okay, I am already a little tired, so that's it for today! Wu Maung Ji, please forgive me.  , see the guest off!" After saying that, he stood up and left, leaving Maung Ji sitting there dumbfounded, and a long voice came from his ear: "Send off the guest -!" Maung Ji was stunned by the two young people.  The officer took him out, and he almost didn't know how he got back to the carriage.  Sitting on the carriage, he woke up from a dream and confirmed that he had escaped from the tiger's den alive.  In the study, there is a pot of tea and two plates of peanuts and broad beans on the desk.  Zao Guoquan and Batu sat opposite each other, sipping tea with their heads down in silence.  After a while, Batu suddenly asked: "Sir, that guy obviously has something on his mind. Why didn't you let him say it and scare him away?" "Haha!" Zao Guoquan smiled slightly: "  Zhenwu, Zhenwu! I thought that after these days of hard work, you wouldn¡¯t be able to speak tonight, but I didn¡¯t expect that you finally spoke up!¡±  Good question!" "If that were the case, Chen Zaixing would definitely not ask. You are a warrior after all, and your heart is not as round as those scholars!" Zao Guoquan shook his head and sighed: "To put it bluntly, I don't want to.  After this peace negotiation is over, I will either go back to Annan or Guangdong and Guangxi!" Batu was slightly surprised when he heard this: "Why do you say that?" "Don't you see it?  Even if people sign a contract with us, they will not stop secretly. Myanmar is a troubled place, and the conflicts between the nobles, kings, and farmers are extremely sharp. If the British leave, we will be the target of public criticism. If we are not careful, we will repeat the same mistakes.  It¡¯s better to leave early!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the master in Annan doing a good job? Isn¡¯t that a foreign country?¡± Batu retorted unconvinced.  "Annan is Annan, and Myanmar is Myanmar. Ever since my grandfather pacified Annan, Annan has been a vassal state of Dashun for more than two hundred years. There are millions of local Chinese, accounting for more than 20% of the local population, and the rest are all  Moreover, Annan and Guangxi have smooth sea and land transportation; on the other hand, Myanmar has language barriers and inconvenient transportation. The Chinese people believe in Buddhism, but the local monks regard us as aliens. I bet that if we stationed an army here, most of these monks would be  There will be trouble." At this point, Zao Guoquan sighed: "In fact, there are sensible people in the court. They are satisfied that this place is not occupied by the British. They have not thought about annexing it. Now the young ruler is in charge.  The finances of the DPRK are also very tight. If we get stuck here, I'm afraid there will be something unbearable to say!" After hearing what Zao Guoquan said, Batu couldn't help feeling disappointed. He and Chen Zaixing had taken such a big risk.  For the sake of fame and wealth, I have never thought about expanding the territory and leaving a name in history. At least it can become closer to the territory of Dashun. However, according to early Guoquan's words, the court only wants to restore the original status quo. Then  The achievements that I have been working hard to achieve are much inferior.  ??Zhao Guoquan has such a discerning mind. He can already tell Batu's thoughts just by looking at him. He has a good impression of this young officer and recognizes him.As the future pillar of Dashun, he guided in a low voice: "Zhenwu! I am more than ten years older than you. Let me just say something transcendent here. If our generation of warriors only care about their own fame, I am afraid that they will become  Mr. Chuanshan once said: "The country was destroyed by weakness, but the Han Dynasty was destroyed by strength." At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Han army drove the Xiongnu to the east, defeated the Qiang in the west, and killed more than a million people.  It can be said that his army was not weak, but there was a serious disease in the country, and the Yellow Turbans emerged and the powerful separatist regimes were established. Afterwards, although Cao Cao and Sima pacified China, the Hu people also took the opportunity to move into the heart of the Central Plains, and the Yongjia incident taught lessons from this.  , We must keep it in mind! " "That's the lesson, sir!" Batu bowed to Zao Guoquan with a gloomy look. Zao Guoquan also knew that this kind of thing could never be explained in words, and sighed.  : "Zhenwu, it's not that I am jealous of talents and say bad things about Mr. Chen behind his back. Mr. Chen was originally the second choice of the late emperor, and he came from Hongwen Hall. He also experienced some years in Myanmar. It is said that he is capable of both civil and military affairs. He will be the prime minister and assistant in the future.  Hopefully. But I always feel that he is missing something!" "Yes, he is missing something humane!" Zao Guoquan said, "Surely, Mr. Chen has been reading the books of sages for decades.  Although there are many Confucian officials who are ruthless and ruthless, they still have some scruples. However, people like Mr. Chen who act without scruples, who regard the laws and regulations as nothing, and who act only for their own selfish interests, have really never been seen in a certain family in recent years.  I've seen it before." At this point, Zao Guoquan paused: "After all, Mr. Zao is a bit like those British people, greedy and greedy!" "That's enough!"  Standing up at once, he took a deep breath, suppressed his excitement, and said in a deep voice: "Sir, Fusheng and I have gone through many hardships along the way. In any case, if Fusheng had not helped me at that time, Myanmar would have been  As someone who is in the pocket of the British, he is a meritorious minister to the country. Your Excellency, saying this really makes people feel a bit cold." After saying this, he turned around and walked outside without saluting Zao Guoquan.  "You are really a villain in vain!" Zao Guoquan looked at Batu's leaving figure, smiled bitterly, poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, the muscles on his cheeks twitched, and sighed: "Okay  "Bitter!" A few days later, Chen Zaixingye's ship also arrived in Pyay. The drama that started in April last year was finally about to enter its final stage. The British Empire and the Dashun Empire were hidden behind the scenes at first.  The protagonist finally stepped onto the stage and acted opposite him.  Although the representatives from both sides who participated in the talks were not considered top-notch figures in their respective countries at the time, if you turn the hands of the clock back ten years, you will find that there is a great figure sitting on both sides of the negotiating table, with extremely far-reaching influence.  It affected the direction of the two empires and even the entire world. It can be said that this small negotiation, which was originally inconspicuous in world history, became heavier because of these two big figures.  When Arthur Balfour led the British delegation into the negotiation site, the negotiating representative from Dashun also happened to appear at another entrance of the house.  As for Maung Kyi, who represented the Kingdom of Burma, he mingled with the crowd on the Dashun side and, like his country, was ignored.  "I'm glad to see you all here today!" Belfort was not polite and said straight to the point: "Before we start negotiations, I have a problem that I want to resolve with the distinguished gentlemen." Zao Guoquan asked: "  "What's the problem, Mr. Balfour?" "That is our Mr. Horatio Herbert Kitchener. He was attacked by your troops while traveling in Lower Burma. Mr. Kitchener himself.  Captured, obviously since the two sides have ceased war, I request that Mr. Kitchener be returned to us first, and then we can start negotiations!" After hearing the translation, Zao Guoquan was slightly startled, and turned his head to look at Chen Zaixinghe beside him!  Batu.  Chen Zaixing whispered: "Sir, please do not agree to their request. Kitchener is an important prisoner of war on our side. This issue should be discussed after the negotiations begin when the two sides exchange prisoners of war." Zao Guoquan nodded and replied loudly.  : "Mr. Balfour, Mr. Kitchener is our prisoner of war. We can discuss this issue at the negotiating table." "No!" Balfour waved his hand: "Although Mr. Kitchener is a soldier, he is here to  He was on leave in Myanmar and did not undertake any military missions. As we all know, Mr. Kitchener's hobby was geological surveying. He was an amateur geologist at the time. His detention by the army was complete.  Illegal. After all, there is no declaration of war between Dashun and the British Empire, and the two sides have not conducted hostile activities in other areas except Burma. If Mr. Kitchener is detained just because he is a British citizen, then does the Empire also have to do so?  Can all your businessmen in Yangon be detained? Can the Royal Navy seize or sink all your ships?¡± After hearing the translation, a layer of cold sweat broke out on Zao Guoquan¡¯s forehead.  Belfort startedThere was a layer of concealment in the words, but later it turned into outright intimidation and blackmail.  But Zao Guoquan had to admit that the other party did have this ability. He was thinking about how to deal with it. Chen Zaixing on the side took a step forward and replied proudly: "Mr. Balfour, if your country detains in  The Dashun merchants in Yangon and the sinking of the Dashun ships at sea mean a formal declaration of war between the two empires. I think that is not the purpose of your Prime Minister sending you here!" "Your Excellency, the Prime Minister, sent me here!  The purpose is of course peace between the two empires, but peace does not mean weakness. It is very necessary to obtain a fair prerequisite before peace talks, otherwise there is no need for negotiations to begin. Mr. Kitchener is a citizen of the British Empire.  Hero, he was illegally detained while on a peaceful trip. This issue must be resolved before negotiations." "Mr. Balfour, you said that Colonel Kitchener came to Myanmar as an amateur geologist on a peaceful trip.  , but as far as I know this is not the case. The ship on which Captain Kitchener was traveling was protected by well-equipped marines and sailors, and we also found a large amount of combat plans and measurements of the water level of the Irrawaddy River.  , and there is even an unfinished invasion plan for Myanmar. Is this the purpose of this peaceful trip? " Faced with Chen Zaixing's strong argument, Belfort was speechless. He thought for a moment and replied: "I won't be long.  I just came here from London, and I¡¯m not completely sure about the authenticity of what you said¡ª¡ª¡± Chen Zaixing replied, ¡°There¡¯s no problem. If you have any doubts, I can have these documents brought over and let you judge with your own eyes.¡±  The authenticity of all this! " "No, no, I misunderstood you! Mr. Special Envoy!" Belfort looked a little embarrassed. He knew that if these materials really appeared on the scene, he would have no way out:  "As a gentleman, of course I also believe in the credibility of a gentleman. There is absolutely no need for you to do this, absolutely unnecessary!" Zao Guoquan glanced at Chen Zaixing with satisfaction, thinking secretly about how to deal with the unreasonable British guy opposite him.  , but the greedy Mr. Chen is the best at it, it seems that one thing really brings down another thing.  Thinking of this, he laughed: "In that case, Mr. Belfort, can we start negotiations?" "Yes!" Belfort nodded helplessly, but his eyes turned to the man who had just suffered a lot for him.  Chen Zaixing, and Chen Zaixing looked at him without showing any signs of weakness, as if sparks were about to flash between the two.  "Come here, serve tea to all the British adults!" Zao Guoquan ordered in a deep voice. Although he was quite relieved by Chen Zaixing's sharp rebuttal, he also felt quite a headache with his current tense look.  , how can we talk about things like this?  After all, in his heart, he still hopes that a peace agreement can be reached in the end.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 146: Talk 2

    As the steaming tea and coffee were brought, the atmosphere at the negotiation table relaxed a lot, and there was a smile on Belfort's originally stiff face.  Zao Guoquan glanced at Qu Duan who was standing aside. Qu Duan stood up knowingly and said with a smile: "Everyone, China and Britain are major powers in the world. Cooperation will benefit both sides, and war will hurt both. Today, all of you from your country are here.  , It¡¯s really a good thing for Cang Li!¡± After Qu Duan said this, the attendants on the Dashun side of the negotiation table all claimed that it was the British side on the opposite side who were still waiting because they could not understand Chinese.  Among the interpreters on the side, only Maung Ji, who was sitting in the corner, looked livid and felt extremely unhappy. What Qu Duan had just said was full of references to China and Britain. Burma, an ally, was not even mentioned at all. He was clearly ignoring it.  , from this point of view, in the subsequent negotiations, Myanmar is just meat on the chopping board, ready to be slaughtered.  "I agree with your point of view, peace is wonderful, let us praise the goddess of peace!" After listening to the interpreter's translation, Belfort stood up and said loudly: "Since 1860, the British Empire has maintained its control over the Dashun Empire.  The goodwill and expanding trade between the two countries have deepened the bonds of friendship between the two peoples. It is for this reason that Her Majesty's Government has maintained a restrained attitude following the unfortunate events in Myanmar last August.  , to avoid escalation of the situation as much as possible, which also lays a good foundation for the negotiations we are starting now. I personally express my deep regret for the tragic events that have happened to the two great nations.  This tragic incident should be brought to an end quickly. But the premise of all this is the following: "Fortunately, these British guys did not get any benefits on the battlefield, otherwise they would have even cut off the two provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou.  Go!" Chen Zaixing turned his head and whispered to Batu beside him: "They are greedy and shameless. They were clearly the ones who first instigated Meng Ji to launch a coup, but now they are pretending that everything has nothing to do with them. They are as virtuous as their robber ancestors!  " "First, the Kingdom of Burma must compensate for the empire's military expenditures and all economic losses of expatriates and merchants in this series of conflicts, including direct and indirect losses. The specific figures will be submitted to you within two months of the completion of the peace agreement. All  The amount must be paid within six months after submission. If the full amount cannot be paid, interest must be paid based on the then London Interbank Offered Rate 1.5 percentage points higher. Second, recognize the "Bagan" signed between Meng and the British Empire!  The Treaty is still valid. Third, in order to ensure the security of the empire's territories in India, Burma, Bangladesh, etc., the British and Shun sides must reach an understanding on the issue of garrisoning troops in Burma. That is, Dashun's garrison in Burma cannot exceed the limit of self-defense.  The garrison must be notified in advance and obtain the consent of the British Empire in Rangoon, otherwise the status quo in Myanmar cannot be changed. Fourth, both parties will exchange all prisoners of war and deserters, and neither party shall detain the other party in their own hands under any pretext or precondition.  ¡ª¡ª" "I'm sorry, Mr. Belfort, please forgive me for interrupting your speech!" Chen Zaixing stood up and interrupted the other party: "I can't feel any sincerity in peace talks from your proposal. This is simply  It's ridiculous. Not only are you unwilling to make any concessions, but you also want to get many things that cannot be obtained on the battlefield. Is there any meaning in such a peace negotiation? " "Master Chen, I believe I have already shown that in my speech just now.  The greatest sincerity of the empire!" Belfort's voice was not loud, but his words were very clear, as if every word came out from between his teeth.  "Well, in the first article, you asked us to pay for all your country's military expenditures and the direct and indirect losses of expatriates and businessmen. However, your country is not the only one who spends military expenditures. Dashun also spent a huge amount of money. Why only  Your country's talents should be compensated? Has your country already won the war? Is there any sincerity here? " "Master Chen, as the war continues, the money and losses will only increase. The final compensation will be  The amount will also be larger. Isn¡¯t this the greatest sincerity for the empire to request compensation in advance?¡± Chen Zaixing was almost driven crazy and asked: ¡°No matter how much military expenditure there is, there must be a prerequisite for compensation.  , that is, your country is the victor, are you so confident? " "Of course, will there be a second result?" Belfort had an arrogant smile on his face.  The negotiators on Dashun's side were almost stunned by Belfort's arrogance. Zao Guoquan was sitting there trembling all over, making the chair under him rattle.  Chen Zaixing almost wanted to jump up, but there was an invisible force pressing on his shoulders, pressing him firmly to the chair, unable to move.  The atmosphere in the room became stiff, and Belfort stood up calmly: "It seems that I must clarify something in advance. The empire has no right to Burma."??Territorial ambitions, everything done before this has only one purpose, and that is to ensure the balance of power and peace in Indochina.  But this does not mean that any excessive conditions will be accepted, because this would be politically unacceptable.  " While everyone on the Dashun side was still struggling to listen to the interpreter's translation, Chen Zaixing was already carefully pondering the implication of Balfour's words. Balfour's speech sounded like he first announced that Britain had given up its attempt to invade Myanmar, but at the same time it also  Not allowing other countries to have a military presence in Myanmar is the bottom line for the UK in this negotiation. The following sentence may sound like it just emphasizes its determination, but if you think about it carefully, it has a profound meaning.  After thinking about it, Zao Guoquan stood up and said in a cold voice: "Mr. Balfour, your country's proposal is very different from our conditions. Why don't we both calm down first before continuing the negotiation!  " "That's fine!  "Belfort smiled slightly and nodded reservedly to Zao Guoquan. "Yidis, bandits, things that don't understand current affairs!  ¡± There were many people in the room. Zao Guoquan had long lost the reserve of an army commander and cursed angrily. The British draft that the interpreter had just translated had been thrown to the ground by him. There were two more footprints on it. Obviously it was Zao Guo Quan.  Quan just left behind. At this time, he didn't need to maintain his demeanor at the negotiation table. The anger he had just been holding back was vented all at once. The attendants on the side did not dare to get into trouble at this time, and they all lowered their heads and remained silent.  After a while, the anger in Zao Guoquan's chest was almost vented, and he asked Chen Zaixing, who was standing first on the right: "Fu Sheng, how do you think we should respond?  "    "hehe!  Chen Zaixing smiled and said, "The Yingyi are so arrogant. Your Majesty's stern refusal today has dampened their prestige. I believe that in a few days they will realize how powerful they are and they will repent and beg for mercy!"  " Zao Guoquan snorted coldly. He naturally knew that Chen Zaixing had just made a few prevarications. It must be because there were so many people here and he couldn't say something important to avoid being true. So he turned around and sat down.  Next, he picked up the teacup at hand, took a sip of tea, and said coldly: "That's it for today!  " Hearing this, everyone bowed and saluted Zao Guoquan, and then left one after another. Chen Zaixing came out of the door, and just after walking a few steps, a personal servant of Zao Guoquan came out from the inner room, bowed to him and said:  "Master Chen, my master invites you!  " Chen Zaixing nodded, and the servant turned around to lead the way without saying much. Chen Zaixing flicked his sleeves and followed him in. He stood at Quduan not far away and looked at Chen Zaixing's back with cold eyes. Chen Zaixing followed the servant through the two rooms.  Entering the courtyard, the servant reached out to the study room in the courtyard and said, "Master Chen, the master is waiting in the house!  " Chen Zaixing walked straight into the house and saw that Zao Guoquan had changed into casual clothes and was sitting in the Taishi chair in the middle. He was looking at the draft. When he heard the footsteps of Chen Zaixing coming in, Zao Guoquan didn't even look up and said in a deep voice.  : "You can do whatever you want when you are resurrected, no need to be polite!  " "Yes, sir!"  "Chen Zaixing just bowed his hand, and Shi Shiran sat down on a chair beside him, admiring the two paintings and calligraphy on the wall. After a few minutes, Zao Guoquan put down the draft, sighed and said, "During today's meeting,  We understand that there are not many people here, and you are considered one. Now there are only two of you and me in the room. You don¡¯t have to worry about it. You can speak up!  " "Sir, I did gain something today, but this matter concerns the country, and most of my income is just speculation, so I don't dare to lie.  If your Excellency thinks it is appropriate, I would like to have a private meeting with the British envoy tomorrow to determine whether the guess is correct.  ¡± Zao Guoquan thought about it for a moment, and he also knew that such private meetings during the negotiations between the two countries were quite suspicious, not to mention that the domestic Qing Dynasty was extremely popular at this time. If too many benefits were lost from this meeting, this meeting after returning to China would  The secret meeting might become the target of attacks by those remonstrating officials. Chen Zaixing's proposal was actually taking a big risk on his own future. Thinking of this, Zao Guoquan couldn't help but feel a little moved, feeling that although this person was acting recklessly,  Some, but I have the courage to do things, and my previous views on it are still a bit too much. ¡°It would be best if Fusheng is willing to go, but please don¡¯t worry, I will never leak this matter!  " "Thank you, sir!  "The night wind blew through the broad-leaved forest, bringing with it a rustling sound. Belfort stood in the courtyard, looking at a Buddha statue in the courtyard with interest. The head of this Buddha statue was cut off by shrapnel.  It's a big piece, but you can still clearly see the Buddha's peaceful smile from the remaining part. The British mission's accommodation was a small monastery outside the town of Pyay. When the Shun army occupied Pyay, the monks in the monastery  In order to avoid the coming war, they fled here. As a result, they were accepted by the Shun army and now become the residence of the British mission.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 147: Talk Three

    At this time, there was a clear sound of footsteps in the corridor. Belfort raised his head and saw Gillings standing in the corridor. He smiled and said: "Mr. Gillings, I found a beautiful sculpture here. Come and take a look."  , What soft curves, what harmonious proportions. I swear to God, this is simply an Eastern Venus!" Gillings walked down the steps, looked carefully at the Buddha statue that Belfort praised, and shrugged.  Shrugging his shoulders: "Yes, this is a beautiful thing, but it's a pity that half of its head is missing!" "Yes, she is not complete, but what does it mean? Venus of Milos (also known as Venus with broken arms)  ) is also incomplete, but this does not hinder her beauty! " "Maybe you are right! If you really like it, we can mention it to the Chinese people in the meeting tomorrow. I believe they will understand!  "What do you mean?" Gillings didn't understand what the other party meant. He originally came here to exchange views with Belfort on the direction of future negotiations, but the other party expressed his opinions here with great interest.  The artistic point of view made him a little confused.  Belfort seemed not to understand what Gillings meant: "Gillings, don't you think the arrangement of these Chinese people is meaningful? They arranged us in such a peaceful temple, and then placed a statue in our residence.  Couldn¡¯t the wonderful sculpture that was damaged by gunfire want to send some special signal to us? " "This -" Gillings was completely confused by his boss's imaginative words. If he was not the first  When dealing with the young man of noble birth in front of him for the first time, he must have thought that he was a fool who didn't understand anything, but he knew very well that Belfort was not a fool. Every move had its own inherent meaning, and more importantly, his own politics  The future depends on the other party's thoughts, so you must perform correctly at this time.  "Your Excellency, there is an official from Shunguo who wants to meet with you privately!" At this time, the voice of an attach¨¦ of the mission relieved Gillings' worries.  "Oh, very good!" Belfort replied loudly with a smile: "Bring him to me right away!" After that, he winked at Gillings: "You see, we can now ask this question directly to the Chinese  "Chen Zaixing followed the attach¨¦, recalling the last words of the British official during the day. This was also the main reason why he was willing to make this trip. What he should do now is to confirm whether his guess was correct.  It's real now.  "Welcome!" Belfort, who was standing in the yard, smiled warmly at Chen Zaixing, who was standing in the corridor: "So it's you. I remember you understand English. That's great. There is no need for an interpreter between us. It's totally fine."  It's time to have an intimate conversation!" He stepped forward and stretched out his right hand: "You can call me Belfort. In Britain, we prefer to talk while walking rather than sitting in the house. I hope you won't.  They would misunderstand this as a kind of rudeness!" Chen Zaixing stretched out his right hand with some embarrassment and gently shook Belfort's hand: "You can call me Susheng, all my friends are like this.  Call me, I came to you today to exchange opinions with you on the upcoming negotiations." "Very good!" Belfort stretched out his right hand and made a "please go first" gesture: "Then.  Let's get started. I have proposed the British Empire's draft today, so what about your proposal? Let's see how much consensus there is between the two sides." Chen Zaixing was about to speak, but he swallowed the words.  The arrogance during the day and the humility now are two completely different people. Could it be that they are trying to find out their own negotiating trump card.  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing smiled and said: "Mr. Belfort, if it is based on your draft that you found this morning, I think the possibility of both parties reaching a consensus is very slim." Belfort frowned: "What are you talking about?  What do you mean? Do you want to continue the war? " "No, no one wants war, but peace cannot be achieved by making concessions from both sides, but that is obviously not the case now!" Gillings on the side listened impatiently!  , interjected: "Master Chen, as far as I know, it was your country that invaded the Kingdom of Myanmar first. It was you who led the army of Shun State and killed thousands of Burmese people!" "Excuse me, this person  Who is it?" Chen Zaixing asked.  Balfour introduced with a smile: "Mr. Gillings, the former Consul General of the British Empire in Burma, my advisor!" Gillings on the side stiffly bowed slightly to Chen Zaixing.  "It turns out it was you, Mr. Gillings!" Chen Zaixing's face turned cold: "Then who instigated that coup at the beginning, killed the completely innocent legitimate king, and sent people to attack our country's military base in Mandalay?  Where is the Protector¡¯s Office?¡± ¡°This is all just your subjective guess., Mr. Chen.  If you look at the history of this kingdom, coups d'¨¦tat were common, and we Brits weren't here yet?  Is that also because of us?  Gillings replied with a sneer: "The reality is that the Kingdom of Burma was invaded first and it was the noble army that besieged Mandalay. The army of the British Empire entered Burma only after being invited by King Meng Ji of the Kingdom of Burma. It is completely legal!"  " "If the invitation from a regicide is legitimate, then what is the invitation from the heir of the legitimate king?  I couldn't believe that such words came from a gentleman from the British Empire!  "    "OK OK!  "Belfort interrupted the argument between the two: "But remember, we are not lawyers and priests, and this is not a court. We don't need to judge whether things are just or not.  We are just diplomatic envoys, and our mission is to maximize the interests of our country.  Mr. Chen, let us put aside our prejudices tonight and have some constructive conversations!  This morning, I have put forward the British Empire's draft. If you cannot put forward your own side's draft and just express indignation and rejection of my draft, then I can only think that your country has no sincerity for peace.  " Chen Zaixing was silent after hearing this. The meaning of Belfort's last sentence was very obvious, that is, Dashun must come up with its own plan. After all, if there is a gap between the two sides' plans, they can still reach a compromise through negotiation. If one party does not have a proposal,  If he just expresses his opposition to the other party's plan, the other party can only think that the other party does not have the sincerity to negotiate or that it is not the time to reach a peace agreement, which means war. But Chen Zaixing knows the bottom line of the Dashun side and what it is today.  The conditions proposed by Balfort were far different. If he proposed it now, it would most likely mean that the peace talks would stop and the war would resume. He was just a deputy envoy, could he bear this responsibility? He gritted his teeth and said solemnly.  "Mr. Balfour, I come to you today only in a private capacity, so I have no right to present my draft.  But I want to say that it is unacceptable for your country to fully implement the "Bagan Treaty" signed by the puppet King Mengji with your country this morning.  Because if this is the case, then it is tantamount to asking our country to recognize Meng Ji's status as king. Then who are the current eldest princess and the king?  This is absolutely ridiculous.  " Belfort did not immediately answer Chen Zaixing's words. He just walked forward silently. Suddenly he stopped, turned around and said, "Mr. Chen, as you said, in order to eliminate this hidden danger in the future, I can agree to give up my control of "  The itemized rights given to the empire in the Treaty of Bagan, but as compensation, some corresponding rights must be given to the empire in the new contract signed between the empire and the Kingdom of Burma. What do you think?  " Chen Zaixing did not answer immediately. The air seemed to freeze. He knew in his heart that this was the biggest concession Belfort had made. If he showed goodwill, he was afraid that the negotiation would break down immediately. He gritted his teeth and whispered  : "If your country is willing to give up the terms of the Treaty of Bagan, I will suggest to Mr. Zao that you agree to obtain corresponding compensation from the treaty signed between your country and the Kingdom of Myanmar after I return. However, I declare in advance that not all your countries will receive compensation from the Treaty of Bagan."  The rights obtained in the treaty will be compensated. For example, the officers of Myanmar's new army will be trained by your country.  " "Very good, you see, Mr. Chen, I think we have reached a consensus on one issue!  " Balfour replied with a smile. He knew in his heart that Dashun would never agree to the emergence of a Burmese kingdom with a British-trained army in its southern border. If he takes a step back here, he can naturally take a step forward elsewhere. "Then let us  Let¡¯s discuss the issue of military compensation!  In order to express my gratitude to Mr. Chen for taking the initiative to visit, I can even take the initiative to make a little concession!  Balfour said with a smile: "Military expenses and compensation for losses to British expatriates can be advanced by loans from the Bank of England, and the interest terms can also be discounted accordingly."  " "Corresponding discount?  "Chen Zaixing asked doubtfully. He was a little suspicious of Belfort's friendly performance tonight. "Yes!  "Belfort explained with a smile: If the Kingdom of Myanmar cannot pay the corresponding amount immediately, the Standard Chartered Bank of the British Empire can provide a loan advance first, and the interest can also be reduced to an interest rate that is one point higher than the London Interbank Offered Rate, and can be paid in three installments.  To pay it off in ten years, it is like a lotus tongue. "Mr. Belfort, I can feel your goodwill, but I cannot make the decision on this matter alone. I can only promise you that I will make the decision after I return."  Please convey your suggestions completely to Mr. Zao and the envoys from the Kingdom of Myanmar!  "    "very good!  "When Balfour heard this, he was secretly happy. Before he came to Burma this time, he had made up his mind that even if Britain had no choice but to give up its direct occupation of Burma, it would squeeze Burma as much as possible economically, and finally force the other party to go bankrupt.  This will lay a good foundation for the next control of Myanmar and use loans to export surplus capital to control a country.??Agricultural country is simply something that English bankers are too skilled at.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 148: Talk 4

    At this time, an Indian servant wrapped in a black turban came over and told Balfour that tea was ready.  Belfort politely invited Chen Zaixing to come into the house to drink tea with him.  After the two sat down, with a few snacks and black tea, the atmosphere became more and more harmonious. Even though Chen Zaixing was secretly wary, he had to admit that Mr. Belfort in front of him had excellent demeanor, profound knowledge, meaningful conversation, and noble status. He was the current president.  The nephew of the British Prime Minister makes people involuntarily have a good impression and admiration for him.  "Master Chen, let us discuss the last item now! When can you return Mr. Kitchener and those rebellious Indian soldiers to us?" "After the peace agreement is reached, Kitchener can be handed over to us immediately.  Mr. Na and other prisoners of war will be returned to your country, and you can even send an envoy to visit Mr. Kitchener immediately." At this point, Chen Zaixing's expression changed: "As for the Indian soldiers, I think this depends on their own wishes.  If they are willing to return to India, they will be returned to you together with the prisoners of war!" "Master Chen, these are a group of traitors. They betrayed us and will betray you one day. It is dishonorable for your country to house such deserters!  " "I don't think so, Mr. Belfort! They are just a group of poor people looking for a new life!" Chen Zaixing laughed.  Although Balfort made repeated requests later, Chen Zaixing still insisted on his opinion on this issue. In the end, Balfort had no choice but to make concessions. After all, in his opinion, compared with the benefits gained from the previous items, this  The fate of more than a thousand sepoys was insignificant.  Finally, when Chen Zaixing left the residence of the British Mission, both the interviewer and the interviewee felt that they had taken a huge advantage, so they behaved more and more politely on the surface, as if friends reunited after not seeing each other for many years.  The Shun Army commanded the shogunate. Although it was already late at night, the lights in the study were brightly lit. Zao Guoquan, Chen Zaixing, Batu, Qu Duan and other senior officials of the Shun Army were present. Chen Zaixing was listening to Chen Zaixing whispering about the incident between him and Belfort.  The result of the conversation.  "Mr. Chen, what do you mean by your words, is this the bottom line for the British?" Zao Guoquan asked in a deep voice after listening to Chen Zaixing's story.  "As you can see below, maybe the British will make some concessions in some minor and detailed aspects, but this should be the big deal!" Chen Zaixing said solemnly: "You adults should know that the former British Prime Minister  He strongly advocated tough measures to solve the Burma issue, and the change of cabinet in London was the decisive reason why the British turned to suing for peace. Mr. Balfour, the leader of the mission, is the nephew of the current British Prime Minister. This shows that the Prime Minister hopes for a quick solution.  Determination on the Myanmar issue! " Qu Duan asked: "In that case, I don't understand why Mr. Chen said that this is the British bottom line? If Mr. Balfour is eager to seek peace, we can use delaying tactics.  To force the other party to make greater concessions? " "Mr. Qu, you don't know something! The British government is different from ours. Once the prime minister of our country changes, the former prime minister will leave the court and move to the border counties. He is unable to interfere in the government affairs.  The British prime minister ascended the throne, and the former prime minister was still in the parliament, attacking the latter in every possible way. Therefore, if Balfour could not come up with sufficiently favorable peace terms, the peace negotiation would be at a loss.  He will become the target of the old minister in the parliament, and it may lead to the downfall of his uncle. Therefore, if he cannot get the conditions he is satisfied with in a short time, he will choose to use strong methods to achieve his goal. After all, in the parliament.  The old prime minister cannot use this reason to attack the current prime minister. "Zhao Guoquan nodded: "Master Chen is right. If I were in the position of British prime minister, I would do this by sending my most trusted person to give him full power.  , first use the peace negotiation time to mobilize troops and use it to coerce the other side. If the peace negotiation can succeed, that is the best. If it fails, it will be solved by force. In short, we cannot give the domestic enemy an excuse to attack!" "The coach has set the tone!  , the rest of the people also nodded, Zao Guoquan asked: "Mr. Chen, which of these terms do you think you can compete with the British?" "One is the amount of money, although this  The money is provided by the Kingdom of Burma, but if it is too much, the finances will be bankrupt and the situation will be corrupted, I am afraid that there will be trouble in the southwest of our country, so I suggest that we should send out capable officials to argue with the British and try to reduce the amount paid.  One of them is an Indian soldier. The subordinate believes that even if the peace agreement is signed, the British will not stop infiltrating Burma. Most of the British soldiers are Indian soldiers. They have the same ethnicity and speak the same language as these people. We have in our hands.  Such a force will surely solve the emergencies. "Will this become an excuse for the British to provoke?" Qu Duan asked.  Zao Guoquan waved his hand: "It doesn't matter, the British can make excuses everywhere, as long as I am prepared, they will have no chance to take advantage of it!" "What you said is the truth!" "Sir Chen, sinceTherefore, I will send someone to inform the British mission tomorrow to resume peace negotiations with them.  You are proficient in Burmese. You will inform the Burmese envoy about this matter tomorrow to avoid any mistakes during the talks!  " "Yes, sir!"  " When Zao Guoquan gave his instructions, he seemed to be talking about an insignificant matter. He did not take one party to the negotiation seriously at all. The same was true for the other people in the room, who took it for granted. It can be seen that in this incident,  After that, both the British and Dashun had regarded Myanmar as their own. There was no big difference. When Chen Zaixing returned to his residence and was about to go to bed after washing, he reported to Kong Zhang that he wanted to see him.  He frowned, suppressed his sleepiness, and ordered him to be brought to the study. He then drank a few sips of strong tea before walking to the study. Kong Zhang was restless in the study, like an ant on a hot pot, when he saw Chen Zaixing.  When he came in, he stood up and grabbed the other person's arm: "Resurrection, let me ask you, do the British want to lend money to the Kingdom of Burma?  " Chen Zaixing looked lifeless. He was so tired after the day that his eyelids were fighting. He slapped Haqie while replying: "Yes, but the formal negotiations will not start for two days. Now this is just their proposal.  It¡¯s just a condition!  " "Sure enough!  Luckily I caught up!  Kong Zhang increased the amount with his hands: "Before I came to Myanmar this time, Liu Qingyang specially told me to lend as much money as possible to the Myanmar royal family, at least not to allow British banks to get in."  Resurrection, you must never agree to this condition from the British!  " "Why do you say that?  "Chen Zaixing came back to his senses with a jolt. "Fusheng, when the British borrow money, the interest rate is definitely not low. If you can borrow ten yuan with a 20% discount, you will be thankful to get seven yuan, and you have to use various taxes or minerals as collateral.  , with the little financial income of the Burmese royal family, it will definitely not be able to pay off the British debts by then.  It became the British's in a matter of seconds. Such a cheap thing cannot fall into the hands of the British. I am here to represent our two major banks in Dashun, North and South. When we borrowed money after the war, our brothers settled the matter and decided to  It cannot fall into the hands of the British!  "Kong Zhang said the last word and clapped his chest vigorously, as if he was determined to win. Chen Zaixing cheered up and thought about it for a while, and said: "That's fine. When we discuss the amount of compensation with the British during the negotiations in two days, I still need one more person.  Expert helper, how about you become my attach¨¦ and attend this negotiation?  "    "well!  "Kong Zhang excitedly clapped his hands and said: "Then when we borrow money this time, we are 100% sure it will be ours!  " Chen Zaixing was already sleepy and dying. Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Kong Zhang hurriedly got up and left. The next day, when Chen Zaixing remembered what he had promised Kong Zhang last night, he couldn't help feeling a little regretful. After all, it was such an important matter.  It was still a bit excessive for me to skip the early state power and act arbitrarily. But then I thought about it, and my future career in Myanmar was already inseparable from Kong Zhang and the banking group behind him. This time, I decided to go to Myanmar first.  The envoy informed him of last night's events, and then went back to discuss with Zao Guoquan the matter of handing over the loan to a domestic bank. Maung Ji's residence was very close to Chen Zaixing's. After breakfast, Chen Zaixing walked around the courtyard wall.  After turning a corner, he arrived in front of the other party's door and asked the gatekeeper to inform him. After a while, he saw a Burmese nobleman with a Qingjun appearance hurrying out of the room. He was still more than ten steps away and said, "Master Chen."  I'm here to visit. I'm sorry for the delay in greeting you. Please forgive me!  " "The official came so abruptly!  I hope Wu Maoji will forgive me!  "Chen Zaixing took two steps forward, stretched out his hand to support Maung Ji's salute, and said with a smile: "I have lived in Myanmar for many years and have heard of your reputation. Your majesties have really won you over by sending you here this time!  " "Master Chen is ridiculous!  "Hearing Chen Zaixing's compliment, Maung Kee couldn't help but feel moved. As a member of the Burmese aristocracy who has strong national sentiments and wants to maintain national integrity, he was indignant at the cold treatment he had received a few days ago, but when he saw  Chen Zaixing came to visit alone, and he couldn't help but fantasize about whether it was Mr. Chen who wanted to discuss the upcoming negotiations with him. He quickly smiled and said: "It's windy here, not a place to talk. Sir, please follow me!"  " The two of them entered the room and sat down respectively. Maung Ji thought for a while and asked carefully: "Mr. Chen, there is a saying in your country: 'If you have nothing to do, don't go to the Three Treasures Hall.' What is the reason for your coming here today?  Woolen cloth?  " "Well, since you are so cheerful, brother, I won't be polite!  "Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "I came today just for one thing. Yesterday morning, your Excellency decided to restart negotiations with the British, so I will let you know so that we can deal with it together!  " Chen Zaixing's words were like a basin of cold water poured down from his head when he heard Maung Ji's ears. Obviously, the Chinese have reached a general framework with the British this time, and now they are just here to symbolically inform themselves.  ??That¡¯s all.  Without listening to the content, you can guess that the Kingdom of Burma must be the party that suffered the greatest loss in this negotiation. The Chinese once again reached a compromise with the British at the expense of the interests of their own vassal countries.

 Volume 3: The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 149: Talk Five

    Mao Jiqiang suppressed the anger in his heart and whispered: "Master Chen, I would like to hear the details!"  But he didn't feel anything strange about the other party at all. He calmly recounted the content of the discussion with Belfort last night, and finally said: "I argued with this guy for a long time, weakened his edge, and then reached a compromise! Brother, I have heard of Ying for a long time.  He is arrogant and rude, and I have just seen him today. He is indeed well-deserved.¡± When Maung Ji saw Chen Zaixing, he kept saying that the British were rude, but seeing the look of pride on his face, he was obviously quite satisfied with his results.  He couldn't help but become more and more angry.  Mao Jiqiang suppressed his anger and asked in a deep voice: "Sir Chen, do you know whether you know about this draft?" "Of course you do!" Chen Zaixing had a look of surprise on his face: "If you didn't know about this draft, you wouldn't know it?"  Brother, how dare I leak such things privately?" As soon as he said it, Chen Zaixing realized that there was a warning in his words, and quickly explained: "Sir, please don't misunderstand me, I didn't mean to be wary of you, sir.  "Shun Shun is strict, and you are not allowed to do anything casually!" Maang Ji stood up and said solemnly: "Sir Chen, if I had known about it earlier, I would not have dared to hear about it. If it was according to what I just said, after the contract is signed,  Our country will not only cede the richest territory of Lower Burma, but also pay a large amount of money to the British, and even lose the navigation rights of the largest river. How is this different from the subjugation of the country? Our country has always regarded the upper country as its parent.  Is there any parent in the world who treats their children like this?" Chen Zaixing couldn't help but feel a headache when he heard this. Naturally, he didn't believe what Maung Ji said about the close relationship between Burma and Dashun. After all, Dashun was in Manchuria more than a hundred years ago.  Dele lost 100,000 troops, but the current king of Myanmar was indeed supported by Dashun. In the blink of an eye, he would be cut into pieces. If Luo Lin knew about it, he would not be able to meet him when he returned.  , not to mention that if all kinds of changes were caused in Myanmar because of this, when the slate in the court was knocked down, neither he nor Zao Guoquan would be able to escape.  "Wu Maung Ji, you can't say that. When Mandalay changed in April last year, if I, the Dashun generals, had not escorted the two majesties to escape, and then sent troops to escort them back to the country, how could the puppet king Meng Ji have saved anything?  Dashun sent tens of thousands of troops and paid nearly 10 million yuan. Didn¡¯t you see it, Wu Maangji?¡± Hearing Chen Zaixing¡¯s words, Maungji was speechless for a moment. He also knew that what Chen Zaixing said was right, but he still couldn¡¯t accept it emotionally.  As a result, sitting in the chair looks earth-colored and sweats on the forehead.  Chen Zaixing couldn't urge him at this time, so he had to sit there and wait. After about half an hour, Maung Ji stood up and saluted Chen Zaixing: "Mr. Chen, I know what you said makes sense, but Maung Ji is incompetent.  , I really cannot afford to let such a humiliating treaty come from my own hands. So, I will leave for Mandalay today, ask your Majesty to resign, and find another wise man to participate in the negotiation." After that, I will take care of myself!  Gu walked toward the door.  "Stop!" Maung Ji had just taken two steps when he heard a loud shout in his ears. When he turned around, he saw Chen Zaixing sitting in a chair. His face was ashen and he was no longer as gentle as usual.  "You are so bold. Let me tell you the truth, whether you are willing or not, you must stay here until the end of the peace negotiation. Don't toast or eat as a penalty!" Maang Ji was stunned by Chen Zaixing's rude behavior.  , after a moment he came back to his senses and said in a trembling voice: "I am the envoy of the Kingdom of Myanmar, how could you treat me like this? I, I must report the things here to your majesty after I return to Mandalay!" "That's right.  Your freedom!" Chen Zaixing said coldly: "But before that, you must stay here and sign the treaty according to our requirements. If you refuse our requirements, you will be responsible for all the consequences!"  "Consequences? What consequences?" "If you leave here privately, Dashun will negotiate a separate peace with Britain. After that, if your country refuses to implement the contents of the treaty, Dashun and Britain will jointly send troops to ensure that all the terms in the peace treaty are fulfilled  Implement it effectively!" "You, you!" Maang Ji was almost stunned by Chen Zaixing's rudeness. After a while, he calmed down and said, "You have no right to do this!  I agree with your chaos, I want to¡ª¡ª" "Hehehe!" Chen Zaixing suddenly laughed loudly. After a while, he stood up, walked to Maung Ji, grabbed the other party's collar, and stared at him.  His eyes sneered: "Who said we don't have the right to negotiate a separate peace with the British? Let me tell you the truth. The message sent by the imperial court made it very clear that Mr. Zao was given full power on the Burmese issue. As long as he ensures that I  On the premise of ensuring peace in several provinces on Shun's southwest border, Burma was a small country. Dashun sent tens of thousands of troops to fight against the most powerful country in the world, spending tens of millions of military personnel. Some princes in Korea and China have long advocated negotiating peace as soon as possible.? As long as we can negotiate with the British, let alone leaving Myanmar as a small country, even if we agree with the British to carve up Myanmar, what does it mean?  Did you just say that you wanted to go back and report to your majesties?  If either of them is as stubborn as you, I don't mind another mutiny in Mandalay. Anyway, Myanmar has many children and grandchildren in the past. With a crown, what's the difficulty in finding a head?  " Song Shen was knocked down by Chen Zaixing's words. For the first time, he felt that something terrible had awakened inside the body of the man in front of him, who usually always had a gentle smile, and opened his sharp claws.  Staring at himself fiercely, as if he would devour him if he made the slightest move. Seeing this, Chen Zaixing snorted coldly, let go of Song Shen's collar, and said coldly: "I have done my best today, where can I go, Wu Maoji."  It's up to you!  Brother, I say goodbye!  "After that, he flicked his sleeves and turned to leave. After Chen Zaixing left, Maung Ji stood alone leaning against the wall, his eyes dull. Suddenly, his body seemed to have been detached, and he slid down against the wall and sat down.  He hugged his head and cried on the ground, and the intermittent crying echoed in the night sky, which sounded like an ape's cry from a distance, which made people feel heartbroken. Two days later, the negotiations resumed, and the atmosphere between Yingshun and Belfort became much more harmonious.  They took the initiative to make considerable concessions on the basis of the demands made at the first meeting, which surprised the attach¨¦s of the British mission who did not know the inside story. At the end of the third day of the resumption of negotiations, the British and Shun parties were already at the main points.  Consensus was reached on the following issues: 1. Since Gillings, the British Consul General in Burma who signed the Treaty of Bagan with Bangladesh at the time, did not receive sufficient authorization, the Treaty of Bagan was not binding on the British and Burmese parties. 2  , the British Empire recognized Dashun as the suzerainty of the Kingdom of Burma, and Dashun guaranteed the demilitarization of the Kingdom of Myanmar. The total number of Dashun troops stationed in Myanmar did not exceed 1,500. If additional troops were needed, the British must be obtained in advance.  Agree. 3 The Kingdom of Burma must pay four million pounds in military expenses and other direct losses to its expatriates and businesses to the British Empire within six months after the peace treaty comes into effect. The amount of the losses to its expatriates and businesses will be determined by one person, two Chinese, two British and  A statistical team composed of a Burmese conducted statistics. 4 The British Empire retained the two provinces of Rakhine and Tenasalin on the southwest coast of Myanmar, which were acquired in the first Anglo-Burmese and Second Anglo-Burmese wars.  In addition to Yangon, the entire Lower Burma will be obtained. 5. British ships can sail freely from the entrance of the Irrawaddy River to Mandalay. When necessary, the British armed fleet can sail freely within the Irrawaddy River after notifying the Burmese side. 6.  British businessmen can freely enter Myanmar to do business, and the maximum tax on their imported and exported goods does not exceed 7%. To use a sentence from the report sent back to London by the accompanying reporter Jensen of the Daily Telegraph: "  Maybe the Chinese were the victors on the battlefield before, but Mr. Balfour was the victor at the negotiation table. He won the victory at the negotiation table without any effort that the previous gentlemen did not win in Burma.  Myanmar took everything it could, leaving only mud and air to those yellow-skinned monkeys!  "But Mr. Jenson also saw the hidden dangers behind the superficial results. At the end of the article, he wrote cryptically: "But this treaty is so beneficial that I can't help but worry about those while cheering.  When the Chinese and Burmese find that they have paid so much but gained so little, will they, like a gambler who has lost the last coin in his pocket, overturn the table and demand a do-over from the casino?  May God bless us, but until then, let¡¯s do as our ancestors warned: ¡®Put on the velvet gloves, but wear the iron fist gloves underneath!  '" Now that the main issues have been resolved, the remaining details can be presented as decently as possible by both parties. After all, one of the two negotiating parties is a global hegemon, and the other is an empire that has dominated East Asia for thousands of years. Negotiating  The harmonious atmosphere at the table made people suspect that not long ago, tens of thousands of soldiers from both sides were fighting at the risk of their lives. "Master Zao, Master Chen, General Ba!"  "Mr. Wu Maung Kee" put down the signature pen in his hand, and Balfour raised the amber wine glass with a smile on his face: "With our joint efforts these days, the British Empire, Dashun Empire, and the Kingdom of Myanmar finally reached an agreement, peace  We will come back to the beautiful land of Myanmar. Let us drink to the signing of the contract and to peace!  " "To peace, cheers!  "Applause and sounds in several languages ??echoed in the hall. Everyone's face was full of smiles. Only Maung Ji had no smile on his face. He drank the wine in the glass like everyone else, but  The liquid in his mouth was not as fragrant as usual, but was unbearably bitter. ¡°It¡¯s so bitter!  "Maung Ji closed his eyes, and two lines of tears flowed down from the corners of his eyes, across his cheeks. At this time, the proud laughter of foreigners came from his ears, which made him feel even more uncomfortable. "Why?  In this way, the fate of the Burmese peopleIt is up to the British and the Chinese to decide. They fought on our soil, burned our cities, killed our people, and in the end asked us to pay for their wars and cede our lands to satisfy their needs.  Greed, is there no justice in this world?  "There was such a voice shouting in Maung Ji's heart. His fingers were cold, but his heart was as hot as fire. Suddenly his fingers slipped, and the glass in his hand fell to the ground, shattering to pieces. "  "A sound broke the joyful atmosphere in the field. A few eyes glanced at Maung Ji, who was standing frozen on the side, and then slid over, as if there was only transparent air there. "You take that Burmese man down, I think there is something wrong with him.  , don't mess up!  "Zhao Guoquan turned his head and whispered to Qu Duan. Qu Duan nodded knowingly. After a while, two servants came up and helped Maung Ji down. The fragments of the wine glass on the ground were also cleaned up, as if nothing happened. "Bell  Mr. Fu, these Chinese people are so rude. They dragged an envoy from the kingdom away like a lowly slave!  "Gillings whispered. "Gillings, as a gentleman, we should not see these things that should not be seen at this time!  After all, in a sense, the Chinese are also relieving us of trouble!  "Not far away from Belfort, a white woman who smiled at him nodded. "You're right!  "Gillings glanced around uneasily. At this time, he felt quite uneasy. Now that the peace treaty was signed, his future political fate would depend on the big man who came down from London in front of him. He gritted his teeth.  , said in a low voice: "Your Excellency, now that the war in Myanmar is over, I would like to take the liberty to make a request to you, whether you would like me to return to London. A few days ago, I received a telegram from my father, and he hoped that I could return to the country.  Run my family's estate!  " At this point, Gillings stared at Balfour's lips with uneasiness. Belfort's beautifully shaped lips revealed a sarcastic smile, as if he had seen through the other party's temptation: "Mr. Gillings, I  I understand your yearning for country life, but I hope you can postpone it for a while.  After the peace is signed, you make a trip to southern China and write a report of what you see and hear. I need this in the House of Commons.  I don't know if you are happy with it!  " "Of course, of course, it's my honor!  "Gillings replied excitedly. In this way, he can clear his reputation as a traitor in front of the Prime Minister, and his political future will be saved. What else can be happier than this? "You can ask me.  Which cities do I need to go to?  And what is the focus of this report?  " "Gillings, what I need is an extensive report.  For example, how much money can these lower-class Chinese people earn in a month?  What do they usually eat?  How was your stay?  How many factories are there in their cities, how do their emperors and provincial governors divide power, are their finances well-off?  From what social class do their army soldiers generally come?  What class do the officers come from?  I give you half a year to select three to five well-trained followers to go on this important trip together.  I have a hunch that in the near future, this lion of the East will become the most powerful opponent of the British Empire in the East!  " "Yes, Your Excellency, I will definitely take this mission seriously!"  "Gillings nodded seriously. On this issue, he had a deeper personal experience than Belfort. He took a sip of wine and was about to turn around when his body suddenly froze and whispered: "Your Excellency, that Chen  The adults are coming!  "

 Volume 3 The Wind Rises in the South Chapter 150 Ending

    "Well!" Belfort nodded slightly: "Let me talk to him alone!" "Yes, Your Excellency!" Gillings turned and left. Belfort turned around with a sincere smile on his face: "Oh,  Mr. Chen, it¡¯s nice to see you again!¡± ¡°Me too, Mr. Belfort!¡± Chen Zaixing said with a smile: ¡°Thank you for the concession you made earlier!¡± ¡°You mean giving up the bank loan?¡±  Belfort smiled and said: "It's nothing. I understand your request very well. Your country's banks also need an opportunity to enter Myanmar. You can't spend a lot of military expenditures and the precious blood of warriors and get nothing in the end.  This is unjustifiable! As for the concession I made, it is nothing compared to the tens of millions of pounds of trade between Yingshun and Shun. " "You are really a generous person!" Chen Zaixing said lightly.  Clinked wine glasses with each other.  Belfort looked around, smiled and said: "Mr. Chen, this room is a little stuffy. Would you like to have another pleasant walk with me like that night? "Of course, this is my honor!  " Chen Zaixing and Belfort were walking on the lawn in the yard. The noise coming from the hall not far away sounded a bit distant at this time. The bushes not far away exuded a pleasant fragrance. Chen Zaixing was alert.  Staring at the back of this white man, he had already learned how powerful he was. ¡°Mr. Chen, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?  " Belfort suddenly asked. Chen Zaixing replied with some surprise: "Of course!  " "After you have made such great achievements in the creation of Myanmar, where will you go next?  "    "this?  "Chen Zaixing pondered for a moment: "I don't know this yet. If there are no accidents, I should return to Hanking and wait for the supreme arrangement!  " "Then do I have the honor to invite you to London for a pleasant trip after being a Supreme Being?  " Chen Zaixing was a little surprised by Belfort's sudden invitation. Belfort smiled and explained: "Master Chen, please don't mind. I think establishing a good relationship between you and me is both for us personally and for our motherland.  It's all very beneficial, isn't it?  " "Of course, of course!  It's a pleasure to be invited by you!  "Chen Zaixing hurriedly responded. At this time, there was a noise in the hall. The two people turned their eyes to the hall together. It turned out that Colonel Kitchener, who had been captured by the Shun army before, was brought here. In order to show sincerity, early Guoquan  After the peace treaty was signed, the important prisoner was immediately brought to the peace chamber, and the British present cheered the unfortunate hero. "Please forgive me, it seems that I have to end this pleasant walk.  , I must go back to the hall to cheer for the heroes.  Belfort smiled and winked at Chen Zaixing: "Mr. Chen, I look forward to meeting you in London!"  " "Looking forward to the same!  " In this way, the war that swept the two empires into each other and started in April 1885 ended at almost the same time the following year. The two empires shook hands and made peace, singing the tune of friendship and peace.  The rainy season that comes as expected erases the traces, as if the war never happened. However, the impact of this war is far-reaching. A traveler from thirty years later will be surprised to find many familiar names here.  The footprints of the big names who will be famous in the future all start from here. It is no wonder that Janson lamented sadly in his memoirs: "If we look to the past, we will be surprised to find a fact, that is, human beings will never  Always moving from one extreme to the other. If we were too soft in dealing with the Chinese in 1885, which ultimately led to the reversal of the East Asian pattern thirty years later, then in the first decade of the twentieth century, our treatment of our Germanic cousins  The excessive suspicion directly led to the collapse of European civilization.  Ominous black clouds began to appear on the horizon, and the sound of the whip of the Tatar King (referring to the Chinese Emperor) echoed in the sky.  Sometimes I really envy those who left before me, they did not have to see the church's sky slowly collapse" But now let us put aside the scholar's complaints for the time being and follow another character in this book.  Come on, his mood at this time may be even sadder than that of the scholar, because he saw with his own eyes that his motherland was like a piece of pork on a chopping board, being slaughtered arbitrarily amidst the bargaining between customers and butchers. What made him even more desperate.  : When he told the King and the Regent Princess what had happened, the Princess did not agree with his exposure and accusations against the Chinese. Instead, she expressed doubts. Could it be that the Princess had really been raped as rumored outside?  Love went to your head and you gave yourself and your country to that Master Chen? "Master!  What are you¡ª" Maung Kee's backyard. The guard looked at Maung Kee's face in surprise. His master looked thin andAs he turned pale, the usual gentle smile on his face disappeared, replaced by gloom and fatigue. Qing Jun's face seemed to have been carved by a knife, leaving deep traces of worry. Time seemed to speed up on him.  The speed, if not for the familiar voice, would have been almost unrecognizable to the guard for a moment.  "Is the man locked up on the ground floor still there? Open the door, I want to see him!" Maung Ji whispered.  "Yes, Master!" The guard turned around carefully. Maung Ji's voice did not change much, but for some reason, it sounded a bit colder, which made people feel chilly involuntarily.  Maung Ji walked into the house, and a sour smell rushed into his nostrils. The guard on the side whispered awkwardly: "Master, why don't you go out first, the smell is too strong now -" "No, you  Give me the key on this person and go out. I want to talk to him alone!" "Yes, Master!" Maang Ji took the key and waited for the guard to go out, then looked at the clothes lying in the hay for a while.  The ragged man suddenly said: "Stop pretending, I know you're awake!" The body in the haystack moved a little, making a crisp metal collision sound, and then a deep voice asked: "What are you doing here? Execute me.  Is it time?" "No!" Mao Ji looked at the man with a stained face and only one pair of eyes: "I'm here to release you, Wu Songcan!" "Release me?" Songcan sneered.  After a long silence, he asked, "Have you come up with any new tricks to make fun of me? Tiger, elephant, or wolf?" "No, you guessed it wrong!" Maung Ji didn't refute. He knelt down and opened the door.  Song Shen was shackled on his hands and feet. Song Shen rubbed his numb wrists and ankles twice, looked at the other party coldly, and said nothing.  Maung Ji stood up, pointed to the open door and said: "You can go out now, no one will stop you. Or you can take a shower and eat first, put on clean clothes and then leave!" Song Shen did not leave.  Go, he looked at Maung Ji and asked: "Why? What happened?" "Nothing! You will know everything after you get out!" "No, I want you to tell me!" Songcan stepped forward and grabbed  Maung Kyi's arm.  "The peace treaty was signed, and we were betrayed by the Chinese!" Maung Kyi replied: "No, it should be said that the Chinese and the British united to divide the Kingdom of Burma!" "Because of this? So you released me?" "Yes.  Yes! I tried my best to argue and resist at the negotiating table, but it was all useless in front of the Chinese and British. They were like two robbers who robbed together. Facts have proved that the king and the nobles have already.  There is no way to protect this country. The nobles are just walking dead. They don¡¯t deserve to have land and wealth, so I decided to let you try. Maybe you can¡¯t, but it¡¯s better than doing nothing!¡± The room fell silent.  After a while, Song Shen walked out the door, and Maung Ji stood aside without saying a word, as if his soul had left his body, leaving only an empty shell.  "Wu Maung Ji!" Song Shen suddenly stopped: "I originally thought that I would never say thank you to a nobleman again in this life, but today I still want to say thank you to you!" "You don't have to thank me!  There is no hope for this country. I hope you can find a new path! The butler is in the hall. You can tell him anything you want. I have already given the order!" I don't know how much time passed, but there was a sound in the distance.  There was a muffled thunder, which heralded the coming rainy season. Maung Ji was awakened by the thunder and turned around. At this time, the yard was empty. He sighed and walked out.  There was silence in the main hall of the palace. The young king Luo Qin was sitting on the throne, carefully observing his sister beside him with the corner of his eye. On the surface, the regent princess was no different than usual, but if she was  It is not difficult for those who are familiar with it to judge the anger deep inside this girl from the details of her appearance at this time.  "Myanmar was betrayed, Mr. Chen betrayed me!" At this time, these two sentences echoed in Luo Lin's mind. She unconsciously grasped the armrest of the seat, so that she did not feel that the skin on her palms had been cut by nails.  Punctured, the young girl felt again the familiar emotions of being on the run - anger and panic.  There was a communication sound outside, and an attendant whispered: "Your Majesty, Master Chen, please see me!" "Let him come in!" Luo Lin's voice was cold and unfamiliar, without the usual agility.  Luo Qin on the side couldn't help but glance at his sister worriedly.  A moment later, with the rhythmic footsteps, Chen Zaixing walked in from the outside. After saluting the Luo Lin siblings on the throne, he said respectfully: "Foreign Minister Chen Zaixing wishes that your majesties are well!""Master Chen, please stand up and give me a seat!" Chen Zaixing seemed to feel the abnormality in the atmosphere at this time. He raised his head and carefully observed Luo Lin on the throne. He saw that the fair face of the eldest princess was expressionless under the gorgeous golden crown, especially  The pair of eyes that usually revealed affection to her were dead silent. At this time, she was like a beautiful wax figure, as if there was an invisible barrier between her and Chen Zaixing, cutting off communication.  "Oops, it must be that Maung Kee who said bad things in front of Luo Lin. She blamed me for not fighting for Myanmar and signing a contract with the British at the expense of Myanmar's interests, just for my own fame and wealth!" Chen Zaixing thought for a moment and guessed it.  He knew that after the coup in April last year, Luo Lin returned to the country for restoration with the support of the Shun Army, but because almost all the ministers loyal to his father Xipao died in the coup,  After returning to the country, he witnessed the greed and incompetence of the Burmese nobles.  So she gave her greatest trust and admiration to Chen Zaixing, who worked tirelessly to restore her. It was for this reason that Luo Lin's reaction to this betrayal became more intense. Chen Zaixing could completely feel the calmness beneath the surface.  Contains anger and excitement.  In the blink of an eye, Chen Zaixing had thought about the whole matter clearly. He knew in his heart that if he could not break Luo Lin's defense immediately and restore the close relationship between the two, the situation would develop in an extremely unfavorable direction for him: "You two  Your Majesty, I came to see you this time to say goodbye!" "I'm saying goodbye? Mr. Chen has done a great job this time, so I guess he will be moved, right?" Luo Lin replied coldly.  "Your Majesty, the foreign minister plans to go to Shanghai this time. As for promotion?" At this point, Chen Zaixing sighed and replied: "The foreign minister plans to write to the court when he comes back from Shanghai, requesting to resign and go into seclusion.  "Resigning and going into seclusion?" Luo Lin's face changed slightly and he asked in a low voice, "Mr. Chen, what happened?" Chen Zaixing laughed: "It's nothing, your Majesty."  It should be known that the foreign minister resigned from his post because of an incident many years ago. There are two reasons for his appointment as Feng Fu. First, although I am no longer an obedient minister, I am still a citizen of Dashan and an Englishman.  After occupying Burma, our southern territory of Dashun will not be peaceful. Now that Chen has encountered him, it is natural for him to refuse. Secondly, Chen has been taught by saints since he was a child. He is most resentful of rebellious ministers and traitors. After Meng colluded with foreign countries and killed the king, Chen  Naturally, I can't tolerate him. Now that Meng is dead, if Chen's trip to Shanghai goes well, the other thing will be done, and his fame and fortune are nothing like mine, so he will naturally resign!  It was for the sake of his own fame and wealth that he betrayed Myanmar's interests during negotiations. Not only did he cede the territory of Lower Myanmar, but he also paid a large amount of money to Britain as compensation.  But when I heard that he said that he would resign from his official position soon, it was obvious that the previous inference was no longer valid. I couldn't help but wonder: "Did I blame him wrongly?" But he asked: "What is the purpose of Mr. Chen going to Shanghai this time?" Chen Zaixing  Hearing Luo Lin's question, he was secretly happy: "Your Majesty, as far as I know, Myanmar's treasury is empty after this war, and in the peace treaty, Myanmar must pay a large sum of money to the British. If the money cannot be obtained, I am afraid that the British  People will use this as an excuse to start another war, so I plan to go to Shanghai and contact the bank there to discuss the loan. " "That's it!" Luo Lin unconsciously reached out to touch his chest.  It can calm down the violently beating heart. In the girl's heart, there is a voice shouting loudly: "He has not betrayed you. He has been running for you and the fate of Myanmar. You shouldn't doubt him?" But again?  There was another voice arguing loudly: "He has always been just pretending. This man is just like everyone else. All his actions are just for his own benefit. He will betray you at any time!" The two voices were like  The two armies were fighting in the girl's mind. Luo Lin's face turned red and white, no longer as calm as before.  Chen Zaixing asked in surprise: "Your Majesty, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?" Luo Lin couldn't control her emotions any longer. She stood up suddenly and said loudly: "Everyone, please leave and take them with you."  Come to the door!" The obedient servants and followers exited the hall silently, and the doors were all closed from the outside. Just when Chen Zaixing was a little stunned.  Luo Lin suddenly rushed off the throne, grabbed Chen Zaixing by the lapel, and shouted: "Why did you agree to the peace treaty? Why did you cede the land in Lower Burma to the British? Why did you have to pay them so much money? Obviously  Did we win? "Why?" Although he was prepared in his heart, Luo Lin's hoarse cry still made Chen Zaixing a little stunned. He instinctively looked up at Luo Qin, who was still sitting on the throne.  A bitter smile appeared on the face of the feeling little king, and then he jumped off the throne and turned around, obviously preparing to pretend that he couldn't see it.  Chen ZaixingHe smiled and lowered his head. The girl had buried her head in his chest and was crying loudly. He raised his head with great effort to prevent his chin from being pierced by the corners of the golden crown on the girl's head.  The sensitive girl raised her head and asked: "What's wrong?" "Nothing?" Chen Zaixing twisted his neck carefully: "The edges of this crown are too sharp!" "You deserve it!" Seeing Chen Zaixing's funny look, Luo  Lin Renjun couldn't help laughing. She playfully took off the crown and waved it in front of Chen Zaixing's eyes like a demonstration: "Who asked you to cede so much land to the British? If it had been anyone else, I would have ordered his head to be cut off."  "It's been cut down." "Thank you for sparing your Majesty!" Chen Zaixing smiled and bowed slightly to Luo Lin, and said with a smile: "But the reason why I advocated signing the peace agreement is not for other reasons, but to protect the two Your Majesty's to the maximum extent.  "You ceded Myanmar, which is the most fertile land in Myanmar!" "Your Majesty, this land is actually under the occupation of the British! The peace treaty only recognizes what the British have already obtained.  It is useless to defeat the British in Pyay. Rivers are crisscrossed everywhere in Lower Burma. The British have an absolute advantage on the water. Under the shrapnel of their inland gunboats, in the end we will have to withdraw from Lower Burma, and we will have to pay a heavy price.  "What about reparations? We were the victors in the previous battles. Why didn't the British pay reparations to Myanmar?" "The reason is simple, because the British negotiators know,  If we continue to fight, it will be even worse for us! Dashun's financial situation no longer allows for a large army to fight in Burma for a long time. The British control the sea, and it is much easier to get from Calcutta to Yangon than from Kunming to Mandalay.  , they know that if they continue to fight, they will not lose, so they will not give in on the issue of compensation!" At this point, Chen Zaixing held the girl's shoulders, looked directly into her eyes and said, "Luo Lin, I  I understand your anger at this time, but you have to know that the outcome at the negotiation table is determined by the balance of strength between the two sides. Frankly speaking, if it hadn't been for this change of cabinet, the British would not have proposed peace so early.  , so we must seize the opportunity to end the war. Then build up our strength during times of peace and wait for better opportunities to regain the lost land and wealth, instead of making a desperate move when the times are unfavorable. Remember, you are the regent of Myanmar.  Your Majesty, your country is in disarray. The nobles despise the king and the peasants are displaced. The war cannot continue, otherwise the whole country will be destroyed!" The girl was impressed by Chen Zaixing's eloquence. She lowered her head and whispered: "I'm sorry.  "Mr. Chen, you have done so much for me and my country, but I still doubt you!" "It's nothing, Luo Lin. Have you heard of the story of 'Three men become tigers'?  His mother was confused by the rumors, not to mention that I am just an ordinary person! But since you control a country, you must listen carefully and make decisions calmly. What Myanmar needs now is patience. After all, Myanmar will not grow long.  Run away, as long as Myanmar becomes stronger, you can always get it back! " "You are right, Mr. Chen! I hope you can agree to my request!  "    "Require?  " "Yes, if you really want to resign, please come back here. Myanmar cannot do without your wisdom!  "After Luo Lin said this, he threw himself into Chen Zaixing's arms, pressed his hot cheeks tightly against the other person's chest, and whispered: "Luo Lin can't live without you!  " "The Wind Rises in the South", the first volume of "Xinshun Steel Century", has ended. When the rainy season arrived in 1886, the Kingdom of Burma had become a colony of the two powerful empires of China and Britain. Our protagonist Chen Zaixing also ended his life in  The self-exile life in the jungle of Myanmar has been re-involved in the torrent of the times. So in the following story, can Chen Zaixing marry the beautiful eldest princess whom he and Han Jing met many years ago?  Will "Weixian" Yue Jiang Bingbi, who gave up love and chose power, have a chance to remarry? What fate awaits the other characters in the book? Please read Chapter 1 of this book.  Volume 2 of Leviathan!

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 1 The Thief

    It boasts strong scales, which are tightly closed and sealed tightly.  These scales are connected one by one, and even air is not allowed to penetrate between them. They are all interconnected, cemented, and cannot be separated.  It emits light when it sneezes.  Its eyes are like the morning rays.  From its mouth issued burning torches and flying sparks.  Smoke came out of its nostrils like a boiling pot or a lit reed.  Its breath ignited the coals, and flames came from its mouth.  There is strength in its neck.  Those in front of it are frightened and jump. Its pieces of flesh are connected with each other, close to its body and cannot be shaken.  Its heart is as solid as a stone, as solid as a millstone.  When it came, the warriors were frightened, confused, and even fell into a coma.  If one uses a knife, a spear, a javelin, or a sharp spear to pierce it, it will be useless.  It uses iron as hay and copper as rotten wood.  The arrow cannot scare it into escaping.  The slings look like straw to it.  Sticks are counted as straw.  It sneered at the whizzing of the musket.  It is like a pointed tile under its belly, and it is like a rake passing through the mud.  It makes the abyss boil like a cauldron, and the oceans boil like oil in a cauldron.  The path it takes then shines brightly, making people think of the abyss as white hair.  There is nothing on earth like it was created to be without fear.  It despises everyone who is tall and tall.  It reigns supreme over the proud water tribe.  "The Bible."  Job Chapter 41 "When the sixth bell struck on the ship, Gillings's eyes opened. He sat up from the warm and comfortable bed and began to do gymnastics to move himself according to the habits he had developed over the years.  After half an hour of exercise on his joints and muscles, he had completed his homework. With the help of the servant, he finished washing, put on his shirt and coat, and walked onto the deck.  According to the captain yesterday, the ship will arrive at its destination, Shanghai, in twenty minutes. Gillings plans to use his own eyes to see the pearl of the Far East - Dashun, which is also the largest port and commercial city in the entire Far East.  When Gillings walked onto the top deck, the sun was slowly rising from the sea level. Under the dazzling morning light, Gillings could clearly see many small fishing boats heading towards the shore. The catches on those boats were  It needs to be sold in the morning market.  Farther away, Gillings could even see the spire slowly rising on the horizon, which was the lighthouse on the shore. Thinking of the purpose and responsibility of his trip, Gillings couldn't help but get a little excited.  "Mr. Gillings, you got up so early!" At this moment, a voice came from behind. Gillings turned around and saw Duncan walking towards him. He was wearing a jacket over a white shirt.  , holding a wooden pipe in his right hand, wearing a peaked cap, and looking like a wealthy British businessman, which was very common in Shanghai at that time.  "Duncan, have you forgotten? In twenty minutes, our trip will reach the end! I want to see this city with my own eyes!" "Oh, that's right!" Duncan walked to the side of the ship and pulled himself  His upper body was pressed against the railing, and he looked at a few seagulls gliding over the stern of the ship for a while, and suddenly asked: "Mr. Gillings, I want to ask you a question? Why do you have to choose me as your choice this time?"  Where are the traveling companions? " Gillings did not answer the other party's question immediately. After a while, he whispered: "Duncan, do you believe in fate? I have a premonition on the ship these days that we will be in China this time.  Travel is very important to me and to the entire empire. For such an important trip, I need a partner who has experienced danger with me and proven himself worthy of trust!" Duncan's rude face showed a touched expression.  He lowered his head: "I'm very grateful that you chose me, otherwise I would have to work as a mercenary for some Southeast Asian prince-" "You don't need to say thank you!" Gillings interrupted Duncan: "This is what you have been doing all these years.  In exchange for your loyal service to the empire, I can't find anyone more suitable for this mission than you." At this point, Gillings lowered his voice: "A loyal officer like you should not be in default of taxes.  "You will lose your farm!" At this time, there was a whistle, and Gillings and Duncan immediately felt that the speed of the ship had slowed down significantly. Gillings put a hand on Duncan's shoulder and said with a smile: "Let's go to our respective cabins to prepare.  Well, it¡¯s coming!¡± Compared to most cities in Dashun at that time, Shanghai¡¯s history was very short. Although it was said that a county had been established there as early as the Yuan Dynasty, its real development was the establishment of Songjiang Prefecture in the previous dynasty.  After that, the southern Zhili area where Songjiang Prefecture was located at that time was economically prosperous, especially the textile industry in Songjiang.?¡°The world is covered with clothes and quilts¡±.  Later, during the decades of war in the late Ming Dynasty and early Shun Dynasty, the Jiangnan area was almost determined by rumors and did not suffer much damage from the war.  After this dynasty established the Ding Dynasty, it did not impose a sea ban like the previous dynasty and limited foreign trade to a few ports around Guangzhou. Instead, it opened a large sea ban. As a result, Shanghai developed rapidly by virtue of its unique geographical advantages.  By the end of the 19th century, Shanghai had actually become the richest, most populous, and most modern city in China at that time.  When Gillings and Duncan walked down the gangway, this was the scene before them.  "Master, please take my car!" "Please take my car. My car is clean and cheap!" "Master Western, please buy some pancakes, hot pancakes!" "Here are fried steamed buns.  , piping hot fried steamed buns!¡± When Gillings and Duncan finished the formalities and walked out of the pier, a large group of bus drivers and vendors gathered around them, shouting loudly in broken English, which made Gillings and Duncan a little confused.  Fortunately, two inspectors wielding short sticks ran over and yelled and cursed, so the coachmen dispersed.  "Mr. Gillings, where are we going now? The embassy or¡ª¡ª" Duncan asked, holding on to the crooked cap on his head and breathing heavily.  "No, Duncan, have you forgotten the purpose of our trip?" Gillings smiled and reached into his wallet to find something.  We need to really dig in and observe what people from all walks of life in this country eat?  What's the difference between them?" At this point, the smile on Gillings' face suddenly froze.  "What's the matter, Mr. Gillis?" Duncan suddenly asked after noticing something unusual.  Gillings cursed in frustration: "Damn it, the thief stole my wallet. It must have been done by one of the group of coachmen just now!" At the Inspection Office, a man wearing a soap-colored short coat was lazing around.  Gillings asked: "So you lost twenty pounds in the wallet, your passport, and a few other items?" "Yes!" Gillings patiently listened to the translator on the side.  He replied: "Mr. Inspector, I hope to find my belongings as soon as possible. These are very important for my future travels!" The man opposite him still looked weak, just lowering his head and writing something to thank on the paper.  After a while, he handed over the piece of paper he had finished writing: "Leave your address in Shanghai. If I find it, I will notify you!" Gillings wrote the address of the consulate on the paper: "Then when can we find it? These  The thing is very important to me!" The man took the paper and stuffed it into a pile of papers casually, saying: "Then I don't know, maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe never!" "  How is this possible?" When Gillings heard the other party's answer, he stood up: "The things inside are very important, very important!" "It's very important, why did you let the thief steal it?" The inspector sneered:  "Thousands of things are lost here every day. How can it be that all the inspectors in Shanghai have nothing to do but look for your wallet? You are a foreigner. It's amazing. There are at least 70,000 or 80,000 foreigners in Shanghai, unless you are the prefect."  Not bad, next one!" Gillings was so angry that he was dragged out by Duncan. While the two were angry, they heard someone behind them say in English: "Two gentlemen, if you are willing to pay a sum of money.  , I can help you find your wallet and its contents. Of course, the money inside can¡¯t be recovered!¡± Gillings looked back, and it was the translator who spoke just now. He frowned and asked.  "How do you know you can find my wallet?" The translator smiled confidently and said, "If your wallet is really lost on the pier, I will definitely be able to help you find it. Please rest assured.  !" Gillings looked at the other party's confident smile and understood what was going on.  Duncan on the side suddenly sneered, put his right hand deep into his pocket, and asked: "Then how do I know that you are not also a cunning villain who wants to use this opportunity to deceive us two strangers into a corner, and then  "How about making a fortune?" "Sir, please don't worry, this is impossible!" The translator replied calmly: "Even if you don't consider the pistol in your right pocket, it's not worth it.  If theft is still tolerated, it would be foolish to rob the lives of two noble gentlemen just for the little money they have. This will only lead to a big manhunt. ¡±   Duncan snorted coldly and released the handle of the gun in his wallet with his right hand: "So how much does it cost? Do you want to get your wallet back?" "No, it's not much. The price I want is very cheap! Especially compared to two  A noble gentleman." The translator chattered while observing the expressions on the faces of Duncan and Gillings.  Finally, Gillings asked impatiently: "Well, don't waste our time, tell us a definite amount!" "Then forty pounds!" "Forty pounds? You are really a robber!" Even for Jilin  This is also a quite astonishing number. You must know that at the end of the 19th century when the British Empire still maintained the gold standard, a maid in Manchester only earned forty to fifty pounds a year, which was enough to keep her there.  I was living a very comfortable life and even had a certain amount of savings, but the other party actually dared to ask for such a figure.  "Sir!" The translator took a step back: "There is a reason why I gave this price. You have twenty pounds in your wallet, but you don't care about the money and want the remaining things. This only shows that the remaining  The things are more important to you than the money. It¡¯s not too much for me to offer double the price for these things!¡± ¡°This is my thing!¡± Gillins finally couldn¡¯t hold himself back and shouted loudly.  "It was in the past, but it is no longer!" the translator retorted: "Now that it is no longer in your hands, it no longer belongs to you!" Gillings stared at the translator fiercely, but in the end he lowered his head.  "Forty pounds, I promise you, but you must bring the things back to me intact!" "As you wish!" The translator deftly bowed to Gillings and said with a smile: "Please come with me.  !¡±

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 2 Solution

    Gillings and Duncan followed the translator out of the inspection office, crossed two streets, and turned into a dark alley. With the footsteps of the three people, the surrounding environment became more dirty, dilapidated, and narrow.  , they walked and walked, looking for the house where the target of their trip lived.  The houses on both sides of the street are tall and large, but very old. The residents are all from the extremely poor class. You can tell this by just looking at the dilapidated appearance of these houses without looking at the grimaces on the faces of the men and women you meet occasionally.  .  Pedestrians folded their arms, hunched their backs, and dodged as they walked.  Most of the houses have shops, but they are tightly closed and look decayed and dilapidated. Only the upper floors are used for living.  Some houses were in disrepair and were about to collapse on the streets, so they used several large logs to support the walls with one end and the other end firmly inserted into the road.  Even these houses, which are nothing more than pig pens and dog kennels, seem to have been chosen by some unlucky homeless people as a night shelter, because many of the rough wooden boards nailed to the doors and windows have been pried open, leaving gaps.  Enough to get one person in and out.  The drains were blocked, the stench was unpleasant, and rats were rotting here and there, and even they looked horribly hungry.  Occasionally, one or two pedestrians appeared, also with hungry faces, hiding in the shadows, peeping at the two outsiders Gillings and Duncan, seeing that the surroundings were becoming more and more familiar with the East End of London (the East End of London was a working-class area at that time, known for its dilapidated  Known for poor security).  Duncan winked at Gillings, took out a pistol from his purse, and handed it to him.  "Two gentlemen, please don't worry." The translator seemed to have a pair of eyes behind his back: "Put away the gun, you don't need this thing. The birds here are just a little shy, but they don't peck people, unlike  The rich people living by the river not only pecked people's eyes, they even chewed up the bones and swallowed them." Gillings and Duncan looked at each other. They both heard something in the other's words, but Gillings  No answer.  The translator turned two corners, stopped at a courtyard door, and whistled. After a while, the courtyard door opened a crack, and Duncan could see an eye peering outside.  The translator took two steps forward and said carelessly: "It's me, I have business coming to you!" The door was slowly pushed open, and a lame man walked out. Gillings keenly discovered that the lame man's right hand was missing two fingers.  .  The lame man glanced at Duncan and Gillings warily and asked, "Why did you bring the others?" "It's a temporarily closed business. I have something to do in the afternoon and don't have time to delay it. Besides, what are you afraid of the two foreign devils? Are you afraid of others?  The person with the plate?" The lame man snorted and looked away at Duncan and Gillings: "Say, what's the matter?" "I lost a wallet at the dock this morning, with twenty pounds in it, and a passport.  Some other things, you keep the money, and I¡¯ll give you another ten pounds!¡± ¡°No, twenty pounds!¡± ¡°Twelve pounds, no more. The other party offers twenty-five pounds, and only the patrol room will take a share!  "The lame man stared at the translator coldly, as if he was silently asking whether the translator was lying, but the translator looked at the translator with a smile. Finally, the lame man turned his head and limped towards the yard.  The translator whistled happily, as if announcing his victory.  Gillings, who still couldn't understand Chinese, only heard the translator and the lame man arguing fiercely for a while. After seeing the lame man go in, he asked in a low voice: "Do you know what happened to this man's legs and hands?" "This  It¡¯s a new question! But it¡¯s free!¡± The translator said with a smile: ¡°He lost his legs and hands in the factory. The machine tool in the factory cut off his fingers and legs, that¡¯s what happened!¡±  What is your relationship with him? Why do you know all this so well? " "Sir, your curiosity is really too strong. This is not a good habit!" The interpreter replied in a slightly threatening tone.  I made a good deal today and I'm in a good mood. What do you think if you give me another five pounds and I'll answer any questions you want?" "Three pounds!" Duncan took it out of his wallet.  The three pound note was handed over.  "Okay, three pounds is three pounds!" The translator stretched out his right hand to take the money. After confirming that it was real money, he stuffed it into his arms and shrugged: "I am his son and he is my father. That's it."  Simple!" "What?" Gillings asked in surprise: "You let your father live in such a place and do such a business?" "What's wrong, sir?" A sarcastic look appeared on the translator's face.  : "Isn't this a good deal? Not everyone comes out of their mother's womb with a good job like you. There are always some unlucky ones who are so careless that they forget to ask God whether they have the capital.  To support themselves, they are reincarnated into this world, but these guys also need to eat and clothe themselves, so they always have to do something to earn enough to satisfy themselves.My belly is full of rice!  Isn't this a matter of course?  " "Then can I ask what happened to your father's hands and feet?  " There was a sad expression on the translator's face, but it disappeared in an instant, so that Gillings suspected that he had seen it wrong. Then he still replied in that lazy tone: "Nearly all the people living here are from Anhui.  and Subei, two provinces adjacent to Shanghai where floods are common.  You know, when a flood occurs, water overflows from the river and submerges all the fields. The farmers will lose nothing, and the farmers there will flee to Shanghai.  I had to do whatever it took to avoid starving to death.  He was also like this. He went to work in a factory, but once he worked in the factory for four consecutive days without sleeping. He was so sleepy that he took a nap next to the machine tool, and his feet and fingers were cut off by the machine tool. The result was like this!  " "Four days in a row?  Are you sure you remember correctly?  "Gillings showed a suspicious look. "That's right, I was already six years old at the time, and I could already work at the dock to support my family!  The translator stretched out two fingers of his right hand and made a pinching gesture: "This is very common in factories. Workers are allowed to lean in the corner of the workshop for two to three hours during shift change, and then they have to continue.  Get up and work.  The economy was not good at that time, and the goods produced in the factory could not be sold. Many workers were fired. The remaining people had to work harder to fill the vacancies of those people. If they did not work hard, the bosses would use  Others take their place and drive them out into the streets to starve!  " "Asshole, what are you talking about there!  "At this time, the lame man walked out of the yard again, holding several wallets in his hand: "Look, which one do you want?  " Gillings immediately saw his wallet. He pointed at the wallet and shouted loudly: "That's the one, the tawny one with the copper ring!  " "Sir, please wait a moment!  "The translator smiled and bowed slightly to Gillings. He was very excited about the money he was about to receive. He turned around and stretched out his hand to the wallet, but was opened by the lame man: "Pay with one hand, deliver the goods with the other!  " "Damn old guy, I have to get money from my husband before I can give you money!  "The translator yelled angrily, but the lame man seemed not to hear what the other party said. He put his left hand holding the wallet behind his back and repeated: "Pay with one hand, deliver the goods with the other!  " "Okay, pay with one hand and deliver the goods with the other hand!  "The translator was finally defeated by the other party's stubbornness. He turned around and said to Gillings: "Sir, you must pay first before you can get your wallet!  " "Duncan, lend me forty pounds.  "Gillings stretched out his hand to Duncan, but Duncan did not give him any money. He took a step forward, took out a ten pound note from his arms, and whispered: "This is ten pounds. I must first confirm what is in the wallet.  You can get all your money without losing anything.  "    "All right!  "The translator reached out and took the note, turned around, walked to the lame man's side, and exchanged the wallet. He opened the wallet carefully, and after Gillings confirmed that nothing was missing, he nodded to Duncan. Duncan put his right hand in  He seemed to be asking for his wallet. There was a greedy look in the translator's eyes, and he stretched his neck unconsciously. Suddenly, Duncan swung a left fist like lightning, hitting the opponent's chin.  He fell to the ground, then Duncan picked up the wallet that fell on the ground and threw it to Gillings. He took out his pistol and pointed it at the translator lying on the ground, and shouted: "Tell your father to take out the money, or I will beat you to death!"  "The translator looked at the black muzzle of the gun in Duncan's hand, and finally shouted a few times to the cripple. The two quarreled loudly. After a few minutes, Duncan got back his wallet and the ten-pound note he had just taken out. Duncan put the wallet and  He handed the banknotes to Gillings who was standing aside, pointed his pistol at the translator and said solemnly: "Now let him in, and you take us back, don't be naughty, it won't be good for you!  " The translator said a few words to the lame man without asking, and walked forward dejectedly. When he brought Gillings and Duncan back to the dock, he whispered: "Let's stop here!  "    "May I have your name?  "Gillings asked. "Jiang Zhiqing.  The translator's face turned ugly: "I'm unlucky enough. I've been running all morning in vain to find your wallet, but I didn't get anything. Isn't this matter over yet?"  " "No, I don't want to cause trouble to you!  Gillings smiled and said, "Jiang, can you tell me how much you can earn in a week in the patrol department?"  "    "How much?  rare!  "When he mentioned money, Jiang Zhiqing's face turned ugly. He sighed and complained: "I'm just an ordinary handyman there, not even a servant. I just earn some money for tea and meals. If I can't  Find some water outside, I'll be starved to death!  " "You can write and speak English. Even if you work as a clerk in a business firm, it will cost you more than this!"  " "You don't know, sir, that I don't come from a clean family."??There¡¯s no one to vouch for me, so which business firm would hire someone like me!  "Jiang Zhiqing sighed and narrated in a low voice that it turned out that the street where he lived was almost the residence of bankrupt farmers, old prostitutes, thieves and other homeless people at the lowest level of society. Although he had been smart since he was a child and learned by himself.  He has learned writing and English, but he has a criminal record, so he can't do a serious job and can only hang out under the patrol station.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 3 Guide

    "Then are you willing to be hired by me?" A smile appeared on Gillings's face: "For five pounds a month, if the cooperation is pleasant, I can write a letter of recommendation for you before I leave here and let you go  Maersk works! " "Are you telling the truth?" A look of disbelief immediately appeared on Jiang Zhiqing's face.  "Of course it's true. If you agree, I can pay you this month's salary immediately!" "Great, great!" Jiang Zhiqing almost jumped with excitement. He hurriedly took off his hat and asked Jilin  Si bowed: "Of course I am willing, thank you very much sir!" At this point, he realized that he had not asked the other party what his job was.  Jiang Zhiqing smiled awkwardly and asked: "But before that, can I ask you why you hired me?" "Guide!" Gillings said with a smile: "My friend Mr. Duncan and I want to travel in China  A three-month trip, but we need a guide. I don¡¯t know if you are willing!¡± ¡°Of course, sir!¡± Jiang Zhiqing glanced at Gillins with some doubts, as if asking the obviously wealthy foreigner in front of him.  Why hire someone like yourself to be his guide? After all, five pounds a month can hire a safer and more trustworthy person, instead of a guy who was born in a slum and has various relationships with thieves. "You can  Call me Gillings, here are five pounds." Gillings took the five pounds from Duncan and handed it over. Jiang Zhiqing, who was still a little confused, took the money and said, "Take it and prepare it. In two hours, we will be here  Let¡¯s meet here!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Gillings!¡± Jiang Zhiqing bowed to Gillings and turned to leave.  When Jiang Zhiqing's figure just walked away, Duncan whispered: "Mr. Gillings, why do you hire such a bastard? You clearly know that he -" "Duncan!" Gillings interrupted Duncan's question: "You  Remember the purpose of our trip? We are not here to visit the wonderful scenery and exotic customs of this ancient empire, but to provide material for Mr. Balfour¡¯s speech in Parliament. We must go deep into the fabric of this empire and observe it carefully.  The most remote place in this country, what do their poor people eat, where do they live, where do the factory workers come from, what kind of life do they live, how much money can they earn, and so on. To achieve this goal, we must focus on it!  Go into the sewer and turn the sludge inside. Chiang understands English, grew up in the slums, and is very smart. The most important thing is that he wants to climb up so that I can control him. There is no one better than him.  "You're right, Mr. Gillings!" Duncan nodded: "What should we do now? There are still two hours!" Gillings took out the wallet and carefully checked the documents and a stack of documents inside.  It was a very fine map of Dashun, which he got from the British Far East Fleet especially for this trip. Yibin smiled and said, "Of course it's a meal! From morning to now, apart from a cup of light coffee and two  I didn¡¯t eat any slices of bread. Even if a roasted camel was brought up now, I could eat it all!¡± Two hours later, when Gillings and Duncan returned to the dock, Jiang Zhiqing was already standing on the lamppost!  Standing aside, still more than 20 meters away, Jiang Zhiqing saw them and came up to them quickly: "Mr. Gillings, Mr. Duncan, I'm ready and at your command!" "Very good.  "Jiang!" Gillings looked up and down at the guy in front of him. Although he was struggling to pull the corners of his clothes down, he still couldn't hide the fact that this silk coat of good quality didn't fit him well. Seeing Gillings's eyes,  Jiang Zhiqing smiled awkwardly: "I thought the entourage should not be too poorly dressed for the occasion where the two gentlemen were going, so I went to get a better top." "No, Jiang, we are travelers, you can do it."  Put on the previous clothes, this one is too small for you!" "Okay!" Jiang Zhiqing lowered his head in frustration, obviously he didn't want to change into the previous blue coarse cloth clothes.  It took Gillings a while to figure out why.  It turns out that the cunning translator and guide thought he could cut ties with his humble origins, but Gillings's request to change into his original clothes undoubtedly frustrated his original fantasy.  Two minutes later, Jiang Zhiqing, who had put on his original coarse cloth jacket, stood in front of Gillings: "Sir, where do you want to go first?" "I want to go to the market where ordinary people in this city buy things!" It was already dark, Gillings  Sitting in front of the desk, writing furiously with the help of weak candle light.  "Mr. Balfour, today - the first Sunday in May 1886, I arrived in Shanghai. This is the most populous and the richest city in China. She has a good port and a  Perhaps a river five times larger than the Rhine connects it and the center.??The richest places are connected, and through this large river, warships with a displacement of less than 5,000 tons can sail directly to the capital of the empire.  There is no doubt that location is the most important reason why the city has become so wealthy and large.  The Chinese built military factories and shipyards in this city, and also built a large number of forts at the mouth of the river. Obviously, they were well aware of the military importance of this city.  When I first arrived in this city, an unpleasant thing happened to me: a quick thief stole my wallet when I wasn't paying attention. When I went to the local police station and asked them to recover my wallet,  These rotten fellows prevaricated me when I asked for my wallet.  But luck was on my side in the end. Best of all, not only did I get my wallet back, I also found a good guide, which will be very beneficial for my future travels.  In the afternoon of that day, I went to the local market. In the market, I found a lot of British products, but to my surprise, there were not many British textiles.  Most of the cotton and woolen fabrics are produced in Chinese factories.  Most of these cloths are made by machines, and the quality is very good. In terms of price, the advantages of Indian goods and British goods do not have much advantage. It seems that our Chinese counterparts have grown into Manchester factories.  The main enemy.  More importantly, manpower here is very cheap. A skilled textile worker only costs about two pounds a month, which is about one-third of that in Manchester. This is not good news for Britain.  But even though the wages are so low, there are still many unemployed people. People begging can be seen everywhere on both sides of the road. And according to my guide, more than ten times the number of disaster victims from surrounding provinces are pouring into Shanghai, looking for work and  Bread, and in inland provinces, the situation will be even worse, so factory owners can continue to lower wages.  This is simply too bad. The Chinese simply have unlimited manpower and they have a huge advantage in the competition.  Sometimes I even wonder if if this continues, one day the empire's textile industry will fail in the competition, Chinese goods will flood London's shops, and Manchester's huge factory area will turn into ruins.  Hordes of textile workers were tortured by hunger and had to revolt, and the empire fell into a terrible civil war.  Maybe I'm too tired today, that's why I have such crazy ideas.  The Chinese already have instruments such as bills of exchange when conducting large-amount transactions, but when conducting small-amount transactions in shops and markets, the currencies they use are very complex, including copper coins, silver ingots, various silver dollars, etc.  It is complicated and there is no unified standard, but the Chinese can take it calmly and do business very well. This is really a wonderful nation.  I'm curious why their emperor doesn't use a unified currency, just like England, which would be very beneficial to his government and people.  Finally, I want to tell you something happy. I enjoyed a very sumptuous dinner tonight. We ate at a restaurant next to the garden called "yuyuan". It is said that this famous  The garden belonged to a certain governor hundreds of years ago.  Dinner consisted of soup, fish, poultry, and pork and flour pies.  I swear to God, compared to the Chinese, our ancestors were primitive people in cooking. Our chefs killed the fish once before cooking it and killed it again during cooking.  , if you have the opportunity to come to China, you must try it!  I have decided that when I leave this country, I must take a cook with me.  Well, it¡¯s getting late. If I end this letter right away, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to continue my trip tomorrow morning.  Hope the above is beneficial to you.  Yours faithfully, Gillings." After completing the letter, Gillings carefully waited for the ink on the paper to dry, folded it, put it into the envelope, then melted the beeswax on the candlelight, sealed it with his own  He pressed the seal hard on the beeswax. After everything was completed, he went to bed with satisfaction. Soon there was a loud snoring in the room. The next morning, Gillings asked Duncan to send the letter to the British Consulate in Shanghai.  The letter will be delivered to Belfort's desk on the fastest cruise ship in about a month. The five-story building has thirteen steps on the front of the Bund in Shanghai.  There is a row of thick light yellow marble pillars, and the thick outer wall is made of granite with light red patterns. On the gate is a stone plaque written by Zhang Bingguo, the former Pingzhangjun State Minister, Zhang Bingguo thirty years ago -  "A gentleman's virtue carries all things with him", all this seems to show off the strong financial resources of Houde Bank and the huge influence that comes with it to those who come in and out.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 4 Bankers

    At this time, in the office on the roof of this gorgeous and solid building, Liu Zhiping, the director of the Shanghai Advisory Bureau of the Dashun Empire and the head of Houde Bank, was sitting on a mahogany chair. He glanced at the report in front of him.  , whispered: "God!" No one in the office answered him.  He stood up from a large table, walked across the room, and walked to the window on the south wall, staring at the squirming people downstairs and the boats in the Huangpu River.  Shanghai's Bund commercial district is the core area of ??the city, and in a sense the financial heart of the Dashun empire. No matter what those who detract from it say, it is still the economic center of the entire Dashun and even East Asia.  For some stupid people wearing melon caps and dark clothes who come and go in a hurry, it may just be a place where people can find jobs and be employed, which makes people bored and stuffy.  For other young and promising people, it is a palace of opportunity, where as long as you have expertise and hard work, you will be rewarded with promotion and security; for romantics, it is undoubtedly a rising  The abyss of the stock exchange; for pragmatists, it is the largest market in East Asia; and for the young Confucian scholars in the Dashun mainland, it is a place of luxury and debauchery for profit-seeking businessmen.  The businessmen are shameless and use all possible means to squeeze the poor workers and farmers, and will not stop until the last drop of their blood is squeezed out.  As a businessman who developed Houde Bank from an ordinary bank in the southern Zhili area to the largest bank in Shanghai today, Liu Zhiping is a realist.  He understands what the Bund of Shanghai is: it is purely a forest, and he himself is a tiger in this forest.  Although he is a predatory person by nature, he has long recognized that certain standards must be respected in person and torn up behind his back. In his opinion, there is only one commandment in this world, and that is the Eleventh Commandment  (Christianity has ten commandments): "Don't let people see through you." Now, through the plan of one of his sons (Liu Qingyang), he has realized the plan he has been preparing for many years by loaning money to the imperial government, that is, for his own  The remaining capital is looking for a safe outlet, and by controlling the product market, it controls numerous light industrial enterprises in the Jiangnan region, integrating them into a monopoly group controlled by itself.  In this way, he also satisfied his second need: he made a fortune, because he owned 40% of the stocks in Houde Bank, occupied the rooftop office, and his wealth was many times richer than that of a millionaire.  And now there is another opportunity in front of him to make further progress.  Liu Zhiping is 60 years old, but there is no way to tell from his appearance that he has reached this age. His affluent life and huge power make time seem to have stopped in this man's body.  He is not tall, but very well-proportioned and handsome. He always has a gentle and charming smile on his face. But if you have been dealing with him for a long time, you will know that all this is just a disguise. In this man's heart  Always planning to plunder and attack.  After a few minutes, Liu Zhiping returned to his desk, gently pulled a string on the side, and gently ordered the servant who came in: "Take my post to several other bank shopkeepers.  Just say that I invite them to come to my mansion for dinner tonight!¡± The hour hand on the wall clock has pointed to nine o¡¯clock. The dinner is almost over. The atmosphere in the restaurant is very good. Liu Zhiping said in a low voice.  It was a joke, and there was a burst of laughter on the round table.  The servants silently took down the dishes on the table and replaced them with freshly cooked white fungus and bird's nest soup, which was very good for the guests who had already drunk a lot of wine.  When Liu Zhiping saw that it was almost done, he winked at the butler on the side. The butler bowed slightly to him. Soon the servants all left, leaving only seven people at the round table in the restaurant.  "Everyone!" Liu Zhiping coughed: "I invite you here today because of an important matter, which is related to the survival and development of Shanghai and even the financial community in Dashun. Liu is a person with limited talents and cannot take on this important task, so I invite you today."  Everyone, come and discuss this together." At this point, Liu Zhiping turned to Liu Qingyang and said, "Qingyang, please tell me!" "Yes, father!" Liu Qingyang stood up and said to everyone.  He cupped his hands and said: "Everyone, you should all know that Dashun and the British signed a peace treaty in Myanmar a few days ago. In the peace treaty, Myanmar should pay a sum of money to the British, but the king of Myanmar has just finished the war.  The treasury is empty and there is no money available. Everyone knows that I have taken over the military supply business for the army, so I begged Mr. Chen over there to take over this business. " Everyone at the table exchanged glances.  After a moment, an old man in his fifties smiled and said: "Nephew Qingyang really has good vision and skills. He has done all his business abroad. I can only admire you. It's just that you say so."  What do you mean? Could it be that you don¡¯t have enough money and you want to borrow it from me? There¡¯s no problem with that. I¡¯m here to express my opinion. Two or three hundred thousand taels of money, I¡¯m here.You can still take charge.  "I can't compare with Chen Weng, so I'll give you 150,000 taels!"  " "Then it's one hundred thousand taels!  " A crowd of voices rose from the dining table, and everyone expressed their opinions one after another. Liu Qingyang couldn't help but feel angry. Naturally, he didn't come here to borrow such a small amount of money tonight. According to what Chen Zaixing told him, the compensation to the British alone was four  One million pounds, plus other subsequent expenses, is at least no less than six million pounds. According to the price of one pound equal to 3.66 taels of silver at that time, that is close to 20 million taels of silver. In the face of such a large compensation, these  The little money the guy took out was just a drop in the bucket. Just as he was about to speak, he heard a low cough in his ears, and he quickly shut up. Liu Zhiping stood up and bowed to everyone at the table: "  Thank you in advance for your kindness!  Naturally, everyone did not dare to accept his gift, and quickly stood up to return the gift. There was chaos on the table for a while. When it calmed down a little, Liu Zhiping took a sip of the bird's nest and said with a smile: "Actually, I invite you all to come tonight.  We came together to do this business. To put it bluntly, Houde Bank can still get these more than ten or two hundred thousand taels of silver!  " "Haha, of course everyone knows Liu Weng's methods!  The old man named Chen just now smiled and said: "We are just doing our best to help our colleagues. How dare we say that Houde Bank can't get some money."  " At this point, he coughed and said, "It's just that in business, the rule passed down from our ancestors is to do it in a hurry. In Myanmar, the sky is high and the emperor is far away, and wars are going on from time to time. When we lend the money, we are talking about the future.  We at Longxing Bank, with our small capital and timidity, can't afford to do this kind of business where profit is the only thing that matters!  " "Yeah, Chen Weng can't do it, and we can't do it even more!  " "Yes, Mr. Liu, please forgive me. We have spent a lot of money from our bank, and now our turnover is still very tight. We really can't get it out!"  " There was a cry of distress in the room. Chen Weng looked at Liu Zhiping with a smile, as if he was waiting for something good. It turned out that his Longxing Bank was the second largest bank in Shanghai, and he was Liu Zhiping's banker for decades.  Old enemies have been fighting in Shanghai for decades, and he would naturally stand in the way of the plan proposed by the other party. When Liu Qingyang saw this, he couldn't help but secretly complain about why his father had invited Long Xingxing, his enemy, here this time.  They were obviously causing trouble, and several other banks were messed up by this guy. How could things happen? He glanced at his father with the corner of his eye, and saw Liu Zhiping just lowering his head to drink tea, his eyes slightly closed, his face as calm as water.  , as if someone was concentrating on drinking tea. Suddenly there was a snap, but Liu Zhiping put the tea cup on the table, raised his head and said with a smile: "Listen to what Chen Weng said, do you want to stop getting involved in this business?"  " "My heart is full of ambition but my strength is not enough, please forgive me, Mr. Liu!"  " "Since Chen Weng wants to stay out of the matter, then please do it!  Liu Zhiping said coldly: "Qingyang, why don't you send Uncle Shi out yet!"  " "Yes, Father!  Liu Qingyang hurried over and made a gesture of invitation to the old man: "Uncle Shi, please!"  " The old man surnamed Chen was stunned by Liu Zhiping's sudden action. He stammered: "You, you!  "But I don't know what to say next. "Chen Weng, you also understand the rules of business. What we are going to talk about cannot be spread. Since you have said you will not participate, I have to ask you to leave first.  Please forgive me if I offended you!  "When Liu Zhiping said this, he smiled and turned to the remaining people and said, "If you don't want to hear it, you can leave!  " Everyone at the table looked at each other, but their buttocks seemed to be stuck to the chairs. No one stood up. The old man surnamed Chen glanced at the faces of the other people, but those people turned their faces away one by one.  , avoiding the other party's gaze, Liu Qingyang smiled and extended his hand to the old man named Chen: "Weng Chen, please!  " The old man surnamed Chen looked around and saw that no one was getting up. He turned around and sat down. He said to Liu Qingyang: "Forget it, with Brother Liu taking the lead, even if Chen is willing to sacrifice his wealth, he will probably not lose anything.  !  " Seeing that his opponent actually turned around and sat down, Liu Zhiping couldn't help but be startled. He immediately smiled and said: "With Chen Weng's help, the big thing is already half done. Qingyang, tell the uncles about the situation over there and yours.  Share your ideas and ask them to help you with the details!  " "Yes, Daddy!  "Liu Qingyang bowed slightly to his father, turned around and said to everyone: "Dear uncles, my nephew advocates borrowing money from Myanmar for three reasons: First, Myanmar has a rich land and many minerals. If you lend money to the king, you can ask for minerals,  Forest farms, etc. are used as mortgages, making huge profits; secondly, this time I sent troops to Dashun to quell the rebellion in Myanmar. After the peace treaty is signed, I will have the power to garrison troops, so I don¡¯t have to worry about the other party¡¯s repudiation and non-repayment; thirdly, this loan can open up the relationship with the Myanmar royal family.  The relationship will open up channels for our Jiangnan business community to enter Myanmar and even Southeast Asia in the future, and obtain a lot of beneficial business.?¡±

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 5 Bankers Part 2

    After Liu Qingyang finished speaking, he stepped aside and several old men on the table discussed in low voices. The old man surnamed Chen just now said in a deep voice, "|What nephew Qingyang said is certainly reasonable, but what do you plan to do?"  What to do? Should each bank lend money to the Burmese royal family individually or¡ª¡ª" "Of course together!" Liu Zhiping said solemnly: "If we borrow money separately, the interest terms will be difficult to negotiate, so we will be weak."  How to share the amount?" Liu Zhiping did not answer immediately. He coughed: "You are all leaders in Dashun's business community. When our business reaches this point, it can be said that we have reached a point. If we can survive, it will be a new world.  , If you can¡¯t get through it, you are sailing against the current, and if you don¡¯t advance, you will retreat. So Liu thinks this is an opportunity, and hopes that everyone can join hands to get over this hurdle!¡± Everyone nodded secretly when they heard Liu Zhiping¡¯s words.  Regardless of whether it was sincere or not, it did express their feelings.  Those who can sit next to this table are all top figures in the pyramid. Standing in their position, it is very clear that since the 1860s, the country has developed at an alarming rate in light industries such as textiles and flour, but steel, machinery, etc.  Manufacturing, shipbuilding, and other heavy industries with large investment volume and difficult technical difficulties are much less basic, and they are mainly concentrated in the cities of Tianjin, Hanking, Shanghai, and Fuzhou. They are also mainly funded by the imperial court. These light industrial expressways  Development has brought about a problem. The growth rate of the domestic market is far slower than the increase rate of factories. Convenient transportation and the relative impoverishment of the lower class have limited the growth rate of the domestic market. However, most of the markets in surrounding countries have been occupied by Western colonists.  , a large number of products could not be sold out, and this crisis quickly affected the banking industry, which is the most sensitive to the economy.  This "overproduction" crisis, which has never happened before in history, makes Liu Zhiping and his colleagues extremely confused.  In their view, there are two ways out to solve this crisis: first, reduce loan investment to light industrial enterprises that are already experiencing overproduction and meager profits. Through the granting of loans, control better light industrial enterprises and organize them into unified procurement of raw materials.  , a monopoly organization that unifies sales prices, thereby gaining an advantage in competition, crowding out other companies in the same industry, and ensuring its own stable profits; second, looking for other investment channels, such as capital markets such as national debt, and even controlling the government through national debt  , thereby directly obtaining more generous profits.  And this time Myanmar's loan can be said to have given them a preview of controlling Dashun.  Liu Zhiping saw that no one objected, and he was secretly happy: "Just now, Chen Weng said that it is better to be a stranger than to be a master. In my opinion, this is both correct and wrong. Loans to Myanmar are indeed risky, but the profits are also high. If the imperial court borrows money,  , the risk is small, but the interest rate can be up to 8% a year, and Myanmar can be at least 12%. Moreover, Myanmar is now a vassal state of Dashun. After the war, everything is in ruins. All these require money.  , as long as we figure out the channels, there will be more business opportunities in the future. The loan business is not all ours. Not to mention other things, the debt issuance, remittance and other businesses are all ours.  Let me assure you, if you all pay 20 million taels this time, that country will be ours in less than ten years!" When everyone heard this, greed showed on their faces!  Even the old man surnamed Chen from Longxing Bank stopped making trouble at this time, and just frowned in thought.  Liu Zhiping didn't say much. He turned around and winked at Liu Qingyang. Liu Qingyang turned around and took out a stack of documents and placed one in front of everyone.  Liu Zhiping smiled and said: "Everyone, this is my plan. Let's raise a sum of money, go to Mandalay to open a bank, and then lend money to the Royal Government in the name of this bank. The collateral is various minerals.  and other sources of profit, to collect tax sources for the king in the future, etc. We don¡¯t even use our own money, we only need to use a sum of money to advance, and then issue a long-term debt in Shanghai in everyone¡¯s name. With our reputation, we can pay up to one year.  Seven or eight percent is enough, and the rest is ours. What do you think?" "Mr. Liu said it's good, we should have gone out long ago!" "Mr. Liu, take one!  When the numbers come out, I will naturally be willing to join the team! " "Exactly, there is a lot of money here in Shanghai, but there is no way out. If we succeed this time, it will be EMI's foundation!" There was a burst of voices in the room,  These normally calm wealthy businessmen were as excited as children at this time, and the prospect of huge profits made their souls seem to boil.  Only the old man surnamed Chen still looked at Liu Zhiping with some embarrassment. Liu Zhiping smiled slightly, stepped forward and grabbed the other person's right hand, and said with a smile: "Brother Chen, although you and I had some quarrel before, it was just for the sake of gain.  I have a big profit ahead of me today, so I hope you can help me!" The clock on the wall was already eleven o'clock, and there was silence in the study.  Liu Zhiping sat on the chair with his eyes slightly closed, as if he had fallen asleep.  Liu Qingyang stood behind his father, bowing his head solemnly. The air in the room seemed to beIt has solidified.  "Qingyang!" Liu Zhiping suddenly said in a deep voice: "The child is here!" "How sure do you think this matter is?" Liu Qingyang hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said: "I don't know how sure the child is, but  The child felt that in the face of such great benefits, he had to give him a hand no matter what!" "Okay, good, give him a hand!" Liu Zhiping suddenly laughed loudly: "You are worthy of being a descendant of my Liu family!" He stood up!  , turned around and patted Liu Qingyang on the shoulder, and said in a deep voice: "Go back and tell Mr. Chen: Don't be afraid of spending money. I, Liu Zhiping, have plenty of money. As long as we get things done, our world will be ours in the future!" "  Yes, daddy!" Liu Qingyang lowered his head, his eyes filled with excitement.  Hanjing, Luming Pavilion.  With a lamp like a bean, Chen Zaixing filled his glass with wine and drank it all. Under the light of the lamp, his face was pale and tired, but his eyes were shining brightly.  The whole person seemed extremely excited. On the table in front of him were four dishes of side dishes and a bottle of wine. In addition to his own bowl and chopsticks, there was also a pair of untouched dishes, as if waiting for someone.  At this time, there was a sound of footsteps outside. Chen Zaixing's eyes flashed, he put down the empty wine glass, stood up and said loudly: "Is it Brother Shen? I've been waiting for a long time!" The footsteps outside the door stopped, and then there was a creak.  There was a sound, and the door was pushed open. It was Shen Hongmao, Chen Zaixing's good friend and the current doctor of the Ministry of Works. He glanced at it and said in a deep voice: "Fu Sheng, you overdosed. Why don't we talk about it tomorrow!" "Shen  Brother, what are you talking about?" Chen Zaixing took a few steps forward, grabbed Shen Hongmao's arm, and laughed loudly: "Brother Shen, haven't you heard of the saying of the Poetry Immortal: 'To be happy in life, don't let the golden bottle stand empty against the moon.'  ? My brother has never overdosed. It¡¯s just that big things are about to happen and I¡¯m in a happy mood. It¡¯s rare for you and me to get together and get drunk together tonight!¡± Shen Hongmao saw that although Chen Zaixing had strong hands, he didn¡¯t look like a drunk person.  Such a confused look, coupled with the hardships Chen Zaixing had gone through in Myanmar during these years, his muscles and bones were as tough as steel. Shen Hongmao, a scholar in the Ministry of Industry, could not resist coming here because of his temper, so he had to go into the room and sit down, smiling.  Said: "Fusheng, I didn't see you like this when I was in Hongwen Hall. It seems that you have thrown away all the saints' teachings in Myanmar these years. You are so polite and polite!" Chen Zaixing filled the wine glass for his friend and gave it to him again.  He filled it up, raised his glass and said with a smile: "Brother Shen, that was then, and now is now. Haven't you seen it after all these years in Han Jingzhong? Those are just short-term, I am the real one, this time from  When Myanmar comes back, it will have its own world, no longer dominated by others. How can it be compared to the caged bird in Hongwen Hall? " When Shen Hongmao heard the comparison made by his friend just now, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly: "What a caged bird.  It seems that what I just said was true. I left the Imperial Academy and returned today as a barbarian. "A barbarian is a barbarian. When Ban Ding joined the army from afar, he must have looked the same as I do today!" Chen Zaixing said with a laugh.  Let¡¯s drink quickly. Let¡¯s drink three glasses of wine first and talk about our separation.¡± Shen Hongmao had no choice but to drink three glasses of wine with Chen Zaixing. The wine they drank was Lu Mingting¡¯s own wine, which was twenty years old.  The taste of the wine is extremely mellow, and I don¡¯t feel anything when I drink it. But after I drink it, it kicks in and the effect is really quite big. Shen Hongmao originally had a light drink, and he didn¡¯t have anything to eat when he came. After drinking these three glasses of wine, his face immediately felt like  It was like red clouds, and my tongue felt a little uncomfortable in my mouth.  Chen Zaixing saw it and said with a smile: "Come on, brother Shen, order the food first, and we will drink slowly tonight!" After Shen Hongmao took a few bites of the food, he suppressed the raging drunkenness. When he looked up, Chen Zaixing was in the middle of the night.  Looking at himself with a smile, he couldn't help but blush, and changed the topic: "Brother Yu is too immature. I'm just kidding you. What's going on with you coming to Beijing this time?" "Haha!" Chen Zaixing smiled slightly: "Two things, the first one is  One thing is to resign, and the second thing is to come to you!" "Resign?" Shen Hongmao was stunned when he heard this, and then asked anxiously: "Didn't you do a good job in repelling the British?  If the peace is reached, why do you want to resign? Your mentor can't justify it, right?" Seeing Shen Hongmao acting like this, Chen Zaixing was obviously really worried about himself, and he couldn't help but feel slightly moved: "Brother Shen, don't worry, just listen to me.  Explanation. In fact, this cannot be regarded as resignation, but I have more important things to do and don¡¯t want to be transferred back to China, so I want to go back to Beijing to do some activities and stay in Myanmar. If I must be transferred back, then I  I¡¯m planning to resign. I¡¯ve explained it to my mentor, and he¡¯s willing to support me after hearing this!¡± When Shen Hongmao heard this, a stone fell from his heart, and he said with a smile: ¡°I see, that scares me.  One jump though.Why do you have to stay in Myanmar? Is it true that the princess regent of Myanmar is so beautiful that she wants to stay in Myanmar and become the husband of the king?  " Chen Zaixing didn't expect that these gossips would even reach the capital of Han Dynasty. He couldn't help but blush slightly: "Brother Shen, don't listen to those rumors. I want to stay in Myanmar all for this career, not for beauty!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 6 Night Talk

    "My dear brother, what you said is wrong. The sages said, 'A man cultivates himself, manages his family, governs the country, and brings peace to the world!' These are all the same. You are also over thirty, but you have never married, let alone any children. Others  No matter how successful you are, it is still a bit regretful to say that if the eldest princess is really interested in you, marrying her will be a good thing. If nothing else, your career will be half done. After all, even if you are granted a title in the Celestial Dynasty,  Isn't it better for Hou Baixiang to become king outside the territory and pass it on to future generations forever?" When Chen Zaixing heard this, he felt moved in his heart, but he still excused himself and said: "Brother Shen and I are just reminiscing about our old friendship today and not talking about these things. Come on, you.  I'll have another drink!" Seeing this, Shen Hongmao was already six or seven points in his heart. He smiled and drank a drink with his friend: "Fusheng, if you want to stay in Myanmar, I will naturally try my best to help you, but now the DPRK has the final say.  It is Mr. Wang Qinian who is in charge of Pingzhangjun¡¯s state affairs. Empress Dowager Deng also trusts him very much. If you want to stay in office, you have to follow his path. " "Well, I have heard about it in Myanmar, but my mentor and him don't seem to be at odds.  Too much to deal with, otherwise it would be easy!" At this point, Chen Zaixing showed a trace of worry on his face.  "It's not that we can't deal with it!" Shen Hongmao said with a bitter smile: "My mentor and he were both important ministers of the former dynasty, and they were a little older. If my mentor hadn't happened to be at home when the late emperor passed away, Ding You, I'm afraid that the position of the lone and important minister might not be that of Wang Xianggong.  Yes, if I were him, I would naturally be more careful. " "Well, what you are saying is that I will try to figure this out in Beijing. If it doesn't work, I will just resign!" Chen Zaixing asked: "But there is one more thing.  , Do you remember what I mentioned to you last time when I returned to Hanking? " "The Yunnan-Myanmar Railway? Are you going to do it so soon?" Shen Hongmao couldn't help but be shocked when he heard this. It was no wonder that he needed to build a railway at that time.  The money, manpower and material resources are amazing. The war in Myanmar has just ended, and Chen Zaixing is preparing to do this. It is really incredible.  "Yes, because this is the best time!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "Think about it, Myanmar has been fighting for more than a year, and there are countless refugees. It happens to be providing work-for-relief, so there is a sufficient labor force. Moreover, the British just  After signing the peace treaty, paying indemnity and ceding the land, the flesh is still hurting. Now let them pay for road construction and make it easier for Da Shun soldiers to enter Myanmar to protect them. Is this reason more convincing? " "This?" Shen Hongmao was stunned when he heard this?  , thought for a moment and smiled bitterly: "Although what you said makes sense, building a railway is very expensive and involves many things. It cannot be accomplished overnight. You should think about it in the long run!" "Brother Shen, don't miss this opportunity.  I won¡¯t come again. Now my mentor is serving as a military governor in Yunnan and Guizhou. The war in Burma has just ended. Our great success is still lingering. The British have just signed a peace treaty. It¡¯s not good to use weapons again. If we don¡¯t take this opportunity to build the road.  , if one of the above three conditions is removed, road construction will not be possible. Major matters in the world can only be discussed by two or three people. Now that I have the money and land ready, I am waiting for someone. Brother Shen, you are from the Ministry of Industry.  Officer, we know best about building railways. If you are willing to help, half the problem will be solved!" Shen Hongmao looked at Chen Zaixing's eager eyes and gritted his teeth and said, "Well, this is also a matter of benefit to the country and the people. I will do it tomorrow!  Go to the ministry to check the catalog of engineers and select the right candidate. " "That's great!" Chen Zaixing clapped his hands and said with a smile, "There are also the two steel furnaces you mentioned last time.  Take the banknote and hand it over as soon as possible, and try to get all these things done in Hanking this time." "Resurrection, resurrection!" Shen Hongmao couldn't help but shook his head and sighed: "You act so recklessly, but my teacher lets you do it.  I really don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re doing!¡± Chen Zaixing said with a smile: ¡°My mentor has long seen that I am not a prime minister, so he allowed me to do this. Brother Shen is the one who will inherit the mantle of my mentor, but I live in a rough place.  Among them, it is different from the one above the court. The one above the court is like a Cantonese stew. It needs to be simmered slowly on a low fire to reconcile the yin and yang, weigh the pros and cons, and only do things in six or seven points. But in the grass, it is like twice-cooked pork in Sichuan.  The iron pot needs to be set over high heat, heavy in oil and salt, and stir-fry a few times before cooking, otherwise the meat will be too chewy to chew. "Haha!" Shen Hongmao couldn't help but laugh after hearing Chen Zaixing's analogy: "This is not a good analogy."  It's very appropriate. Didn't the sages also say, "Governing a big country is like cooking small dishes." The court's laws cannot be changed overnight.  In terms of talent and intelligence, no one on the list is better than you. I once heard my mentor say that if you were not too young at the time, the late emperor was afraid that you would succeed at a young age, so he harmed you and moved you down one place. This is the number one scholar.  The position is yours. It's a pity that you are too smart to go ashore early and don't go through this muddy water, but Brother Yu is still on this official career." "Brother Nian, don't say that, it's just the same destination.  I feel that this path is closer to my goal. Even if you are above the court, you are not able to do everything.It's all right, I was living in the wilderness at that time, couldn't we work together to achieve great things?  " Shen Hongmao thought about it and said with a smile: "Brother Yu just felt sorry for the talent of the wise brother, but he didn't expect you to be so open-minded. It's Brother Yu's fault. Come on, I'll punish myself with three cups!  "Said, Shen Hongmao poured himself a drink, and Chen Zaixing hurriedly raised a glass to accompany him. After several glasses of wine, the two of them were both a little smokey. Shen Hongmao smiled and said: "Brother, the court has decided on the matter of Burma in these few days.  If you don¡¯t want to seriously resign, you¡¯d better go to the palace of the king and sit down as soon as possible. To be honest, although this person is a little wary of his mentor, he is indeed a gentleman. You understand the feelings of the Burmese vassal country and are shrewd and capable.  , is a rare operator. Staying in Myanmar will be a good thing for the country and the people. As long as you explain the situation clearly, I believe he will not deliberately embarrass you!  " "Thank you, Brother Nian, for reminding me!  "Chen Zaixing hurriedly offered another toast to Shen Hongmao. Shen Hongmao was already 70 to 80% drunk at this time, so he drank it all in one gulp without any hesitation. He just put down his glass and wanted to say something, when he suddenly threw himself on the table and shouted.  Falling asleep ¡°Brother Nian, Brother Nian!  "Chen Zaixing hurriedly got up and pushed a few times, but Shen Hongmao was like mud and snored loudly. He was obviously very drunk. Chen Zaixing gave a bitter smile, called the waiter to get hot water for Shen Hongmao to scrub, and moved to the next room to rest.  After everything was done, Chen Zaixing felt that the room was very dirty. He stood up and walked to the window, and opened the window. He saw the moonlight pouring in from the window like water, illuminating the room. It was already the first watch.  At that time, a gust of cool breeze came, and Chen Zaixing's already slightly tipsy mind suddenly sobered up. He recalled the conversation he had just had with Shen Hongmao, and after confirming that there was nothing wrong, his whole mood suddenly relaxed.  During his return to China, he was like a spinning top, extremely busy. He first went to Shanghai to discuss the matter of borrowing money from Myanmar with the southern banking community represented by Houde Bank. After finishing his busy work, he rushed back to Hanking to finalize the construction of the railway.  All kinds of things, it was only now that he could stop and breathe a sigh of relief and relax his tense nerves. At this time, a sharp crane roar came from the sky, and Chen Zaixing's thoughts were suddenly drawn into his memories by the crane roar.  He remembered that when he was at the Hongwen Hall in Hanjing, he often heard the crow of cranes because some of these auspicious birds were kept in the palace for the emperor to enjoy. When he and Jiang Qingyue fell in love, they went to watch them together, but  I haven't heard the cranes anymore since I went to Myanmar. I don't want to hear the cranes again today, but where is the beauty now? Cining Palace was built during the reign of Emperor Shizong. According to the custom, it is a memorial.  It was the residence of the Queen Mother of the previous dynasty. The emperors of this dynasty all governed the world with filial piety. In addition, the emperor was still young, and the final decision-making power was actually in the hands of the Queen Mother Deng. Therefore, this palace was actually the actual center of power of the entire empire at that time.  The lights were bright, Empress Dowager Deng was reclining on her seat, and the still-young Emperor was sitting next to her. She was looking curiously at several strange birds with green feathers in the birdcage. Under the birdcage, there were  There is a wooden box about half a foot square, and next to the wooden box is an emerald Buddha statue as tall as one person. The jadeite drops are obviously of extremely high quality, and the Bodhisattva's eyes are inlaid with high-quality rubies.  , under the illumination of the light, it looked gleaming and extremely luxurious. Empress Dowager Deng reached out and touched the Buddha statue. A cold and slippery feeling came from her fingertips. She retracted her hand and looked at the statue in front of her with a mixture of love and regret.  Buddha statue: "Hey, the eldest princess and the little king of Burma are really polite. I heard that they had just finished fighting a war, ceded the land, and had to compensate the British with a large amount of money. They actually gave such valuable gifts.  The gift comes!  It¡¯s really hard for them.  " "Look at what you said, Queen Mother!  Lin Wanqing on the side smiled and said: "If the Queen Mother hadn't made the decision to send troops to rescue Myanmar, wouldn't the princess and the king have come to an end now?  Anyone with a little bit of humanity knows how to repay kindness!  "Having said this, Lin Wanqing took two steps forward, opened the small wooden box, and said with a smile: "Queen Mother, take a look, these are top-quality gems. The eldest princess and His Majesty the King said in the letter that I  I wanted to use these gems to make some jewelry to give to the palace Bingbi, but I was afraid that the craftsmen were not good at craftsmanship and wasting the raw stones, so I simply sent the raw stones directly and bothered the craftsmen from the country to process them.  " Empress Dowager Deng looked inside the wooden box and saw that the wooden box was filled with all kinds of unprocessed rough gemstones. Under the light, they were even more dazzling. Myanmar was originally the largest gem producing area in the world.  First, these gems are the best quality from Myanmar. Even when Empress Dowager Deng saw so many gems at once, she couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. ¡°We sisters all felt this after looking at the contents in this box.  It's so rare that those of us who are not blessed can't bear it. Then we thought about who else in the world is more blessed than the Queen Mother, so we gave it to the Queen Mother, so I brought it to you.  "Then Lin Wanqing was in front of Empress Dowager Deng.He has a eloquent tongue and a beautiful smile, and he doesn't look like he usually has power and a dignified palace.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 7 Great Gifts

    Empress Dowager Deng smiled and said: "Look at your clever mouth. I obviously gave it to you ministers, but why did you bring it to me? You are all the concubines of the late emperor and members of the Tian family.  , if she hadn¡¯t been born into a female fetus, she was also a literary star singing in Donghua Clan, how could she be said to be unlucky?¡± Although she said this, she fiddled with the wooden box twice, her eyes full of affection.  .  Lin Wanqing saw Empress Dowager Deng's expression and knew that she liked her. During the late emperor's reign, she had always been simple and self-possessed, and so did Empress Deng. After her death, Empress Dowager Deng remained the same, but not as good as Lin Wanqing's dedication to her writing.  There is industry outside and a comfortable life, but I'm afraid I have never seen so many high-quality gems.  Thinking of this, she smiled slightly and said: "Your Majesty, these are raw stones, uncarved, and you can't tell how wonderful they are. Why don't I let the masters of 'Rongbaozhai' process them and pick out a few good ones?"  How about coming to appreciate it with the Queen Mother? " "Well!" Queen Mother Deng nodded and sighed: "I heard that the eldest princess of Myanmar is just that. The king is very young, as old as me, and his father died.  It is really difficult for him to be the king of a country." Lin Wanqing smiled when he heard this: "Queen Mother, let me tell you an interesting story. I heard that the person in power in Myanmar at this time is not the king, but his.  Sister, the regent princess is only fourteen years old, and she is as beautiful as a fairy." "Oh?" When Empress Dowager Deng heard this, the gossipy nature of the middle-aged woman was suddenly aroused: "Seriously.  "Oh, I don't know which family's son is so lucky for such a noble girl." "Maybe it's the son of our Han family!" When Lin Wanqing said this, she glanced at her.  Jiang Qingyue glanced at the side.  When Queen Mother Deng heard this, her interest suddenly came to her. She stretched out her hand to grab Lin Wanqing's sleeve: "Oh? Sister Lin, don't try to tantalize me, tell me quickly!" "Queen Mother, I heard that there was a mutiny at that time.  The situation was extremely urgent. When I escaped from the capital of Myanmar, all the people around me except one confidant were from Dashun. Later, on the way to Dashun, even this confidant died, and the false king ascended the throne.  After that, all the loyal ministers of the late king were killed. As a result, after the eldest princess returned to the country, there was no one she could trust from the country. It was said that this woman obeyed the advice of our Dashun officials, but was rather alienated from the Burmese people.  Isn't this nothing?" Queen Mother Deng asked doubtfully: "I, Dashun, have a life-and-death debt for her. She has just returned to the country and she trusts the more familiar Dashun ministers. This is normal!" Lin Wanqing!  Smiling slyly: "Haha, what if the eldest princess will meet the foreign minister in person whenever he asks for an audience?" "This -" Queen Mother Deng was stunned. At the age of fourteen, according to ancient customs, she was already an adult woman.  Not to mention that noble royal families like Luo Lin have many rules in this regard. This alone can explain a lot of problems.  Empress Dowager Deng asked in a low voice: "Wan Qing, who is the person you are talking about?" "Of course it is Master Chen Zaixing!" Lin Wanqing laughed softly, but glanced at Jiang Qingyue aside, although the other person's face was  It wasn't facing his direction, but he still saw a slight tremor in his shoulders.  "Yes!" Queen Mother Deng nodded slightly and didn't say much. However, Lin Wanqing understood from the other party's face that her goal had been achieved, and smiled slightly: "Queen Mother, why don't you keep this Guanyin statue in your palace?  ? As for these birds -" At this point, Lin Wanqing turned to the emperor, whose eyes were bulging out: "Let's give them to your majesty!" "Really?" The emperor was surprised!  Looking at his mother, the young emperor almost jumped up from his seat when he saw the Queen Mother Deng, who was usually very strict with him, nodding slightly.  "Thank you, Queen Mother, thank you, Empress!" The emperor's crisp cheers immediately echoed in the side hall. Lin Wanqing stood up and looked at Jiang Qingyue's pale face with a sneer.  "Why are the girls from the Jiang family not talking today? Could it be that she is not feeling well? How about I ask someone from the Imperial Hospital to come over and take a look?" "I'm fine. I'm just a little tired these days, so my sister has to worry about this!" Queen Mother Deng said  Only then did she hear the exchange between the two, and said with a smile: "Jiang Bingbi, I will ask the palace maid to send you some ginseng to take care of yourself later." Jiang Qingyue quickly bowed and thanked: "Thank you, Queen Mother!" "Get up quickly!  !" Empress Dowager Deng said with a smile: "You don't have to be polite. It's thanks to your insistence on sending troops to Burma this time. Otherwise, if you hesitate for a moment, the peace negotiation will not be successful. It's a pity that you are a woman, otherwise, if you are outside.  "The queen mother is so complimentary!" Jiang Qingyue hurriedly bowed down, thinking in her heart.The words "It's a pity you're a woman" said by the Queen Mother were like an insect biting her, causing her extreme pain, but on the surface she couldn't show the slightest trace, which made her feel more and more depressed.  The pain was reflected on her face, which became increasingly pale.  Seeing this, Queen Mother Deng hurriedly said: "Oh, why are you looking more and more ugly? Go down and have a rest. There is no need to be polite!" "I thank the Queen Mother!" Jiang Qingyue's patience had reached its limit at this time, and she hurriedly bowed.  He bowed and retreated.  Lin Wanqing's voice came from behind her ears.  "Please rest assured, Queen Mother, I will ask the imperial doctor to go to Jiang Bingbi later!" On the carriage, Jiang Qingyue's heart was like her body, rising and falling on the carriage.  In fact, she did not regret rejecting Chen Zaixing's courtship and chose to stay in the palace and become a member of the People's Liberation Army. If she had another chance to make a choice, she would still give the same answer.  It's not that she didn't love Chen Zaixing back then, it's just that for Jiang Qingyue, she was more willing to hold power with her own hands than to be the woman behind a successful man. She made this choice, and now she is a woman away from her.  The peak of power that this empire could reach was only one step away, but for some reason, she felt unspeakable anger and pain in her heart.  The little emperor is already eight years old. When he is thirteen, or at most fifteen, a group of female officials in their early twenties will appear around him. These female officials, like Jiang Qingyue, are orphans raised by the palace.  They have received the best education since childhood. After strict selection, the best of them will appear next to the emperor who has not yet grown up. They will grow and learn with the emperor, and the power in their hands will gradually be eroded by them. When the time comes,  On the day when the emperor comes to power, no matter how reluctant he is, he must hand over the power in his hands to them - the new generation will uphold the pen and carry out the purpose, and he can only retreat behind the scenes and live a deserted and lonely life.  "Five years, only five years left!" A voice shouted loudly in Jiang Qingyue's heart: "Did I pay so much back then and only get such a little thing?" Her talents,  Neither beauty nor wisdom can change all this, because there is an iron law in the empire. No matter how much power these people actually hold, in theory they are just the emperor's palace secretaries, and all their power comes from the emperor.  The light and heat emitted by this star, once the star is extinguished, they will turn into cold and hard rock again, just like the palace they will live in.  And what about Chen Zaixing?  Although he gave up the bachelor's degree in Hongwen Hall, which was envied by countless people, and left the center of the empire, he was like a piece of iron, attracted by the magnet of power whenever he had the opportunity.  With this great achievement, he is very likely to return to Hanking. If we consider that he will return to Beijing as a teacher, his experience in Myanmar over the years has hardly caused any damage to his official career. This episode in Myanmar seems to be just  Just to add to his romance with a foreign princess.  Neither the Queen Mother nor the infant emperor would have any objections to him because of these rumors. This was simply because he was a man and she was a woman!  Jiang Qingyue almost broke off her nails. Compared with the pain in her heart, the pain of this body was nothing to mention. Why did God give her the ability and fortune, but she was born as a girl?  I can only hide behind others, I cannot jump on the big stage of this era in person and dance passionately.  "Ms. Jiang, we've arrived!" A strong woman's voice came from outside the curtain.  Jiang Qingyue quickly put away her makeup and walked out of Chengyu. At this time, she returned to her usual cold and self-possessed look. She lifted up her sleeves and walked quickly to her residence.  "Mother, shopkeeper Zhou of Rongbaozhai has something and a letter to send!" A confidant female official whispered.  "Well, send it to my room!" Jiang Qingyue nodded and walked straight to the washroom. After washing, she returned to the bedroom and saw a small ebony hand on the bedside table.  A box with a letter on it.  Jiang Qingyue picked up the letter and opened the envelope. She saw written in familiar cursive on the letter paper: "Qingyue Qing Qing Ru Hu!" Jiang Qingyue immediately felt her breathing quicken, and she instinctively pressed the letter paper on  On his towering chest, it seemed as if a pair of invisible eyes in the room were peering at him.  After a while, Jiang Qingyue felt that her breathing gradually calmed down. She stood up and said loudly: "Here comes someone!" "The villain is here!" The female officer just walked in and bowed to Jiang Qingyue.  Salute.  "When was this letter delivered? Did the visitor leave any words?" "I'm telling you, the letter and the things were delivered around three o'clock in the afternoon. The visitor said it was a letter from an old friend in Burma, and what was in the box was a small offering.  Please keep the little gadgets that your Majesty is enjoying! ¡± &nbsp"Yes!" Jiang Qingyue nodded: "When you go down, if any outsiders come, tell them that I have rested and ask them to come back tomorrow!" "Yes, empress!" When the female officer closed the door, Jiang Qing  Yue sat back on the bed, and pressed the lower edge of the wooden box. There was a creaking sound, and the lid of the box opened. Jiang Qingyue couldn't help but take a breath of air. There was a ruby ??the size of a pigeon egg in the box. This piece of ruby ??was  Ruby is a processed finished product, which is in the shape of a chicken heart and emits a charming red light under the illumination of light.  Jiang Qingyue's eyes seemed to be sucked by honey, and they were glued to this gem. In fact, it was no wonder for her. Although rubies are a specialty of Myanmar, generally twenty or thirty carats are considered good.  , sixty to seventy carats are extremely rare, and most natural rubies have many cracks inside. There are only a few such crystal clear and large shapes in the savings of the Burmese royal family for more than a thousand years.  Although the rough gemstones Jiang Qingyue saw at Empress Dowager Deng were numerous, in terms of value, they may not add up to the one in the box.  Although Jiang Qingyue is extraordinary, she is still a woman. Is there any woman in the world who doesn't like beautiful gems?  After a while, Jiang Qingyue took her eyes out of the wooden box, unfolded the letter and took a closer look, and saw the following words written on the letter paper in her familiar handwriting: "Qingyue Qingqing, please  ! This thing is from the collection of the Burmese royal family. I give it to you now. I hope you won¡¯t abandon it! Wow! This thing is precious, but if I can easily spend a day with you, why don¡¯t I be stingy with it?¡±  There are only a few lines of text, but the meaning in them seems to come through the paper. Jiang Qingyue murmured to herself, having read it several times, with an expression on her face that alternated between happiness and sadness, as if she was immersed in memories.  After a while, Jiang Qingyue sighed in a low voice: "Now that you know this, why did you do it in the first place! Now that you know this, why did you do it in the first place!" Her voice was full of loneliness.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 8 Cabinet

    After a while, Jiang Qingyue stood up, walked to the candle, stretched out the letter to the candle, and wanted to burn it. I believe it reached the fire and took it back. The third one was like this, and finally it was  She couldn't bear to burn it, so she folded it carefully and put it into a wooden box containing gems. She then put the wooden box into a secret pavilion behind the bed. After completing all this, Jiang Qingyue returned to the bed.  She was sitting next to her, ready to rest, but after all this, her mood was much better. The depression she felt when she came back from Queen Mother Deng had long been gone, and there was already a sweet smile on her face.  In fact, it is not surprising that the reason is revealed. Since this gem comes from the collection of the Burmese royal family, it may have been given by the little princess who was interested in Chen Zaixing, but Chen Zaixing changed hands and gave it to him. His status in the other party's mind  It is conceivable that when thinking of these, Jiang Qingyue felt that her body was so light that she was about to fly. She couldn't help but take the next step, turned around beautifully, and her wide skirt was lifted up, as if a bird was flying.  Peacock in full bloom.  As the twilight grew darker, a long and long cry of "Money and food! Be careful with the lights in each palace" came from the palace city. With these shouts, the palace doors were slowly closed, as they had been for thousands of years.  Generally, once the specified time has passed, the keys to the palace gates will be locked, and they will never be opened unless ordered by the emperor.  In the political hall, Wang Qinian, who was writing at his desk, also heard the noise coming from outside and stood up. Qi Zhiti on the side felt the movement and raised his head. Wang Qinian snorted coldly and said: "Master Qi, eat first.  Let¡¯s order something. There are still a few things to finish. I¡¯m afraid you and I will have to stay here all night!¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m just a little hungry too!¡± Qi Zhiti smiled, turned to Hu Shangshu and said: ¡°  "Master Hu, please take a rest first!" Hu Keqin muttered and stood up from the desk. From the outside, he looked a little older than when he was summoned in Yanying Hall a few months ago.  It was as if there was an invisible weight on his back, making it become more and more stooped.  The three of them walked to the dining table and sat down. The servants had already brought the food and wine that were hot on the stove and placed them on the table.  These three people all came from high-ranking scholars, so they naturally followed the instruction of "no words when eating and no words when sleeping". For a while, the only sounds in the room were the slight clinking of chopsticks and dishes.  Wang Qinian drank two bowls of porridge, put down his bowls and chopsticks, and rinsed his mouth with a cup of warm tea brought by a servant. He closed his eyes for a moment and suddenly asked, "Master Hu, how is your stall doing now?"  Hu Keqin was drinking tea. When he heard Wang Qinian's question, he replied casually: "What else can we do? We can't make ends meet. The money collected was sent out before it entered the warehouse. It didn't even warm up. Fortunately, Good morning Nan  Sign the contract with the British early, otherwise the money from the bond issuance will be used up, and I will be called mother here!" "Master Hu, you also need to thank Wei Xian from the Bei Division, she was not responsible for it!  Got the idea, you can't even get that little money!" Qi Zhiti joked from the side. Before Hu Keqin could answer, he heard a cold snort from Wang Qinian, full of disdain.  It turns out that according to Dashun rules, the political hall where Pingzhangjun and other princes discussed politics at the center of the imperial court was located in the south of the palace, while the palace supervisors responsible for the emperor's secretaries were located in the imperial city.  , the northern part of the palace city is faintly opposite to the political hall.  As a result, the ministers in the court quoted the old practice of the Tang Dynasty and called the palace offices Beisi, and the political affairs hall was Nanya. Over time, Nanya and Beisi became the names of the two.  Although the Bingbi in the Northern Office were far less powerful than the eunuchs in the Tang Dynasty, as the emperor's personal secretaries, it was also their secret responsibility to contain the ministers in the Southern Office. In this way,  Naturally, the relationship between Nan Ya and Bei Si cannot be called harmonious.  Hu Keqin didn't pay attention to Wang Qinian's attitude at all, or he didn't bother to pay attention at all: "Master Qi, what you said is quite right. If it weren't for Jiang Bingbi's idea this time, we really wouldn't have been able to get through this. The rest of us  The little money I got from the recruitment was not enough to put my teeth in. The army was already beating the drums before they even left Kunming. If we talk about merit-based rewards, I think she should be the one who deserves the most credit. Not even the early Marquis can compare with her.  !" Wang Qinian finally couldn't hold it back and said coldly: "Master Hu, please respect yourself!" But Hu Keqin said nonchalantly: "Ms. Wang, I am not full of moral articles like you. I am in charge of the household department.  I know that the emperor is not short of hungry soldiers. Without money, nothing can be done. If you are not in my position, you don't know. I wake up every morning with a lawsuit on my head. But when it comes to tax increases and reminders, the crows start.  There are many folds in the book, which say: "The previous dynasty pressed for two wages, until the country collapsed, and the wealth should be hidden among the people, and the country will be prosperous for thousands of years." Don't think I don't know, the most arrears of money and food are from these admonishers and me.  I don¡¯t know how the country will survive if the imperial court has no money, no money to pay, and no money to repair the rivers!¡± Seeing this, Qi Zhiti quickly smoothed things over and said, ¡°Hu Da.?, please stop singing the sutras of suffering. Others don¡¯t know about your difficulties. Don¡¯t we and Mr. Wang know about it?  But besides you, who else can bear this burden now?  Mr. Wang just did it for the imperial court. Think about the fact that the emperor is still young and Beisi is beside the Queen Mother. If he is allowed to become powerful, there may be great disaster in the future!  " "What's the big deal!  Hu Keqin replied nonchalantly: "Not to mention that Queen Mother Deng is a wise queen, the emperor is now ** years old. According to the old practice, in a few years, the Beisili in the palace will be replaced. Now this wave of people  No matter how powerful it is, what tricks can be produced in just a few years?  I think Wang Xianggong, you are just worrying!" There was a popping sound. It turned out that Wang Qinian suddenly stood up and brought all the teacups to the ground. His face was ashen, obviously he had been disturbed by Hu Keqin's words just now.  He was extremely angry. However, Hu Keqin didn't seem to notice the other party's anger at all, and just sat there drinking tea, looking like he was just a man without any desire. The two of them faced off like this for a while, and Wang Qinian snorted and turned around.  Leave. "Master Hu, you¡ª¡ª" Qi Zhiti on the side paused when he saw this, and hurriedly followed him out, leaving Hu Keqin sitting in the room, drinking tea alone, while Qi Zhiti caught up.  Wang Qinian said in a low voice: "Ms. Wang, what Mr. Hu just said was just gossip after dinner. You must not take it to heart!  " "That's all, I know his temper!  "Wang Qinian suddenly stopped, and the expression on his face became indifferent: "If I were in his position, I'm afraid I would be the same as he is now.  It¡¯s just¡ª¡± At this point, Wang Qinian paused for a moment and asked in a low voice: ¡°What do you think we should do about this peace treaty?  " "What about the peace treaty?  "Qi Zhiti pondered for a moment, but his mind was running fast, guessing the other party's true intention of asking him this question. The question itself is very simple. This time, the peace treaty signed with the British, although the Kingdom of Myanmar is cutting its territory again  It was another indemnity, but for Dashun, not only did it support a royal government that was loyal to itself, but it also obtained various privileges to garrison troops and train new troops for it, which was equivalent to pushing out the entire southwest border defense line by thousands of people.  kilometers, and reached an understanding with the British Empire in this area. Compared with this result, the price paid by Dashun can be said to be minimal. Although a considerable amount of military expenditure was spent, the battlefields were all on the territory of other countries, and the maritime trade merchant ships were also involved.  There was no attack by the British fleet. Compared with previous similar incidents in history, it can be said that Dashun handled the incident quite well. ¡°Then why does Wang Qinian still ask this question?  Shouldn't it be accurate?  "A thought suddenly flashed through Qi Zhiti's mind, and he asked in a low voice: "Ms. Wang, are you asking Wu Hanmin?  "Wang Qinian nodded silently. This was his biggest worry. In the pacification of the Burmese rebellion, although Wu Hanmin did not come to the forefront, no matter Batu and Chen Zaixing escorted the princess and prince into Burma in advance,  Whether it was Wu Hanmin who led the army to reinforce him or not, it was all inseparable from Wu Hanmin's strategic support behind the scenes. No one can take away this credit. Originally, this person's seniority and rank had already reached the peak of foreign officials. If one were to reward based on merit,  It is very likely that he has entered Beijing. With such a big boss in the central government, it may not be that simple for Wang Qinian to continue to govern the government like this. Qi Zhiti sighed inwardly. His colleague was incorruptible and capable, and he also treated the court.  Loyal and loyal, although a little narrow-minded, he was able to make corresponding concessions and reach compromises when the time came. Even in Dashun for more than two hundred years, he could be regarded as a virtuous prime minister. After his death, his posthumous title included  The word "literary" is definitely there. The late emperor did not choose the wrong person when he chose him to be the leader of the powerful ministers. If Wang Qinian's biggest shortcoming is that he takes power and position too seriously, he stubbornly believes that he is the only one.  He is the best helmsman of this empire. No matter who stands in his way, he will ruthlessly crush them. Originally, his idea was not suitable for a prime minister who was at the top of the list.  There is nothing wrong, but the problem is that the emperor is growing up day by day. Once the emperor reaches the age of taking charge, will there be any conflicts with this strong-willed chief minister? How many ministers were in power when the emperor was a child in history?  Who can get a good death? "Qinian, don't think too much, the Queen Mother also knows her character. As long as you and I do well, she will not have the idea of ????changing her appearance!"  Qi Zhiti whispered, but he still had one sentence left unsaid: "At least before the emperor takes charge!"  " Wang Qinian nodded. Qi Zhiti's words were the same as his inner thoughts. He pondered for a moment and asked in a low voice: "However, it is the law of the court that meritorious service must be rewarded. Wu Hanmin has made great contributions to this matter.  It is also mentioned in the brochure about national power. If we don¡¯t mention it, the Queen Mother will have trouble getting through.  " "It doesn't matter. 'Officials are based on ability, and titles are rewarded for merit.' Wu Hanmin was already a second-grade Guanglu doctor. This time he was promoted to a special grade.??It makes sense for the Queen Mother to have a school inspector.  There are also sensible people in the Queen Mother's office, who know that bringing Wu Hanmin to Beijing will not tolerate two tigers in one mountain, but it will be harmful to the country's affairs!  " Wang Qinian nodded, and the wrinkles on his forehead relaxed. As long as the cabinet's opinions are consistent on this issue, the Queen Mother will definitely not object given her character. As for those female officials, as Qi Zhiti said, in a few years  , they will naturally be replaced by new Bingbi people. How can I not deal with those yellow-haired girls in their early twenties?  Thinking about it, I couldn't help but secretly sigh: "You only think that once the new emperor comes to power, those who have written will be replaced by others, don't you think that you are also likely to be replaced by new people?  People in the world are like this. They only see the pits in front of others, but fail to see the abyss in front of themselves. It is really ridiculous and sad!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 9 Arrangement

    "What about Hu Hanmin's disciple? Where do you think we should put him?" Wang Qinian suddenly asked.  "Prot¨¦g¨¦?" Qi Zhiti, who was in daydream, was slightly startled. Then he realized that Wang Qinian was talking about Chen Zaixing. For a minister like him who had reached the pinnacle of imperial power, Chen Zaixing was nothing. He pondered for a moment and whispered:  "I think he should be allowed to stay in Myanmar. After all, there are not many capable officials like him who are familiar with the vassal affairs. Although a peace treaty has been signed with the United Kingdom, the situation in Myanmar is not stable. If he is replaced by someone who is not familiar with the situation, maybe  What kind of trouble will it cause?" "Well, what you said makes sense!" Wang Qinian said, "But I think he should be transferred back to the country." "Why do you say that?"  , look at what Chen Zaixing did in Myanmar this time, it can be said that he was bold. Of course, such a figure was indeed needed at that time, otherwise Myanmar would have become the possession of the British. But now the situation has changed. After all, I am big.  Shun doesn't want to annex Myanmar, he just wants to annex it. If he follows this guy's approach, it will easily arouse local civil unrest. Instead of doing this, it is better to send an experienced and prudent person to do nothing.  "This is the safest way!" "Yes!" Qi Zhiti nodded slightly, but he was thinking to himself that Wang Qinian was just trying to take advantage of this opportunity to deal with his old rival, but because Chen Zaixing was a humble official, he didn't want to start a fight with his colleagues.  Just a conflict.  Seeing that the other party agreed, Wang Qinian smiled and nodded: "In that case, you and I will quickly draw up the document and submit it tomorrow morning, so that it can be approved as soon as possible!" Qi Zhiti smiled and said: "What Mr. Wang said is true!" The next day  , in Wenyuan Pavilion, Bingbi Chengzhi, just like in the past, sat in their seats and processed various documents submitted by the cabinet.  Jiang Qingyue, who was on duty, sat in the middle, meticulously checking the comments written by his subordinates to avoid any errors in format or etiquette.  As the actual number two person in charge of the task, her work was very complicated, but she still handled it quickly and accurately, which made the female officers on the side look at her with admiration.  A female official presented a paper and said in a low voice: "Ms. Jiang, this is a paper on the merits of the Burmese war sent by the cabinet. Please take a look at it!" "Well, put it here!" Jiang Qing nodded.  He nodded, still writing the treaty on the paper with the brush in his hand, and wrote the summary of the memorial in beautiful small regular script. This is an important memorial for the Queen Mother to read personally. Since there are too many memorials, there is not enough time to read the full text, so it must be  A large number of memorials were written down in abbreviated form for the Empress Dowager's inspection.  After Jiang Qingyue finished writing a book, he spread it aside, and a female official took it aside to dry the ink and put it away.  Jiang Qingyue casually picked up the next memorial, and a familiar name jumped into her eyes, and her right hand couldn't help but tremble.  "Chen Zaixing?" Jiang Qingyue took a deep breath, calmed down some panic, and began to read the contents of the memorial carefully.  The content of the memorial was very simple. It simply stated the situation of the Myanmar Peace Negotiation, listed the contributions of the relevant personnel, and requested various rewards.  Generally speaking, for similar matters, as long as the cabinet's opinions are unified, the Queen Mother will approve it. After all, Queen Mother Deng is a "virtuous queen" in the traditional sense, which means that she generally will not interfere with foreign ministers.  Of administration.  Jiang Qingyue read the memorial and felt relieved.  Frankly speaking, the cabinet's memorial this time is still very fair. It gives corresponding rewards to meritorious personnel without destroying the balance of power in the entire court. Although it cannot be said that the chief minister Wang Xianggong has no selfish motives, it does not exceed that limit.  limit.  Jiang Qingyue took a piece of yellow paper and stuck it on the inside page of the memorial. She picked up the brush and was about to write an abbreviation.  A thought suddenly flashed through my mind: "Will he be willing to return to Hanking as an official after his resurrection?" This question seems very obvious at first glance. Dashun has been the capital of Hanking for more than two hundred years. After these years of management,  It can be said that the essence of the world is naturally better than a smoggy land like Myanmar. Not to mention that Chen Zaixing, who was a Jinshi and a bachelor of Hongwenguan, would definitely be better back in the center than in Myanmar.  His career was more favorable.  There is another unspeakable reason in Jiang Qingyue's heart that also supports Chen Zaixing's return to Hanking.  "This way you can get closer to yourself!" A voice shouted loudly in Jiang Qingyue's ear. Her wrist paused above the memorial. Jiang Qingyue knew in her heart that after hundreds of years of inheritance, even the most  Wise monarchs and the emperors of the past dynasties can also use various little tricks to influence their masters to make corresponding decisions without leaving a trace, not to mention the Empress Dowager Deng who has not much political experience. She should  How to do it?  ? ?Empress Lin is here!  " Suddenly there was a sound of communication outside the window. Jiang Qingyue, who was thinking about it, felt as if a hot whip had been slapped on the back of his hand. His wrist shook violently. The langhao pen full of ink immediately dripped ink and fell on the memorial.  Up. Jiang Qingyue hurriedly picked up the fine powder for absorbing ink, trying to clean up the ink stains on the memorial. Just then, Lin Wanqing walked in. Seeing Jiang Qingyue's fuss, she raised her eyebrows slightly and walked over.  Looking at the memorials that Jiang Qingyue was cleaning up at the table, a smile suddenly flashed across her lips, "Jiang family girl, let me see the memorials in your hand.  "Lin Wanqing stretched out her hand to Jiang Qingyue. Although her voice was soft, it was not difficult to hear the irrefutable command in it. Jiang Qingyue hesitated for a moment, then handed over the fold in her hand. " Lin Wanqing  She took the folder and flipped through two pages. A smile worth pondering appeared on her face. She handed the folder to the female officer on the side and said with a smile: "Girl from the Jiang family, it's just a little stained with ink. It doesn't matter. Let the following  Just let people deal with it.  You are also an old man, you don¡¯t have to do everything by yourself, and you have lost your identity!  " At this time, Jiang Qingyue had recovered from the panic just now. She was looking at her nose and nose, her face was like water, and she said in a deep voice: "Thank you for your forgiveness!  " "After doing this for so many years, it's not a big mistake. Let's avoid it!  Lin Wanqing smiled and said: "You have read the brochure just now. I want to ask you a question. If I had not come, what would you have written on the pornographic review?"  " "It is related to the imperial court's rewards for meritorious soldiers. The ministers of the cabinet have unanimously agreed. I can only write an abridged version for the Queen Mother's judgment!  " "Well, that's good, but in addition to writing abbreviations, we also have the responsibility to provide suggestions. I wonder if you have any suggestions on general matters?  " Although Jiang Qingyue lowered her head, she could still feel Lin Wanqing's two eyes staring at her, almost burning two holes in her back. At this time, her heart was full of struggle.  , obviously the other party's intention was to target Chen Zaixing. The simplest answer to this question is of course to say that he agrees with the opinions of the cabinet ministers and just pass it off. After all, everyone in the world knows that this is the fault of the then Prime Minister Wang Qinian.  Yes, Wang Qinian and Chen Zaixing's mentor Hu Hanmin had quite a grudge. If Jiang Qingyue still had an old relationship and took this opportunity to help Chen Zaixing go to Beijing, Empress Dowager Deng would definitely not be able to pass it. But if she thought about it more deeply,  Lin Wanqing is such a powerful person, how could he let himself pass so easily? Imagine if Lin Wanqing didn't attack now and just wait for the opportunity.  Chen Zaixing really returned to Hanking. At that time, the two of them were in the same city, and there were many old people in the palace who knew what happened back then. As long as she fanned the flames a little bit, everything she said this time would become a time bomb.  Can't afford to walk around. According to Dashun's system, all Zhengbi Chengzhi are nominally the emperor's wives and concubines. Although they have great power and are well-educated, it is best if they encounter such taboos.  His fate was also to die in confinement. Thinking of this, Jiang Qingyue's body shuddered involuntarily: "Mother, I think there is something wrong with Mr. Chen's arrangement, and he should not be transferred back to Hanking!  "Jiang Qingyue raised her head, and her eyes returned to their usual clarity. "Little fox, your cleverness allowed you to escape this time!  Lin Wanqing secretly resented it, but with a smile on her face, she asked, "Oh?"  How to say?  " "Mother, Myanmar is not a county in the country. The situation is complicated and requires capable officials who are familiar with the local situation to comfort it.  Mr. Chen formed a deep friendship with the king and the eldest princess during the pacification of the Burmese Rebellion, and was well-liked by the local people. If the people were changed all of a sudden, things would easily go wrong, so it was better to let Mr. Chen stay in Myanmar for a few years.  superior!  " "What you said makes sense, but Mr. Chen has made great contributions in Myanmar, so there must be some reward from the court, right?  If he is allowed to continue to stay in the smoky land of Myanmar, I'm afraid some people will say that the imperial court has treated its meritorious officials badly!  " "Then just let Mr. Chen move two levels higher.  "Jiang Qingyue is not afraid of others saying she has an affair with Chen Zaixing now. After all, one is in Hanking and the other is thousands of miles away in Myanmar. There were no planes at the time, so this label cannot be pinned on her.  Lin Wanqing's heart was itching with hatred, but the smile on her face became sweeter: "Girl from the Jiang family is right, you don't have to worry about anything over there, so why don't you bother me about this criticism of pornography?  "    "yes!  "Jiang Qingyue sat back at the table, took the paper, pondered for a moment, and wrote on the batch of yellow papers: "Myanmar is thousands of miles away from China. It has a language barrier and different customs from China. It is easy to move and difficult to settle down. Chen Zaixing has lived here for many years.  Know the style, don't move lightly!  "Writing this, Jiang Qingyue stopped writing and looked up at Lin Wanqing. Lin Wanqing smiled slightly, took the wolf hair from the other party's hand, and then wrote: "When the holiday ax honors its prestige, appease the vassal country with Ning.  Southern Xinjiang""Writing this, Lin Wanqing put down her wolf hair and asked: "How?"  " "The empress's talents are beyond Qingyue's reach!  Jiang Qingyue said with a smile, and her eyes met with Lin Wanqing's. They both understood each other's intentions and couldn't help but laugh.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 10 Planning

    The next day, the imperial decree came down. Just as outsiders had speculated, the imperial court greatly rewarded the ministers who participated in the Burmese campaign. Wu Hanmin was awarded special promotion, and was promoted to the school's major security officer. Early state power was promoted to general quan.  Others have also been promoted more or less, but what is intriguing is that only Zao Guoquan was transferred to Guangdong and Guangxi. Although the others were promoted to official positions, their places were not moved. After Zao Guoquan was transferred, Sheng  Chen Zaixing, who is the director of the Burmese Protector's Office, is actually Dashun's highest authority representative in Burma.  The imperial court's purpose is very clear. It must deal with matters in Myanmar quietly to ensure the stability of this vassal state.  Only a few people who had seen Zhezi knew that the cabinet initially wanted to transfer Chen Zaixing back to Hanking.  In the eyes of most people at the time, this was the end, but thirty years later, it was only the beginning.  Luming Pavilion, which is usually quite quiet, has become a bit noisy at this time. Although Luming Pavilion usually has a lot of visits from Beijing officials, but usually they are here in simple carriages and dressed in Tsing Yi.  What kind of official airs are you putting on?  But today, outside the Luming Pavilion, there are all kinds of carriages with luxurious decorations parked. The carriage drivers also have their chests and belly protruding, looking proud and arrogant, making the occasional guests look at them.  See.  "They are all ignorant guys from where they came from. Don't they know where the Luming Pavilion is?" A young Beijing official sneered, "It must be some stickman who just came to Beijing. Not long ago, the Queen Mother also asked the cosmetics shop,  Jewelry shops impose heavy taxes to promote simplicity and stop luxury. If the imperial censor sees that a rebuke is minor, he will be fined for at least three months! "You remember Mr. Chen from the Ministry of Civil Affairs?"  ? Two months ago, the censor heard that he spent 3,000 taels of jewelry as a gift for his wife¡¯s birthday, but he was transferred to Honglu Temple the next day. You said this was a penalty.  "Is it a big deal?" "Seriously?" The young official's eyes widened. No wonder he was so surprised. The Ministry of Civil Affairs was a first-class red member, and even the fifth- and sixth-grade Yuanwailang would not do it.  The nostrils are pointed upward; while Honglu Temple belongs to the Ministry of Rites, and its main job is to receive envoys from the vassal state. The problem is that these days, the number of vassal states in Dashun can be counted on one's fingers, and they will not come for several years.  Once, if you have nothing to do, you have no power, no money and money. Even if you are promoted to be a court official, it is meaningless for such a cold yamen. This punishment is of course much heavier than three months' salary.  "Hey, if you don't believe me, you can go and ask around! Anyway, you know Honglu Temple. It's deserted on weekdays. Not many people come here for ten days and a half. You can find an old gatekeeper to guarantee everything."  I¡¯ll tell you everything clearly!¡± ¡°Believe it, believe me, don¡¯t you believe what you say, Mr. Xu!¡± The young official laughed quickly. He turned his head and looked at the row of carriages on the side, and sneered: ¡°I don¡¯t know this.  Who is this unlucky guy this time?¡± The living room is crowded. Anyone who is familiar with the business community in Jiangnan will be very surprised. Almost all the richest and most influential businessmen in Jiangnan and even South China are gathered here.  Important industries such as Dashun cotton textiles, silk, tea, and pottery occupy the top positions, especially Liu Zhiping and an old man wearing a silk coat next to him. They represent Shanghai's financial community. As Shanghai develops,  The largest trade center between China and the West has moved from Guangzhou to Shanghai, which has a larger economic hinterland. A large amount of import and export trade has brought huge amounts of gold and silver, whether it is currency exchange, short-term lending, remittances, risk financing, insurance and other related  Industries also emerged.  Countless Chinese businessmen need increasingly huge amounts of money for turnover when purchasing products, exporting trade, or building factories. In order to win in the increasingly fierce competition, they need the support of banks.  To achieve this goal, they not only had to pay high interest to the banks, but also had to give up part of their control of their enterprises. In this way, while Shanghai banks accumulated huge wealth, they also gradually controlled the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.  A large number of businessmen in the richest and most economically active areas of Dashun gradually formed a loose business group centered on banks in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River with Shanghai as the center in the mid-1880s. This group has  With a hazy self-awareness, it is like a newly born baby stretching its arms and legs and making crisp cries from time to time.  "Oh, Mr. Liu! Mr. Chen!" A businessman who had just walked in saw Liu Zhiping and the old man named Chen from Longxingxing. His eyes lit up and he hurried over in small steps. He bowed and said: "It turns out that this time  It's a post from two people. The villain is Xu Wanshan from the Taizhou Chamber of Commerce. I didn't expect to meet these two people in Hanking this time. "Haha, Wanshan! You guessed wrong this time!" Liu Zhipinghe!  This Xu Wanshan was more familiar, so he interrupted the other party with a smile: "This post was not sent by us. Like you, we are both guests who received the post this time! The master hasn't arrived yet?"  "What?" Xu Wanshan said slightlyHe was stunned, and then said angrily: "What kind of person is so big-hearted that he even leaves the two of you here? The people of Hanjing and the emperor are awesome. If we hadn't bought the bonds every year in Shanghai, the emperor's ass would be  You can't sit still!" "Haha!" Liu Zhiping smiled slightly and glanced at Mr. Chen, who was standing by Long Xingxing. Both of them saw a hint of ridicule in the other's eyes.  It turned out that after several major banks in Shanghai reached an agreement on providing compensation to the Royal Government of Myanmar, they decided to let these two people come to Hanking as representatives to discuss the details with Chen Zaixing.  Now they have learned that everything went well and that Chen Zaixing stayed in Myanmar and summoned these business representatives. Although these posts do not have their names on them, in fact everything is handled by them. If the two of them are the owners,  There's nothing wrong with that.  "Master Chen is here!" At this moment, there was a sudden call from outside, and the people who were chatting in the room hurriedly turned around.  That Xu Wanshan snorted coldly, turned around, and saw a young man in a green robe standing at the door in high spirits, looking at everyone with a smile, followed by two people, one fat and one thin, exactly.  Kong Zhang and Liu Qingyang.  "Isn't that brother Liu Shi?" Xu Wanshan was stunned, but saw that Liu Zhiping and the old man surnamed Chen had already stepped forward to bow to Chen Zaixing, and hurriedly followed him. Everyone in the room saluted and said hello to him in a noisy manner, and the room was a little noisy for a while.  .  "Weng Liu, please get up, Weng Chen, please get up!" Chen Zaixing stretched out his hand to help Liu and Chen, and laughed loudly: "Everyone, Chen is not here today in an official capacity. There is no need to be polite. Everyone is normal.  Just say what you say!" Everyone responded in unison. The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River where these merchants are located have been a place of economic prosperity and education since ancient times. The business has reached their level, although I dare not say that there are Jinshi in every human race.  , but it is not uncommon for someone to be promoted to a state or county official, so they did not think highly of this young "Master Chen". They probably followed Liu and Chen because they saw how respectful they were.  A few sharp-eyed people recognized Kong Zhang and Liu Qingyang, and then vaguely guessed the identity of Mr. Chen.  Everyone sat down in two compartments. Chen Zaixing glanced at everyone and said with a smile: "You are all leaders in the Jiangnan business community. Brothers, I invite you here this time for a business. I want you to do it together!"  At this point, Chen Zaixing smiled slightly: "Of course, these business brothers also have to share the profit!" When everyone heard this, they couldn't help but be stunned. It has been more than two hundred years since the founding of Dashun, and the official administration has long been no longer as strict as it was when the founding of the country.  It's not that everyone has never seen an official asking for money, but generally speaking, there is some cover-up, and there are already various ready-made hidden rules. It is rare for the adult in front of me to openly ask for money like this.  very.  Liu Qingyang, who was sitting next to Chen Zaixing, saw this and knew what everyone was thinking at this time. He stood up and made a group salute: "You don't know, this is Mr. Chen Zaixing who quelled the rebellion in Burma not long ago. Everyone.  Have you ever heard of Shunhua Company?" Liu Qingyang glanced at the people with confused expressions on their faces and explained: "Last year, the imperial court used Myanmar's trade franchise as collateral to issue bonds.  The company enjoys the exclusive right to trade with Myanmar, and Mr. Chen is one of the directors of Shunhua Company. "These businessmen are all cunning. After listening to Liu Qingyang's few words, he immediately understood what he had not said yet!  Obviously, the person who paid for these bonds must be Houde Bank, and this Mr. Chen was the one they brought out. The business they were invited to discuss today must be related to Myanmar. When they thought of this, everyone's hearts went crazy.  They are all getting excited. They all know that a country like this that has just finished a war is full of waste and is often the best opportunity to make money. Moreover, Myanmar loves all kinds of groceries produced in China. If this market can be opened,  , the profit is more than hundreds of millions.  Xu Wanshan reacted very quickly and was the first to stand up: "It turns out that I am Mr. Chen who pacified Burma. I don't know the truth about Mount Tai. I hope you can forgive me for being rude. Let's do this. I will give you a number. I will give you a number."  No matter what, it will definitely pay off!" What he was thinking was that no matter how greedy Chen Zaixing is, how much money can he ask for? Even if I give you one hundred thousand taels of silver a year, it is just a drop in the bucket compared to a market as big as Myanmar.  The others also reacted and said one after another: "Yes, Mr. Chen, please give me a number. We have nothing to do with it!" Chen Zaixing smiled when he heard the words and made a gesture to Liu Qingyang on the side. Liu Qingyang stood up and put down his hands.  He signaled everyone to be silent: "Everyone, Mr. Chen just said it. I want to do business with everyone and make a fortune together, not for any reward. So that everyone knows that before the Burmese Rebellion, Mr. Chen was operating in Myanmar.  Minerals and jewelry are worth millions, and he is very proficient in business." At the end, Liu Qingyang emphasized his tone, and the meaning was very clear. Mr. Chen is also used to doing business, so don't just think about it!  A few dollars slipped through.  "Hehe"??, when I was doing business in Myanmar in the past, I saw Chinese businessmen lowering prices with each other in order to make money. In order not to lose money, they had to sell defective products. As a result, they ruined a good business and made the British and Indians cheaper.  After defeating the British this time, I plan to unify the merchants in Dashun first, and work together to compete with the British and Indians, turning Myanmar into my market in Dashun!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 11 Planning

    When everyone in the room heard this, they couldn't help but look at each other. They naturally knew that what Chen Zaixing said was true. This kind of thing had happened in other countries in Southeast Asia, but if Chen Zaixing wanted to control the Myanmar market, there were still several problems.  "Master Chen!" An old man in brocade clothes stood up: "Before we talk about business, I have a few questions to ask you first!" Chen Zaixing smiled and said: "Haha, we are talking about business today, just ask me to resurrect!  "The old man glanced at Chen Zaixing, lowered his head and said, "You don't dare. According to what the adults said, you want to unite all the merchants and set a unified price, but you can't stand other people doing this business, even Shunhua?  The company has the exclusive right to trade in Myanmar, but everyone knows that this is a piece of fat, will anyone want to take a bite? " "Hehe, the old man is worried, but please don't worry, I have a plan!  "Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "This Shunhua Company is not just owned by Chen's family, the Burmese royal family is also one of its shareholders. In other words, whoever goes against Shunhua Company is also going against the Burmese royal family." At this point,  Chen Zaixing's tone was full of murderous intent: "The Princess Regent has agreed that any import of Shunguo goods must be approved by Shunhua Company. Otherwise, the goods will be confiscated and the person will be punished as a thief! Please rest assured, everyone is under the Queen Mother's will."  We have all seen it. Stability is the top priority when it comes to Myanmar. Even if the powerful people in the DPRK and China want to intervene, they must consider it. After all, Myanmar is just a vassal state. If things get too big, the huge power may not be preserved.  Stop him!" After hearing what Chen Zaixing said, everyone was relieved. As Chen Zaixing said, after all, Myanmar is not the territory of the imperial court. Even the dignitaries in the imperial court would not reach out there for a few dollars, otherwise  If the feudal state rebels, it cannot be covered up.  Chen Zaixing saw the relieved expressions on everyone's faces and said with a smile: "Everyone, if you have any questions today, just let them know so that you don't get into trouble later. I won't admit it!" Everyone was made to laugh by Chen Zaixing's joke.  The atmosphere in the room also became lively. A middle-aged man stood up and said: "Mr. Chen, I run a textile factory. I heard that the climate in Myanmar is hot. Can my business be successful?" "It is indeed true in the south of Myanmar.  The climate is hot, but the central and northern parts are much milder, and the plateau areas are still very cold in winter. Besides, even in the south, you have to wear clothes. How can there be no business? " "That's good, more and more factories have been opened in recent years.  The more we have, the bigger the factory becomes. However, the cotton cloth produced is not unsaleable, and the price has dropped dramatically. The best Songjiang cloth only costs four coins a piece. This is great! "That man!  At this point, he asked: "Sir, cotton is cheap. If the freight is too expensive, this business cannot be done. Is your road to Myanmar by land or water?" At this point, the chatter and laughter in the room stopped.  , everyone's eyes were focused on Chen Zaixing's face. Most of the cloth, silk, pottery and other businesses these people do are groceries. The profit per unit volume is not high. If the freight is too expensive, I'm afraid it will be  Not worth it anymore.  Chen Zaixing coughed lowly: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is exactly what I am going to say. According to the peace treaty just signed, the British have obtained the Ayeyarwaddy Province, Yangon Province, and Arakan Province in Lower Burma.  Most of the coastal provinces of Myanmar. But there are still some coastal provinces that belong to the Kingdom of Myanmar. I will consider the issue of routes after I go back. But -" At this point, Chen paused: "This is not a long-term solution. You should know that according to the peace treaty.  According to the content, the Kingdom of Myanmar only has a maximum tariff of 7% on imported goods from the UK. With such a low tariff, it is difficult for Dashun to take advantage of it, so I plan to find opportunities to amend the treaty in the future, or use other methods to prevent the UK from doing so.  However, there will definitely be a conflict with the British, and the British will probably retaliate by cutting off the sea routes. " "Another way?" "That's right!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile.  He stood up and opened the curtain on the wall, revealing a map of Southeast Asia. He drew a line from Shanghai from the sea to the southeastern coast of Myanmar and said: "Look, this route passes through Singapore. The British  It's easy to cut us off. So I plan to find another way." At this point, Chen Zaixing turned his finger to Kunming, and then drew a line from there to Mandalay, and then the line extended to Yan'anqiang and finally to Yangon.  "I plan to build a railway from Kunming to Yangon. In this way, not only will the whole of Burma be connected to Dashun, but the British will no longer be able to blockade through Singapore. Our goods can be transported to Yangon by rail.  Then ship it to all parts of the world!¡± ¡°Sir, is this okay? Build a railway to Yangon, but you just said that Yangon has been ceded to the British? Will they let you build this railway?¡±  "Then what?What?  Originally, the British took over Rangoon. Can't we take it back?  How many people are there in the UK?  How many people are there in Dashun?  Why should they have a hand in all the good places and good things in the world?  Is there any truth in this world?  I have also dealt with them in Myanmar, but it was nothing more than this. If we give us another ten years of accumulation and ten years of lessons, we will definitely be able to take Yangon back!  ¡± Everyone in the room was stunned by Chen Zaixing¡¯s grand idea. Is it something a businessman can imagine to occupy a country and build a railway? Not to mention going against the world¡¯s most powerful country, the United Kingdom, this young man in front of him  Are people crazy? "Ahem!  "A voice broke the silence in the room, but it was Liu Zhiping who had been sitting aside who spoke: "Mr. Chen, we are all businessmen, and what we do is to trade our capital for profit. We don't understand what you are talking about.  Even if I understand, I don¡¯t dare to get involved.  If we just want to build railways, we will naturally support this kind of thing that benefits the country and the people, but where will the money come from?  Where does the land come from?  Who owns the right to the road after it is repaired?  Do you know anything about these things?  " "I don't have any money. I invite you all here just for money!"  As for other things!  "Chen Zaixing took out a silk book from the side, spread out his hands and looked at it with everyone: "Everyone, please look, this is the edict issued by the orthodox king of the Kingdom of Myanmar. The collateral for this loan agreement is the right to build roads.  and the mining rights for all minerals within thirty kilometers on both sides of the road.  ¡± Everyone¡¯s appetite was immediately whetted by Chen Zaixing. At that time, several railways had been opened in Dashun. Judging from the experience of the opening, even if only considering freight and passenger transport, the benefits were extremely generous, so building railways was the first step.  A very profitable business, but there are too many problems involved in building the railway. Whether it is the purchase of the required land, the demolition of relevant personnel, the exploration of the geological conditions of the road, and the subsequent operation, it is beyond the scope of ordinary businessmen.  , but once the matter is accomplished, since there are almost no competitors, stable and generous profits can be obtained. "Sir, can you show us the edict in your hand?  "The old man just now looked at Chen Zaixing worriedly. It was obvious that he was afraid that his request would be reprimanded by the other party. "Then why not!  "Chen Zaixing handed over the silk letter in his hand with a smile. He asked Luo Lin for this edict before leaving. Of course, he was not afraid even if the other party didn't give it to him. When the eldest princess and her brother fled to China, their close confidant Maung Aok was captured.  Batu was killed, and the accompanying seal was originally in the hands of Batu and him. Later, after returning to Mandalay, the seal was also in his hands for a long time. With this margin, Chen Zaixing had already prepared seven or eight in his hands.  Hundreds of copies of the blank edict with seals came, not to mention showing it to these businessmen, but it was not impossible to send one to them as collateral. The old man quickly bowed down, took the edict with both hands respectfully, and returned to his seat.  Li opened it carefully and saw that in addition to Chinese, there were two kinds of characters that he didn't recognize. He thought they were Burmese characters. He looked at the seal below and saw that the mark was clear and the font was full.  Dare to take a closer look, fearing that Chen Zaixing would think that he did not trust him, but would offend the lord, so he quickly rolled up the edict, took two steps forward, and handed it back with both hands. Chen Zaixing did not reach out to catch it, and said with a smile: "This master,  After you have read it, let others read it. Since it is a business matter, let's talk business. Everyone wants to feel at ease. There is nothing to be embarrassed about.  " Others in the room heard this and all claimed that it was. After all, whether from the perspective of reassurance or curiosity, it is a rare thing to be able to read the edict of a foreign king. The old man hurriedly bowed to Chen Zaixing.  He turned around and passed the edict to the next person. After half a cup of tea, the edict returned to Chen Zaixing's hand. The old man stood up and asked: "Master Chen, we have all read it. Could it be that you summoned us this time?"  For borrowing money?  " Chen Zaixing smiled slightly, but did not answer. Liu Qingyang stood up and replied: "Old Wu, Mr. Chen went to Shanghai after returning to China. Jia Yan and several uncles discussed it and decided to form a loan company ten days ago.  Group, taking over the entire loan matter.  " "I see, that's it. It's true that with Liu Weng and Chen Weng here, there's nothing that can't be done about money. But I'm waiting for Hu to worry about it!  " "That is, in terms of wealth, all of us combined are not as thick as one of Liu Weng's fingers!"  " "Everyone!  "Chen Zaixing interrupted everyone's conversation with a smile: "As I said just now, I hope that the Dashun business community will unite to make a difference in Myanmar. I hope that all your products will enter Myanmar exclusively through the channels of our Shunhua Company.  , but before that, a deposit must be paid to ensure the quality of the goods and the cost of handling disputes. Here, I assure you that all goods exported to Myanmar without the consent of Shunhua Company will be protected once discovered.  , the goods will be confiscated, and the people will be held accountable!  ¡±   Everyone in the room looked at each other, their eyes became eager. With such a big thigh holding you, are you afraid that you won¡¯t make any money?  "Master Chen, please give me the number. When I get back, I will send you the deposit and ask Master Chen to take it!" "Me too!" "Me too!" Chen Zaixing looked at everyone in the room with a smile, feeling secretly happy in his heart.  After discussing with Liu Qingyang and Kong Zhang, they came up with this method.  Obtaining a cash flow through deposits is certainly one of the purposes, but the more important purpose is to tie these businessmen to their own chariots. Once these businessmen participate in their own plans, the market will be controlled by them, and the liquidity will be controlled by Liu Qingyang and others.  In the hands of human banks, within a few years, the life and death of these businessmen will be in their own hands. Once they take action, they can integrate everything into a huge group. With such a group with huge economic strength as the backing,  I am really one step closer to my goal.  "Everyone, everyone!" Liu Zhiping, who had been sitting silently from the beginning, suddenly stood up and said loudly: "While everyone is here today, I have one more thing to talk to you about.  ." At this point, he paused and glanced at everyone in the room with a majestic look: "When the compensation is completed, our five bank groups in Shanghai will issue stocks for the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway. I hope you will support it!"  There was a moment of silence in the room, and was soon drowned out by enthusiastic cheers.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 12 Letter

    London, Palace of Westminster, House of Commons Lounge, 4 p.m.  For a British person, afternoon tea is a sacred moment.  Exquisite Chinese porcelain, fine Indian black tea, plus milk and brown sugar, and a few well-baked cheese biscuits are irresistible temptations for these British people living in the humid and rainy British Isles.  The gentlemen members of the House of Commons are no exception. At this time, these members who were arguing fiercely in the House of Commons not long ago also gathered in groups, tasting exquisite refreshments, and chatting in low voices.  The appearance of a life and death enemy.  Belfort curled up comfortably in an armchair and read a letter intently. The black tea on the round coffee table in front of him was no longer hot, and the snacks did not appear to have been touched. Obviously, the content of the letter was very important.  Leaving him no time to pay attention to the refreshments in front of him.  "Dear Mr. Belfort, I have arrived in Xuzhou today. The railway from Jiangning Prefecture to Tianjin that is under construction ends here. The next one is still under construction. I must change to a carriage or other means of transportation to continue.  Journey. Xuzhou is a very ancient city. According to the locals, it has a history of 6,000 years. This is unbelievable. Civilization existed here as early as 4,000 years before the birth of Jesus. I believe this is more.  It is a myth and legend rather than a real history. This city is located in a huge plain, and the surrounding land is well cultivated, producing a large amount of wheat and corn. The Chinese are natural farmers, and they are very good at using these simple things.  Farm tools are used to cultivate their small plots of land. From what I observed on the train, the upcoming harvest will be very good. However, the life of the farmers is not very good. Judging from the small stops along the way, it can be seen everywhere.  Beggars, the clothes on the people's bodies are shabby, and it is rare to see well-nourished people with rosy faces. On the roof of the train, you can see groups of farmers carrying packages on their way to nearby cities. Many of them want to work in the city.  People who go to the city to earn some money during the off-farm season are mostly bankrupted by usury and taxes. According to the results of my conversations with them through servants, the reason for their bankruptcy is simple: in the past, they obtained almost all the necessities of life through labor.  They could grow their own food, vegetables, and weave cloth. They did not need to buy anything from outside except salt and ironware. The emperor only wanted them to collect food and cloth as taxes, so they could live a free and prosperous life.  Dignity. But things have changed in recent decades. The large amounts of cheap cotton and grain coming from the northwest have made their output worthless, and the southern factories have produced cheap and good cloth, which has completely defeated the industry that has existed for thousands of years.  of the homespun textile industry, and the emperor changed the form of taxes to require money instead of food and cloth. However, gold and silver could not be grown in the fields, and the poor farmers had to accept the conditions of the black-hearted merchants at low prices.  They sold their own grain to pay taxes, and one farmer after another went bankrupt Mr. Balfour, does the above sound familiar to you? This has happened in Great Britain and Europe in the past hundreds of years, in rural areas.  The nobles and peasants went bankrupt, while the merchants and citizens of the city became rich. Under the impact of wheat imported from Eastern Europe, the poor peasants lost everything and had to go to the city to be beggars and workers. All this again in this distant place.  The country has repeated itself, but the difference is that the scale is larger, the time is shorter, and the intensity is more intense. So what will happen next? The above is my judgment.  The development since 1860 has been so rapid that the ancient body has been fractured internally, the old order is being shattered, and the new order is far from being formed, so I think that in the near future, this ancient empire will undergo a transformation.  A violent civil war in which millions of people would die and the earth would open up, swallowing everything in its abyss, would make all of Europe's past wars nothing more than this.  It's just some jokes.  But if this civil war ends and this ancient empire can still remain unified, it will be very scary for European civilization.  Because civil war is like a big steel furnace, which will eliminate old contradictions and cracks and turn them into a solid piece of steel again.  May God have mercy on us.  Okay, that¡¯s it for this time¡¯s letter.  Do you remember the Chinese servant I mentioned to you in my last letter?  Thank God for sending him to me. In these few days, he helped me deal with at least twelve thieves. Without him, I simply don¡¯t know how to continue this journey.  "Loyal Gillings" "Mr. Balfour!"  " A voice interrupted Belfort's thoughts. He raised his head and saw a burly middle-aged man standing in front of him, pointing to the seat in front of him: "Can I sit here, please?  " "Of course, Mr. Chamberlain!  "Belfort stood up and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't see you coming over just now."??!  " "As an uninvited guest, I should be the one to say sorry!  "Chamberlain moved his body comfortably. Under the weight of his nearly two hundred kilograms, the armchair made a creaking sound. Belfort couldn't help but worry that the mahogany armchair would fall apart under his weight.  "Excuse me, I'm a little curious.  "Chamberlain didn't notice the other party's eyes: "If I remember correctly, there will be a routine vote on the Irish issue tomorrow, but you are leisurely reading the letter here. I don't know if you already have a plan in mind or this letter.  It's so important - " Belfort smiled and looked at Chamberlain's eyes staring at the letter in his hand. Obviously the other party was curious about the content, but there were unspoken rules in the interactions of British gentlemen, and he could not directly ask to know the letter.  Content. In fact, Balfour did not mind letting the other party know about this letter, because it would not harm his plan, but would greatly help him. "Mr. Chamberlain, my view on the Irish issue has never changed: the Irish issue is actually a matter of fact.  It¡¯s not a problem. The only problem is that we British are too soft-hearted. If we can be like General Sherman (the northern general during the American Civil War, known for his brutality, who once set fire to Atlanta), that beautiful  The island has long since returned to its former peace.  There is no doubt that after this, we should show mercy and justice, but all this only after showing great strength and the determination to use force will not be mistaken for weakness and fear.  As for this letter.  "Belfort handed over the letter in his hand: "It was written to me by a friend of mine who traveled in China. I am very interested in this ancient empire!  " "Oh, thank you!  Chamberlain accepted the letter with some embarrassment. He did not expect that the other party would directly hand it to him to read: "Mr. Balfour, although I cannot completely agree with your views on the Irish issue, one thing is certain. I support it."  All actions to keep this island within the Empire, I and my people will support you in Parliament on this issue!  " "Thank you very much!  " Chamberlain originally thought that this letter was about the Irish issue that he was concerned about, but when he heard that Balfour said that it was only about travel to China, he was ready to read just two lines and return it to the other party, so as not to infringe on the other party's rights too much*  *. But when Chamberlain glanced at the first two lines of the letter, his attention was attracted by the content of the letter. As a successful businessman who struggled from the middle and lower classes of society, what happened in China was described in his heart.  The look in his eyes was so familiar, almost the same as what he saw with his own eyes and heard from his parents when he was young. This made him reluctant to let go. He read the letter from beginning to end in one breath, and then raised his head reluctantly.  Come and return the letter to Balfour: "Mr. Balfour, this friend of yours observes very carefully. I think you may not know more even if you go there in person!  " "I think Mr. Gillings will be very happy to hear your praise!  "Belfort took the letter and put it aside, and whispered to the footman walking by: "Bring me two cod fish sandwiches, Mr. Chamberlain, can you have black tea?  " "Thank you!  Chamberlain nodded: "I think this is just one of many letters from Mr. Gillings?"  " "Yes, he usually writes a letter every other week or less, then sends it to the consulate in Shanghai, and then sends it to London by mail.  " Chamberlain asked uneasily: "If possible, could you also show me these letters?  Of course, that's before deleting the personal information about you first!  "Of course, you can wait for a while. When the Irish problem comes to an end, I will compile these letters into a report and read it out in the House of Commons. This is the basis of my hope for the empire's next policy towards East Asia."  " "I'm looking forward to your report!  Chamberlain rubbed his hands excitedly: "However, I don't agree with Mr. Gillings's assertion that China will have a civil war just because of those contradictions. He is making too much of a fuss. What he just said is not true."  It has also happened in the UK, and the situation is much more serious. At least China has not issued a decree. All beggars have to choose between becoming slaves or being hanged. Their small peasant land has not been taken over by noble lords.  Come back to the lucrative sheep farming business!  (Chamberlain is talking about the famous "sheep cannibalism" movement in British history. In the 15th and 16th centuries, due to the rapid development of the wool textile industry in Britain and the Netherlands, the demand for wool surged, and the British aristocrats forcibly occupied farmers.  The land was used as pasture, and farmers had no choice but to wander into the city, and the British king at that time issued a decree that anyone who wandered without work for a month would become a slave for life if reported, and if he escaped, he would be hanged.) "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 13 Analysis

    "I don't think he is exaggerating! Mr. Chamberlain, you have missed an important fact. All the changes you mentioned in Britain happened over a long period of time, and time has diluted the suffering and impact caused by the changes. But  For the Chinese, everything happened in less than fifty years, completely within one generation, which is difficult to accept. What's more, it was a desperate situation at that time.  Bankrupt farmers can also take a boat to try their luck in the New World and find new land. But now the Chinese no longer have their "New World". In this case, the suffering felt by the people will be even greater.  It's unbearable, and I feel even more desperate about everything. Naturally, the possibility of civil war is much higher." After thinking for a while, Chamberlain whispered: "You are right! There is indeed a high possibility of civil war in China.  But I believe that all the Chinese people will realize that there is always a shortage of smart people in the world. " "I believe that some of the rulers of the empire have discovered the crisis, but what's the use?  Did the emperor order the ships carrying the goods to be driven away? To destroy the machines in the factory? To return to the past?" Belfort asked with a smile, "This is impossible. This world has already happened.  Changes have made us like clowns standing on a rolling barrel. If we don't want to fall off the barrel, the only way is to keep our pace with the rolling barrel. If the Chinese don't want to end up like the originals in America and Oceania.  The only way out for the residents is to keep up with the times, even if it means a brutal civil war. "Mr. Balfour, everything you just said sounds so familiar to me!" Chamberlain frowned and thought.  After a moment, he suddenly said: "I remembered, this is not those Luddites (that is, the machine-destroying movement, named after the leader was called King Ludd, this is one of the earliest British labor movements, later known as the British  What the bourgeoisie often says about Marxists? Don¡¯t you agree with their views? " "I think you just said that you are a Marxist. Of course, I don¡¯t agree with this smart German doctor.  The view of historical determinism (that is, historical development has its own objective laws and develops in one direction regardless of human will), but there is one view he agrees with, that is, the economic base determines the superstructure, which is the foundation of the country.  When economic life undergoes tremendous changes, government and cultural life will also undergo tremendous changes. In my opinion, this is undoubtedly a truth!" When the conversation reached this point, Chamberlain's face looked a little strange, obviously.  The congressman, who was a successful businessman not long ago, was a little tired of the metaphysical content of the conversation. Compared with this topic, he preferred more practical issues, so he changed the subject: "Mr. Balfour, you just mentioned  Regarding the empire's East Asia policy, I would like to ask, what are you going to say in parliament? " "Mr. Chamberlain, I remember that you don't care that much about East Asia policy!  Balfour smiled and said: "If I remember correctly, you and your faction are more focused on the internal affairs of the empire!"  "Yes, this is the reason why I left the Liberal Party not long ago to support the Prime Minister. In order to win the upcoming general election, Mr. Gladstone actually joined forces with the damn Barnier. He is destroying the foundation of the empire."  "Chamberlain's face became solemn. His long-standing political opinion is to gradually turn the British Empire's current "sovereign state"-"colonial" system into a truly sovereign country, so that in the future, more brutal international economic and political struggles will be achieved.  To ensure his own advantage, Irish Liberals like Barnier are of course his sworn enemies. Balfour gently patted Chamberlain's arm to express support and comfort, but deep down, he was not completely convinced.  I agree with the other party¡¯s political views. After all, if Chamberlain¡¯s approach is followed, the native English nobility will have to give up a large piece of the cake to the colonial elite in order to complete this transformation. As a member of the Conservative Party, Balfour certainly cannot agree. ¡°  Mr. Chamberlain, I personally believe that the empire¡¯s East Asia policy is actually its China policy.  East Asia is different from Europe. If the main problem in Europe is how to achieve a balance of power among countries, in East Asia, China is the problem itself.  " Chamberlain's face showed a confused look: "Mr. Belfort, I don't quite understand what you mean!  " "It's very simple. If we talk about dealing with European countries, the empire will generally adopt a balance of power approach, uniting the weaker ones and suppressing the strongest one.  But East Asia is different. This ancient empire far exceeds the sum of the other countries in terms of territorial area and number of people, and it is located in the heart of the East Asian continent. These surrounding countries cannot pose an actual threat to it at all, so  Applying traditional foreign policy to it is ineffective.  ??In this Burmese war, we had to rely solely on our own strength to fight on a remote battlefield. This is not a good phenomenon.  Only by changing all this can the situation get better.  " "You mean, let China be divided?  "Chamberlain picked up a cod sandwich and broke it open casually. "Yes, only when this problem is no longer a problem can the empire's East Asia policy be implemented smoothly.  Balfour smiled and also picked up a cod sandwich: "In tomorrow's parliament, I hope the empire will agree to use this compensation from Burma to set up a fund to support those friends who are beneficial to our cause in East Asia. At the same time, and  Japan signs a loose alliance agreement to give it certain military and financial support. Mr. Chamberlain, I hope you and your friends can support me on this issue!  " "If that's the case, then there's no problem!  Chamberlain shook Balfour's outstretched right hand and said, "Then may I ask you to express your support for me on the issue of changing the status of New Zealand's Dominion?"  " "Mr. Chamberlain, you are truly a first-rate businessman!  "Belfort frowned, deliberately pretending to be aggrieved, but in his heart he was weighing what answer he should give the most advantageous way. "Belfort, you have to know that this is good for the future of Great Britain.  The island of Great Britain with a population of less than 60 million cannot fight against the entire world. The great Trajan was not born on both sides of the Tiber River, but this did not prevent him from becoming one of the greatest emperors of Rome.  (Trajan was a Roman emperor in the era of the Five Good Emperors. He was born in the Spanish province. He was the first Roman emperor born in the province. He conquered Dacia (now Romania) and Parthia, and expanded the territory and power of the Roman Empire.  Reaching its peak, Chamberlain here means that people who were not born in the British Isles can become the head of the empire) "Yes, Trajan was indeed a great emperor, but after him the Roman Empire declined!"  Balfour whispered to himself, but he finally smiled and said to Chamberlain: "Okay, I can promise to support you in parliament, but I declare in advance that this support is only limited to New Zealand. When the scope of your proposal expands,  When I get to other autonomous territories, my promise will be invalid!  " "Okay, I'm satisfied!  Chamberlain stood up with a smile and put the tea cup back on the coffee table: "Thank you very much for the afternoon tea!"  "    "It's my pleasure!  "Belfort also stood up and bowed slightly to Chamberlain with impeccable grace. Looking at Chamberlain's leaving back, Balfort sat back in the armchair. He picked up the letter on the coffee table and said,  He said to himself: "Mr. Gillings, do you know that your quill has pried the axis of the empire and moved it in its direction?  "While these two noble gentlemen were enjoying their afternoon leisure in the comfortable tea room of the Palace of Westminster, the author of this letter, Arkansas Gillings, and his companion and escort Duncan, accompanied by their guide, had crossed the Yellow River.  They are riding in this big car, which is a very common means of transportation in rural areas of North China, heading north along a dusty dirt road. Their destination is Wujing, the Youzhou Prefecture in Dashun.  One. ¡°Jiang!  "Gillings sat up from the rickety cart with great effort. Under the cover of the black felt hat, half of his exposed face was covered with dust. Coupled with the wind and sun during this period, it had formed  He has a grayish color, and at first glance he looks no different from a northern Chinese farmer. ¡°Mr. Ji, what¡¯s the matter?  "Jiang Zhiqing, who was playing the role of driver at the front of the cart, turned around and asked loudly. During these days of journey, this former gangster has fully demonstrated that he is an excellent guide. Not only can he lead the way, but also  He led the two foreigners Gillings and Duncan to avoid countless traps and troubles in the inn and on the road, and even became able to serve as a coachman and cook. With his persistence, Gillings even gave himself a very Chinese name.  The name of the flavor is "auspicious". In Jiang Zhiqing's words, as a foreigner, it is better to do as the locals do when you come to China. This will reduce a lot of unnecessary trouble. "Jiang, can you stop for a while? I think I will."  Want it again!  "At this point, Gillings suddenly shut up and stuck his head out of the car. It was obvious that the bumpy car was not suitable for him. "Mr. Ji, please bear with me for a while, I will stop the car right away!  "Jiang Zhiqing shouted back while shouting loudly! The cart gradually stopped. Jiang Zhiqing quickly jumped out of the car and reached out to help Gillins down. As soon as Gillins got out of the car, he started vomiting violently. "  Come on, Mr. Ji, have a drink of water and rinse your mouth!  " Gillings, who was already vomiting, took the gourd filled with water and drank a few water before he felt better. At this time, there was a sound of horse hooves from behind, and then he heard Duncan's familiar Scottish accent: "GillingsMr. ??, what's wrong with you?  " "This damn primitive vehicle, sitting on it is like playing on a seesaw.  "Gillings raised his head in frustration, just in time to see Duncan jumping off the horse in high spirits.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 14 On the Road

    "You should choose to ride a horse like me!" Duncan looked at the steaming vomit not far away and turned his head.  "Duncan, I don't want my inner thighs to be bloody and bloody two days later, and I can't even take off my pants!" Gillings smiled bitterly and rejected the other party's suggestion. As he said, participating in the afternoon fox hunting and riding horses continuously like a gentleman would be a waste.  They are completely different things. A rough saddle will wear out the skin on the inner thighs of the rider, turning it into a bloody mess and sticking his pants together, so someone like Gillings would rather endure the pain of bumps on a cart than ride a horse like Duncan.  "Mr. Ji, come on, wipe your face quickly!" Jiang Zhiqing brought a towel from the side and said with a smile: "Actually, according to my opinion, you should take the waterway. To go to Yanshan Prefecture, you can either take the bus from Shanghai to Tianjin  Liner, or take the canal, it is comfortable and safe. You are rich and have no shortage of money, so why go through these hardships? " Gillings did not answer Jiang Zhiqing's question. The reason why he chose to take the land route was so that he could experience it for himself.  The situation at all levels of this ancient empire, if he chooses to take a boat, although it will definitely be much more comfortable, the purpose of his trip will not be achieved.  But Jiang Zhiqing couldn't know all this, so Gillins changed the subject.  "Jiang, I heard that Yanshan Prefecture was the capital of China for hundreds of years, right?" "Oh, Mr. Ji, you are such a learned man, you even know this!" Jiang Zhiqing hurriedly grabbed the man who wanted to please his employer.  Opportunity: "Yes, this Yanshan Mansion was the capital of the previous dynasty, and the Yuan Dynasty was also the capital of the previous dynasty. However, after Emperor Wu of this dynasty came to Beijing in the Jiashen year, Wu Sangui dedicated Shanhaiguan to lure the Donglu into the pass.  There was a great battle in Yiyishi. Emperor Wu was outnumbered and had to withdraw from Yanshan Mansion. Later, Emperor Taizong succeeded to the throne in Xiangyang City and conquered all directions. However, Yanshan Mansion was still one of the five capitals due to its strategic location.  Emperor Shizu and the following emperors would go north to Yanshan Prefecture almost every autumn. "Why do they go north to Yanshan Prefecture every autumn?" "Mr. Ji, you don't know. Although Emperor Taizong and Shizu were very powerful,  It also took decades to drive the Donglu out of the pass, but those Tatars often entered the fortress to plunder every autumn, and the emperors would lead troops to resist or go out on expeditions. This Yanshan Mansion happened to be where the army gathered.  . Later, the Donglu were defeated, the Mongols were defeated, and the outside of the pass became the Protectorate. The world was peaceful, and naturally the emperor did not come to Yanshan Mansion anymore. "When Jiang Zhiqing said this, his expression changed.  But in recent years, I seem to have heard that there is some unrest outside the Great Wall. The Maozi in the north gave the Tatars foreign guns and money to instigate them to cause trouble. The soldiers of the Protectorate outside the Great Wall have been fighting every day. " "Old Maozi?  "Although Gillings has been getting along with Jiang Zhiqing day and night these days, and it is no problem to communicate in a mixed language of English and Chinese, he still does not understand some vocabulary.  "They are the Russians. They are covered with hair, so we call them Maozi!" Jiang Zhiqing hurriedly explained: "I heard that those Russians were barbaric and tyrannical, just like the Donglu Tatars back then, so I pointed them into the pass.  Come and occupy our beautiful country. But we have Lord Gao, so we are not afraid of them!" Gillings listened to Jiang Zhiqing's words with a smile, while mentally recalling the lessons he had done with Yanshan Mansion these days.  This ancient city is located at the southern foot of the Yanshan Mountains. It controls several important passages that the barbarians from the Mongolian grassland and Liaodong region must pass through to enter the Hebei Plain. It has been a fortress for the Han emperors of the Central Plains to resist the invasion of the northern barbarians since ancient times.  When the emperors of Dashun used gunpowder weapons to destroy the enemies on the grassland once and for all, the peace in the north did not last long, and a new enemy emerged from the vast Siberian wasteland.  Different from past history, this enemy is not the nomads who were far behind the Central Plains dynasties in terms of technology in the past, but Russian adventurers who are also equipped with advanced firearms. This enemy must not be avoided in the first contact between the two sides.  After the conflict, the Russian side cautiously made a request to sign a peace treaty. The general of Dashun also readily accepted this request. In the eyes of that general, these barren ice fields in the north were worthless at all. The presence of his army here was not so much  In order to conquer this place, it is better to say that it is to declare its prestige to the local barbarians, so as to prevent these unknown tribes from forming a powerful group under the unification of an energetic and ambitious barbarian leader to attack  Under the protection of Dashun, other nomadic peoples have become more civilized and weaker.  Such an attack will often turn into a huge war of conquest. If the barbarian leader is capable and lucky enough, the result of this successful war of conquest will be a unified grassland empire, which is absolutely ideal for Dashun.  It is unacceptable, because it means the beginning of a new long war that will last for decades, in which countless people's lives and wealth will be destroyed, and even the empire itself may be destroyed. This is in Northeast Asia.  ?It is not uncommon in history.  But Emperor Dashun, like most traditional Central Plains emperors, was very cautious about large-scale conquest wars, because after thousands of years of expansion, the Han people had actually controlled most of the land suitable for agriculture in East Asia, and the empire  The scale has also reached the limit of physical management.  Conquering more land was very difficult militarily and unprofitable economically, so Emperor Dashun preferred to use strategies and strategies to achieve his goals rather than costly military operations, so he readily acknowledged the greatness  The Russian Tsar, the self-proclaimed master of these strange barbarians, had undisputed dominion over the vast wilderness and forests to the north, while the more fertile and warm lands and grasslands to the south belonged to the great Emperor Dashun, and both sides  Neither country is allowed to take in the other party's deserters or rebels, or allow anyone to take any action detrimental to the other party in its own territory.  No matter what happens later, at the moment when the contract is signed, both parties are satisfied and should be sincere.  But just like most things in this world, changes will always occur in the face of the passage of time. When the hands of the clock reached the 1860s, the balance of power between the two parties to the contract changed subtly.  After nearly two hundred years of unremitting efforts, the Russians have established settlements in the Far East and opened up a long route from the Pacific to the Baltic Sea, so they can maintain a considerable army.  On the other hand, after the civil war in the country, Dashun had to relax its control over the nomadic princes on the northern grasslands. The Russians found this to be a great opportunity to insert their hands into the fertile land in the south that they had coveted for a long time, so starting from 1870,  In the vast frontier lands from the Altai Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, nomadic chiefs have been launching rebellions again and again. Of course, these chiefs use different names. Of course, the most common ones are the great descendants of the Golden Family, who claim to be descended from Aisinjue.  There are also many people of Luo Gaogui's bloodline, and there are even those who claim to be the successors of Moton Chanyu. Of course, these people have one thing in common, that is, they all have Russian-made firearms and ruble subsidies, and they all have a lot of them in their armies.  A Slavic military instructor with a big beard and a swig of vodka.  But under the command of Dashun's outstanding commander, Yanshanfu Liushou, Zhangbei, and Manchuria Governor Gao Tingyu, these rebellions were quickly put down.  The Shun army, which had just undergone military reforms after the civil war in the 1860s, was so powerful that the Russian army in the Far East won the victory before the rebellion was large enough to send troops to intervene. Facing the powerful Shun army on the opposite side,  , the Russians had to give up their attempt to invade on a large scale.  Gao Tingyu himself also won huge military reputation in this series of military operations, so much so that when the previous Emperor Dashun was dying, he still asked him to stay in Yanjing to resist the powerful enemies in the north, and this Gao Tingyu, that is,  The official residence of the "Marquis Gao" mentioned by Jiang Zhiqing just now is in Yanshan Mansion, Beijing, Dashun, which is also the destination of Gillings' trip.  Thinking of this, Gillings suddenly felt something in his heart. He pretended not to care and asked: "Chiang, Japan, what do you think of them?" "Japanese? Aren't they just Japanese? They are short and wear wooden clogs.  The woman is carrying a cloth bag on her back. I know! But why are you asking?" Jiang Zhiqing had a puzzled look on his face.  "Do you think the Japanese will one day become a threat to you like the 'Dongyi' and 'Maozi' you call them?" "Japanese? A threat?" Jiang Zhiqing suddenly laughed: "Mr. Ji  , Aren¡¯t you kidding me? Maozi is big, he¡¯s big, he has guns and cannons. What do the Japanese have to do when they are crowded on those small islands in the sea, and the area is not as big as our Dashun province?  You don¡¯t know that those Japanese invaded Korea in the previous dynasty. As a result, as soon as the imperial soldiers arrived, they fell apart. The obedient ones went back where they came from. If they moved blindly, the imperial court would stretch out a finger and kill them.  Press it to death!" At this point, Jiang Zhiqing stretched out his thumb and made a gesture, with a confident smile on his face.  Looking at the other party's smile, Gillings didn't say anything. Obviously, although his servant's status in the country was not high, his heart was still full of simple pride for this ancient central empire. This feeling was not for Gillings.  He was familiar with it, he could often feel it from the English soldiers and civilians under his command, but this was the first time he saw it from the civilians of an Asian country, which made him feel a threat that he had never felt before.  "China is not only a problem for the British Empire's East Asian strategy, but also a problem for the entire European civilization!" Gillings thought to himself.  While Jiang Zhiqing was chatting, he kept his hands on his hands. He threw some hay from the cart in front of the mule, tied the material bag to the mouth of Duncan's horse, and let him eat some fine material.  Seeing that the livestock had almost eaten, he looked at the sky and said with a smile: "Mr. Ji, it's getting late too. Let's get on the road. Otherwise, we won't be able to catch up with Sutou, and we will have to spend the night in the wilderness  "    "OK!  "Gillings stood up, patted the dust on his body, climbed onto the cart, and Duncan jumped on his mount and followed him. This small brigade left a trail on the road under the reflection of the afternoon sun.  The long shadows seemed to foreshadow their long and arduous journey.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 15 Rebellion 1

    Mongolia, Kulen.  Although it is already the end of April, the cold wind blowing from the holy mountain Burhan in the north is still biting, and the dirty streets are bustling with people of all kinds.  At the end of the street, there is a large square. At the other end of the square is the Sedan Temple, which is the residence of Jebzumba I, the "Living Buddha" of Khalkha Mongolia. The entire city of Kulun is built around the residence of this "Living Buddha"  Well, Kulun originally means "big temple" in Mongolian.  "Get out of the way, make way for the noble King Saiyinnuoyan! The noble King Saiyinnuoyan! Get out of the way!" Following a burst of shouting, a group of knights slowly walked over along the crowded road.  The knights who opened the road shouted loudly and waved their whips over people's heads. People on the road made buzzing complaints and moved to both sides, but this only made the road more chaotic and made it impossible for the knights to move forward.  Chelinduanduobu was sitting on horseback. He was a middle-aged man who had just reached his thirties. He had a typical Mongolian broad face and a beard on his chin. He was always smiling.  His face showed an anxious look at this time.  "Excuse me, King Khan, there are too many people today. It seems that all the people on the grassland have crowded into Kulun!" The leading knight explained to Chelinduan Duobu with sweat on his brow.  "Yes, there are too many!" Che Linduanduobu frowned: "The number is unusual, just like swallows flying low before a thunderstorm!" "King Khan?" The leader turned around in surprise.  , just in time to hear Chelinduanduobu whispering to himself: "It's like a big riot is about to happen!" "Big riot?" "Yes, look at these people, the Tushetu tribe, the Russians  People, those troublemakers, the guys who escaped from the cotton manor with nothing but themselves, and these people!" Chelinduanduobu said, pointing to the square not far away with his finger!  A crowd of tens of thousands.  At this time, the square was crowded with a large group of bulls and horses. These were the offerings sent to Kulun for the living Buddha.  Following the cattle are large groups of Khalkha Mongolian herdsmen. Compared with their compatriots in Inner Mongolia, these herdsmen's lives are more primitive. Their ancestors have lived and died in the vast Mobei Mongolian prairie for generations. They are completely  They were a group of savages who looked more like robbers than shepherds.  They are violent by nature and wear all kinds of tattered clothes, most of which are old sheepskin jackets or furry raw sheepskin worn inside out.  No matter what the weather is, their chests are exposed. When exposed to the grassland wind and sun, their necks and chests show a dark color.  At this time, they all held weapons of one kind or another in their hands. Some had bows and quivers, some had primitive muskets or matchlocks, some had waist knives, and some had long handles.  Sickle, if nothing else, hold a stick.  There are also small traders who drive horse-drawn carriages to sell salt to herders to buy leather and wool, or vagrants who come from nowhere.  The entire Culun has become a large courtyard, full of drunkards who are crazy about alcohol.  People gathered around the bonfire, singing and shouting, and the shouts and noises could be heard even in the corner.  The sound of morin fiddle and bronze drum echo the braying of cows.  A blind old man sat by the road, played the morin fiddle, and sang a song loved by the herdsmen: "Ah! Proud eagle! Our own brothers! How high you fly! And how far you can see.  "Ah!" In addition, the Mongolian people shouted enthusiastically: "Aha, aha!" These people, who were full of oil and wine, were dancing in the square.  Everything seemed so crazy and rough.  All this made the knights believe that King Khan was right. The entire Kulun and even Khalkha Mongolia were full of riotous gunpowder. Just a spark would ignite everything and blow everything to the sky.  "May the gods and Buddhas bless us!" Chelinduan Duobu lowered his head sadly.  In Sedan Temple, the walls of the gorgeous bedroom are covered with thick furs and blankets, which not only blocks the cold wind outside, but also blocks the sounds coming from outside.  Lying on the bed was a haggard old man, who was none other than Living Buddha Jebtsundamba VII. Although there was a low sound of chanting from outside the door, it was obvious that this did not help his body.  This old man, who was considered by the Mongolian herdsmen at the time to be the reincarnation of a descendant of Genghis Khan, had reached the end of his life. In front of his bed, the most noble princes of Khalkha Mongolia were kneeling. These people, who tried their best to pretend to be sad on their faces, all knelt in front of his bed.  Quietly waiting for the end of the old man's life.  Chelin Dorji carefully raised his head and looked at the dying old man on the bed. His rough breathing came out hard from his thin chest, as if the furs covering his body were an unbearable burden.  .  This Khan of the Tuxietu tribe, the most powerful of the four Khalkha Mongolian routes,He raised his head slightly, with a glimmer of pride in his eyes, but suddenly he felt the gaze projected from the side, and he quickly lowered his head again.  Chelin Duanduobu withdrew his vigilant gaze. He was always wary of the Great Khan next to him who was famous throughout Outer Mongolia.  Since the Saiyinnuoyan tribe was originally from the Tuxietu tribe, in 1731 AD, Emperor Dashun took advantage of his achievements in conquering Zhungeer and divided the 19th western banner of the Tuxietu Khan tribe into the Saiyinnuoyan tribe, which actually weakened the  The Tuxie Tubu is too powerful, so traditionally the Saiyinnuoyan tribe has always been closer to Dashun in order to continue to maintain its dominant position, while the Tuxie Tubu is often more centrifugal towards Dashun and wants to gain  External support was needed to regain its dominance in Khalkha Mongolia.  Ten bells rang outside, and the princes stood up and filed out of the room. It was already getting late. According to the law, after ten o'clock in the evening, all the doors to the living Buddha's residence must be closed tightly to ensure that he  To ensure the safety of your life, you must know that although living Buddhas are semi-gods and semi-human beings in the eyes of ordinary herdsmen, they are completely different things in the eyes of the princes who hold secular power. In a sense, these people from Sichuan Province  The living Buddhas in Litang County were completely the tools used by Emperor Dashun to control Outer Mongolia. In order to deal with these unruly princes of Outer Mongolia, Emperor Dashun stipulated that after helping them defeat the invasion of Zhungeer Khan of Mongolia, they came from far away  Sichuan Province selects the reincarnated soul boys of Living Buddhas, and it is only valid after the approval of the emperor. It is difficult for these living Buddhas from far away without any foundation to unite with the local Mongolian princes to fight against the central government, and conflicts between secularity and religion are inevitable.  All kinds of conflicts.  For more than a hundred years, this policy has been very effective. One of its manifestations is that the deaths of many living Buddhas are related to the daggers and poisons of secular princes.  Prince Saiyinnuoyan Chelinduanduobu walked out of the door. After thinking for a moment, he gritted his teeth and walked quickly outside. He had just taken a few steps when a very familiar voice suddenly came from behind him: "King Saiyin, you are so  Where are you going if you're late? " Chelinduan Duobu turned around and saw Chelin Duoerji walking towards him, with a proud smile on his shiny black face, and he frowned.  He replied: "Dear Tuxie Tuhan, it's so late that you have to go back to my residence!" "Residence?" Chelin Dorji showed a warm smile on his face: "We haven't seen each other for many days.  , why don¡¯t you come to my place and have fun together tonight?¡± ¡°This?¡± Che Linduobu showed a hesitant look on his face, thinking about how to politely refuse the other party¡¯s request, but Che Linduobu couldn¡¯t.  Erji stepped forward and grabbed the opponent's arm, laughing loudly and saying: "King Sai, the other two great Khans of the 4th Khalkha Mongolian Army have already accepted my invitation. Could it be that you rejected my honor?"  "This -" A thin layer of sweat oozed out from Chelin Duanduobu's forehead. Among the four Khalkha Mongolian Routes, the Saiyin Nuoyan Department is the weakest in terms of strength and history.  , even his own title is only Prince and not the Great Khan of the other three movies.  At this critical moment when the Living Buddha was dying, if he did not get the support of the other two groups, he would most likely be eaten by the Tuxie Tuhan who was looking for an excuse.  ¡°That¡¯s good, I would rather obey than respect!¡± Chelin Duanduobu replied with a wry smile.  "Okay, okay, okay!" Chelin Dorji laughed loudly: "Go back quickly and get ready. I'm going to have a drink with the three kings tonight!" Under the dim light, the female slaves danced in front of the banquet.  , Chelinduanduobu was complaining secretly in his heart. Although as a Mongolian, he has a very good drinker and drank a lot of kumiss and mead without getting drunk, but it was already three o'clock in the morning. As the host of the banquet,  Che Lindorji has no intention of ending the banquet. If this continues, his plan will come to nothing.  Thinking of this, Che Linduanduobu gritted his teeth, put down his wine glass and bowed slightly to Che Lin who was sitting on the host's seat, and said: "Dear Tuxie Tuhan, I have already measured enough, and now I say goodbye to you!" "Sai King"  , I have long heard that your drinking capacity is as big as the ocean, how could you have enough of it so quickly?" When Chelin Dorji said this, he suddenly laughed and said, "It must be because our daughters from the Tuxie Tu Department are not enough.  It's my fault that I can't let King Sai drink because I'm beautiful and not enthusiastic enough!" At this point, Chelin Dorji clapped her hands twice, and a woman dressed up came out from behind and picked up the wine.  The wine glass walked to Che Linduan Duobu, knelt down on his knees, raised the wine glass with both hands, and looked at the other person quietly with his beautiful eyes.  "King Sai, this is my daughter, the most beautiful flower in Tuxietu. I'm toasting you now. You won't be able to drink it!" Chelin Dorji laughed loudly, and the Khans from the other two departments also cheered in unison.  Che Linduan Duobu had no choice but to drink the glass of wine. The woman filled another glass and offered it to Che Linduan Duobu. Che Linduan Duobu had to take it. This happened again and again, even if Che Linduan Duobu had a good drinking capacity.  , several glasses of strong drinks in a rowAs I continued drinking, I felt dizzy. I knew that if I drank like this, I would be unable to leave here tonight. I had no choice but to push away the wine glass, stood up and said, "Everyone, I really have something to rush back to, so I'll take my leave first."  Come back tomorrow to apologize to everyone." After saying that, he turned around and walked outside.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 16 Rebellion 2

    "Stop!" A voice came from behind, and it was the voice of Tuxie Tuhan Chelin Dorji: "You came to my place today, don't even think about leaving so easily!" Following his shout, the two men  A man with a round waist and thick arms had already stepped forward to block Che Linduan Duobu's way.  Chelinduan Duobu turned around and asked angrily: "Tuxie Tuhan, what do you mean?" "What do I mean?" Chelin Duoerji sneered: "Then Saihan you  What does it mean? " "I'm not drunk enough. What's the point of going home to rest? I think I'm going to inform the Han people, right?" Chelin Dorji suddenly shouted:  "Are you going to the Han people to report the living Buddha's condition to Captain Kulun?" Che Lin Duan Duobu shuddered when he was told what he was thinking. He raised his head and wanted to say something, but in Che Lin  In front of Dorzi's cold eyes, the words came to his lips but could not be said.  "Hmph, you dog of the Han people!" Chelin Dorji stood up and said loudly: "Our noble Mongols, the descendants of Genghis Khan's golden family, have to kneel down and become the slaves of the Han people, even the most despicable ones.  The sons of Tibetan serfs (referring to the successive living Buddhas of Jebtsundamba. In order to prevent these living Buddha families from becoming too powerful and difficult to control, Emperor Dashun usually chose the poorest local farmers as reincarnated soul boys) can also ride on our necks.  He scolded the commander, "Not only do you not feel shame, but you also colluded with the Han people. If it weren't for the blood of the Golden Family still remaining in your body, I would kill you right now!" At this point, Chelin Dorji said to that person!  The two men ordered: "Put him down. No one is allowed to see him without my order!" "Yes, Khan!" The two big men bowed to Chelin Dorji and went up.  Che Linduan Duobu suddenly broke away from their hands and shouted to Che Lin Duo Erji: "Che Lin Duo Erji, those who rose up more than ten years ago  Haven't you seen what happened to the rebels? Times have changed. The Han people have foreign guns and cannons, and the goshawks on the grassland have broken wings! " "Haha, it's not just the Han people who have foreign guns and cannons, we also have them.  , more than theirs, and even better!" Chelindorzi replied loudly: "The Russian governor of Siberia has promised to send 100,000 people to support us as soon as we drive away the Han officials and garrison in Kulun City.  Give us arms and money and recognize the status of the Great Mongolia!" At this point, Chelindorji laughed loudly.  "Chelin Dorji, you are simply crazy. How could the Russians bleed for the founding of the Mongols? They are just using us Mongols. You have made thousands of people bleed for you for the sake of one person's ambition.  You will die in the end, and you will regret it!¡± In the end, Chelinduanduobu was struggling and shouting loudly, and his voice came from outside the long and narrow corridor, but Chelindolji just sneered.  Then he said: "Coward!" Then he smiled at the other two princes in the hall: "Come on, ignore this guy, let's drink!" The other two princes were already six or seven points drunk, and they just hugged each other.  Talking and laughing loudly with the slave girl.  Chelin Dorji finished the kumiss in the glass, with a proud smile on his face. All he needed to do now was wait.  "Father!" A pair of white hands stretched out and filled Chelin Dorji's wine glass. Che Lindorji turned around and it was his daughter Sarah who filled the glass for him.  Looking at her daughter's beautiful face, Chelindorji laughed loudly and said: "My daughter is more beautiful than the snowdrops on the top of the holy mountain." Sarah lowered her head shyly, her white neck trembling slightly under the light.  , she knew very well the meaning of letting an unmarried girl toast to a man in Mongolian customs. Just now Chelin Dorji also had the idea of ??using his daughter to win over Chelin Duanduobu. Although Saiyin Noyanbu is not strong,  , but it is the closest to Inner Mongolia among the four Khalkha Mongolian tribes. If the Shun army wants to attack Kulun from western Liaoning and Inner Mongolia, it must pass through their territory. If Chelinduan Dobra can be brought over, it will be very important for him to establish the Mongolian state.  The plan was very useful, but the ungrateful thing actually refused. Chelin Dorji was so angry that he was shaking with anger when he thought of this, and cursed in a low voice: "The beautiful girl refused to drink the wine he offered to him, but she chose to drink the wine from the dungeon."  Stinky water! Sarah, do you think Che Linduan Duobu is a big fool? " Sarah raised her head: "Father, Che Linduan Duobu is just afraid of the Han people's guns and is not really loyal to the Han people.  Han people, as long as you can prove that you are the true successor of Genghis Khan, he will kneel before your throne. You should not hurt him, otherwise you will only drive the warriors of the Saiyin Nuoyan tribe to the Han people.  , Weakening the power of our Mongols in vain!" "Well said, well said!" Chelin Dorji stroked his beard with satisfaction and laughed loudly: "It seems that the benevolent Immortality God not only gave me  ??La is beautiful and extremely intelligent.  Come, tell me my order: treat Chelinduan Duobu well and give him the treatment a descendant of Genghis Khan deserves!  " "Sweat profusely!  "A confidant walked in quickly from outside: "The news came from Ganden Monastery, the living Buddha has ascended to heaven!  "    "What?  Chelin Dorji stood up excitedly: "Are you sure?"  " "The doctor I bribed and the close acquaintances around the living Buddha have just spread the news that the living Buddha has passed away!  Please feel free to sweat!  "The confidant replied decisively. "Okay, very good!  Chelin Dorji fiercely threw the wine glass in his hand to the ground and said loudly: "Pass my order, immediately surround Ganden Monastery and the Kulun Captain's Mansion, and no one is allowed to enter or exit. Anyone who disobeys the order will be executed immediately!"  " "Yes, Khan!  ¡± Under the cover of night, groups of Tuxietu soldiers wearing Mongolian robes ran around holding torches and Russian-made rifles with bayonets. Their heavy boots and horse hooves trampled the ice that had condensed on the streets.  , making a dull sound, and barking dogs came from behind the courtyard walls on both sides of the street. The people who were awakened closed their doors and windows, huddled in the corner, staring at the door with frightened eyes, waiting for the arrival of Captain Cullen's station.  It is located to the south of Cullen City, with the hillside of Kent Mountain behind it. It has a short and thick wall with a protruding fort. Inside the wall are a solid granary, a barracks, an arsenal, and a completely safe water well. After learning that  After the news that the living Buddha was seriously ill, Captain Cullen also ordered the soldiers to repair the fortifications and burn the vegetation outside that blocked the view. This shows that the Han people knew what they were about to face here, and they were fully prepared for the encounter.  Preparing for the siege ¡°Who!  "The sentry's sharp cry came from the watchtower on the wall: "Stop, or I will shoot!"  "The sound of pulling the gun bolt came from the cold air at the same time. It was obvious that the threat from the other party was not a joke. The little leader of the Mongolian army stopped, turned around and made a gesture, and the Mongolian soldiers behind him dispersed.  A lama stepped forward and shouted: "I am Haci, the monk of Ganden Monastery. The Living Buddha has given an order. You must open the door immediately and leave here!"  There was no reply from the wall for a while. After a while, a thicker voice replied: "Fart, it's the middle of the night. Where did the decree of the Living Buddha come from? It's obviously you gangsters who forged the decree of the Living Buddha. After dawn, you will  You will all be hanged alive at the foot of the Holy Mountain!  " "Tell the Han people that we have a decree from the Buddha sealed by the Living Buddha!  Let them leave immediately. We guarantee their safety and all their property, otherwise we will kill them with wooden donkeys!  "The little leader of the Mongolian army said to the lama fiercely. The lama looked at him with embarrassment and shouted to a building not far away: "Master Captain, I have an imperial edict here with a big seal. If you don't believe it, you can do it.  See for yourself.  The living Buddha promises that as long as you are willing to leave here, the personal safety of all of you will be guaranteed and all your property can be taken away. If you disobey, you will all be executed with wooden donkeys!  " "Damn that slutty Tatar!  "Kulun Captain Jueluo stood on the wall, trying his best to use his binoculars to distinguish the blurry figures under the torches. The firelight swayed under the night wind, which added a lot of difficulty to him. This man in his mid-thirties  Like the Mongolians here, his legs were somewhat bowed due to long horse riding, and his face was turned black and red by the strong wind on the grassland. Judging from his name, his ancestors should be from the Manchu branch.  His status is not low, but the ancient hatred between the two peoples has been eliminated in the past two hundred years. Jueluo's family has served in the cavalry of the Manchurian Protectorate since his great-great-grandfather. His family and the Russians  , the Khalkha Mongols, the Jungar Mongols, the rebels in the south, and the various horse thieves on the grasslands have been engaged in desperate battles for hundreds of years. By Jueluo's generation, he has entered the  Among the ranks of mid-level officers, even in the army of the entire Manchurian Protectorate, Jueluo is famous for his courage and loyalty to the Dashun court. At this time, he will never express his gratitude to his brothers on the grassland outside the wall.  There was no wavering at all. ¡°Sir, what should we do now?  "A soldier behind him asked in a low voice. It is not difficult to feel the wavering emotion in his voice. In fact, this cannot be blamed on him. If the Mongols in Kulun City still have some respect for the Living Buddha in Ganden Temple  , and they are completely malicious towards the Han soldiers in the Duwei Mansion. This can be proved by the vicious eyes of the herdsmen on both sides and the muttered curses coming from behind when they walk through the streets on weekdays. And if necessary, any one of them can  The princes were able to gather thousands or even tens of thousands of herdsmen within a few days, but there were only two hundred soldiers in the Duwei Mansion. The nearest Dashun army was at least a thousand kilometers away in Inner Mongolia. In such a disparity in strength,  In front of this, even a true warrior will be afraid.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 17 Rebellion 3

    "What else can we do?" Jueluo thought for a moment, but decided not to add pressure to the soldiers with scolding: "Some bastard must have listened to the Russians and gathered a group of drunks to scare us away. It's okay, wait until  As soon as the Living Buddha's decree comes at dawn, they will have to disperse. Don't you really plan to go back? Think about it, there are still fortifications to defend here. On the grassland, the two hundred or so of us are not enough for them to eat!  There won¡¯t even be a place to bury him!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± When the soldiers behind them heard this, they all nodded. There were often thousands of horse thieves on the grassland. Just these two hundred people wanted to go back during this spring famine season.  , it is better to stay here, at least there is food, wells, and fortifications.  Seeing that the soldiers' emotions had been calmed, Jueluo turned around and walked down the wall, summoned two of his confidants, and whispered: "You two go to the back, each choose the three best horses, as well as dry food and money, and set off immediately  Go back and report the situation here to Master Gao!" "Sir Captain, what are you doing?" The expressions of the two confidants suddenly changed.  "Act now!" Jueluo's face was solemn: "I suspect that the living Buddha is already dead, so Tuxietu Khan would be so bold. It's dark now and the encirclement has not been completely formed. You should leave immediately. If you are late, it will be too late.  "The expressions of the two changed greatly, and they hurriedly asked: "Sir, why don't you leave?" "I can't leave!" Jueluo replied, "I suspect that this is Tuxie Tuhan's conspiracy. He wants to trick us out.  The fortress will be destroyed in one fell swoop. If I run away, he will soon find out. If we send troops to pursue him, you will never be able to escape. You should go quickly and try to let Lord Gao know the news about Cullen's change as soon as possible. Soldiers need to be quick.  The sooner the better!" "Sir!" When the two confidants heard this, their eyes filled with tears, their knees softened, and they knelt down.  He was supported by Jueluo and said in a low voice: "Okay, let's go quickly, don't let me and these brothers die here in vain!" Outside the wall, the lama was still shouting one long and one short, but inside the wall  Shun Jun seemed to be deaf and had no reply.  The Mongolian soldiers were too lazy to attack the solid walls. Some even couldn't stand the cold wind at night, so they simply collected some dry wood and cow dung and lit a bonfire to keep warm. The little bosses didn't bother to bother, and instead hid in the fire.  As time went by, a piece of white fish belly appeared on the horizon, and the night was about to pass.  Chelin Dorji excitedly walked into the living Buddha's bedroom. On the gorgeous bed, the old man who was the nominal supreme ruler of Khalkha Mongolia a few hours ago had lost all signs of life. The dead gray color unique to the dead was already covered.  Removed the old skin of Jeb Zumba VII.  Chelin Dorji nodded with satisfaction, turned around and ordered to his confidants: "Immediately call all the princes and nobles to discuss the burial of the living Buddha and the aftermath, and immediately send people to the Russians to tell them that it is time to send troops.  It's time!" "Yes, sir!" The attendant bowed to him and was about to go out to carry out the Khan's order. At this time, there was a sound of yelling and pleading from outside, and Chelin Dorji frowned.  When I walked out of the door, I saw a dozen Mongolian soldiers with rifles driving away four or five gorgeously dressed lamas. These lamas were all close followers brought by Jeb Zumba VII from Japan. They usually used cars to  The secular princes headed by Lin Dorji were quite conflicted. Now that the Living Buddha was dead, as soon as Che Lin Dorji entered Ganden Monastery, his men arrested these lamas.  It was at this time that Chelin Dorji remembered what his daughter Sarah said not long ago, changed his mind, and said in a deep voice: "Be better to these people, just lock them up!" "Yes, Khan!" Meng Bing's  The little boss quickly saluted Chelin Dorji.  Chelin Dorji looked away disdainfully from the lamas who were kneeling before him, and began to wonder if there was anything else he had missed.  At this time, there was a gunshot from outside. Che Lindorji turned his eyes sharply to the direction where the gunshot came from, and asked sternly: "Is it over there at Captain Culun's Mansion? Haven't you taken it down yet? Come over and have a look."  Look, what happened?" Fifteen minutes later, a sweaty Mongolian officer knelt in front of Chelin Dorji and shouted: "Tell the Khan that the Han people in the Kulun Captain's Mansion refused to leave!"  "Yeah!" Chelin Dorji nodded slightly, with a gloomy face. In fact, he didn't think Lian's performance was bad. In his opinion, the two hundred Han soldiers in Captain Kulun's Mansion were not a big trouble.  He currently has more than 3,000 Mongolian soldiers in his hands, plus tens of thousands of strong herders he has recruited, as well as six cannons and artillery instructors sent by the Russians. He can crush that one no matter what.  It was just a question of how many people died less and how many people died more. At this time, his thoughts had shifted to how to integrate the power of the four Khalkha Mongolian tribes as soon as possible and establish the Great Mongolia. In his ears, it seemed that  The sound of "Genghis Khan" has already sounded like the roar of the mountains and the roar of the sea!  "Profuse sweat, profuse sweat!" That oneThe officer hesitated for a moment, but finally boldly reported: "The Han captain named Jueluo just shot and killed the monk Haci who was shouting!" "Humph!" Chelin Dorji looked at Kneeling with dissatisfaction.  The officer on the ground said: "Jiashaha, you go and command the soldiers surrounding the Han fortress. I will give you all the six cannons. You tell Jueluo that the living Buddha ascended to heaven last night, and now I control Culun.  If he puts down his weapons, I will allow them to leave Kulun in slave clothes and barefoot. Otherwise -" Chelindorzi made a slashing gesture: "What awaits them is wooden donkeys and whipping!"  "Yes, profusely!" Shanshaha kowtowed excitedly and stood up. In his opinion, this was a very simple yet extremely rewarding task.  At that time, the Mongolian army did not have any military pay, and the rewards of officers and soldiers depended on robbery and loot. He had long heard that there was a lot of wealth in the Han fortress, and as long as he captured it, he would get rich.  On the wall, Jueluo looked at the surrounding situation quietly with a telescope. Under the morning light, he could clearly see the Mongolian soldiers gathering in groups and taking a nap next to the fire, with their horses beside them.  Gnawing the grass on the ground, they were more like a mob than a besieging army.  "Sir, let's rush out and fight for a while!" an officer whispered. This is indeed a good opportunity. If the Shun army launches a surprise attack at this time, they will definitely beat these Mongolian soldiers to a pulp.  Jueluo gritted his teeth. The two people who reported the news had been away for more than two hours. What he should do now was to buy as much time as possible for them. Now that they were outnumbered, it was impossible to hold on. It was better to take the initiative to fight the cold first.  Only with the courage of others can we have a chance.  Thinking of this, Jueluo said in a deep voice: "Okay, I'll give you forty men, all on horseback, and catch them off guard!" "Yes, sir!" The officer turned to leave, but was grabbed by Jueluo and turned back.  When I looked at it, I saw the other party staring at me solemnly: "Forty people, if one of you is missing, I will ask you!" "Yes, sir!" "Get up, get up!" Harsh shouted loudly, and the fire  The Mongolian soldiers nearby scrambled to their feet.  The scene in front of him made Shan Yanha very angry. The Mongolian soldiers were more of a mess than a siege. Although he did not think that the surrounded Han people dared to take the opportunity to counterattack, but the Russian instructor who would command the artillery later would  It was coming, and he didn't want these Russians to see this scene. If the Khan knew about it, he might be whipped.  Jingshaha was about to find a loud Mongolian soldier to shout, but he heard the rapid sound of horse hooves. He looked up and could not help but open his mouth in surprise. He saw that the gate of the Han fortress had been opened at some point.  Ten cavalrymen were already rushing toward him, and the first few were less than 200 meters away from him.  "The Han people are coming out, you bastards, shoot up, shoot out!" they yelled, punching and kicking. The Mongolian soldiers were in a mess. They finally found the guns, but they forgot to adjust the scale, and a row of guns was released.  The bullets all hit high and flew over the heads of the soldiers.  Before they could fire the second row of guns, there was a burst of gunfire from the opposite side. Six or seven of the Mongolian soldiers fell down immediately. The remaining ones shouted, dropped their rifles, jumped on their horses and ran away.  Yanshaha wanted to arrest someone, but Yiqi rushed over and slashed him on the neck with a knife. Blood spattered on the ground and he fell to the sky.  The Mongolian soldiers outside were attacked. I didn¡¯t know how many enemies there were for a while. They were in chaos. They all jumped on their horses and fought against them. These Mongolian soldiers had no discipline and their fighting will was not very good, but after all, they had been riding horses since they were young.  His back has grown up, and his equestrian skills are really good. He ran away cleanly after a few whistles. Only a few unlucky ones were shot down from behind. In the blink of an eye, there were only a dozen bonfires and a few scattered corpses left.  The six Russian mountain guns that had just arrived also fell into the hands of the outgoing raiders, and later became a big problem for the besiegers.  Ten days later, Eren was located in the northwest of Saiyinnuoyan, north of the Eren River. The land was fertile and there were many rivers. In the mid-eighteenth century, after the Shun army destroyed the Jungar Khanate, they built a city here and left troops to garrison it.  This became the headquarters of the Dashun Zhangbei Protectorate, and basically the entire Khalkha Mongolia and the land further north fell under its jurisdiction.  On the river bank, several patrolling Khovd cavalry were riding leisurely on horseback. These vigorous riders were performing daily patrol tasks. Since the latitude here is lower than that of Kulun, and the Erren River flows through this place, the geographical location  Further south, closer to the Pacific Ocean, the climate here is much warmer and softer than that of Cullen. The vegetation over Cullen has not yet sprouted, but many trees along the Hailar River have already sprouted green buds.  "Boss, someone is coming from a distance!" A sharp-eyed cavalry suddenly shouted loudly. The older leader looked in the direction of his men's fingers, and sure enough he saw a horse staggering towards him.  , the rider on the horse lies on the horse, and asThe horse was shaking, and there was a possibility of falling at any time.  ¡°Go over and have a look!¡±

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 18 Urgent Letter

    Several people ran over and saw that the rider on the horse was unconscious. His face was covered with bloody cuts, which were blown by the wind outside the wall. The hands that were holding the reins were already bloody.  , already stuck to the rough reins.  Even though these few Khovd cavalrymen were accustomed to hardship, they couldn't help but change their expressions slightly when they saw this.  "It's one of our own!" When the leader saw the mark on the mount's leg, his face suddenly changed. He stretched out his hand to check the rider's breathing and said sternly: "You're still breathing, get it off quickly. You two can boil some water and pour some milk."  Scumbag!" The rider was put down in a hurry. The leader carefully wiped the rider's face with a cloth dipped in some water from the leather bag. The muscles on the rider's face twitched a few times and his eyes opened.  "Quick, quick, the Living Buddha has passed away, and the Khalkha Mongols have rebelled!" "Brother, can you please speak slowly?" The rider's eyes swept across the few people in front of him, and he saw the army logo on the leader's helmet, and his face showed  An anxious look: "Quickly inform Mr. Gao of Yanshan Prefecture that the Living Buddha Jebtsundamba of Kulun is dead and the Khalkha Mongols have rebelled!" Hanking, Political Affairs Hall.  Wang Qinian was sitting in front of the case with an air of dignity, listening to a dozen civil servants reporting to him news from various places.  At this time, there was a rush of footsteps outside, and a pale-faced young civil servant rushed in, shouting repeatedly: "It's not good, it's not good!" Wang Qinian snorted coldly, and his eyes swept over that person like cold electricity.  The young civil servant felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured on his head. He trembled, bowed and handed over a telegram, and said in a low voice: "Ms. Wang, there is an urgent call from Yanshan Mansion!" "Tomorrow, copy the Tao Te Ching three times, sir.  Work hard to nourish your energy!" Wang Qinian took the message and said coldly.  "Yes!" Wang Qinian opened the telegram, and a line of text immediately caught his eye, and his eyelids couldn't help but twitch slightly: "Thirteen years ago, Jebtsundamba VII passed away, changes occurred in Kulun, foreign affairs were established, and mobilization has been ordered.  If you are good at what you do, please forgive me! "Chen Ting Yu Zi" Cining Palace.  Empress Dowager Deng was sitting behind the curtain. Lin Wanqing and Jiang Qingyue were sitting on both sides. Only Wang Qinian's deep and deep voice could be heard coming in from outside the curtain: "Report to the Empress Dowager, according to what Mr. Gao, the left-behind man of Yanshan Prefecture, said in the telegram  Thirteen days ago, in the middle of the night on April 27, "Living Buddha" Jebu Zumba VII passed away. That night, a mutiny broke out in Kulun, the capital of Khalkha Mongolia, and rebels surrounded the capital of Kulun.  Wei Jueluo sent a messenger to flee to Hailar before being surrounded. Master Gao, who was left behind in Yanshan Prefecture, had ordered the Manchu and Zhangbei guards to mobilize and prepare to send troops! In Zhezi, Master Gao has already apologized for his specialties!  It's urgent, Master Gao did the right thing, and I will reward you immediately!" Empress Dowager Deng said solemnly: "Jue Luo was not afraid of danger and handled it calmly, and the messenger who sent the message back will be rewarded heavily!" "The Queen Mother is wise!"  Wang Qinian said in a deep voice.  "Ms. Wang, what do you think we should do when encountering such a thing?" "The old minister thinks that the matter of sending troops is handled by Mr. Gao. He is a minister of the border and knows the situation better than us. Now the court should have three things to do.  : First, quickly order the mobilization of the troops from Anxi and Shuofang to protect the Mongolian tribes, to prevent them from becoming thieves, so as to avoid the situation from escalating, and to strengthen the command of the Mongolian military, to control the full power of the troops, and to  The customs duties of Tianjin Customs were also handed over to him, and the arms manufacturing of the Tianjin Manufacturing Bureau was stepped up. Second, envoys were sent to Russia to find out the attitude of the Russians. Third, the reincarnation of the "Living Buddha" Jebu Zumba VII was quickly selected and prepared.  The matter of the next living Buddha!" ??After hearing Wang Qinian's words, Lin Wanqing and Jiang Qingyue behind the curtain couldn't help but nod secretly, admiring each other's foresight.  These three points all capture the crux of the matter. Mongolia is a vast country, and communication between various tribes is not easy, and the relationship is complicated. Although Kulun has fallen into the hands of the rebels, there must be many tribes in other places who are loyal to the court or are still wavering.  , as long as the imperial court can respond quickly and send troops to show its presence, these wavering tribes will fall to the side of the imperial court, which not only reduces the scope of the rebellion, but also reduces the strength of the rebels; the Russians are planning to invade Mongolia  It has been a long time, and it is very likely that their black hands are behind this incident. Sending envoys to understand the other party's intentions will undoubtedly be very beneficial to the next move.  As for the last one, after the death of "Living Buddha" Jebu Zumba VII, the next reincarnated Living Buddha will be the legitimate supreme ruler of Khalkha Mongolia. If you grab him first, you will undoubtedly have the upper hand morally.  .  As for the increase in money, food and arms, it goes without saying that the name was given. Obviously, Mr. Wang had already had plans in mind when he came.  "What your husband said is true, so let's do as you say. Wan Qing, Qing Yue, you two prepare to draft a decree!" Empress Dowager Deng nodded with satisfaction: "Tell Mr. Gao in the decree that you want toSend troops as soon as possible, lest the Russians get involved and things get into trouble!  " "The Queen Mother is wise!  " "Empress Dowager, I think I should send a minister to announce the decree to the Governor Gao.  Lin Wanqing smiled and said: "This is also the ancestral system of the imperial court!"  "    "Um!  "Empress Dowager Deng nodded without saying anything. She understood what Lin Wanqing meant. Since there are no eunuchs in Dashun, only female officers, there is no system for eunuchs to supervise the army. However, for a minister with high authority and in charge of heavy troops like Gao Tingyu,  The emperor was naturally a little worried, and would also send some trusted ministers as supervisors. This has been a way for emperors and ministers to live in peace throughout the ages. "Ms. Wang, what do you think?  "    "this!  "Wang Qinian hesitated in his heart: "The Queen Mother means to ask whether to send, or who to send?  He thought for a while but came up with no result, so he simply reconciled: "I am stupid, the Queen Mother will make the final decision on this matter!"  " Seeing the opponent kicking the ball back, Empress Dowager Deng was not a decisive woman. However, the late emperor passed away and the child was still young. She had no choice but to sit in this position. She couldn't help but hesitate. According to the past rules, she should send someone  The supervisor of the army was afraid that it would hinder Master Gao's use of troops. As he was thinking about it, Lin Wanqing on the side smiled and said: "Queen Mother, the imperial court has become old and withered over the years. It is better to send a capable young man to learn from Master Gao."  At this point, it can be regarded as a talent reserve for Your Majesty's future administration. I wonder what the Queen Mother thinks?  " Empress Dowager Deng was overjoyed when she heard this. She was worried that she couldn't find an excuse. Now Lin Wanqing found one for her. She couldn't help but be overjoyed and said repeatedly: "Okay, okay, that's what the Lin family girl said!"  The Ai family is worried that Zhen'er will not have capable ministers after taking over the throne. It just so happens that they want to send them to have some experience at this opportunity, but they don't know if their sister has a candidate in mind?  " "Since the Queen Mother has inquired, I will boldly speak out!  Lin Wanqing said with a smile: "I think Mr. Chen Zaixing is pretty good. In terms of ability, he can handle matters in Burma with just one hand. Who among the younger generation in the court can match him?"  In terms of loyalty, he was doing well in business, but when he saw that the country was in trouble, he gave up everything and braved the hail of bullets and walked several times in the dense forest.  In my opinion, Master Chen, after training with Master Gao, must be another important minister of our Dashun Dynasty!  "    "Um!  Queen Mother Deng nodded and asked outside the curtain: "Ms. Wang, what do you think?"  "    "this!  "Wang Qinian lowered his head and thought, why did Lin Wanqing suddenly propose that Chen Zaixing go to Gao Tingyu to serve as a supervisor? For himself, it didn't matter. Anyway, he couldn't come up with other candidates for a while, so he might as well do it as a favor. He pondered for a moment,  Then he said in a deep voice: "Old minister seconded the proposal!  " "Well, it's Mr. Chen!  Empress Dowager Deng patted her knee: "Wan Qing, without further ado, you can draft the decree immediately!"  " "Yes, Queen Mother!  " The train was running on the rails, and every time the wheels passed the joints of the rails, it made a rhythmic clang. Chen Zaixing was sitting in the first-class compartment, and his mood was like the scenery passing quickly outside the window, changing drastically.  Originally, he had planned to stay in Hanking for a few more days, get to know more business people, and then return to Myanmar to take up the post to deal with borrowing money and building railways. However, he did not expect that this morning, an order came to him to observe the military appearance.  The envoy went to Yanshan Mansion in Beijing, which suddenly disrupted all his plans. "Resurrection!"  " Chen Zaixing raised his head, and the person opposite him was Kong Zhang. The reason for his appearance here is simple. Renyi Bank has a lot of business outside the Great Wall. Kong Zhang once stayed in Zhangjiakou for six full years as a representative of the bank. His experience and knowledge  It was very helpful to Chen Zaixing who had been staying in the south, so when Chen Zaixing learned that he was going to be sent to Yanshan Mansion, he immediately extended an invitation to him, and Kong Zhang readily accepted his invitation.  He sat down in front of Chen Zaixing and said with a smile: "This railway is really good. It used to take more than half a month to go from Hanking to Yanshan Prefecture, but now it only takes two days, and it's so comfortable."  Fusheng, I said, why do you want to build a railway in Myanmar? We, Dashun, have not used such a good thing yet?  " Chen Zaixing smiled slightly. This Han-Lu Railway basically coincides with the Ping-Han Railway in this time and space. Its name comes from Beijing's ancient name of Luyang. It is the first railway built by Dashun itself, connecting Han-Beijing and the largest town in the north -  - Yanshan Mansion, one of the Five Capitals, was opened to traffic just two years ago. This also shows that Dashun attaches great importance to the northern border defense. Kong Zhang saw Chen Zaixing and smiled without saying a word, and said anxiously: "Why are you laughing at Fusheng? Did I say that?"  Isn't it?  " "Mr. Kong, you are right, but there is one thing that cannot be compared with Myanmar. If I build roads there, I can control the minerals, timber, and food resources there. It is easy to raise a large amount of money, and  Without any restraint, things are different in China.  Let me ask you, if I want to build a railway from Hanking to Shanghai, what will happen to the boat gangs on the Yangtze River?  ¡±   "This -" Kong Zhang couldn't help but was stunned. The answer was obvious. If the Hanking-Shanghai railway is opened to traffic, many people in the Yangtze River shipping business who are engaged in passenger and freight transportation will definitely lose their jobs. Even if there are still, the profits will be huge.  For the sake of decline, these people will certainly strongly oppose the construction of this railway.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 19 Along the way

    "Also, the domestic population is densely populated, and building the railway will occupy a lot of land, which will inevitably affect the interests of many local people. It is only for the government to do this. I am just a fifth-rank official to handle such a big thing.  Do you think it can be done? Even if it is done, can the control of the railway be in my hands?" After hearing what Chen Zaixing said, Kong Zhang nodded and said in a low voice: "Yes, we should finish this mission quickly.  It's good to go back to Myanmar. But what kind of envoy is this time?" "This official position comes from the Tang Dynasty, and its full name is Guanjun Rongxuanwei. To put it bluntly, it is the governor of the Mongolian army.  The military commander is responsible for the quelling of the rebellion, but one person cannot be assigned a large number of soldiers, so let me be the supervisor to monitor him!" "That's it!" Kong Zhang nodded: "But this matter seems to be no small matter, Lien Gao.  The adults are all taking action, tsk tsk!" At this point, Kong Zhang shook his head.  "Yes!" Chen Zaixing nodded: "The death of the living Buddha and the chaos in Mongolia happened together. I don't believe it if the Russians didn't kill him later. The imperial court wants the lion to fight the rabbit with all its strength, and it must wait until the situation does not escalate. It was right to settle the matter before now!" At this point, Chen Zaixing sighed: "But I heard that the Russians have also begun exploration and are preparing to build the Trans-Siberian Railway. By then, the pressure on my country's northern border defense will It¡¯s going to be heavy again!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Kong Zhang also had a look of worry on his face. He had been in the north for many years and had many business dealings with Russian businessmen in Mongolia, Xinjiang and other places. Naturally, he had heard about the Trans-Siberian Railway.  Historically, construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway officially started in 1891, but exploration and preparation work actually began in the mid-19th century. If this railway is successfully built, the European core of Russia will be connected to Siberia and the Far East east of the Ural Mountains.  As a result, the number of troops that can be deployed can be said to increase exponentially, and the resulting pressure on China's northern border defense can be imagined.  "Does the imperial court have a way to deal with it?" "A way to deal with it?" Chen Zaixing whispered: "When I returned to Hanjing this time and chatted with a few old friends from the Hongwen Hall, I heard them say it. There are only two ways:  One is to immigrate to the border, strengthen the military, and build railways from Beijing to Fengtian and Changchun; the other is to simply use offense as defense and send troops to occupy Russia's Far East coastal areas. In this way, their navy does not have a good port.  , the threat was immediately reduced by half!¡± Kong Zhang nodded silently. Since Dashun¡¯s capital was Hanjing, it was far away from the coast. Although it was close to the Yangtze River, it had strong fort defenses at the mouth of the Yangtze River, and the navies of the great powers could attack it.  The direct threat is not great, and coupled with financial difficulties, there is not much investment in the costly navy. The navy is far less powerful than the army.  Therefore, in Northeast Asia, compared to the Russians' limited army, the naval fleet is an important enemy of Dashun. The long coastline cannot be fortified everywhere. Once a war breaks out, the opponent is likely to use the fleet to cover North Korea and Dalian.  , and even entered the Bohai Bay and landed directly near Tianjin. Therefore, the high-level leaders of Dashun took the initiative to attack and occupy the opponent's port to remove the naval threat. There is a market for it.  "As for resurrection, which one do you think is better?" "It's all just talk on paper!" Chen Zaixing sneered.  "Why do you say that?" "It's very simple, no money!" Chen Zaixing sneered: "The imperial court's annual income is less than 70 million taels of silver. It is enough to support officials and the army. The Lu-Han Railway alone has been built for five years.  There are still many railways to be built in the mainland. When can they be built to Manchuria? Without railways, so many soldiers can only eat and drink by sea. It will not be over once the Russian fleet blocks it. " "Hey, that's true.  In fact, the railway is also a profitable business. I heard that the Lu-Han Railway can earn more than 300,000 taels of silver every year. It would be good if it was opened to business! " "Hmm, in my opinion, it is not just the railway, but also the iron factory, etc.  The machine bureau should be sold to businessmen. In this way, the court can not only get a sum of cash, but also get tax money every year, unlike now when it is always losing money and has to spend money to subsidize it. This way, it will have money to train troops and build roads.  It's just that the redundant officials in these places are so intertwined that they can't do anything about it!" "Fu Sheng, it's better not to talk nonsense about this!" When Kong Zhang heard this, he had a look of fear on his face and secretly looked to both sides.  , lest anyone hear what Chen Zaixing just said.  It turns out that from the beginning of the founding of this dynasty, in order to resist the iron cavalry of Dongyi, special emphasis was placed on firearms manufacturing. There were special iron making bureaus and firearms residences in several important cities such as Hanjing, Yanshanfu in Beijing, and Chang'anfu in Xijing.  In the 1960s, in order to quell the chaos in the south, craftsmen from Western powers were introduced and improved, forming an iron smelting plant and machine weapons manufacturing center centered on the Tianjin Guard Machinery Bureau in the north and the Hanyang Arms Bureau in Hanking in the south.  The shipbuilding industry in Fuzhou and Shanghai has also achieved great development, but thisBecause enterprises are related to military and national plans, the investment threshold is also very high, and they are not accessible to ordinary businessmen, so almost all of them are run by the government.  Naturally, these enterprises also suffered from the common problems that faced the Qing Dynasty's Westernization Movement - rampant corruption, low efficiency, slow development, etc.  Quite a few bureaucrats regard these enterprises as tools for their own profit. If Chen Zaixing wants to touch their flesh and blood, he will inevitably arouse public outrage, and the consequences can be imagined.  "Kong Zhang, what are you afraid of? It's just you and me here, no one can hear you! Do you remember the two steel-making furnaces I asked Shen Hongmao to buy last time?" As soon as money was mentioned, Kong Zhang's interest immediately dropped.  He came and said with a smile: "Oh, of course, remember, this business is still in my hands. It costs a total of 120,000 taels of silver, together with two engineers, it is really not cheap!" "The latest Bessemer converter is naturally not cheap.  Cheap!" At this point, a sneer suddenly appeared on Chen Zaixing's face: "Do you know why these two steel stoves were left in the yard to be exposed to the sun and were not used?" "I don't know?" Kong Zhang shook his head.  Shake his head.  "Without him, the two furnaces currently used in Hanyang Iron Works were purchased by Lv Dali, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, but they are not suitable for the iron ore produced in Daye. The steel produced is mostly brittle and damaged.  We can only use iron materials from other places to make steel. If these two new furnaces are used well, doesn't it mean that Mr. Lu is stupid and failed in his mission? How can it be better?  The stove can't be used anymore." "Hey!" Hearing this, Kong Zhang could only sigh. He had heard about Mr. Lu, but he was just a businessman. How could he speak to the official of the third rank?  of?  "Resurrection, the affairs of the imperial court are not my responsibility. We just have to handle the affairs of our own iron factory." "As soon as we come back from Yanshan Prefecture, we will go to Myanmar to prepare the iron factory!" Train  It was already the evening of the second day when they arrived at Yanshan Mansion. Chen Zaixing and Kong Zhang got off the bus and got on the carriage waiting outside the station, and walked all the way.  Along the way, Chen Zaixing carefully observed the situation outside the car window. Due to the strong wind, there were not many pedestrians on both sides of the road. The north wind blowing from the Mongolian Plateau swept a large amount of yellow sand, covering the ancient road.  The city was dyed with a layer of yellow. Compared with Hanking by the Yangtze River, Yanshan Mansion felt much less lively. But as the carriage moved forward, Chen Zaixing felt less and less like he was going to Liushou Mansion.  look.  "This brother!" Chen Zaixing looked at the officer sitting opposite: "But I don't know what to call him?" "Master Chen, you are not qualified!" The officer cupped his hands and replied: "My surname is Xue Mingruowang.  Walking under the command of Lord Gao!" "Where is this carriage headed? Why don't I think it's going to the city?" "Master Chen is unaware that the military situation is urgent and the Lord has already left two days ago.  The former Marquis has left an order to catch up as soon as the adults from Han Jing arrive. "" Gao Marquis is no longer in Yanshan Mansion?" Chen Zaixing's face changed slightly, and he thought to himself, that means Gao Tingyu is asking for help.  On the third day after Hanking sent the telegram, he set off from Hanking.  As the supreme commander of Dashun's northeastern region, his actions this time can be described as hasty. Has the situation already developed to such a bad point?  Chen Zaixing frowned and asked in a low voice: "Xue Junmen, is the situation so critical now? Even Lord Gao has to come to the army in person?" "Master Chen, just call Xiaoren Ruowang, the word "Junmen"  It's really not worth it!" At this point, Xue Ruowang lowered his voice: "The Marquis's tactics are unpredictable, and I don't dare to talk nonsense. But Mr. Chen is not an outsider. From the information that has been obtained, the situation is very critical. The four armies of Outer Mongolia.  Three tribes have rebelled, and only the Saiyinnuoyan tribe is still shaken. The Inner Mongolian tribes are also shaken. Although Eren's Protector has sent troops to suppress it, after all, most of his subordinates are Kobdo Mongols.  There are not many Han soldiers, so they may not be trustworthy at this juncture - "Well, I guess the Lord Protector wants to use the reputation of the Marquis to intimidate the Mongolian tribes?" Chen Zaixing interrupted Xue Ruowang's words.  Xue Ruowang was shocked, looked at Chen Zaixing with an unbelievable look, and whispered: "Master Chen is really clever, I admire you!" "Haha, I don't deserve your compliment! But if I were in that position,  You will do the same!" Chen Zaixing smiled slightly. Obviously Zhangbei's governor in Eren was very important in this sudden riot. There was a large amount of military rations and materials stored there. As long as it could be kept in the hands of the Shun army, it would be nearby.  It is impossible for the Saiyinnuoyan tribe to fall to the rebel side, and the conquest army needs to maintain such a long supply line, which is very beneficial to the Han army fighting in the desert grassland.  Zhang Bei's guard has limited Han troops, and when the Mongol troops are unsettled, they will naturally choose to spread the news that the Dashun army led by Gao Tingyu is approaching Eren.Determine the morale of surrounding tribes and Mongolian soldiers.  Gao Tingyu will also lead the army to Eren as soon as possible to prevent Zhang Bei's lies from being exposed for too long.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 20 Old Friend

    At this time, the carriage stopped, and there was a slight knock on the door. Xue Ruowang's face changed slightly, and he made a group salute to Chen Zaixing and Kong Zhang: "Two adults, please have a good rest in the car. I'll get out of the car first to deal with it."  "It just so happened that we were both a little tired!" Chen Zaixing smiled and said, "Please help yourself, Ruowang!"  They each closed their eyes to rest, but after a while, the carriage did not resume driving, and the quarrels outside became louder and louder, and someone could vaguely be heard speaking English.  Chen Zaixing couldn't help but feel curious. He opened the curtains and looked outside.  On the road, a dozen soldiers were surrounding a carriage and four people. Two of them were foreigners. They were arguing with the leading officer. Chen Zaixing looked at it and suddenly felt that one of the foreigners looked more familiar the more he looked at it. The more he looked at it, the more familiar he looked.  At first glance, it turned out to be Gillings, the British Consul General in Yangon who instigated the coup of the puppet king Meng Ji in Myanmar a year ago. I had a lot of dealings with him during the negotiation process with the British not long ago, and I was quite impressed.  I recognized it all of a sudden here.  But if this guy doesn¡¯t stay in Myanmar now, why would he come to Dashun?  Could it be that he was ordered to do something?  Chen Zaixing was thinking as he jumped off the carriage and walked toward the crowd. He happened to hear Gillings shouting in half-baked Chinese: "We are citizens of the British Empire and have come to China for a normal trip. What do you mean to us?"  The detention is illegal, we need to contact the Shanghai Consulate! " "It's really a coincidence in life!" Chen Zaixing smiled and walked away from the soldiers, smiling at Gillings who was looking at him with his mouth open.  Sir! There is an old saying in China, 'Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao will arrive.' I was just talking about you with my friend, and I didn't expect to meet you here. What a coincidence!" Chen Zaixing said while talking.  Looking at Gillings's disgraced appearance: "Why are you dressed like this? Have you been robbed by robbers or -?" Gillings stared at Chen Zaixing who was walking over. He also recognized this "old acquaintance", but  I didn't expect to meet each other here.  Not long after he arrived in Beijing, he learned of the news of a large-scale rebellion in the far northern border.  As a brave British adventurer and former diplomat, Gillings immediately recognized the great value contained in this incident, whether it was to quickly intervene in the incident, provide corresponding support to the rebels, and gain profits; or to gather intelligence and communicate with potential rebels.  Build connections, contain failed rebel leaders, and prepare for the next rebellion.  It is extremely important to travel to distant frontiers in person and obtain first-hand information.  So he quickly hired a new guide in Beijing and prepared to set off, but he didn't expect that shortly after leaving Beijing, the carriage's axle had a problem, and he happened to hit the group of soldiers escorting the carriage. However, they discovered the guns they were carrying, and encountered  It was extremely unlucky to meet this enemy.  "Master Chen!" Gillings tried his best to pretend to be overjoyed: "I didn't expect to meet you here. I am so lucky!" He took a few steps forward and held Chen Zaixing's right hand: "You must be loyal and loyal in Burma.  "Have you been generously rewarded by your emperor for your fruitful service?" "Haha, I am just doing my duty as a Dashun citizen! All the thunder and rain are for the emperor's kindness!"  That's it!" Chen Zaixing exchanged some pleasantries and suddenly asked: "Where are you going, Mr. Gillings, dressed like this? Is he carrying out some official duties for the queen of your country?" "Where, Mr. Chen, I am finishing up?  After the negotiation, I resigned from public office. Now I am no longer a servant of the Queen's government, but I am on an academic trip as a scholar of Oriental studies. The subject I studied at Oxford University was Oriental studies, and I have long wanted to go on an academic trip to China.  Hiking." At this point, Gillings turned sideways and pointed at Duncan, who was sandwiched between two soldiers: "This is my companion, Mr. Duncan, who is a retired captain from the British Army.  Responsible for protecting my safety!¡±  The big foreigner has a rifle and a pistol. Judging from the calluses on his hands, he is a veteran! "I know! Let go of that big man!" A sarcastic smile appeared on Chen Zaixing's face: "I know this foreigner.  He just dealt with me in Myanmar not long ago!" Xue Ruowang had a look of surprise on his face. As a confidant specially sent by Gao Tingyu to greet this supervisor, he had naturally done enough homework for Chen Zaixing before and knew that this gentleman was coming.  What had he done in Burma before, and what kind of person was he? He bowed slightly to Chen Zaixing, winked at the two soldiers beside Duncan, motioned for them to let go, then stepped aside and stood aside calmly.  ?Get up.  "That's it!" Chen Zaixing pretended to be surprised on his face: "I didn't expect that Mr. Gillings has retired to Linquan, which is really the envy of those of us who are still wallowing in officialdom. Since you are going to the north, you just happen to come with me.  , it's better to meet by chance, why not come with me!" At this point, Chen Zaixing didn't care whether Gillings agreed or not, he turned around and said to Xue Ruowang: "Ruowang, go and help Mr. Gillings pack his things!  , free up a car to load it up!" "Yes, sir!" Xue Ruowang bowed quickly.  "Gillings is my distinguished guest. If there is one thing missing, I will not agree!" After Chen Zaixing said this, he turned his back to Gillings and winked at Xue Ruowang.  Xue Ruowang, who understood, quickly replied in a deep voice: "Please don't worry, sir. The villain will definitely clean up each piece by himself. If there is any missing item, the villain will take care of it on his own without being punished by the adults!" "Yes!" Chen Zaixing was satisfied.  He nodded, turned around with a smile on his face, stretched out his hand to hold Gillins' right arm, and said with a smile: "Come on, come on, come on, please get in the car. I was worried that I would be bored on the road, but I didn't think about it for a while.  I met you on the road and had a nice chat!" Gillings couldn't help but help him get into his carriage.  The carriage started moving again.  The number of people in the carriage returned to three people. Chen Zaixing looked at Gillings opposite with a smile. Gillings also tried his best to squeeze out a smile on his face, but it still looked like the smile was a bit like crying. He tried his best  He tried to keep himself calm, but the air in the car seemed to be frozen, making him feel more and more out of breath.  Finally, Gillins couldn't hold back his temper and asked, "Master Chen, may I ask you about the purpose of your trip?" "There are police in Northern Xinjiang!" Chen Zaixing smiled: "Since Chen is eating the emperor's salary,  Of course I'm worried about you! But Mr. Gillings, you must have gained a lot from your visit to Dashun?" "Yes, I did see a lot of things that I haven't seen before in this mysterious ancient country!  A lot of information about sociology and Oriental studies will be of great help to my future academic career after I go back. " Gillings thought to himself that the things he carried in his luggage could not be hidden from the delicate Mr. Chen in front of him, so he might as well just leave it alone!  It's better to be a bachelor and admit it honestly.  "So that's it. Mr. Gillings has achieved both meritorious service and good deeds. That's really gratifying and congratulatory!" Chen Zaixing's mouth was full of good prayers and praises, but he thought to himself: "I'm afraid this guy has something wrong with him when he comes to China this time."  We will find out the truth later by taking a look at the contents of his luggage. Although we can't do anything to him due to his identity, we should keep him close to him to prevent him from causing trouble. " Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing became more and more thoughtful.  He wanted to take a look at those things, but Gillings sat in front of him and couldn't find any excuse to get away for a while.  At this time, someone seemed to have heard Chen Zaixing's blessing. There were two slight knocks on the door outside the carriage. Chen Zaixing quickly stood up and bowed his hands to Gillins: "Chen has something trivial to do, please forgive me!"  Chen Zaixing got out of the car and saw Xue Ruowang's face solemn and said in a low voice: "Master Chen, it seems that this foreign devil is not simple, I'm afraid he is a meticulous worker." He took out three or four notebooks from his arms: "Look, there are  The floor plans of several Dashun military camp fortresses were marked, and the English content behind them should be the content of his investigation. " Chen Zaixing took the notebook and opened it, his face changed slightly. He knew English and found that the notebook was not what he expected.  All kinds of military intelligence, but pieces of diary, which recorded what Gillings saw and heard after arriving in Dashun.  Judging from the content, the content recorded by the author is very trivial, even going as far as what is the monthly income of an ordinary worker?  How much food can be purchased?  Clothes?  What kind of house do they live in?  How far away are they from where they work?  Is it true that, as Gillings said, the purpose of his trip was to conduct an academic trip on Oriental studies and sociology?  But the time and route are too coincidental, right?  Chen Zaixing shook his head.  "Sir!" Xue Ruowang saw a confused look on Chen Zaixing's face, and did not dare to ask about the contents of the notebook: "Xiaguan just caught a guide. I heard that he had been following this foreign devil in Shanghai. You  Do you want to ask?" "Oh? Come to my carriage!" After half a cup of tea, Xue Ruowang took Jiang Zhiqing away, but when he came back, he saw Chen Zaixing still sitting on the chair, his face full of sorrow.  It seems that this questioning not only did not relieve his confusion, but actually added a lot of confusion.  Xue Ruowang asked cautiously: "Sir?" "Ruowang, you're back!" Chen Zaixing finally came back to his senses: "Have you arranged for Jiang Zhiqing?" "Already arranged!" Xue Ruowang replied respectfully.  , then he hesitated for a moment, and then asked in a low voice: "Sir, from what I heard just now, this foreign devil didn't do anything illegal."? Could it be that this man named Jiang was hiding something for the foreign devil?  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 21 Zhangjiakou

    "It's not like that!" Chen Zaixing shook his head: "This man named Jiang is just an ordinary little bastard from Shanghai. He is just greedy for the huge profits promised by the foreigners to do things for him. I just showed my power, how could he do it?  Concealing it for that guy? Besides-" At this point, Chen Zaixing took out the notebooks from the side: "What the guy said is consistent with what is recorded in these notebooks. It seems that this foreigner is really just here.  Did you see these things in these places? " "Is this foreign devil really just here for a trip?" Xue Ruowang had a puzzled look on his face.  "No?" Chen Zaixing shook his head slowly but firmly: "It's just that I haven't discovered the real purpose of his trip yet!" Two days later at dusk, Chen Zaixing was sitting in the carriage, talking to Gillings.  of chit-chat.  Suddenly there were two soft sounds outside the window, and then the car door was opened, and Xue Ruowang's voice was heard outside the car: "Sir, Zhangjiakou is almost here, and Lord Gao is waiting in the camp outside the mouth!" "Oh?" Chen Zaixing responded.  After making a sound, I poked my head out of the car window and saw half of the setting sun on the horizon in the distance. The east and west mountains stood facing each other like a giant mouth. There was a city in the middle. Under the shining of the setting sun, it looked very majestic.  "Master Chen, this is Baozili. It was built by Ming general Zhang Wen in the fourth year of Xuande in the previous dynasty. It is the root of Zhangjiakou!" Xue Ruowang was riding on a horse, pointing to the castle not far away and explaining to Chen Zaixing in the car:  "This fort is very strange for four miles. The city is three feet and two feet high. To protect against the Mongolian Tatars outside the fortress, there are only city gates on the southeast side. The east gate is called 'Yongzhen' and the south gate is called 'Cheng'en'. Because the north gate is  The East and West Taiping Mountains face each other like a huge mouth, hence the name "Zhangjiakou". "That's it!" Chen Zaixing nodded slightly and looked at both sides of the road.  It was dusk, but the shops on both sides were lighting up their lamps one after another to welcome business travelers from outside to do business. They did not look like an important border defense area outside the Great Wall.  "Ruowang, you said this is an important border defense place, but I don't think it looks like it. It looks like a big market!"  The Chao Dynasty and the Mongolian Anta tribe had a "tea and horse trade", and this place became the "place for mutual trade" between Mongolia and Han, and it became prosperous.  Furs, livestock, and wool from various Mongolian tribes, as well as tea, ironware, salt, and general merchandise from the mainland are all traded here. You are here at the wrong time. If it is autumn, the only businessmen coming to Yuanbao are Mongolian merchants.  There are thousands of tents, so it¡¯s really lively!¡± Chen Zaixing nodded when he heard this.  It turns out that since the beginning of the 18th century, the Shun army completely wiped out the Jungar Khanate, completely conquered the Mongolian tribes in the north and south of the desert, and opened up the trade routes to the north of the desert. Zhangjiakou has also become a link between the inland and the Mongolian tribes in the north and south of the desert.  The commercial and trade center, especially the domestic and foreign trade centered on furs, livestock, and wool, occupies the center of the entire Northeast Asia region.  At that time, it was said that "furs all over the world were imported into the country through this, and the fur markets in all directions were priced and traded here." Zhangjiakou became a famous "leather capital" at home and abroad.  Although Gillings on the carriage could not quite understand the explanation of the officer outside, he was still observing the scenery outside the carriage calmly.  Chen Zaixing and his party were passing through Dongguan of Zhangjiakou Fort, which is still the most prosperous Wucheng commercial street in Zhangjiakou.  As a careful observer, Gillings naturally saw not just shops, but the vast land beyond the Great Wall and the increasingly close economic ties in the interior, as well as the huge wealth that followed.  "It seems that this trip was not in vain. Let those bureaucrats sitting in the London office sit at their desks, facing the portrait of the Queen, and take it for granted to command the armies of the empire thousands of miles away, but they thought they were working for the empire.  What a ridiculous thing! But the irony is that not long ago, I was envious of them, thinking that they were the elite of the empire, and I wanted to be one of them. This is really too much!  Stupid!" Thinking of this, Gillins shook his head slightly, with a self-deprecating smile on his face.  Chen Zaixing's eyes swept across Gillins's face. He had noticed the emotion that the other party had just inadvertently revealed, but he didn't say anything.  There is no doubt that this British man came to China with an extremely important mission. It was dangerous for him to run around alone. Fortunately, he met him and tied him to his side. As long as he had enough time, Chen Zaixing believed that  You can find out the truth yourself.  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing turned his gaze back to the street scene outside, pretending to be ignorant of everything.  While the two people in the carriage were thinking about their own thoughts, the carriage rolled over the ruts on the bluestone and entered the east gate of Zhangjiakou Fort.  At this time, Xue Ruowang bent down and whispered: "Master Chen, the Marquis has an order for you to go see him as soon as you enter the city!" "Yes!" Chen Zaixing saidHe nodded, straightened his robes, and got out of the carriage: "Ruo Wang, please let me take good care of my British friend!" "Yes, sir!" Although Chen Zaixing had spent a lot of time guessing this person along the way,  The appearance of the powerful Marquis Gao, but when he saw the other party in person, he still couldn't believe his eyes.  In the past, he had heard about the countless meritorious deeds established by this big man, and the other party was from a clan. According to his imagination, this big man must be a majestic big man, but what he saw now was that the man who commanded Dashun Sanfen  The big man with a strength of more than one can only be regarded as a small man, and he looks quite frail in appearance. He is in his early fifties and wears a gray lambskin robe that is 70% new. It is thick and looks a bit like a man.  The frustrated Mr. Dong Heng.  "Master Chen, you have finally arrived. If you hadn't arrived today, I would have gone to Eren!" Chen Zaixing frowned slightly. As soon as he entered the room, the other party did not greet him and greeted him with a lukewarm word.  It would be fine if he was an ordinary person, but since he was the one speaking, he had to be careful in his answers.  "Master Hou, I arrived at Yanshan Mansion two days after I was ordered to leave the capital, and then rushed all the way to Zhangjiakou. Your noble Xue Ruowang knows all this. You will know it as soon as you ask!" Gao Tingyu did not answer, and glanced at Chen Zaixing.  Face: "Mr. Chen, I don't mean to blame you. It's just that the military situation is urgent and there is no need to delay! The army will set off for Eren tomorrow morning. You have worked hard along the way. Go back and rest early!" After that, he picked up the teacup on the side.  , took a sip of tea, and the attendant on the side shouted loudly: "See you off!" "Master Chen, please forgive me! The commander-in-chief is not like this on weekdays, but whenever he goes into battle, he becomes a completely different person. He looks lifeless.  Yes, even when the late emperor was alive, several of the husband-in-laws suffered a lot of embarrassment!" Xue Ruowang explained with a smile while holding a lantern to lead the way for Chen Zaixing.  "Yes!" Chen Zaixing nodded noncommittally. Xue Ruowang walked through the verandah, pointed to a room in front, and said with a smile: "Master Chen, that's where you will stay tonight!" "Thank you!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile.  Hands over, I suddenly noticed that there was light coming from the room next door, and a figure was reflected in the window, which seemed to be writing something. I couldn't help but turn around and asked Xue Ruowang: "The British guy who lives in the room next to me is  "That's right!"  "Is there any way you can show me what that guy has written now?" Xue Ruowang's face was slightly startled, but then he showed a knowing look and nodded: "Please don't worry, sir!" In the room, Gillins was sitting  He was writing furiously at the desk when suddenly there were several knocks on the door. He closed his notebook and turned around and shouted: "Come in!" Chen Zaixing opened the door, followed closely by the servant, holding a bottle in his hand.  Just a steaming barrel.  Chen Zaixing cupped his hands: "Mr. Gillings, you have worked hard on the journey today. I asked someone to get a bucket of hot water to soak your feet so that you can sleep more peacefully." "Thank you very much!" Gillings  He stood up and closed the diary behind him. After traveling in this ancient country for more than two months, he was already very familiar with the Chinese habit of soaking their feet in hot water before going to bed, and he enjoyed it very much.  .  Gillings closed his eyes slightly, enjoying the warm foot-washing water comfortably. The servant on the side carefully poured hot water into the wooden bucket until the water temperature was adjusted to a level that satisfied Gillings.  Chen Zaixing leaned on the desk and cleverly stuffed the notebook on the desk into his sleeve.  "Mr. Gillings, we will leave the customs tomorrow!" Chen Zaixing took two steps forward: "Master Gao is famous for his strict military management. Once we leave the customs, we will have to travel day and night. I am afraid that we will have to eat on horseback. Wait.  It¡¯s hard to enjoy leisure time. It¡¯s fate that we met on the road. Why don¡¯t we bring some food and drinks and have a chat?¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Gillins¡¯s feet were in the hot water.  The tense nerves in the past few days could not help but relax. The main purpose of his trip was to conduct an in-depth investigation of Chinese society, collect and organize information from all aspects, and find basis for the British Empire's future policy decisions in the Far East. As for  Obtaining military intelligence was not part of the plan, but I didn't expect to be able to personally participate in a great expedition. This was very rare, both in terms of intelligence collection and personal experience. Naturally, the relationship with Chen Zaixing also eased a lot.  "Bring the wine and food!" Chen Zaixing ordered, and quietly handed the notebook in his sleeve to the entourage behind him. The servant who had been waiting outside the door filled the two people with white wine that had been boiled in the white tin pot, and then  After placing four dishes of side dishes, the servantsHe retired happily, leaving only Chen Zaixing and Gillings in the room. Chen Zaixing picked up the wine glass in front of him and said with a smile: "Mr. Gillings, Chen will do it first!"

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 22 Notebook

    Gillings watched Chen Zaixing gesture the bottom of his glass towards him. He already understood that this was a very popular etiquette at the Chinese wine table, proving that he had finished the wine in the glass.  He looked at the wine glass and saw that under the light, the crystal wine liquid showed a beautiful golden color, like flowing gold.  Gillings also picked up the wine glass and drank it in one gulp. A stream of warm liquid flowed down the throat into his stomach. Soon he felt a heat seeping into his bone marrow, driving away the fatigue and numbness accumulated over the past few days.  Instead, there was a soft feeling, as if the whole person was soaked in hot water from the inside out.  "Mr. Gillings, what do you think?" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "This is thirty-year-old Laofen wine. If you drink a few more glasses, I guarantee that you will have a good sleep tonight and go out with the army in high spirits!" Chen Zaixing said as he spoke  Pour another glass for Gillis.  The two drank a few glasses of wine. Seeing the harmonious atmosphere, Gillings raised the question that had been hidden in his heart: "Master Chen, I heard that you are one of the two top commanders of this expedition.  But on the eve of the expedition, you are drinking with a guest like me. Can I take this to mean that you are absolutely sure about this expedition?" Chen Zaixing put down the wine glass in his hand, put a chopstick on the small plate in front of him, and put it down.  Chewing carefully, there was no immediate answer.  After a while, he replied in a low voice: "Wars and wars are fierce, and things in the world are unpredictable. Since ancient times, people who have left the fortress have not known how many people have to return. How can Chen be so virtuous and capable? Do you dare to say that you are absolutely sure?" "Then what are you doing?  ¡ª¡ª?" "Mr. Gillings, I am only a nominal commander. If I talk randomly at this time, it will only hinder the real commander!" Chen Zaixing said in a low voice.  Dashun, like most other dynasties in ancient China, had civilian officials who served as supervisors to check and balance the generals who commanded the army.  However, in view of the lessons learned from the previous dynasties that "the civil servants regard the military as their slaves and the military as their enemies", the power of civilian supervisors in Dashun is relatively small. Generally speaking, as long as there are no obvious problems with the command of military generals, civilian supervisors will not  Power interferes.  Not to mention that Chen Zaixing's seniority and official position were far behind Gao Tingyu's. He was only a student, so he didn't dare to talk and interfere.  Gillings nodded in understanding. Due to the huge cultural differences, it was difficult for him to understand China's strange military command system. But perhaps it was the effect of alcohol, and the curiosity in his heart became stronger and stronger. Finally, he  He opened his mouth and asked: "Mr. Chen, what do you think of this upcoming expedition?" "Oh?" Chen Zaixing glanced at the other party with interest: "Mr. Gillings, you seem to be very curious about this expedition.  Especially strong? " "That's natural. After all, this is also related to my personal safety. If the expedition fails, I don't think those Tatars will be as generous to me as you are!" Gillings patted him calmly!  Chen Zaixing's flattery: "Besides, I still have a little selfishness. The great little Scipio also relied on Polybius's wonderful pen to be famous throughout the ages (little Scipio is the adopted son of Africa? Scipio's eldest son,  He was a famous commander in ancient Rome who captured Carthage in the Third Punic War, thus confirming Rome's dominance in the Western Mediterranean. Polybius was a famous historian in ancient Rome, originally a Greek.  Later, he went to Rome and became Scipio's disciple and secretary. He followed Scipio in many battles and left behind the immortal masterpiece "General History") Sir, don't you hope that your name will be recited in the Western world because of this expedition?  "That's it!" Chen Zaixing smiled slightly. He didn't care whether the other party's true purpose was what he said, but for him, delaying time for the men outside the door to copy Gillings's diary was the most important.  As for his prediction about the expedition, it doesn't matter even if he lets the foreigner know some of it. Anyway, he can't do any tricks in the army!  "Mr. Gillings, I have nothing to worry about militarily about this expedition!" Chen Zaixing said solemnly: "Especially in the short term, the rebels are just a group of temporarily gathered herdsmen, taking advantage of the sudden death of the Living Buddha.  With no officers or weapons, you can imagine the consequences of facing the imperial army! The only problem is-" At this point, Chen Zaixing suddenly stopped, looking like he was hesitating to speak.  "What?" "It's about time! It's true that the rebels are just a ragtag group now, but they will not always be just a ragtag group, and as time goes by, the scope of the rebellion will expand, and various uncertain factors will increase. It must be quelled  The difficulty will be much greater! And Khalkha Mongolia is really too big and too far away!" At the end, Chen Zaixing sighed in a low voice.  The room calmed down, and both of them were thinking.  Both Chen Zaixing and Gillings are very smart people. They can and know that the other can also understand the unfinished meaning of what they just said.  There is no doubt that Gillings does not want Dashun to suffer this time.The expedition can go smoothly, even if he does not consider weakening the potential enemy of the British Empire in the Far East, he also hopes to obtain as much information as possible in the process, and the more tortuous this process is, there is no doubt that Gillings can  The more information you get, the more profound it becomes.  Only now did Gillings truly understand the true meaning of what Balfour said in his reply to himself: "China is not part of the Far East. It is a world and a system in itself!"  This ancient empire is too huge and too complicated. Not long ago, it was this empire that fought to the death with me in the jungles of Burma. Now it is this empire that is fighting the Tatars in the hinterland of Asia thousands of miles away. At the same time,  , this empire also controlled hundreds of tribes and vassal states on her long frontier, and within her territory lived a population equal to that of the entire civilized world. The differences between these tribes, nationalities, and vassal states were even  The difference is even greater than that between Indians and Arabs in America.  And such an empire is not a short-lived empire relying on military conquest like the Alexander Empire and the Mongols. It has existed for hundreds of years before the time of Jesus, and has existed for more than two thousand years now, and it seems that it will continue to exist.  Continue to exist forever.  And even the most arrogant and confident imperial elites dare not say that the British Empire could still exist two thousand years after the birth of Jesus. Even today, when the empire is so prosperous, those damn Irish are still using everything they can find.  Means seek perfection, and conflicts of one kind or another between religion, ethnicity, and class are like an incurable disease, constantly devouring the vigorous vitality of the British Empire.  And what gave this ancient empire unlimited vitality?  It is really terrifying to let it gather these billions of creatures and thousands of miles of territory together.  At this time, there were two gentle knocks on the door, which woke Chen Zaixing out of his thoughts. He realized that his subordinates had completed the copying work. He stood up and said with a smile: "Mr. Gillings, when  It's getting late, I have to get up early tomorrow morning, so don't bother me anymore!" As he was talking, several servants walked in and carried out the wine, vegetables and the cold wooden barrels.  Gillings got up quickly. When he sent Chen Zaixing out the door, he looked back and saw that his diary was still in its original place on the desk. He walked to the desk, turned to the page he wrote today, and wanted to  He wanted to write something, but he didn't know what to write for a while. After a while, Gillings sighed, closed the notebook, turned off the lights and went to bed.  In the study, Chen Zaixing sat at the table, with dozens of pages of paper in front of him, which contained Gillings's diary copied by the secretary.  As Chen Zaixing continued to read page by page, his expression became more solemn.  "Compared to the south of the country, the lives of farmers in the north of China are much poorer and simpler. Even the wealthier families in the countryside mainly eat millet, corn and other coarse grains to satisfy their hunger.  They may not be able to eat meat during festivals. Their land is not as fertile as the land in the south, and the water for irrigation is quite insufficient. However, the most important reason for their poverty is not the above two, but the lack of commerce and industry;  Compared with the South, the industry and commerce in the North is even more lacking. Farmers have almost no other income except farming. Their time outside the busy farming season is almost free, while farmers in the South will carry out many more complex, longer-term and income-generating projects.  Some even go to cities and become workers. I don¡¯t think farmers in northern China are lazy. On the contrary, they are extremely hard-working people.  Active participation. The clothes they wear are made of a rough homespun cloth that they weave themselves. However, I also saw woven cloth on the farmers in some wealthier villages with more convenient transportation.  They come from the huge factories in Shanghai, Nanjing, and southern Jiangsu. I believe that as time goes by, these homespun cloths will be replaced by machine-woven cloths, just like Dhaka was replaced by Manchester.  The capital of Bangladesh was once the center of India's traditional cotton textile handicraft industry. After the British conquered India, cotton cloth produced in Manchester poured into India. India's traditional textile handicraft industry declined sharply. Dhaka's population dropped from 150,000 to 30,000.  Forty thousand, this is what Marx refers to when he said in his works that "the white bones of Indian textile workers turned the Indian plains into white.") This change will inevitably bring about huge changes in rural life, but I am not aware of it.  I don¡¯t think this will be done peacefully. ¡°The results of these two days are average. Webber hopes that everyone will continue to support. If you think there is something that needs improvement, you can spread the word in the group or discussion forum.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 23 Notebook

    "After meeting Mr. Chen, I had to go with him. Judging from what he said and what I saw along the way, the scope of the Tatar rebellion is not small. I believe there are Russians behind it.  Hands, these rude guys have no end to their desire for land, and sooner or later they will have a war with the Chinese. The last stop before leaving the fortress is Zhangjiakou, which was originally a fortress built by the ancient Chinese.  It resisted the barbarians on the grassland, but now it has turned into a huge market. Leather and livestock from the entire Northeast Asia are traded here. If we can control this place, then we can completely compensate for the loss from Buenos.  The dwindling loss of leather products imported by Aires (Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina and an important port. The British finally controlled the export of leather and other livestock products in Argentina, but over time  In the second half of the 19th century, Americans began to gradually enter Argentina to compete with the British. The British's monopoly on leather products and meat exports was shaken, and they were eager to seek compensation elsewhere). The Chinese not only gained from trade.  Huge profits, and more importantly, they have economic control over the chiefs on the grasslands. Many chiefs owe money to Chinese businessmen, and they have to use their land, pastures and even their jewelry as collateral. More importantly, in Zhangjiakou.  I saw countless Mongolian and Central Asian merchants, but the number of Russian merchants was very small. This shows that the Chinese have an extremely huge advantage over the Russians in business. There is no doubt that this advantage will have a huge impact on the Russians.  The competition between China and the Russians in Northeast Asia and even Central Asia is of great significance. In my opinion, unless the Russians can complete the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to the coastal states, they cannot change this situation.  The area where we are located is much closer to the heartland of the Chinese than to the west of the Ural Mountains, and Chinese merchants can provide many more goods than the Russians can provide. They are also more popular with the Tatar chiefs, and the freight is cheaper.  There are so many people. In this business competition, it is impossible for the Russians to win. "" Alas!" Chen Zaixing sighed and put down the last piece of paper in his hand. With his wisdom, it was not difficult to guess Gillings.  He was even sure that the other party's trip was under the orders of the British Central Committee, but Chen Zaixing was powerless to do anything about it.  Yes, he can find any reason to kill the other party, which is no more troublesome than crushing an ant to death, but what's the point?  Soon the British government will send a new guy over, and these things can be seen everywhere and cannot be hidden. Any sophisticated and smart guy can analyze these things and write a report and submit it to the British government.  By keeping it by your side, you can reduce the damage that the other party can cause as much as possible.  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing stood up, put away the white papers in his hands, and said in a deep voice: "Here comes!" "Sir!" A subordinate came in from the door and bowed to Chen Zaixing.  "You immediately translate these things into Chinese, then make two copies, give one to me, and send the other to my mentor in Kunming immediately!" "Yes, sir!" The official took the paper with both hands and stepped back.  Chen Zaixing looked at his pocket watch, turned and walked towards the bed. When he reached the edge of the bed, he suddenly stopped and said to himself: "What is that Tuxie Tuhan doing now?" Kulun, Zhedan Temple.  This beautiful temple has been turned into a fortress at this time. Many of the exquisite walls outside the temple have been destroyed. Some were smashed by drunken mobs, but most of them were damaged by the Mongolian soldiers when they shot holes.  bad.  The fine wool carpet in the corridor of the monk's room was covered with stains left by muddy leather boots, and the loud and loud shouts of Russian military advisers could be heard everywhere.  "You cowardly dog!" Major Sharif, the general adviser of the Russian army, roared angrily. His brown-black cheeks were covered with moles. As the muscles on his cheeks twitched, the moles also trembled slightly. This made  He looked even more sinister.  The Mongolian leader who was kneeling on the ground lowered his head in fear, which made Sharif even more annoyed. He limped forward and took two steps. This was left by the bullets of local mountain people when he served on the Caucasus front.  Gift, but this does not prevent Sharif from galloping on horseback. Even among the Cossacks who are good at equestrian skills, Sharif is among the best.  "Twenty-four days have passed. It's been twenty-four days and you haven't taken down that damn castle yet!" Sharif dragged the Mongolian leader off the ground with his iron hook.  The same strong and powerful right hand strangled the opponent's throat. The Mongolian leader instinctively resisted with all his strength and tried desperately to pry Sharif's fingers off his throat with both hands, but the opponent's hands were like steel.  It can't be broken at all.  As time passed, the resistance of the Mongolian leader became weaker and weaker, and foam began to flow from the corners of his mouth. Seeing that this unlucky guy was about to be strangled to death by Sharif.  Thank you at this timeThe husband finally regained his rationality from his anger and slammed the other party to the ground.  The Mongolian army leader was writhing in pain on the ground, gasping for breath, and breathed precious air into his lungs again.  Looking at the Mongolian leader struggling painfully on the ground, the flames in Sharif's eyes gradually calmed down.  But if those veterans who have followed him in the Caucasus mountains for many years see Sharif's expression at this time, those tough guys who have long been accustomed to difficulties and death will be frightened and tremble like six or seven-year-old children, because they  It was clear that his anger at this time was by no means subdued. On the contrary, like a volcano that had not yet erupted, there was a more terrifying anger hidden under the calm surface.  Sharif squatted down, grabbed the shirt of the guy on the ground, lifted him up, stared into the other person's eyes, and said in a low voice: "Listen carefully to what I say next: I will give you another chance.  At this time tomorrow, I will stand on the roof of the Chinese fortress. There is also the Chinese commander named Jueluo. Whether he is dead or alive, I will see him. Do you understand? "That Mongolian commander?  The official nodded hurriedly to express Sharif's intention. The only thought in his mind now was to leave here as soon as possible, as far away from this terrifying brown-haired devil as possible.  "Very good! You'd better do what you say, otherwise, have you seen the pointed wooden stake outside clearly?" Sharif released his hands and pointed out the window. The Mongolian commander followed Sharif's fingers.  Looking in the direction, I saw four or five soldiers shouting slogans and erecting a four- to five-meter-high pointed wooden stake.  "If you haven't succeeded by this time tomorrow, I will attack this fortress myself, but before that, I must let you sit on a pointed wooden stake. I swear that my soul will be saved if you can be on the pointed wooden stake."  If I die within two days on the stake, may God punish me so that my soul will never be saved." Sharif said with a smile on his face.  The Mongolian army officer trembled all over. He bowed to Sharif, turned around and rushed outside quickly. Soon Sharif heard the rapid sound of horse hooves coming from outside.  "Cowardly Tatar dog!" Sharif snorted coldly, turned around and walked back to the inner room. As the leader of the military instructor group sent to Tushetu by Count Almuski, the governor of Eastern Siberia, Russia, Count Almuski chose him as the leader.  The leader of the military instructor corps is not without reason.  Sharif has been serving his "little father" (the nickname of the Orthodox Christians for the Tsar) with his blood and courage for twenty years since he was sixteen years old.  Whether it was the unruly mountain people of the Caucasus Mountains, the Tatars in the Siberian jungle, or the terrifying Turks, he had dealt with almost all of these enemies of the Russian Empire.  This career not only gave Sharif a wealth of military knowledge and commanding abilities, but more importantly, it tempered his entire being into a piece of iron, hard and cold.  For the benefit of the Russian Empire, Sharif could endure all pain and fatigue, and did not hesitate to whip, massacre, and set fire. For him, the first duty of a Russian was to be loyal to God's representative on earth - His Majesty the Tsar.  Everything else is below this code.  At noon on the eighth day after the mutiny, Sharif led a military delegation to Kulen, but what he saw made him very disappointed.  Tushetu Khan, who claims to be a descendant of Genghis Khan, has wasted eight precious days. Not only did he not organize the tens of thousands of mobs gathered in Kulun into an army, he also did not even have the small fortress where the Chinese military officer responsible for monitoring Kulun was.  After the capture, even the six eight-pound cannon that Count Almuski had given him as a gift were thrown away.  The Chinese garrison captured these cannons in a raid and became their most advantageous weapon when defending the castle.  Sharif acted quickly after arriving. As a senior officer who had served in the Caucasus and Eastern Siberia for nearly fifteen years, he knew very well that for these unruly Tatars, whips, pointed wooden stakes,  and the gallows were more effective than words. After sending more than 400 thugs to the pointed wooden stakes and the gallows, the drunkards and thugs running rampant in the streets of Cullen disappeared and turned into a group of cavalry and horsemen outside Cullen city.  Troops.  Sharif quickly sent them out in groups, making demands on every tribe they encountered: either hand over hostages and join the rebellion; or be destroyed.  Because Sharif knows very well that the Chinese army will appear soon. Before that, he can only expand the scale of the rebellion as much as possible, and the possibility of the Russian Empire's army getting involved will be greater.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 24 Battle to the Death

    But if Sharif's own wishes were followed, instead of staying in Kulun and besieging the small fortress of the Chinese defenders, he would prefer to immediately lead the entire army southward and capture Eren, the headquarters of the Zhangbei Protectorate in China.  Kulun is different from Zhangjiakou, Eren, and many cities in the mainland. It was just a monastery at first and had no military or economic significance. Most of the supplies for the Mongolian army came from the accompanying herds, and those left behind  Pointing at the Chinese defenders will not cut off the supply line.  Eren can be said to be the most important stronghold of the Chinese Communist Army on the entire Mongolian Plateau. It not only has a strong permanent fortress, but also a large number of farmland, hoarding a large amount of food and arms.  If the rebels could capture the city before the Shun army from the interior arrived, they would be tantamount to taking the lead in the future war and occupying a huge advantage.  Sharif knew very well that a considerable part of Eren's defenders were Mongolians. These Mongols were inextricably linked to the Khalkha Mongolian rebels. As long as the rebels could surround Eren before reinforcements from the interior arrived, they would  Victory is quite certain.  But the situation did not go as Sharif expected. The leader of the rebels, Chelindorzi, refused to go south before wiping out the small group of Chinese and completely occupying Kurun.  The reason why he did this is very simple. The Chinese fortress is not far from Mount Burhan, the holy mountain in Mongolia. It is the birthplace of the Mongol Empire and the burial place of Genghis Khan. This place is also the Langjuxu Mountain recorded in ancient Chinese history books.  , has a special mysterious meaning for the herdsmen on the grassland.  Chelin Dorji hoped to raise his banner here, be crowned the Great Khan of the Khalkha Mongolian tribes, unify the entire Mobei grassland, and then go south.  If the Chinese fortress is not captured for a day, he will not be able to lift the banner of the Mongolian Khan. After all, if he cannot even eliminate a small group of enemies beside the holy mountain, how can he claim to be the Great Khan of the entire grassland?  Although Sharif was quite dissatisfied with Chelindorzi's statement, he had to admit that it made some sense.  Although the vast majority of herdsmen on the grasslands may nominally believe in this or that religion, in fact what rules their spiritual world is primitive fetishism. For them, the majestic mountains, rivers, sky, and earth on the grasslands  , even a certain pile of rocks or a tree may become an idol of worship.  For these herdsmen, if they were crowned in the legendary Mount Burhan and Genghis Khan¡¯s mausoleum, it would cast a halo of half-god and half-man on Chelin Dorji, which would have a self-evident impact on the next step of the war.  the benefits of.  But now the question is, is it worth the time spent?  "How great it would be if the Great Khan had an adult son! Or a trustworthy brother!" Sharif couldn't help but sigh. For this emotionally indifferent Russian official, this is a very rare thing.  matter.  For the rebels, there is actually a choice that has both ends. Chelin Dorji can stay in Kulun, and a deputy general will lead the main force to attack Eren, and capture the fortress before the Chinese reinforcements from the interior arrive.  However, Chelin Dorji's two sons were both underage and had no brothers. Chelin Dorji was unwilling to hand over such a large army to another untrustworthy person at this critical juncture.  So Sharif could only stay in Cullen and watch the precious time passing by day by day. This was also the reason why he was in a worse mood.  At this time, there was a burst of intensive gunfire in the distance. Sharif turned his head and looked in the direction of the gunfire. It was the direction of the Chinese fortress. It seemed that his threat just now had an effect. The Mongolian officer  As soon as they returned, they resumed the attack.  Sharif stopped, hesitating whether to go over to see how the Mongolian army's siege organization was being organized. A young Russian military officer quickly ran over and gave him a military salute: "Major, the Chinese Communist Army is dispatched."  , the merchant house in Zhangjiakou sent the news by carrier pigeon. Twelve hours ago, the Chinese army had passed through Zhangjiakou, and looking at the direction they were heading, it was Eren! " "What, so fast?" Sharif?  His brows wrinkled, the speed of the Chinese ** team exceeded his expectation. According to his expectation, it should take a week or more for the Chinese ** team to leave the country.  But war is war, and there are too many unforeseen things in it. We can't waste time staying in Cullen now.  Thinking of this, Sharif ordered the officer in a deep voice: "Konstantinovich, go to the troops immediately and let them take action and get ready to go! I'm going to see the Khan. We have to go south as soon as possible!" "Yes! Major  !" The officer puffed up his chest and gave Sharif a military salute, then turned around and ran quickly, his heavy thick-soled leather shoes making a sharp friction sound on the road with broken ice.  Sharif looked at the leaving figures of his men for a while, then turned and walked towards Chelindorzi's residence.  Kulun Duwei¡¯s Mansion.  This symbol of Dashun's highest authority in Cullen City has completely changed its appearance, but in another sense, it should be said that it has restored its original appearance.  After all, when this mansion was first built, it was originally a stronghold for monitoring the Khalkha Mongolian Living Buddhas and princes.?It is likely to be surrounded and attacked by the rebels, so the people at that time built this fortress completely according to the standards of a military fortress, with thick outer walls, narrow and winding gates, deep trenches, cross  gun holes, well-fired forts, strong warehouses, and wells.  But as time goes by, peace gradually changes the building. The trenches are silted up, the gate is remodeled to be more suitable for entry and exit, and the open space outside the outer wall is cleared and various kinds of things appear.  hut, and even a small market appeared.  But the siege for more than twenty consecutive days changed everything. Houses were burned, gates were blocked, and the market turned into ruins. It was as if an invisible giant hand peeled off the appearance of peace from the outer skin of this building.  , the ferocious face of the fortress was revealed again.  Jueluo hunched over and looked out from the perforation. The female wall made of shale in front of him was half-missed by a solid cannonball. The jagged gaps were like the mouth of a monster.  To devour people in one bite.  The open space outside the fortress is littered with corpses of rebels. These are the traces left by yesterday's repelled attack. These unfortunate people wearing sheepskin coats are already covered in white, which is the result of a sudden light snowfall last night.  result.  Further away, you can see a few fireworks, which are the surrounding enemies cooking breakfast.  At this time, there was a rustling sound coming from behind, Jueluo turned around vigilantly, his right hand already holding the handle of the pistol at his waist.  "Sir!" A young man came over in a semi-prostrate posture. It was very dangerous on the wall and he might be hit by the rebels' cold guns at any time. He took out a few steamed buns from his wide sleeves.  : "Eat some!" "Yeah!" Jueluo took the steamed bun and took a bite. The young man looked at Jueluo and whispered, "Sir, how are the Tatars outside?" Jueluo didn't.  He answered immediately, after finishing a steamed bun, he asked: "How many people can still fight, and is there enough ammunition and food in the warehouse?" "There are still more than 140 people, and there is still enough food and bullets, but the shells have been used up.  !" When the young man said this, his voice dropped: "It has been twenty-four days, and there is no movement at all-" "Shut up!" Jueluo interrupted the other party's complaint, turned around and looked  Looking at the young man in front of him, the expression on his face softened a little: "Tan Ke, we are here to defend the territory for Emperor Dashun. One more day is just one more day to defend. Master Gao will not abandon us!" "Yes!  "My lord!" A hint of crimson appeared on Tan Ke's young face. He felt ashamed for his wavering at that moment. He gritted his teeth and whispered: "My lord, it's just dawn, it's the night watchman's last day.  When you are tired, let me take ten people out to attack. I will definitely deal with those Tatars!" "No need!" Jueluo looked outside and whispered: "You know how many Tatars are out there!  How many thousands of people are there? Each of us is precious. As long as we can survive until Master Gao comes back, it will be a great achievement! You will have a hard time today!" "Yes, sir!"  Just as he was about to get up, a dull whistling sound suddenly came from the air. Before he could react what was going on, Jueluo threw him to the ground. Then he heard a loud bang next to his ear, and his face  A sharp pain.  "Get down quickly, the Tatars are going to attack again!" Jueluo pushed Tan Ke away fiercely and said sternly: "Get everyone ready!" "Yes, sir!" Tan Ke rolled and jumped off the outer wall,  He quickly ran inside, and then Jueluo heard the unique shouts of establishment of young people in his ears.  "The Tatars are coming, the Tatars are attacking!" Jueluo turned around, and a large piece of the parapet was missing again, and the unique gray-white texture of shale was exposed in the gap, which was the mark of being hit by a shell just now.  , he wiped the blood stains on his face scratched by the gravel, and looked out from the perforation hole again. He saw the few makeshift forts and the Mongolian rebels busy around the old bronze cannons.  Well, they don't know where they got these these days. They can only fire solid bullets and shotgun shells. Originally, for the defenders who had captured six new Russian-made cannons, these old antiques did not pose any threat, but the problem  The defenders have almost used up their artillery shells.  "What a pity!" Jueluo shook his head slightly. His eyes had already seen rows of bayonets and spear points appearing at the end of the horizon. Obviously, those were rebels waiting for the bombardment to end and prepare to attack.  Judging from the scale and the troops that will be invested, the number of rebels has exceeded the sum of the troops that have been invested in the past few days.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 25 Stand to the Death

    "Stand in order, don't move!" In the ranks of the rebels, the little leaders waved their whips and yelled loudly. The rebel soldiers dodged the whips and barely maintained order. These people who have grown up on horses all their lives  The herdsmen are not used to fighting in formations like this. They are more accustomed to riding on horseback, attacking when they have an advantage, and dispersing when they see the situation is not going well.  But facing the strong fortresses and firearms in front of them, the cavalry had lost its past advantages.  "Everyone, listen up, attack as soon as the gunfire stops!" the officer shouted, his voice intermittent in the sound of the gunfire, the rebel soldiers looked at him with a confused look, which made him  He was even more annoyed and frightened: "If anyone turns around, don't blame me for being rude!" He made a gesture, and behind the attacking team appeared a row of supervisory teams holding rifles with bayonets, and the black holes of the muzzles prepared for the attack.  On the soldiers' backs, there was a stir among the soldiers.  At this time, the sound of artillery stopped, and the officer shouted: "Okay, start the attack!" The rebels shouted in unison, and rushed towards the fortress one by one.  The defenders on the wall could even clearly see the ferocious expressions on the faces of the rebel soldiers. Even after more than twenty days of fighting, the defenders still felt an inexplicable tension, as if an invisible burden had weighed them down.  onto their shoulders.  "Get closer before shooting! Get closer before shooting!" Jueluo hunched over and walked behind each soldier, patting their shoulders and whispering. Based on his experience, put the enemy  A distance of fifty meters or even thirty meters can achieve the best effect.  As the rebels approached, although the defenders did not fire, the rebel soldiers did not have such good discipline. Many rebels began to fire their guns randomly, and bullets kept passing over the defenders, making sharp sounds.  But the defenders remained calm.  Jueluo looked at the distance of the rebels, turned around, walked to the cannon, and said to the gunner: "Use cannonballs to hit the group at the front!" "Yes, sir!" A moment later, with the sound of a cannon, a gun flashed across the fortress.  There was a burst of fire, and many rebel soldiers seemed to have been pushed hard and fell to the ground.  Other soldiers who were not shot screamed in panic, and some rushed forward, but more people dropped their weapons and turned around to escape. The small bosses waved their sabers and tried their best to stop it all, but they only made the situation worse.  confusion.  Zhedan Monastery is the residence of Tushe Tuhan Chelin Dorji. He is sitting in the middle, with his daughter Sarah kneeling beside his knees. Beside him are a group of lamas and princes and nobles from various Khalkha Mongolian tribes.  Chelin Dorji squinted his eyes slightly, eating candied dates from the silver plate beside him, while listening to the compliments of the lamas and princes.  There was a rush of footsteps outside the door. Chelindorzi opened his eyes and saw Sharif striding in.  Sharif did not bow down to Chelin Dorji like other princes and nobles, but bowed slightly and said loudly: "Great Khan, I have important information to report to you alone!" Chelin Dorji frowned  He raised his head and made a gesture, and the lamas and princes retreated silently like cicadas struck by frost. Sara stood up and wanted to retreat, but her father grabbed her white hand. Che Lin  Dorzi smiled slightly at her, indicating that she did not have to retreat, and then said to Sharif: "Major Sharif, you can say it now!" Sharif frowned, he did not like the other party's frivolous look, but he  Still suppressing his emotions, he said in a deep voice: "Great Khan, the Chinese army has left Zhangjiakou, just twelve hours ago!" "What? Chelin Dorji's back straightened up immediately, and the corners of his eyes  Che Lindorji jumped slightly. He took a deep breath and asked in as calm a tone as possible: "Is all this true?"  Who is the commander-in-chief of the Chinese?  How many troops are there?  " "It's absolutely true!  This is the information sent by the Russian business office in Zhangjiakou using carrier pigeons. The commander-in-chief of the Chinese is Gao Tingyu. The detailed number of the army is not yet known. We have to wait for follow-up news!  " "Gao Tingyu!  "This name seemed to have a kind of magic power. Chelin Dorji's face suddenly turned pale. He slumped down in the chair and murmured to himself: "How could it be so fast?  How could it be so fast?  What about the support your country originally promised me?  I remember that the Governor-General promised that once I rebelled, the Russian Empire would have "one hundred thousand bayonets" going south to support me in establishing the Great Mongolia!  " "Great Khan, please allow me to remind you that Count Almuski has promised to send troops to support you if you start an uprising. Only when you are recognized by the various tribes in Outer Mongolia can the Russian Empire have the name to send troops. And now  It's not that time yet, besides, hasn't the Empire already provided you with enough weapons to equip six thousand people?  Sharif paused for a moment before speaking. He walked to the wall, pointed to a rough map on it and said, "According to my guess, the army directly commanded by that tall man should not be many. There should only be four or five at most."  A team of about 10,000 to 15,000 people?.  He should have immediately mobilized the troops directly under him after receiving the information about the changes in Culun. At the same time, he issued orders to other garrisons along the border, asking them to set off directly from the garrison and go to a place to meet and reorganize there. That's why he was able to do this  Get out of the jam quickly!  "    "Yep!  Chelin Dorji nodded instinctively. At this moment, he seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw: "Then what should we do now?"  " "We should go south immediately, find the Chinese before they join up, and defeat them!  Sharif replied: "The Chinese troops are very dispersed. This is a good opportunity for us!"  " " Defeat them?  Chelin Dorji was stunned for a moment: "But the grassland is so big, who knows where the Chinese are?"  " "We don't have to look for them, we just need to capture this meeting point first!  Sharif turned around and clicked on the map: "For the Chinese army, the problem that is difficult to solve for this kind of expedition is logistical supplies. They dispatched troops in such a hurry, and there is only one meeting point that can provide military food and supplies, and that is here."  !  "Chelin Dorji looked at where Sharif was pointing and saw five words written on it - "Eren". "But!  "Chelin Dorji said hesitantly: "But I haven't been crowned as the Great Khan of the Khalkha Mongolia, so it's not very good to go south to attack Eren like this!  " "Time is running out, sweat!  "Sharif cut off the other party's words: "Eren is the Chinese's largest military stronghold in Mongolia. There is a large amount of food and ammunition there. If Gao Tingyu's troops from the pass occupy it, the war will be very detrimental to you.  Because in that way, the Chinese do not have to worry about food and ammunition. The army you have just formed cannot defeat the Chinese veterans on the battlefield. All Mongols know this, so the entire tribes south of the desert and Khar  Many tribes in Kammon will turn to the Chinese side.  So you can only take advantage of the fact that the Chinese reinforcements have not arrived yet and quickly capture Eren. There are many of your compatriots in the defenders. This is not difficult for you to do. Even if you cannot hold on there, you can still destroy it.  Farms and houses, this will be of great help to you and the Chinese in the next battle!  " "But, but -" Chelin Dorji looked around hesitantly. The Khan of the Tuxie Tu tribe was still a little hesitant about attacking south. Perhaps in his mind, attacking Eren meant complete peace.  Dashun was furious. After all, for him, becoming the Great Khan of Khalkha Mongolia was the most important thing. As for conquering Inner Mongolia and becoming the second Genghis Khan, it was still very far away. At this time, Sarah raised her head and said to Che.  Lindorji said: "Father, when your banner appears in front of Eren, all the Mongols will vote for you and support you as their great khan. What coronation ceremony can be better than winning?"  Is the battlefield more gorgeous?  "My daughter's advice played a decisive role. Chelindorzi coughed and ordered to Sharif: "Major Sharif, I have decided that tomorrow morning my big banner will point south, and my horse's hoofs will point my forehead to the south.  Ren is trampled to pieces!  " "Yes, Khan!  "Sharif bowed to Chelindorzi, then turned and walked outside. At this time, his mind echoed what Count Almuski, the governor of Eastern Siberia, said to him before leaving: "On the great railway that runs through Siberia,  Before the traffic is opened, it is not the time for the Russian Empire to move south to seize the warm water outlet, but this does not mean that we are sitting here waiting for the pie to fall from the sky. We should continue to provoke the Chinese vassals to rebel and consume  With the strength of the Chinese people, when the time is ripe, the fruits will fall from the trees.  " "Maybe the fruit will ripen earlier!  Your Excellency, Count!  "A smile suddenly appeared on Major Sharif's stern face. Captain Kulun's Mansion. This is the sixth, perhaps seventh, rebel attack that day. What is different from those days in the past is that the rebel offensive today is  It was extremely violent. It seemed as if the rebel commander was trying to drive groups of soldiers to their death. As soon as the first group was repulsed, the next group rushed up again. Anyone who dared to turn around and escape was killed.  The supervising team behind them were stabbed to death with bayonets, and the severed heads were placed on the tips of spears and placed in front of the supervising team to scare the charging rebel soldiers into going crazy.  They rushed towards the fortress, and soon the few artillery shells of the defenders were used up. The defenders had to fight to the death with bullets, bayonets, and gun butts. The battlefield was strangely silent, except for the sound of breathing and dying.  Apart from the short screams, the clash of weapons and the occasional gunshot, there was no other sound. No one retreated, and no one begged for mercy. Everyone knew what would happen to them if they were captured.  , this kind of silent cruelty is more frightening than the deafening shouts of death that are common on the battlefield.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 26 Journey 1

    Jueluo struggled to pull out his saber from the body of a rebel soldier. He stumbled and almost fell to the ground. He quickly used his saber to prop himself up on the ground to avoid falling.  Jueluo felt his heart beating rapidly and his vision went dark. He knew this was a sign that his physical strength was about to be exhausted. He took a few deep breaths, regained a little strength, and then staggered towards the two rebels.  The soldiers surrounded the defenders and rushed forward.  The two defenders were leaning against a wall, waving their rifles with bayonets in their hands, and relying on the length of the weapons in their hands, they resisted five rebel soldiers wielding sabers.  Although the rebel soldiers had several times the numerical advantage, they could not defeat them for a while.  When Jueluo was still five or six meters away, a Mongolian soldier saw his figure. He turned around and raised his sword to rush over. Jueluo shot him and knocked him to the ground. The two behind him rushed up.  Jueluo raised his pistol and was about to shoot again, but heard a crisp sound, but no bullets were fired. It turned out that the bullets had been used up, and the two rebels were also stunned.  Jueluo was so anxious that he threw his pistol at one of them's head. Taking advantage of the opponent's dodge, he slashed the opponent's neck with a knife, almost cutting half of the opponent's neck open.  Morrow was afraid that the remaining man would seize the opportunity to attack from a flank. After he succeeded with the knife, he moved to the side and tried to draw the knife. However, he didn't expect that he had used all his strength to slash the knife. The blade had already embedded into the opponent's neck bone. He  At this time, he was close to exhaustion. Instead of pulling out the knife with all his strength, his arm was carried by the fallen body of the man who had been stabbed, causing him to fall to the ground.  At this time, Jueluo felt despair and closed his eyes to die. However, after a while, he did not feel the severe pain of being hit by the saber. When he opened his eyes, he saw that the rebel had run away.  In surprise, he only heard the footsteps next to him. When he looked back, it was the two guards walking over. It turned out that the opponent before the two of them met was attracted by Jueluo's surprise attack and took the opportunity to stab his opponent.  , in the end, when the rebel saw this, he didn't even bother to kill Jueluo, and escaped first.  Jueluo struggled a bit, but his feet were weak and he couldn't stand up. He hurriedly said: "Hurry up and help me!" He stood up with the help of his men.  Jueluo retrieved his pistol, loaded the bullets, gathered a few soldiers, and limped the attacking rebels out of the captain's mansion. It was already dinner time, and he looked at the last few soldiers around him.  The ten scarred and exhausted soldiers knew in their hearts that their fate had been decided. As long as the rebels launched another attack, the Captain's Mansion would fall into the hands of the enemy.  "Stand up, you little bastards, stand up and charge forward!" On the rebel position, the Mongolian army officer waved the command knife in his hand, punching and kicking the defeated rebel leaders, but no matter who  No matter how he threatened and cursed, the defeated soldiers remained the same and wanted the supervising team to come up. However, he saw the cold eyes of the defeated soldiers and hesitated again. After all, compared to the number of defeated soldiers, the supervising team was much smaller. If  If he pushes too hard, he will be the only one unlucky at that time.  "Where is my team, where are the goshawks on the grassland?" He yelled in a hoarse voice: "How do you ask me to explain to the Khan? How to explain to Major Sharif? Take the fortress, or let them let me go.  On the pointed stakes!" The defeated leaders remained silent and said nothing.  "You bastards, what did you say when you were drunk with horse wine just now? Everyone said that today they would destroy the fortress and capture the Han officials before the hooves of the Khan's horse, but what about now? What about now?  ?" A small leader raised his head: "You are no match for the Han Guan'er. If a Mongolian is riding a horse, one can defeat five, but if the Mongolians are on the ground, five can only defeat one!" "Yes, five!  I can only hit one!" Everyone agreed in unison.  "Damn it!" The Mongolian official grabbed his hair in despair: "What should I do? That Sharif has already said that if we can't take the fortress today and capture the Han official, I will be on the stakes!" "  That's your business!" The little leader retorted: "Even if your whole family is put on the stakes, it's your own business, but don't force us to go into battle again, don't let the people of Changshengtian die in vain! We should dig trenches!  , Build earthen walls, set up cannons, and trap the Han people to death. " "That's right, we are going to suffer a disaster!" " Just like this, they were talking and shouting, and their voices were as loud as thunder.  The Mongolian official staggered and sat down in the hay.  The little bosses all stood beside him with their heads tilted up, and no one said a word.  Finally he raised his head and shouted: "Horse hooves!" At this moment, there was a sound of horse hooves in the distance. Everyone looked over there and saw a rider galloping towards him.  Pulling up the reins five or six meters away from them, the knight on the horse shouted loudly: "The Great Khan has given an order. The army will go south tomorrow morning, targeting Eren!" "What about here?" "Go south and attack Eren!"  The messenger repeatedHe ordered, turned his horse's head and galloped away, leaving only a trace of riding dust behind.  "The Tatars have withdrawn!" Looking at the retreating rebels outside, the castle was filled with joy. Both Jueluo and the ordinary soldiers were ecstatic. The feeling of escaping after thinking they were going to die was indescribable.  Expressive.  "Reinforcements from the pass must have arrived!" "No, the ones from the pass are not that fast, it should be Erren's!" The guards talked excitedly, and Jueluo, who was the first to wake up from the ecstasy, hurriedly urged the remaining soldiers  While rescuing the wounded and taking turns to rest, I couldn't help thinking: "Have reinforcements really arrived?" But the actual situation was far less optimistic than the defenders imagined. At this time, the army led by Gao Tingyu had already traveled seven days.  The Shun army was marching very quickly, but it still had at least ten days before they reached Kulun.  Chen Zaixing was riding on a camel. Although it was already more than April, the gusts of wind blowing on his face were still like a knife cutting him. But what made him most uncomfortable was the unfamiliar bumpy feeling on the camel's back.  He was dizzy, and there was a feeling of annoyance in his chest, as if he wanted to vomit it out.  "Ugh, vomit!" There was a sound of vomiting from the side. When Chen Zaixing looked at it, it turned out to be Gillins. It seemed that this person was worse than him. He had already vomited on the camel's back. Chen Zaixing couldn't help but look at it.  I felt my throat and eyes felt itchy and my chest was rolling, so I quickly turned my head away.  "Stop, stop!" Chen Zaixing shouted loudly. The camel driver didn't know why, so he hurriedly drove the camel down the official road and stopped. Chen Zaixing rolled off the camel's back, and felt the heart that had been hanging in his throat until his feet were on the ground.  After landing on the ground, he shouted: "Bring water!" Chen Zaixing had just drank two sips of water when he saw a vigorous knight coming down the official road. He jumped off his horse three or four meters away, crossed his hands and saluted: "General  Li Bin meets Mr. Chen!" Chen Zaixing handed the water bag to the camel driver and looked up and down. He saw that he was a strong man in his early thirties, but it was not Xue Ruowang who had followed him along the way. He casually asked: "It turns out to be Mr. Li.  , but I don¡¯t know where Ruowang is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t dare to be a subordinate!¡± Li Bin said with a smile: ¡°Captain Xue has other missions. The commander-in-chief has sent a subordinate to serve you. If you have any orders, please speak up!  "Is there another mission?" Chen Zaixing was slightly stunned, and he asked casually, but Li Bin only said that there were strict rules in the army, and he didn't know. Chen Zaixing was slightly angry, thinking that although he had little qualifications in front of Gao Tingyu,  After all, he was also supervising the army on behalf of the imperial court, so how could he even hide it from the serving officer?  He was angry in his heart and said harshly: "Since it is a military secret, I won't ask any questions. It's just past noon, why don't we see the army stopping to rest and eat?" Li Bin could already feel the strong tone in Chen Zaixing's tone.  He was displeased and sweating slightly on his face. He was afraid that he would give this young and successful man some excuse, so he hurriedly said respectfully: "My lord, you don't know something. The commander-in-chief has given orders for the whole army to move forward every day."  It only takes two meals in the morning and evening to reach Eren in three days!¡± ¡°So fast?¡± Chen Zaixing couldn¡¯t help being surprised when he heard this.  The army has the most mules and horses and is the most well-trained among the Dashun army, but it would be too hasty to reach Eren from Zhangjiakou within ten days. If we rush to Eren in this way, the soldiers will be exhausted, so how can we fight?  "Exactly!" Li Bin looked around, moved closer and lowered his voice and said, "Sir, Xue Ruowang was sent by the Marshal this time as a secret mission. He went east last night. He once spent five or six years guarding the border in Hailar.  I am most familiar with the road to Kulun!" At this point, he smiled slightly: "My lord, you are an angel of the court. No one can hide the secrets of the army from you! The commander-in-chief is not like this on weekdays.  It's just two people leading the army. Not to mention you, even the late emperor has suffered a lot. Please bear with me and be patient!" "Hailaer? Cullen?" Hearing this, Chen Zaixing's heart changed.  I understand most of it, and my impression of Li Bin has improved a lot. After all, I can't reach out to hit the smiling person!  Then he stretched out his hand and patted the other party's shoulder: "Master Li, the commander-in-chief naturally makes the final decision on matters in the army. I'm just filling in circles. Being able to handle the court's errands properly is the first priority!" "My lord, I taught you a lesson.  Yes!" Li Bin was overjoyed when he heard this: "It's really a blessing for me to be so understanding!" "Chen, Chen!" At this time, there was a strange shout, and Chen Zaixing and Li Bin looked back.  It was Gillings who came over. Seeing that he looked quite embarrassed, Chen Zaixing made a gesture to Li Bin: "I'm going to deal with this foreign devil for a while, Mr. Li can do whatever he wants!" "Yes!" "Chen, you can give me another one.  Animals? "JiLin Si complained loudly: "Carriage, horse, mule, anything is fine, as long as it is not a camel, my stomach will be jolted out by it!" Chen Zaixing looked at Gillings' pale face after vomiting, and suddenly felt  The bumps he had just endured were not so bad anymore. He tried his best to pretend to care about the other person: "Mr. Gillings, are you feeling uncomfortable? I'm sorry, I thought you British people are all over the world and have adapted to all traffic.  It¡¯s a tool. Besides, didn¡¯t you ride on an elephant in Myanmar? Isn¡¯t that thing similar to a camel?¡±

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 27 Journey 2

    "An elephant is about the same as a camel?" Gillings patted his forehead: "How is this possible? An elephant walks very smoothly. You can even play chess on its back, but a camel is different. It will move  Your vertebrae are all out of place!" Chen Zaixing tried his best to hold back the smile in his heart: "I'm sorry, Mr. Gillings, please bear with me. This is war time. You have also seen that the army is marching very fast, even the extra baggage.  Stay in the rear, every horse and livestock has its own purpose. If you really can't bear it-" At this point, Chen Zaixing paused: "You can return to Zhangjiakou, and I can send a small team of cavalry to escort you back.  "No, I can bear it! No need to return!" Gillins immediately rejected Chen Zaixing's proposal.  Just kidding, how could you give up such a good opportunity to obtain first-hand assessment information on the Shun Army? This is a shortcut to becoming an expert on the Far East issues of the British Empire.  "That's great. I admire your dedication!" Chen Zaixing smiled and said, "Of course it's my honor to be able to travel with you!" The two chatted for a while, and Gillins suddenly asked: "Mr. Chen, why?  Why is the march speed so fast? If I didn't miscalculate, the distance between yesterday and the day before yesterday should have exceeded thirty-five miles. Has the situation on the front line changed?" He was afraid that Chen Zaixing would be suspicious, so he quickly explained: "I  It's just out of curiosity and has no other purpose. I hope from the bottom of my heart that Dashun can win this war!" "No, this is not a war, just a small rebellion!  War can only occur between countries! Mongolia is a vassal state of Dashun!" Chen Zaixing corrected Gillings with a smile: "Of course I believe in your good opinion of Dashun. After all, you are also in this army. If  Something unforeseen has happened, and you have to face the misfortune with us, right? " "Of course, of course!" Gillings's face turned pale, and he didn't know whether it was because of vomiting just now or what Chen Zaixing described.  Prospect, maybe he recalled the tragedy of the Kabul evacuation in his mind at this time (in the second Anglo-Afghan War in 1841, after the British army occupied Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, a large-scale uprising broke out in Afghanistan, and the British army had to leave Kabul  Retreating to Jalalabad, they were attacked by the rebels on the way, and the remaining 16,000 troops were wiped out. Only one seriously injured military doctor escaped back to Jalalabad.) "As for the situation on the front line, he said.  To be honest, I don't know much about it. The commander must have his reasons for marching in such a hurry!" Chen Zaixing paused after saying this: "On this grassland, water and food are scarce, and it is not easy to get them. Er Ren has them.  There is water, food, and a city to defend. If you arrive a day early, there will be fewer variables. I think the commander-in-chief thinks so too!" Gillings nodded. His thoughts of intrigue have faded now. After all, he is here too.  If something goes wrong in the army, the Tatars will cut off his head with a machete no matter which country he is from. No matter how much he hates the yellow-skinned monkey in front of him deep down in his heart, during this period of time,  I am in the same boat with him.  "Master Chen, the Marshal is here to invite you!" While the two were talking, Li Bin came back again and reported in a deep voice.  Chen Zaixing nodded and smiled at Gillins: "Commander, let me go first!" Chen Zaixing got on the horse and followed Li Bin for a while. He saw umbrellas gathering on a hill beside the road. Commander Zhang  The military flags of the North and Manchuria were fluttering in the early wind. Knowing that Gao Tingyu was there, Chen Zaixing hurriedly whipped his horse's butt and hurried over.  The generals under the banner stood on both sides. Only Gao Tingyu was sitting on a horse. He pointed to his side and said in a deep voice: "Show me your seat, Master Chen!" "Thank you, Marshal!" Chen Zaixing bowed his hand.  Yiran sat down. Although several of the generals had higher official positions than him, he was representing the imperial court. Naturally, his status was different. Although it was impossible to interfere in military affairs, his superficial skills were indispensable.  "Everyone, I am recruiting you urgently not for anything else, but because I have received urgent military information. The rebels have moved south from Kulun. Their frontline should be Eren. Their forwards will arrive tomorrow afternoon!" Gao Tingyu's voice  It's not big, but the content is very shocking. After hearing this, the generals couldn't help but change their expressions slightly.  "You are all old people who have followed me for many years. You should know that although on the surface this rebellion is caused by the sudden death of the living Buddha and Chelin Dorji taking the opportunity to start an uprising, there is actually a deeper reason underneath. Since I defeated the Mongols in Dashun  After the tribe, there have been no wars among the Mongolian tribes in the past hundred years, the population has multiplied, and the Dingkou tribe is prosperous, especially the four Khalkha Mongolian tribes. They are far away from me, Dashun, and Dashun has defeated their feudal Mongolian tribe of Galdan.  Its power is also growing, especially the Tuxie Tu tribe. They have long been planning to establish their own country. The death of the living Buddha is just a pretext!Someone is involved!  Not simple, not simple!  " At this point, Gao Tingyu sighed with emotion, but then he straightened his spine and said loudly: "No matter how difficult it is, we have to get the job done. This time we not only have to bring down the rebels, but we also have to work for a hundred years and for the people.  Future generations plan to bring another hundred years of peace to my Dashun!  " "The final general will follow the commander to the death!  "The generals responded in unison. Dozens of powerful male voices were mixed together. Chen Zaixing couldn't help but feel refreshed after hearing this. He thought to himself, as expected, people from Han Jing often said that seven out of ten of the world's best soldiers and generals are in Yanshan Mansion.  The Hou Ye¡¯s subordinates are really powerful today. ¡°The traitor¡¯s purpose of going south is obvious, which is to capture Eren first, where there are food and weapons that have been hoarded for many years.  You all have been dealing with the Tatars for many years. Can you tell me your opinions?  "The generals exchanged glances, and a middle-aged man in his early forties said solemnly: "Commander, Eren is where Zhangbei's Protectorate is located. The city and farmland have been in business for hundreds of years. There are many Tatar cavalry and few infantry.  , attacking the city is not possible, but many of the Xibo and Khovd cavalry attached to the city are from the same race as the Tatar rebels, so they are afraid of a mole!  "    "yes!  To be honest, with Gatling guns and cannons, they are not afraid of the Tatar cavalry.  But we came all the way, and we were not fully prepared with food and medicine. If Eren let the Tatars take it, we would be in a loss of ground, and we might be in danger of overthrowing the army!  "    "good!  " "We are not afraid of war, but we are afraid of running out of food!  ¡± The generals are unanimous in their opinions. They have been dealing with the Mongolian Tatars for decades and are not afraid of face-to-face battles with the rebels. The Shun army equipped with large-caliber artillery, rapid-fire cannons, and bayonet breech-loading guns has already established a counterattack.  The grassland nomadic horse teams have military advantages, but the biggest difficulty in conducting expeditions on the dry grasslands of Northeast Asia is not winning on the battlefield, but ensuring that the army's personnel and animals have food and water to drink and that they can find the enemy and seek a decisive battle.  Although these peoples on horseback have lost the huge advantage of cavalry over infantry that their ancestors had, their familiarity with the geographical environment and the mobility advantages of the nomads can still help them attack the enemy's logistics and avoid enemy attacks.  The war becomes an endless contest in which patience, wealth and unity are more important than bravery and wisdom.  "Gao Tingyu nodded: "Yes, I think so too, but this time I see that the Tatars have just gone south, so their contact should not be sufficient. I am afraid that most of the other tribes in Outer Mongolia are just looking at the situation, and few are willing to rebel. As long as we  If the army arrives at Eren first, those guys who are looking for the wind will turn to our side; if they arrive too late, I'm afraid those guys will be willing to rebel!  " "Yes, that's what those Kobdo soldiers are like!  "    "good!  " Chen Zaixing on the side couldn't help but nodded slightly when he heard this. Unlike most Han dynasties, Dashun has almost achieved control over the Mongolian Plateau, Western Regions, Manchuria and other territories outside the customs due to technological advancement. But after all, these lands are not suitable.  The Han people's life is mainly based on agricultural cultivation, so they cannot directly divide provinces and counties to set up floating officials for governance like in the Guan. Therefore, Dashun's main governance method is to divide the vast territory outside the Guan into several military guardianships.  Under the Protectorate, they are divided into multiple ministries according to various ethnic groups and tribes. The princes and nobles are autonomous and do not need to pay taxes. However, the Protectorate has the power to recruit personnel and horses from various ministries to participate in battles when necessary. The Protectorate itself  There are not many Han soldiers in the army, and each governorate has only one battalion, with only four to five thousand people. This reduces the resources needed for transportation and supplies. In order to prevent a certain tribe from becoming too powerful and becoming a threat to Dashun, Dashun banned the grassland.  The upper tribes migrated at will and designated their own pastures, and prohibited the grassland tribes from launching wars at will. For those who violated the prohibition, they recruited troops from the other tribes to attack, but generally speaking, it was the defeated tribes, and Dashun was only  Putting his leader to death or imprisoning him and replacing him with a relative close to Dashun as the Great Khan will not wipe out his tribe, because the vacated pastures and tribes will be annexed by nearby tribes and become more powerful.  Become a potential threat to Dashun. When dealing with tribes that are already very powerful, try to divide their tribes among princes and princes to reduce their strength. In general, Dashun's main strategy is to deal with these powerful grassland peoples.  It is eight words - "Control the barbarians with the barbarians, divide and rule."  ¡± After hundreds of years of efforts by Dashun, in Monan Mongolia, which is relatively close to the Central Plains, there are no longer large tribes like the Tuxie Tu tribe, the Sayinnoyan tribe, the Chechen tribe, and the Zasak Tuhan tribe.  The scale is much smaller, and the relationship between tribesmen and princes is much looser. In Monan Mongolia, the princes of many tribes simply live in Zhangjiakou and nearby towns or manors for most of the year, only collecting taxes.  They only went back to their tribes when paying tribute. Naturally, these princes and nobles would not follow Che Lin Dorji to rebel. Even the Khalkha tribes in Mobei were not determined to follow Che Lin.  DorziThe rebels, such as the Saiyinnuoyan tribe, are more worried about being annexed by the most powerful Tuxietu tribe. If Dashun's army arrives in time, these tribal troops are likely to turn around and attack the rebels.  In addition to his own army, the rebels under Chelin Dorji are most determined to be bankrupt wandering herdsmen and escaped cotton plantation slaves. These have nothing. The people who are eager to win everything in this war are the rebels.  Backbone.  Sorry, I was rushing to work yesterday and I didn¡¯t pay attention when I posted it, so I duplicated it. Thank you xlambda book friend for reminding me.  Today I will make up for yesterday¡¯s chapter and add one more chapter to express my apology.  There will be another chapter updated as usual at 7pm. Book friends, please forgive me and continue to support Weber!

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 28 Journey 3

    "Commander Gao!" Chen Zaixing said for the first time in the military meeting: "If I guessed correctly, do you mean to spread the news of the coming army as soon as possible to stabilize the hearts of Eren's defenders?" Gao Tingyu  His eyes flashed, but there was no expression on his face: "No! I don't want the rebels to know that our army has arrived here!" Chen Zaixing was stunned when he heard this, and then he thought about it for a moment, and suddenly flashed through his mind.  Li Bin said something when he was talking to himself, and he suddenly understood what the other person meant.  "Sir, do you mean to only let Eren's defenders know about the arrival of reinforcements?" Gao Tingyu finally showed a look of surprise on his face: "Oh? Why does Mr. Chen think so?" Chen Zaixing smiled slightly: "  The commander has already made arrangements. According to what the officer sees, the army should march slower these days! " "Haha!" Gao Tingyu suddenly laughed and said, "I thought I had a plan, but I didn't expect Master Chen!  Watching with cold eyes, I have already made up my mind! With such a good disciple, Mr. Hu will have no regrets in his life!" The two of them were guessing riddles here, but all the generals were confused. Gao Tingyu did not explain, and ordered in a deep voice: "Give me the order.  The whole army should stop and rest!" "Yes, Commander!" The generals accepted the order in a deep voice, and one of them asked hesitantly: "Commander, what about informing Eren's defenders that reinforcements are coming?" "It doesn't matter.  I had dispatched an emergency envoy three days ago, and they must have arrived by now!" Eren (today's Erenhot, Erenhot is the transliteration of Mongolian), this important town in the north of Dashun, is now completely in a state of mourning.  All the houses outside the city walls should be demolished or burned, the newly sprouted crops in the fields should be trampled by horses, the wells should be blocked or poisoned, in short, everything outside the city walls that could be used by the enemy should be destroyed.  Destroyed.  As for the market at the four city gates, the defenders simply demolished the buildings in the market and used them to build a fortress outside the city gates to protect the city gates.  Since peace has lasted for nearly a hundred years, Eren's population has increased too much, and the defenders had to evacuate part of the population. At this time, they were the last group of people to leave the city gate. Most of them were family members of soldiers. These people dressed in costumes  The families of women, children, and children bid farewell to their farewell relatives, and the cries that came from time to time made the guards on the tower feel a little soft-hearted.  "Brother Chen, you have been eating grain for almost 20 years and have extensive experience. How many Tatars do you think are coming this time?" A young man in his early twenties on the city tower looked at the carriage below the city and asked uneasily.  The veteran on the side asked.  The veteran looked around to confirm that no officer was nearby, and sneered: "Who knows, but it's indispensable, at least seven or eighty thousand!" "So many?" The young man opened his mouth: "That's not enough.  We were drowned by one person's spitting!" "Hmph!" Chen Er sneered: "You know what, the year the late emperor just passed away, there were 40,000 to 50,000 Tatars in Mobei.  Isn't there such a movement in Eren? Look at the movement outside the city. The wells are blocked and the houses are burned. There are not 100,000 Tatars this time. " "Don't know me, Chen Er!  Brother, don't be as knowledgeable as me!" The young man hurriedly flattered the other party when he saw the other person's face changed. After a while, he timidly asked: "Second brother, do you think this city can be defended?  "Who can say for sure about the war? If I knew, I would be the master!" Chen Er replied impatiently. After a while, he whispered: "Actually, this is the case.  The city is not difficult to defend. There are cannons and walls. There is food and medicine in the city. Not to mention one hundred thousand, even two hundred thousand Tatars cannot attack. But the problem is-" "What is the problem?"  "The problem is that the master is eating up his salary. There are only 60 to 70 percent of the 2,500 soldiers here. The only people who can make up for it at this juncture are bastards like you who haven't fired their guns yet, and there are  It¡¯s useless? I can¡¯t believe those soldiers either. Who knows if they will rebel?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± The young man nodded hurriedly when he heard this.  It turns out that like other dynasties in the middle and late periods, Dashun also suffered from empty pay.  For example, Eren was doing well and only had 30% of the free pay. However, the border areas could not be without soldiers, so the local governor recruited Mongolian soldiers from various ministries to replace them. These Mongolian soldiers did not have to pay military pay, so they saved money.  A large sum of money fell into the pocket.  These Mongolian soldiers were fine when they went out to conquer the rebel tribes. After all, Dashun still had the upper hand at that time. But when the rebels besieged Eren and the situation was unfavorable to the defenders, it was another matter. Who knows if there were any rebels among them?  Army spies.  "Brother Chen, since those Tatars can't be trusted, why don't you send them away and still stay in the city?" "Are you stupid?" A surprised look appeared on Chen Er's face: "?Our troops are not strong enough to begin with. As soon as you dismiss these soldiers, they will turn around and attack you. They have been trained and know the situation in the city. If they go to the rebels, it will be a big trouble!  "Speaking of this, Chen Er pointed to the market under the city: "Actually, the general is not unprepared. Look, all the Mongolian soldiers are in the market outside the city. As long as the city gate is not open, they will  There¡¯s nothing you can do!  If there is any movement among them, the cannon on the city gate will not be spared.  "    "I see!  A smile appeared on the young man's face: "That's good, that's good!"  " "We are all Han people, there is no place to run on this grassland, we can only hold on to it!  I just hope that the reinforcements from the pass will arrive soon, so that we will have a way to survive!  As for the rest, those who eat food and serve as soldiers can only ask Bodhisattva for blessing!  "When the veteran said this, he was also a little tired. He pushed the young man and said, "Go and watch. I'll find a place to take a nap. When the officer comes, I'll let you know!"  " "Second brother, don't worry and go rest, I'm here!  "The young man hurriedly patted his chest. The veteran found a corner to shelter from the wind and lay down. After a while, he started snoring. The young man looked down from the tower. At this time, the last group of carriages and horses had already been dismissed.  After leaving the city, it was already deserted. He looked at the open space outside the city with some boredom. Suddenly a gust of cold wind blew, and he shivered instinctively. He looked back at Chen Er, who was sleeping soundly, and murmured in a low voice:  "Two of you stand guard, and you sleep soundly while I sleep. You bully a new guy like us, and you're not afraid of retribution!  " As soon as he said this, there was a sudden burst of shouting from downstairs. He poked his head out and saw a few Mongolian soldiers shouting something at him, as if they were about to open the city gate. "The superior officer has an order, but there is no reason.  Don't open the city gate privately!  "The young guard shouted loudly, but he could recite the words Shangguan told him very smoothly. A few more shouts came up from the tower, but he couldn't hear clearly under the blowing of the north wind. This young man was  Thinking about whether to wake up Chen Er first to ask for instructions on how to deal with it, a gunshot was suddenly heard from below the city. A man dressed as an officer stepped forward, holding a pistol in his hand, and shouted to the sky: "Listen on the city tower.  It¡¯s clear, I am the messenger of Marshal Gao. The Marshal has military orders, please let me enter the city quickly!  " "Where did the gunfire come from?  Are the Tatars coming?  "Chen Er climbed up in a hurry. He had already grabbed the rifle in his hand before wiping the shit out of his eyes. This soldier who had been fighting outside the Great Wall for twenty years was very responsive. "Second brother, the people in the city said there is something.  Commander Gao's messenger said that military orders have arrived!  " "What, Mr. Gao's messenger?  Chen Er had already woken up and quickly ordered: "Go and call the head up quickly."  " A moment later, the messenger had jumped down from the basket hanging from the city tower. As soon as his feet landed on the ground, he loudly said: "Take me to the Lord Protector quickly. The marshal has led his troops out of Zhangjiakou!  "What, Marshal Gao personally led the reinforcements?"  "Chen Er couldn't help being overjoyed when he heard this. "That's natural!  The messenger smiled disdainfully: "I'll just tell you one more thing. If we calculate it based on the distance, it will take at most five days for the commander's reinforcements to arrive!"  I was sent here by the commander-in-chief to keep you under guard!  " "When the villain receives the order from the superior officer, he must be well guarded, he must be well guarded!  "Chen Er hurriedly responded. When the visitor came down from the city, Chen Er still looked respectful. The young man asked cautiously: "Brother Chen Er, do you think this city can be defended?  " "Of course I can hold it!  Chen Er said with a smile: "Listen, kid, not only can the city be defended this time, but if we are lucky, Chen Er can also make great contributions and save a family fortune!"  "    "Huh?  Second brother, isn¡¯t that what you just said?  He also said that Yi Congbing outside the city could not trust him.  " "Just now was just now, now is now.  Chen Er said with a smile: "Marquis Gao personally led the troops to come to help. Are those Tatars outside the city so stupid that they collude with the rebels?"  I bet that as soon as the Marquis arrives, within twenty days, all the princes in Mobei will obediently send their troops to come over. Boy, just watch!  " "Tsk, tsk, I am also following the second brother, maybe I can also make a contribution." Hearing Chen Er say this, the young man couldn't help but widen his eyes, and his back, which was originally a bit rickety, straightened up. "  While he was talking, there was a noise coming from the city. When Chen Er looked over, he saw that the last group of evacuated people who had just left the city were back and arguing with the soldiers guarding outside the city. Chen Er listened carefully.  The convoy had just gone a short distance when it saw the rebel vanguard crossing the Eren River, so it had to return. "Quickly notify the leader that the rebel vanguard has arrived and is ready to open the door to let the people outside in!"  "Chen Er turned his head and shouted to his companions, and soon there was a commotion on the tower. "Great Khan, the forward reports that we have arrived at the Eren River!  " "Well, how about the guards?  "Chelin Dorji was leaning on the soft bed, with twoA female slave knelt beside his legs and gently beat his thighs.  Chelin Dorji did not ride a horse. The means of transportation for his trip was a mobile felt tent pulled by dozens of bullocks. Mongolians have lived in the water and grass since ancient times and have no fixed location, so they invented this portable felt tent.  A mobile tent pulled by horses or oxen. Of course, the one Che Lindorzi is using now must be the deluxe version of the deluxe version.  "Report to the Great Khan, the villages outside the city have been destroyed, and people have withdrawn to the city. It seems that the Han people are preparing to defend the city!" "Huh! These weak-minded Chinese dogs!" Chelin Dorji stood up.  He came and took a few steps back and forth in the tent: "Then let's send envoys to contact our fellow tribesmen as we prepared before!" "Yes, Great Khan!"

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 29 Signs

    Looking at the messenger speeding away, Sharif showed no expression on his face. As the head of the Russian military advisory group, he was the actual commander of the infantry and artillery in the rebel army.  Although he advocated moving south as soon as possible, Sharif himself was not very concerned about whether the rebels could capture Eren.  Because he was very aware of how strong Dashun's military strength was in the north. If the Russian Empire had not sent troops to support, he did not think the outcome of this rebellion would be any different from the outcome of the Jungar Khanate more than a hundred years ago.  The governor had already made it very clear before departure: "If the Trans-Siberian Railway is not opened to traffic for a day, the time for Russia to move south to obtain the warm sea outlet will not come." "This is just a test!" Sharif said to himself: "  Locusts, jump as hard as you can! Let me see how strong you are and how high you can jump!" Before the third stake was laid in Chelin Dorji's golden tent, the messenger came back.  But what surprised and angered him was that the Khovd and Xibo cavalry of Eren not only refused to accept his surrender, but they even cut off the envoy's ears and nose, and rushed back bloody.  "How dare these dogs do this!" The angry Chelin Dorji squeezed the handle of the throne with both hands, making a creaking sound.  "All the great sweats of the Mongols!" The messenger knelt on the ground. Because his nose was cut off, his voice sounded a little loud: "Those despicable dogs dare to hurt your messenger, I beg you! I beg you  !" At this point, the messenger suddenly fainted due to excessive bleeding.  "Carry it down and let the doctor apply medicine to him!" "You bastards, you dare to hurt my messenger! I will chop off your heads and use the skulls to make my urinal!" Chelin Dorji suddenly raised his head and said to  Sharif shouted loudly: "Major Sharif, tell me how long it will take you to capture Eren!" "The greatest Khan!" Sharif bowed slightly to Chelin Dorji and replied: "Please  With all due respect, it is not appropriate to conduct a siege of Eren! You do not have well-trained artillery and engineers. It is very difficult to siege a well-fortified fortress. " "Huh?" Chelin Dorji.  He frowned: "In that case, why did you urge me to lead the troops south?" "Because only in this way can I use you to better test the true situation of Dashun's northern army!" Sharif said in his heart, but he said it  But he said: "Great Khan, the reason is very simple. If you stay in Kulun, the impact you can have is very limited. If you send troops south, whether you succeed or not, your prestige can be greatly improved!" "Yeah!" Che  Lindorzi nodded.  For heroes who are determined to unify the grassland, strong strength and prestige are indispensable.  Putting strength aside, prestige mainly consists of two aspects: one's own bloodline source, which simply means how far it is from the descendants of the Golden Family.  This is very important for the grassland peoples. For example, the famous "Cripple" Timur's achievements are not insignificant. However, because he is not a descendant of the Golden Family, he initially established a descendant of Genghis Khan as an inspector.  Hetai Khan, he stooped to be the minister of the other party.  Even after Timur himself ascended the throne of King Khan, he still claimed to be a descendant of Genghis Khan. Although he was actually a Turk and had nothing to do with the Golden Family, he still needed the "legitimacy" that this identity brought him  sex".  Another source of prestige is one's own merit. If we want to talk about it in more detail, it is whether he can lead his tribe and followers to conquer the north and south, and obtain wealth, livestock, pastures, and slaves.  On the barren Mongolian plateau, people have always been superfluous, and pasture, wealth, and livestock are never enough. As long as someone raises the flag of conquest, there will always be countless ambitious young people swarming in. Compared to Monan  For Inner Mongolia, the Khalkha Mongolia located to the north of the desert is much poorer and more barbaric. The local herders have maintained more of their nomadic character. In their view, the lush pastures and  The large herds of livestock and the cotton manor containing a lot of wealth are so tempting. A khan who dares to raise the banner and lead them to plunder is naturally the real leader, not to mention that there are many rebels from the cotton manor.  The escaped slave workers will cheer for any leader who leads them to revenge against their greedy old masters.  Therefore, regardless of whether this trip south is successful or not, Chelin Dorji's prestige will greatly increase.  "Then what should we do now?" "It's very simple, satisfy the desires of your followers!" Sharif smiled: "The Chinese hid in the castle, but their time is very limited, and there must be many villages around that have not come.  and evacuate, you should make your followers rich, so that more people will follow you next time!" "What if Dashun's army arrives?" "What should you do with your own army?  Just don't go looting, you can divide the scope and allocate the territory north of the Eren River to your tribe, and leave the rest to other tribes. No one can blame you, so that even if the Chinese arrive, you will have enough time to retreat!  " "Very well, just do as you say, Major Sharif!  "Chelin Dorji nodded with satisfaction. He knew very well that the rebels did not have military pay. Only by bringing benefits to them can they get their continued support. Rebuilding the Khanate is not a luxury. As for Dashun  Chelin Dorji did not expect to directly defeat the opponent on the battlefield. He planned to use the traditional strategy of thousands of years on the grassland to continuously retreat, harass and attack the enemy's supply line, and use time and distance to drag down the enemy's army.  Defeat the enemy. If he can give enough benefits to his followers this time, when the Dashun army retreats, he can raise the banner again, and more Mongolian warriors will gather under his banner again.  As the leaders left the tent excitedly, Chelindorji also felt a little tired. He made a gesture and stood up. The two maids who beat his legs hurriedly helped him walk to the inner tent. He was ready to  Let¡¯s rest for a while. The war has just begun! Che Lindorji lay down on the bed. The female slaves carefully lit the incense burner, closed the curtain, and quickly fell asleep in the dim light.  , in his sleep, he saw himself wearing a red crown on his head, sitting on a high throne, giving orders loudly, so majestic. He was proud, and suddenly his feet were in the air, and his whole body fell out of the air.  After falling down, Chelin Dorji was so frightened that he danced and shouted for help, "Father Khan, Father Khan!"  "A crisp female voice brought Chelin Dorzi back from his nightmare. He opened his eyes and saw a beautiful and familiar face appearing in front of him, but it was his daughter Sarah. Sarah reached out to grab her.  Holding Che Lindorji's right hand, she felt that the palm of his hand was cold and wet: "Father, are you okay?  " Chelin Dorji's eyes slowly swept around, and his confused eyes gradually became clear. He sighed and whispered: "It turned out to be a dream!  " "Father?  What is a dream?  "Sarah reached out and wiped her father's forehead with concern. Just now she heard the sound outside and felt something was wrong. When she came in, she saw Chelin Dorji lying on the bed dancing and shouting wildly, looking confused.  It really shocked her! ¡°Haha!  "Chelin Dorji took a cup of milk tea presented by the slave girl at the side, took a sip, and felt a lot more comfortable. Then he told his daughter about the dream he had just had. After speaking, he smiled and said: "Sarah, I was here just now.  In the dream, I was wearing a crown and giving orders looked so majestic. It seemed that I was destined to be a king. God was giving me a sign in the dream!  " There was a hint of worry on Sarah's face. She was not as optimistic as her father, but she didn't dare to say anything negative. She could only knock Chelin Dorzi on the shoulder and whispered: "Father, there are always signs from the gods.  It is very obscure, and even eminent monks may not be able to explain it correctly. Are you really sure that it is a sign that you will become a king?  "That's natural. In the dream, I was wearing a red crown. Red is an auspicious color. The crown on my head means that I am above ten thousand people in the air. Isn't this a sign that I will become a king?"  "Having said this, Chelindorji happily touched his daughter's cheek: "My good Sarah, when I become the Khan of Great Mongolia, you will be a princess, and I will definitely find you the best husband.  ,Ha ha!  "Speaking of this, Chelin Dorji couldn't help laughing. "Thank you, Father Khan!  "Sarah lowered her head and expressed her gratitude to her father, but her lowered eyes were full of worry. Three days later, the counter-rebellion army led by Gao Tingyu had arrived two days' journey from Eren. Chahansier erected  The banner was raised, and military envoys were sent to request the nearby Mongolian tribes to send soldiers, livestock, and hay. Suddenly, dust was everywhere, and it looked like a war was imminent. Chahan Shouer was in the middle of Dashun and was located to the west of the desert.  One of the many garrison towns built during the Shun-Zhun War of the Jungar Khanate. The cause of this war was that starting from the late Ming Dynasty, Erut Mongolia to the west of the desert gradually prospered, and Khalkha in the north of the desert gradually prospered.  However, the Mongolian tribes were frequently in civil strife, killing each other, and their power weakened. So Galdan, the most powerful leader of the Jungar tribe in Erut Mongolia, after pacifying the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains and establishing the Jungar Khanate, attempted to  They annexed the Mongolian tribes in Mobei and Monan, reestablished Genghis Khan's great cause, and even advanced into the Central Plains. The Khalkha Mongols were defeated by Galdan's army, so Tushetu Khan and the religious leader Jebzundamba I at that time fought.  An envoy was sent to ask for help from Dashun, who had just unified the Central Plains and pacified Liaodong, Liaoxi and Monan Mongolia outside the customs. Dashun sent a large army to support, so this decades-long war took place between the Jungar Khanate and Dashun.  The long war began. The result of the war was that the vast land in the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains where the Jungar Khanate was located became the Anxi Protectorate of Dashun, and Chahan Shouer is one of the relics left from that time.The site is located southeast of Eren, and is one of the military stations on the passage from Guisui to Eren.  The rebels also quickly received news of the arrival of reinforcements, but what surprised them was that the Shun army did not launch an attack immediately, nor did they move closer to Eren, but only stayed at Chahanshouer. This made Chelin Dorji very upset.  Puzzled, he quickly summoned the marauding rebels to prepare for battle, and summoned his generals to discuss how to respond.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 30 Planning

    "Everyone, I have called you all here today. I believe you all know the reason!" Chelin Duoerji sat in the front seat with a slightly worried look on his face. Gao Tingyu has been in the town for more than 20 years and has been invincible.  The leaders of the Mongolian tribes have deep prestige in their hearts.  It's okay that everything has gone smoothly since the uprising, but now that Dashun's army has arrived, the old things hidden in his heart can't help but surface again.  "Dear Tushetu Khan!" The speaker was a bald man in his forties. He was the younger brother of the great Khan of the Chechen tribe among the four Khalkha Mongolian tribes. This time the Chechen Khan sent him south because he claimed that he had injured his leg while riding a horse.  This younger brother went south with more than 3,000 cavalry. Among the four Khalkha Mongolian tribes, apart from the Tuxie Tu tribe, he was the one that sent more troops: "Gao Tingyu is a tough old wolf, and the Han army under his command is also very powerful."  Awesome. In the past few days, the children have gained a lot of wealth and livestock. There is no need for us to fight with them in vain. I think it is time to retreat!" "Yes, we should retreat!"  Agree!" "I agree too!" There was a sound of approval in the big tent. It can be seen that most of the people who agreed were the other three generals who went south and the horse thieves who went south to rob.  , this war is a good opportunity to get rich. The establishment of the Great Mongolia, the independence of the grasslands, etc. are just ridiculous fantasies.  Chelin Dorji showed a hesitant look. Although his tribe now calls him the Great Khan, in fact he is still just the leader of the Tuxietu tribe. At most, he will take advantage of the death of Jebtsundamba VII.  , the vacuum period that appeared, relied on the strong strength of its tribe to have a certain influence on the other tribes. If you want to truly become the true leader of the four Khalkha Mongolian tribes, there are only two ways: either conquer in a cruel annexation war  The remaining three tribes will either lead the other three tribes to win huge victories in foreign wars and ascend to the throne of the Great Khan with their prestige. One of the two must be one of the two.  Under the current circumstances, it is obviously unrealistic to engage in a annexation war. The only option is to take the remaining path. In previous wars, the soldiers who followed him have gained a lot of benefits, but relying on this  The thing is that they support themselves to ascend the throne of the Great Khan. This is unlikely, but if they can defeat Dashun's army, that's almost it.  "Profuse sweat!" A low voice interrupted Chelindorzi's thoughts. He raised his head and saw Sharif's brown eyes looking at him. He saw the other party shook his head slightly: "We have to  Fight and retreat!" "Why? You heard what the generals said! They don't want to fight!" "That's why you have to fight!" Sharif replied, "If you retreat, you will be able to do so soon.  Recruit the cavalry from various Mongolian tribes to expedition to Khalkha Mongolia. Who do you think will continue to stand under your banner at that time? As long as Gao Tingyu issues a document of pardon, these guys in the tent will immediately run away?  Go to the enemy's side. You must fight here to show them that the Han people are not invincible. " "You are right, but -" Chelin Dorji pointed at the generals in confusion.  : "If they don't support it, my tribe's army alone will not be able to fight the Han army!" "Weak and weak, according to the spies' report, Gao Tingyu's entire army does not exceed twelve thousand  Man! You have more than 20,000 cavalry in your headquarters alone, and this does not include the Tatars and fugitive slave laborers who defected to you!" Sharif cursed, but his mission on this trip was to expand the rebellion as much as possible.  Consume the Chinese military and economic resources to collect intelligence for the future Russo-Shun war.  In order to achieve the above goals, it is very necessary to fight a battle in Eren. As for the result of the battle, it does not matter.  "If this is what you are worried about, I have a way to promote the unity of your camp!" Sharif said with a smile: "You can send an envoy to Chahanshou'er to propose peace to Gao Tingyu!" "Peace?" "Yes.  , If the peace negotiation is rejected, those who want to retreat will have no reason to refuse to fight! " "But what if Gao Tingyu agrees? Or does he pretend to agree? "Major Sharif, the Chinese are very  Gao Tingyu, who is good at using this method to sow discord, knows that my army is not that united!" Sharif glanced at Chelin Dorji in surprise. For the first time, he discovered that although this barbarian prince was stupid on the surface, he was deep in his heart.  Asiatic cunning is not lacking here.  Sharif had to admit that Gao Tingyu would most likely use this opportunity to weaken the enemy. As a smart man who had dealt with the Mongols for nearly twenty years, Gao Tingyu would definitely be able to memorize the internal conditions of the Mongolian tribes in Khalkha.  He would be naive not to take advantage of this weakness in his enemy.  "Great Khan, we should go back first and then crossCross the desert and go to the west.  There were many cotton plantations there.  "A voice interrupted Sharif's persuasion. Chelindorji turned his head. The speaker was a tall man. Judging from his clumsy Mongolian accent, he should be a Han. "Great Khan, we should ask  Attack in the west, there is a lot of wealth in the plantations there, it is richer than Monan, and there are many laborers in it. If you give them freedom, they will be extremely grateful to you and become the best warriors under your command!  "The man said loudly. The tent became quiet, and everyone was thinking about what the Han man said. It turned out that in the middle of the last century, after Dashun conquered the Junggar Khanate and established the Anxi Protectorate, Tianshan  The north and the south became the territory of Dashun. At first, Dashun treated the local area the same as the Mongolian tribes. They only restricted it to prevent it from becoming a springboard for the Central Asian nomadic tribes to invade the interior. They did not interfere in the internal affairs of the local tribes.  A symbolic agricultural tax was levied. But when machinery such as the spinning jenny was introduced to China in the 1880s, the situation changed. Due to the rapid advancement of textile industry technology, the demand for cotton also began to grow exponentially.  , the cotton textile industry with the Yangtze River Basin as its core is like a huge monster, devouring a large amount of cotton and labor with an insatiable appetite, spitting out a variety of textiles, and then the price of raw cotton began to soar. The entire Shandong,  Provinces suitable for growing cotton such as Jiangsu and Henan set off a wave of stopping growing grains and switching to cotton. Li Shenguang, the Prime Minister of Dashun at that time, wrote in his diary in horror: "In the past ten months, all prefectures and counties were hoeing wheat seeds.  Cotton, in order to make huge profits.  I wonder what all living beings should do to satisfy their hunger after autumn?  If things continue like this, the country will no longer be a country!  "So the Dashun court at that time had to issue repeated orders to prohibit people from using wheat to grow cotton. However, in the face of soaring prices of raw cotton, the court's prohibition became a dead letter. The gentry who owned a large amount of land took back the tenants' land and planted large tracts of it uniformly.  In the face of this crazy wave of cotton, the Dashun court had to order to increase taxes and fees on cotton farmers; at the same time, it exempted farmers who grew grain from labor as subsidies, so as to gradually control this momentum in the face of soaring cotton.  As the price of cotton increased, some ambitious businessmen began to open plantations near the Anxi Protectorate. They were surprised to find that the local climate and soil conditions were very suitable for growing long-staple cotton, which was urgently needed in Jiangnan. So groups of people came with large sums of money.  The merchants headed west along the Hexi Corridor. They built dams, brought in large numbers of slave laborers from the interior, established self-defense forces, and opened cotton plantations at the foothills of the Tianshan Mountains. In less than forty years, cotton was shipped from the Anxi Protectorate to the interior.  The amount has reached more than 42 million kilograms per year, accounting for almost one-half of all imported cotton in Jiangnan. Due to the small local population and lack of labor, merchants transported a large number of bankrupt farmers from the mainland and signed contracts with them.  The conditions of these slave laborers were very miserable for the next twenty years or even longer in the plantations. Many of them escaped from the plantations and fled across the desert because they could not bear the oppression of the plantation owners.  Mongolia or Inner Mongolia. There are many such escaped slaves under Chelin Dorji. The infantry units in the rebel army are basically composed of escaped slaves. ¡°I think he is right!  I've heard about it a long time ago. There are a lot of good things there!  " "But I heard that the plantation owners over there are not good people. They all have self-defense forces, and their hands are full of hard fire. They are no better than soldiers. Besides, what should we do if Gao Tingyu wants to fight over there?  ?  All the livestock have been plundered, so what's the point of robbing more?  " The people below were noisy, and Chelindorji couldn't help but have a headache. Unlike his ancestors, he was born and grew up in hunting, robbery, and war. For thousands of years, war has almost always been the Mongols.  Part of life. Under the rule of Dashun, there have been no large-scale wars in the Mongolian plateau for decades. Princes like Chelin Dorji can only imagine the lives of their ancestors through poetry and legends.  , and naturally cannot learn how to conduct a war from practice. Sharif suddenly leaned down and whispered to Chelin Dorji: "Great Khan, no matter which strategy is adopted, the cavalry should be sent to test the Chinese now.  trends!  " "Yes, you are right!  Only then did Chelin Dorji react. He slammed the hardwood armrest of the seat and stood up: "Doji, you lead your 'Otok' (a kind of civil affairs unit in Mongolia, probably  (Qianhu means Qianhu, which becomes a military establishment during war) Go to Chahanshouer to test the Chinese people's movements and see what their next move will be. Don't fight them too hard. Just touch them and save them. Do you understand?  ?  " "Yes, Khan!  "A reminding burly man saluted Chelin Dorji, turned around and retreated. Chelin Dorji looked at the remaining generals and said loudly: "Each 'Ulusi' (the largest in Mongolia)  The civil affairs unit (probably meaning Wanhu, which became the largest military establishment during the war) sent an 'otok' to transport the loot back, and the rest packed up,Get ready for war!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 31 Encounter

    Check Hanshouer.  Several riders climbed to the top of the hillock. This kind of small hillock is very common near Chahanshouer. Looking from the top of the hillock, the grassland is even quieter than usual. The sun is setting, and the red sunset is projected on the earth.  There was silence.  From here to the horizon, not even the sharpest eye could see a single human figure.  Although the setting sun still has its afterglow on the distant horizon, the sky has become gradually hazy, and the grassland has become darker and darker.  Beside the river not far away, there is a hill, which looks more like a mausoleum than a small hill.  There is a small walled village. According to legend, it was built during the Dashun Northern Expedition. It was later invaded and destroyed in the war with the Jungar people.  A dark shadow stretches out from the ruins.  At this time, the sunset in the sky and the reflection on the ground are changing every minute, and dusk may turn into night at any time.  "Boss, it's getting late, let's go back!" A veteran said to the officer who was looking north. His horse had pricked up its ears and snorted uneasily, which made him feel more and more uneasy.  "Go and have a look at the hillock over there!" The Shun Army officer wearing a gray felt hat pointed at the hillock opposite with his riding crop: "You can clearly see the other side of the river over there. Since we are all here, let's take a look.  It's clear!" After that, he kicked the horse's belly, and the horse went down the hill full of thorns.  The veteran shook his head helplessly, turned around and shouted: "Follow me, those behind me!" Then he rode up and followed. A cavalry team in two columns came down from the hill. There were about 60 riders in total.  This is a commonly used formation of the Shun Army outside the Great Wall. It consists of forty mounted infantry and twenty cavalry. Veterans of the Shun Army call them "front-driving" and "rear-driving" respectively, probably because the infantry dismounts during battle.  For this formation, the cavalry must be divided into two wings.  Night came quickly on the grassland. When the cavalry arrived at the bottom of the hillock, the moon had already risen. The bright moonlight illuminated the vast grassland, and the moonlight shone on the tops of thistles.  On the plains, it seemed like some kind of nocturnal animal was moving.  The clouds come and go, the moon goes and the clouds come, and these shapes on the ground are clearly visible for a while, and dimly disappear for a while.  The soldiers instinctively took their weapons in their hands and tried their best to observe the movements around them. Some of them even chanted the Buddha in a low voice. When they climbed the hill, everyone jumped off their horses and bent their backs. Their actions were all  He was so sneaky and cautious, and sometimes he even stopped and hesitated for a while.  Although the grassland is so peaceful, people are always wary of something. The wind blows from the river from time to time, stirring the dry thistles and making a sad rustling sound, as if these thistles are bent out of fear.  Bent over, trembling.  Finally, the figures disappeared under the shadow of the ruins.  At this time, except for the last few figures, nothing else could be seen under the changing moonlight.  At this time, the officer was the first to climb the hill. He held a pistol in one hand and used a waist knife to push aside the grass, and began to walk deeper into the hill. The veteran followed closely behind him with his rifle drawn.  At this time, the wind stopped completely, the rustling sound stopped completely, and the officer suddenly stopped and looked ahead warily.  Suddenly, a sharp scream was heard, followed by various sounds, forming a heart-stopping chaos!  "Living Buddha! Living Buddha!" ??"Help!" "Oh God!" "Kill!" Gunshots and screams echoed, red gun flames pierced the darkness, the sound of horse hooves, and the clang of swords.  The riders seemed to be jumping up from the ground.  The shrill screams of people before death should be accompanied by the terrible sounds of sword fights.  After a dozen breaths, the battle was over. In this quiet and ominous land, the storm happened and ended suddenly.  "Quickly start a fire and see who it is!" the officer growled, "Yes, sir!" Sparks from the flint were splashing.  Soon, torches were lit with dry pine resin. These things are commonly used by people on the Mongolian grasslands, and these compliant cavalry are no exception.  Under the firelight, several corpses on the ground were clearly illuminated, including the inside-out sheepskin jackets, skin darkened by the sun and strong wind on the grassland, Cossack-style sabers and clumsy Russian-made rifles. These things were very important to these compliant soldiers.  It was too familiar to the veterans. It was obvious that they had just encountered a group of rebel cavalry.  "Quick, occupy the hills to prevent the Tatars from following up!" The officer immediately issued an order. Although it was dark, these veterans quickly rushed to the edge of the hills and occupied a favorable position.  Just at this time, the moon broke through the clouds and shone on the river, as if it were a mirror that was exceptionally bright. You could clearly see a large group of cavalry wading towards this side, two to three hundred in total.  "Damn it, fire quickly! You, you two, go back to the camp and ask for reinforcements!" The officer immediately made a judgment and ran away.When it comes, even if we don't take into account our exhausted horse power, the riding skills of our forty mounted infantry will definitely not be comparable to those of the rebel riders who were born on horseback.  It is better to stick to the hillocks. It is night now, and the enemy does not know the specific strength of our own troops. In addition, Chahanshou'er is not far away, so it is not impossible to hold on until the enemy soldiers arrive.  With the sound of gunshots coming from the hills, the river was in chaos, but the actual effect was not as great as it seemed. The reason was simple: the hills were too far away from the river.  Most of the rebel cavalry crossed the river and disappeared among the thistles.  "Fix the bayonet and prepare to fight!" the officer ordered sternly. Seeing the soldiers accurately carrying out his order, the officer rechecked whether his pistol was loaded with bullets and whispered to himself: "What's left is  It depends on what God wants!" Gillings was in the tent, looking restless.  Since Chen Zaixing went to the military meeting three days ago, he has never appeared in front of him again. Gillings keenly felt that the war was getting closer and closer, and the smell of gunpowder in the air was getting stronger and stronger.  Whether as a military observer or a traveler, this is a rare opportunity. When I think of myself recounting this adventure in a London club under the admiring eyes of the most beautiful ladies in society,  Gillings's nerves were shaking.  "By the way, where's Duncan?" Gillings suddenly thought of his companion, and he immediately decided to visit Duncan to see if he was like him.  Gillings picked up his hat. Duncan's tent was only five or six meters away from his. He walked to the door and said in a deep voice: "Duncan, are you in there?" Soon the curtain was opened, and Duncan was only wearing a pair of clothes.  He was wearing a shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He glanced at Gillings and said, "Mr. Gillings, please come in!" Gillings walked into the tent, and there was a pungent smell of grease coming from inside. He saw seven or eight items on the table.  The items were filled with cotton gauze, gun oil bottles, and rifle parts. Apparently, Duncan was maintaining the gun just now.  "Duncan, you also feel that the war is about to start!" "Yes, Mr. Gillings!" Duncan replied while cleaning the inside of the barrel with wire and cotton gauze soaked with gun oil: "I have a responsibility to protect you.  Life is safe. We have witnessed firsthand how the Chinese treat their allies in Myanmar. " "Duncan, you are so funny!" Gillings smiled and patted Duncan on the shoulder: "But we are not allies of the Chinese.  "It's just Mr. Chen's guest. I heard that the Chinese are a hospitable nation!" "I prefer to believe in my Li Field!" At this time, Duncan had reassembled the rifle and pulled the bolt to confirm.  After everything went smoothly, he said: "For Mr. Chen, I won't even give him a toothbrush. Who knows if he will poison it!" "Duncan, you are also a little too mean to Mr. Chen.  "!" Gillings smiled and took out his pistol and began to take it apart and maintain it: "But do you think it's strange that the Chinese commander didn't move closer to Eren? From a military perspective, he should have done it as soon as possible.  By moving closer to your own fortress, you can not only better protect your own fortress, but also get support from the fortress. " "I don't know what the Chinese think, but I am sure they have reasons for doing this!"  Duncan put the rifle back on the frame and asked: "Mr. Gillings, after this war is over, will you end your journey and leave China?" "Yes!" Gillings wiped the gun with great effort and said  He replied: "I think I have seen enough to complete the task assigned to me by Mr. Balfour!" "I think you don't take care of your pistol often. You are not a good shooter!" Duncan took the Jilin  Si's pistol was cleaned: "I'm not too sure about the purpose of your visit, but I believe it is in the interest of the British Empire!" He handed the cleaned pistol to Gillings: "Sir, you can try  It didn¡¯t go smoothly!¡± ¡°Thank you, Duncan!¡± Gillings inserted the pistol into the holster: ¡°But I have a hunch that you and I won¡¯t need to shoot this time!¡± Chen Zaixing was awakened by the sound of horse hooves.  Since the last military meeting, Governor Gao Tingyu, who had always rejected people thousands of miles away, had a subtle change in his attitude towards him. Whether it was deploying troops or meeting local tribal leaders who sent reinforcements, Chen Zaixing was released.  next to.  Of course Chen Zaixing is very happy about this change, but the problem is that Gao Tingyu's spirit is too strong. This middle-aged man who is nearly fifty years old has been spinning almost continuously in the past three days. Chen Zaixing, a man in his prime,  After three days of tossing like this, I just felt exhausted and sleepy. Sitting next to Gao Tingyu, I couldn't help but doze off.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 32 Revealed

    "Master Chen, come and wipe your face!" Chen Zaixing, who had just woken up, saw a steaming handkerchief. He stretched out his hand to take it and found that the person handed it was Gao Tingyu. He quickly cupped his hand and said: "I'm sorry!  "Okay, okay, wipe your face first!" Gao Tingyu waved his hand, took a hand towel and wiped his face, and asked in a deep voice to the officer below: "You just said you met a rebel by the river.  The thief's cavalry?" The officer kneeling on the ground had dust on his face, and there were faint traces of blood on his woolen coat. He looked like he had just returned from the battlefield. Hearing the commander's question, he replied loudly: "That's right.  The Tatars were all cavalry, with about three hundred horses. After seeing the villain's cavalry, they came up to attack them. Fortunately, the villain captured the high ground first and dismounted to resist.  After charging twice, they retreated after more than a dozen people were killed. "How many soldiers did you have under your command?" "You have forty cavalry and sixty horsemen under your command!" "Well, you should retreat and rest first!"  Come on!" Gao Tingyu waved his hand to signal the other party to retreat. After he retreated, he turned to Chen Zaixing and asked, "Master Chen, what do you think?" "Commander!" Chen Zaixing tried his best to suppress his sleepiness.  The calm voice replied: "These are the sentries of the rebels. Next, the rebels will either retreat or launch a massive attack!" "Master Chen!" Gao Tingyu smiled: "You know why I have been treating you these days?  Dragging you around and not letting you go for a moment?" Chen Zaixing was stunned: "I don't know!" "I just want to see if you can still make a correct judgment in an extremely exhausted state!  ." When Gao Tingyu said this, a narrow smile appeared on his face: "Although I was right!" "The commander-in-chief really saw it!" Chen Zaixing had an embarrassed smile on his face. He was extremely exhausted just now and his whole head was dizzy.  Shen Chen simply relied on his feelings. Anyway, he was just a supervisor, and it was Gao Tingyu who made the final decision.  "Master Chen, this is not because I'm teasing you. It's just that a person who is above ten thousand people must not only have rich knowledge and amazing wisdom, but also extraordinary energy. You have both knowledge and brains. As long as you are good at it,  Do it, within ten years, one of the seats in the political hall will be yours!" At this point, Gao Tingyu had a kind smile on his face.  "Commander!" Chen Zaixing's face heated up. Although all he has been seeking over the years is money, deep down in his heart he still yearns for the highest goal of Confucian scholars for thousands of years.  As the emperor's teacher, he manages the affairs of the world!  Except for a very small number of people who were born in Tianjia, every Chinese has such a dream deep in his heart!  "Actually, no matter what Chelin Dorji chooses, it has little to do with victory or defeat!" Gao Tingyu said solemnly: "As soon as I got the news of the change in Culun, I ordered the Solon Cavalry and Oroqen of the Manchurian Protectorate to  The cavalry was mobilized. Xue Ruowang had been there for more than ten years and was familiar with the post route from Hailar to Kulun. Counting now, the Sauron cavalry and Oroqen cavalry led by Xue Ruowang had already set off and returned.  The division will definitely be much slower than the march. Even if we return today, we will not be able to make it in time. It is spring, and the horses on the grassland are thin. Once the battle is defeated, the Tatars will not be able to run!" Gao Tingyu's voice became louder and louder.  It gets smaller and smaller, and in the end it's no bigger than a whisper.  Chen Zaixing resisted his sleepiness and leaned over to listen carefully. Suddenly there was a snoring sound in his ears. He looked up in surprise and found that Gao Tingyu had fallen asleep leaning on the chair.  "It turns out you can't hold it anymore!" Chen Zaixing shook his head dumbfounded. He stood up, took his robe, gently covered Gao Tingyu, staggered out of the tent, and beat the guard.  After saying hello, he went back to his tent to sleep.  The losses caused by this outpost battle to both sides can be said to be minimal, but the leader of the rebel cavalry brought wrong information to Chelin Dorji, that is, Gao Tingyu's power was strong enough to block the river bank, so  Before the enemy is strong enough to attack you, it is a good choice to leave Eren and return to your hometown.  After all, this expedition has achieved part of the purpose for Chelindorji - the soldiers under his command have obtained rich plunder, and the price paid is very low, which will greatly improve Chelindorji's four divisions in Outer Mongolia.  His reputation in the country was of great help to his great cause.  But there was one person among the rebels who was very angry about Chelindorzi's decision, and that was Major Sharif.  His anger was not without reason. He did not come here to help a barbaric Tatar chief establish a country. The real purpose of his trip was to consume the strength of the army and obtain information about the enemy. His Majesty the Tsar wanted to  The rebellion has already paid 850,000 rubles in aid, so it will get a bigger return.  But this cowardly Tatar actually retreated without a fight.  If not, you still need the other person.?More was done in the following actions. Sharif had already opened Chelindorzi's head with one shot.  "Dear Major Sharif! Why do you look unhappy!" Chelindorzi asked with a smile: "Is it because my men did not treat you well? Tell me! Whatever you want, as long as it is  You can ask for everything Chelin Dorji has except my daughter!¡± ¡°No!¡± Sharif tried his best to control his disgust: ¡°I¡¯m just worried about the coming war. You see, this time you  After the army retreated, the Chinese have taken control of Eren, and they will definitely cross the desert to attack Kulun!" "Major Sharif!" A reserved smile appeared on Chelin Dorji's face: "You don't know the grassland yet!  ! It is already April, the old grass on the grassland has died, and the new grass has not grown. In the haste of the Han people, they are afraid of losing countless people and animals. If there is no horse on the grassland, it is equivalent to losing their legs.  No matter how hard Gao Tingyu can fight, what¡¯s so scary if he doesn¡¯t have his legs?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it damage your prestige if the troops returned without success?¡± ¡°Sharif, whoever went south with me this time didn¡¯t get rich because of it?¡±  Getting rich? Why did it come to nothing? I didn¡¯t ask for a single slave or a single livestock, but I gave them all to the warriors. When the flag is raised again in the fall, all the warriors on the grassland will come to me.  "Under the banner!" "Wait until autumn?" "Yes, when the horses and grass grow, my army will cross the desert to the west. There are countless cotton estates over there. Before that, I hope your country can buy it on credit.  Give me a batch of artillery, which is necessary to attack the manor!" "Shameless Tatars!" Sharif said inwardly, but he still replied on the surface: "I will convey your wishes to the Governor!" "Very good!  !" Chelin Dorji made a gesture, and the maid on the side presented a golden cup to Sharif: "Major Sharif, please toast to our cooperation in the autumn expedition!" "Cheers! Erren, the south gate is open,  The fortress converted from the market outside the door has been demolished to create a road, and even the road has been temporarily re-paved with loess. Cao Da, the guardian of Zhangbei Protectorate, stood in the biting cold wind with his head bare, even though it had been blown  His face was ashen and he didn't dare to move at all, standing as straight as an iron nail.  More than ten war horses came over slowly. Cao Da took two steps forward and bowed to the leader: "I am humble enough to pay homage to the commander-in-chief!" "Master Cao, no courtesy!" Gao Tingyu did not get off the horse: "I won't.  Entering the city! Please check the food and military supplies in the city first. The army will set out tonight to pursue the traitor Chelin Dorji! ""Commander!" Cao Da was shocked when he heard this.  The new grass has not yet grown, and if the army wants to cross the desert and everything is not ready yet, why not wait here for a few months until the grass and trees are luxuriant and the army gathers before crossing the desert? " Gao Tingyu sat on the horse and said quietly!  He said: "I have my own idea. You should quickly count the grain, fodder and military supplies, and collect all the livestock and vehicles in the city. After I leave, you can stay in Eren, reorganize various troops, and send them one after another. Do you understand?" Cao Da heard this.  , already knew that Gao Tingyu had made up his mind, so he had to bow and said: "Commander, please wait a moment, I will send someone to find the treasurer immediately and report them one by one!" Gao Tingyu nodded, closed his eyes, and after a while, the treasurer  The official came and reported to Gao Tingyu item by item with the book. After listening, Gao Tingyu's face looked better: "It's built!" He shouted Cao Da's words, "You kept Eren's granary intact, this time it's peaceful  Even if I have made a contribution to the rebellion, I will write it down in the report to the court when I return!" "Thank you, Marshal!" Cao Da quickly bowed to express his thanks, and then he raised his head and said solemnly: "Che Lin.  Dorji gathered a crowd to rebel. He was the chief official of the Zhangbei Protectorate. He was not allowed to warn him in advance and did not send troops to suppress him afterwards. His crime was not small. It was lucky that the court did not punish him. How could he dare to take credit for it? It was just the commander-in-chief.  In the past few years, the tribe has taken in escaped slaves, intermarried with other noble chiefs, and colluded with foreign barbarians. Once it breaks out, it will become very powerful. Marshal, you are an important minister of the imperial court, and the safety of northern Xinjiang is at stake. How can you risk it all?  You stay in Eren and let your subordinates lead the troops across the vast sea to pursue the slave chief!" Hearing Cao Da's words, Gao Tingyu's eyes flashed, he turned over his horse and reached out to help Cao Da: "Master Cao, this is the car!  The Lin Duoerji uprising has been extremely involved since then. The Russian and Yi people have been eyeing me in the Northern Territory of Dashun for a long time. This incident will definitely have the shadow of the Russian and Yi people in the future. My purpose of sending troops this time is to quickly put an end to the rebellion.  , to shock the Russian barbarians. Your method is safe, but the time is too long, we can't delay it!" At this point, Gao Tingyu stroked his beard: "As for personal gains and losses, Gao is a member of the imperial family.  I have been greatly favored, and now it is time to repay the favor!¡± Gao Tingyu?After what he said, Cao Da and several people behind him heard clearly and were very moved in their hearts. They all thought that this person, as a kinsman, had handed over nearly 40% of the world's army to his hands when the late emperor died.  In the past few years, his achievements have been high in the world, but his superiors have not been able to do so. His position is extremely popular and his ministers have no slander in the world. It is indeed extraordinary.  After all, Gao Tingyu was over fifty. After giving the instructions, he felt sleepy and exhausted, so he went to rest in the camel sedan. The conquest army, like a tidal wave, headed north along the post road next to Eren.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 33 Detour

    Xue Ruowang sat on a stone, his beautiful Ili horse hanging its slender neck and licking a pile of hay at his feet.  Xue Ruowang used a dagger to peel a piece of dried meat and threw it into the haystack as horse feed for his beloved horse; while caressing the wet neck of the war horse from time to time.  The war horse raised its head from time to time, looked at its master with its gentle eyes, and snorted a few times.  "Sir!" A thick voice broke the silence between the men and horses. A thin man stood in front of Xue Ruowang and made a military salute: "The pursuers have returned. They have captured more than fifty prisoners in total, and there are  More than forty horses, more than three hundred sheep! " "Yeah!" Xue Ruowang nodded, threw the remaining dried meat into the haystack, clapped his hands, stood up and walked out, followed closely by the man.  One step behind him, if Chen Zaixing saw him here, he would definitely not recognize that the stern officer in front of him was the young officer who was respectful in front of him a dozen days ago.  Xue Ruowang walked to a small mound and saw more than fifty prisoners standing in the open space in front of him. Surrounding the open space were more than two hundred Sauron cavalry who were described as tough and loaded with guns. Most of these cavalrymen followed their instructions.  According to the ancestral custom, the hair on the forehead was shaved off and the rest of the hair was tied into braids.  Most of the prisoners were old people, women and children, and the few young people were also scarred. These prisoners were looking at these sudden enemies with horrified eyes.  "Now let me introduce myself. I am a general under the command of Lord Gaohou of Dashun Yanshan Prefecture. My surname is Xue and my name is Ruowang. Not long ago, Chelin Dorji, the Khan of Tuxie Tube, took advantage of the opportunity of the reincarnation of Living Buddha Jebtsundamba.  A rebellion was launched, and I was ordered to put down the rebellion!" At this point, Xue Ruowang paused and said loudly: "You should know the rules for the death of rebels!" Xue Ruowang's words aroused panic among the prisoners.  People screamed in despair, and women rushed around with their children in their arms, but Sauron's cavalry pushed them back.  At this time, a more prestigious old man raised his hands to Xue Ruowang and begged: "Sir, the rebels should indeed be punished, but we are not from the Tuxie Tu tribe, but from the Chechen tribe. Please be lenient and forgive us."  Let's go!" "Oh! It's from Chechnya!" Xue Ruowang smiled slightly: "But where are your young people?" Xue Ruowang's expression suddenly became ferocious: "It's to Chelin Dorji.  Did your men go to Monan? That¡¯s why you old people and children are the only ones left here, right?¡± ¡°This¡ª¡± the old man stuttered. He wanted to explain something, but looking at Xue Ruowang¡¯s cold eyes, he hesitated.  Nothing can be said.  "Since you are Mongolians, I will treat you according to your Mongolian customs!"  Children with the height of a waist knife will be spared from death, and the rest will be executed!" "You devil!" A young man rushed towards Xue Ruowang on the hillock, but Xue Ruowang regarded it as nothing.  After a few steps, I heard the sound of horse hooves coming from behind. Then I felt a pain in my neck, so I fell to the ground, struggled for a few times and then stopped moving.  "Sir!" The thin man just made a false move on the saber in his hand, and a series of blood drops fell from the blade, making the blade even more sharp.  "Let's start! Duolong, since there are people who resist, deal with them all. I'll give you twenty minutes!" Xue Ruowang waved his hand: "After that, except for the needed animals, kill all the rest and burn the tents!  "Yes, sir!" "Yes!"  In the corridor of the Marshal's Mansion in Yanshan Mansion.  "Compared with the high-spirited journey, the journey back is always longer!" As this proverb on the prairie says, the rebels returned much slower, and it took twice as long to cross the desert.  Of course, this does not mean that the morale of the rebel soldiers is low. On the contrary, the huge gains and the pleasure of looting brought to them by this expedition made most people in the ranks feel excited, even  The lowest "Kebuwen" (the name for the lowest level of the Mongolian social class at that time, similar to a slave) was also excitedly showing off his trophies, vowing that as long as the great Chelin Dorji raises the banner, even if he is thousands of miles away,  He would also jump on his horse and rush over.  But just as there are a few dark clouds in the corners of the clear sky, there are still some people in the ranks of the rebels who are not as excited as others, that is, the infantry, which is mainly composed of escaped slaves, regardless of their original social status or  The underground status of infantry in the military tradition of the steppe, these infantrymen?The rebels have the lowest status. When attacking, they get the least spoils. When retreating, they are left at the back and play the dangerous role of blocking the rear.  But what frustrated them most was not these, but Chelindorzi's retreat.  "Going back like this? But we haven't even seen a battle with Shun Gouzi, so we just go back like this! Could it be that we have worked so hard to measure this sandy land step by step with our feet, and even the soles of our feet are a few inches thin?  "For this thing?" complained an infantryman carrying a long brown Bess rifle. His dark face was completely covered by a messy beard, and the turned-out sheepskin hat he wore made him look like  He was a complete barbarian. A copper kettle was tied to his belt and made a rhythmic sound as he walked. This was the only trophy he had on this journey.  "Just be content! Old Walnut, at least you can use this thing to boil water, make tea, and make porridge tonight. This thing can be used in many ways! But what about me!" Another soldier raised one of his feet.  The soles of the shoes he put on had a big hole in them, revealing the dark soles of the feet inside: "I didn't even get a shoe, and soon I would have to walk barefoot." "Me too!" "Damn it.  "At least you have something on both of your feet, but my feet have been bare from the beginning!" The soldier's complaint aroused a chorus of agreement from the surrounding soldiers.  "Enough, most people here don't have shoes! We didn't pick up guns just to have shoes on our feet!" A majestic voice interrupted the complaints. The speaker was a middle-aged man. He and  Most of the soldiers were wearing tattered leather coats with no visible color, a sheepskin hat on their head, a full beard on their face, and bare feet. The only thing that could distinguish him from the other soldiers was his hat.  He has a white feather, which means he is the leader of this infantry team.  He looked at the soldier who complained at the beginning. The exposed skin on his face was full of wrinkles, like a walnut. This was also the reason why he got this nickname. A gentle look appeared on the middle-aged man's face.  "Old Walnut, you picked up the gun for your brother who stayed in the manor; Glass Eyes, you picked up the gun for your brother and father; you picked up the gun for your nephew! -" The middle-aged man said to each soldier, his memory  Very good, no matter these soldiers look exactly the same - at least they are exactly the same dirty and slovenly, he can still call each other's name immediately and what relatives he has. He has not yet been freed. The expression of the soldier whose name is called becomes serious.  He stood up, and after calling a circle of names, the middle-aged man nodded his chest and whispered: "As for me, Yu Zhiheng, like you, I also hope to find my sister and let her be with me.  Just like that, become a free man instead of a slave at the mercy of others! "Boss, you will get your wish soon!" Old Walnut whispered, with a look of emotion and tenderness on his face.  His expression was in sharp contrast to his rough appearance, and instead had a strange charm.  "You too, Old Walnut!" The middle-aged man gently hugged Old Walnut's shoulder. He loosened his arm, turned around and said to the soldiers around him: "We will all get our wish. As long as God bless us, we can open the manor.  , be with our relatives again!" At the end, he imitated the Russian officer who trained them, raised his arms and shouted: "Ula!" The soldiers around him also raised their arms and shouted.  Ying Hedao The cheers of the soldiers attracted the attention of several Russian officers not far away. One of the younger and handsome officers smiled and said: "Constantinovich, I heard a group of Tatars shouting 'Ula'  Don't you think it's strange? " "No, Mikhail!" Sharif called his companion's patronymic name: "There is nothing strange about it. There is a lot of Tatar blood in our veins. They are some  Very good soldiers, brave and strong!" "Very good soldiers?" A sarcastic smile appeared on the young officer's face: "Konstantinovich, I don't think so highly of these Tatars, there are many of them.  The way they hold a rifle is no different from holding a hoe. They have just learned how to line up. If they are good soldiers, then the Semyonov Guards (one of the most elite and noblest Guards teams in Tsarist Russia)  First, it was founded by Peter I himself, and its officers are basically noble nobles. So what are the warriors? " "Dear Mikhail!" Sharif thought about his tone to his noble colleagues:  "I have never denied the bravery of your noble colleagues, but this is not inconsistent with whether these people are very good soldiers. In training, you have seen how patient and brave they are. It is true that their shooting skills are still  Not so skilled, but it is not difficult to learn. The most important thing as a soldier is courage and the patience to obey orders. They will neverLack of food.  You must know that in 1812, many of the great warriors under Kutuzov had just put down their hoes and pitchforks and picked up rifles, but this did not prevent them from blocking Napoleon's army in Borodino!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 34 Decision after the break

    Mikhail shrugged his shoulders. He was not ready to continue this argument with his colleagues: "Okay, dear Konstantinovich, but I think it is very difficult for these Tatars to live up to your expectations.  Soon we will see whether they are warriors or cowards!" "I agree with you on this!" Sharif nodded.  He looked back at the horizon, and a black cloud had appeared in the sky.  At this time, in Chelin Dorji's felt tent, a messenger arrived bringing ominous news.  A dust-covered "Haci Chu" (a Mongolian civilian) knelt on the ground and loudly reported with sweat on his face: "The greatest Khan in the world, just three days ago, the Sauron cavalry and the Oroqen cavalry invaded  When they entered the territory of the Tuxie Tu tribe, they claimed to have received an order from Emperor Dashun to attack the rebels. These cavalrymen were like a black storm that brought plague, destroying everything, including livestock, tents, and grassland, as they passed by.  Not even a blade of grass will be left in this place!¡± ¡°What?¡± Chelin Dorji stood up from the throne, his face was full of panic, and was immediately covered by anger: ¡°How could this happen?  ! Damn the Sauron bandits, may the Immortal Heaven send plague on their heads, may their bodies be bitten and devoured by wild dogs, and may their souls be torn apart by the cold wind on the grassland forever, and they may not be able to rest in peace! ¡± Chelin Dorji¡¯s curse!  After a few words, he suddenly raised his head and asked: "Then how far are they from Kulun now and how many troops they have. Also, do they have Zasaktu Khan, Chechen Khan, and the Sayinnoyan tribe?"  Send troops to resist?" Chelin Dorji knew in his heart that his Tuxietu tribe sent the most troops in this southern invasion. Those who stayed in Kulun were all old, weak, sick and disabled, and could not resist the Sauron and Oroqen cavalry, but the other three troops  The number of troops mobilized is not large, and the strong men remaining in the tribe can be mobilized to resist the enemy's invasion.  "Great Khan! Both Zasaktu Khan and Chechen Khan only sent troops to protect their own tribes and did not send troops to Kulun. As for the Saiyin Noyan tribe." The "Kazakhchu" looked up at Che Linduo carefully.  Erji's face turned pale, and he gritted his teeth and replied: "The Saiyinnuoyan tribe said that if they don't return their Khan King for one day, they will not send a single soldier. I also heard that they sent people to negotiate with Sauron and the Oroqen cavalry.  You should stay out of it!" "That's enough!" Chelin Dorji interrupted his men's words, and the dark skin on his face twisted in pain: "These stupid traitors, do they think those damn Han people are here?  After wiping out the Tuxie Tu tribe, will the Han people let them go? Just like they did to the tribes in Inner Mongolia, they will tear the Khalkha Mongolia into pieces so that no one can resist them. They will all regret it then.  The Han people have been doing this for hundreds of years, why can't you see it-" At this time, Chelin Dorji's voice became like a she-wolf losing her cubs in the grassland, shrill and hoarse.  "Father, father!" At this time, a girl walked out of the inner room. It was Chelin Dorji's beloved daughter Sarah. She quickly stepped forward and hugged her father's knees: "Please don't do this, or else I¡ª¡ª"  What else can poor Sarah rely on? Will her child survive if the great wolf falls? "My Sarah, poor Sarah!"  He leaned down and hugged his daughter: "I really regret raising the flag now. It ruined me and ruined you. Maybe I should hand you over to the Russian and let him take you abroad."  Only in this way can we avoid the terrible fate that will follow!" "No, father, things haven't reached that point yet!" Sarah raised her head: "There shouldn't be many cavalry, but their sudden appearance only increases the fear. It's spring now.  The horses of the Manchus are also very thin, and they cannot find so many cavalry that can travel long distances. The sway of the other tribes is just because you are not in Kulun now. As long as your army returns to Kulun, everything will be fine.  It will get better!" "Yes, as long as we rush back, everything can be saved!" Chelin Dorji was like a drowning man grabbing another life-saving straw, and he immediately held on to it. In fact, he  There is no choice now.  He stood up and shouted loudly: "Gather all the Uluths and Otoks, hurry up, we have to rush back to Kulun!" "Great Khan, where are the infantry? They can't run fast!"  The confidant asked in astonishment.  "It doesn't matter what they do!" Chelindorji waved his hand impatiently: "Throw away all the baggage and let them walk slowly. The horsemen will return to Kulun as soon as possible. Just let the escaped slaves delay a little time for us.  ! "In Chelin Dorji's heart, the most important thing is to be able to preserve the strength of the Tuxie Tubu headquarters. These infantry consisting of runaway slaves and homeless people who have just joined his command have become useless burdens!  "Yes, Khan!" Chelin Dorji's order was executed very quickly, but more than an hour later, the headquarters of the Tuxie Tube left under the command of the big and small bosses.The brigade speeded up and headed towards Cullen, and he himself changed into ordinary clothes and left the brigade after dinner that day, leaving only his ornately decorated mobile sleeping tent to confuse the people who stayed behind.  Chelin Dorji knew in his heart that since the envoy from the Tuxie Tu tribe had arrived, the news of Sauron's cavalry invasion could not be hidden from the other three tribes for long. The purpose of these people originally joining his banner was just to  He has no control over their ability to plunder. Once they learn the news, their first reaction is probably to abandon themselves and run away. The earlier they leave at this time, the safer they will be. Those who fall behind will attract the pursuit of the shun army.  A bait for the troops' attention.  "Boss, look at the Great Khan's team. Why do they seem to have fewer people and horses?" Old Walnut pointed doubtfully at the golden-top tent in front of him, which was Chelin Dorji's sleeping tent. On the top of the tent there was  A top made of gold, which is very gorgeous under the sunlight, is an important symbol of Chelin Dorji himself.  In order to prevent people from other tribes from finding out that they had escaped alone, although Chelindorzi himself had already left, these tents were still left behind to confuse others.  "Stop talking nonsense, it has nothing to do with you how many people are in Dahan's team, old walnut, save your energy for talking and walking, and don't ask others to help you carry your rifle later!" Yu Zhiheng replied without looking back.  There are already two more rifles on his back, which are two soldiers with sprained feet.  "Don't worry, boss! I won't drop the gun even if I die!" Old Walnut patted the butt of the gun on his back: "I will never drop the gun before I smash the head of that damn manor owner.  " "It will happen one day, Old Walnut!" Hearing Old Walnut's answer, Yu Zhiheng turned around and patted the other party's shoulder, and there was a chorus of response from the soldiers, who were mainly composed of escaped slaves.  For them, weapons are almost equal to life and freedom, and asking them to drop their guns is almost equal to killing them.  Yu Zhiheng turned around and squinted his eyes to take a closer look at the golden tent in the distance. As a team leader, he saw much more than Old Walnut.  Not only were there fewer guards and horses beside the golden tent, but more importantly, since the morning, he had not seen a herald enter or leave the tent. This was a very abnormal phenomenon.  He knew in his heart that it was impossible for such an army composed of people from multiple tribes to advance on its own without the deployment of a commander, not to mention that there was an enemy army behind this army, even if it was to monitor the rear.  Moving scouts will also appear every once in a while.  There is only one explanation for this sign, and that is that the commander-in-chief is no longer in the splendid tent. This is not a good sign.  "Did something happen to Kulun?" Yu Zhiheng thought to himself. He has been wandering in Outer Mongolia for four or five years. He knows very well how complicated the contradictions between the noble princes and nobles and the living Buddhas are. These contradictions are both  Because of their own conflicts of interest, Dashun also deliberately provoked them.  Due to these contradictions, the princes, nobles and living Buddhas either sent assassins to assassinate them, sued Eren's Zhangbei Protector, or even directly launched tribesmen to attack each other.  Now the influence of the Dashun Zhangbei Protectorate as the highest ruling body in Outer Mongolia no longer exists. In this land without authority and order, nothing is surprising.  "Boss, look, isn't this the old Maozi who usually dresses very beautifully?" Old Walnut pointed at the Russian officer on horseback who was galloping past on the official road to the left of the team and said, "His horse can run very well.  How fast, as if there are a few ghosts chasing you! " "Shut up, old walnut, we are soldiers now, don't force me to whip you on the back!" Yu Zhiheng also saw the speed!  Mikhail passed by, and his sharp eyes even saw clearly the blood stains on the back of Mikhail's crotch that was whipped by the whip. Did he know how much this arrogant Russian aristocratic officer loved him?  He is a good horse, and the horse feed he gives him every day is better than what most soldiers eat. But now he is being whipped so hard. Is the sky going to fall?  "Drive, drive!" Mikhail slapped his mount's hindquarters hard, as if he was crazy, but compared to the anger in his chest, what was this?  "The cowardly and cunning Tatar chief! He actually left us and ran away alone!" Mikhail felt as if a fire was burning in his chest.  "Mikhail! What's wrong with you!" Sharif looked at his companion in front of him strangely. Mikhail's fair face, which usually had a sarcastic smile, was now livid.  He picked up a horn cup and handed it to the other party: "Let's have a glass of Goleka!"

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 35 Stay

    "Let your Goleka go to hell!" Mikhail swung his hand and knocked the horn cup to the ground: "Konconstatinovich, do you know where the Great Khan is now?" "  Chelin Dorji? Isn't it in that tent?" Sharif asked in surprise.  "Tent?" Mikhail sneered: "Both you and I were deceived by that cunning Tatar. The Manchu cavalry recruited by the Chinese has invaded Outer Mongolia, and Chelin Dorji has left here long ago.  "The tent is completely empty now!" "What? How did you know!" Sharif's brows immediately frowned.  "How do I know?" Mikhail sneered: "The Chechen cavalry are escaping. They just got a messenger from their headquarters. The Manchu cavalry attacked their tribe and killed all the people, livestock,  He also set fire to everything that could be burned. "Konstantinovich, you trust that Tatar chief too much." "No wonder the Chinese general acted so slowly. He hoped to delay the success of his partial division."  !" Sharif said to himself, and suddenly he raised his head and took Mikhail's arm, which was walking towards the tent: "Mikhail, what are you doing?" "Of course you want to leave quickly!"  Mikhail turned around in surprise: "What else can you do? Chelindorzi has abandoned these infantrymen, and soon the Chinese will catch up and chop these infantrymen into pieces. Are you still planning to stay?  Waiting to die here? " "Of course not, dear Mikhail, but have you forgotten the real purpose of our visit?" Sharif asked, staring into Mikhail's eyes.  "The real purpose?" Mikhail was stunned when he heard this. Then he stared at Sharif with the eyes of a madman and shouted loudly: "Constantinovich, you want to stay? Are you crazy?  If the Chinese catch you, they will not forgive you because you are a Russian official. They will put a rope around your neck and hang you on a tree to let the crows peck your eyes. You know, in the past  That¡¯s what they did when they caught us!¡± ¡°I know, but if we run away like this, wouldn¡¯t all the hard work we spent and the hundreds of thousands of rubles from His Majesty the Tsar have been in vain?  You know, as long as the Chinese defeat these infantry, Chelin Dorji will definitely lose. With the reputation of the tall man and the news of this victory, even the Tuxie Tu tribe will abandon them.  "He's sweating profusely!" "Chelin Dorzi has already lost!" Mikhail gritted his teeth and whispered: "Without the direct support of Great Russia, he can't succeed. Even if you stay,  It's impossible to rely on these homeless people who can't even hold a gun to stop the Chinese army. You will only lose your precious life in vain!" "Maybe Chelin Dorji can't win, but at least it can make his defeat not so miserable!  "As long as we can buy more time, he can defeat the Manchu cavalry and delay the war." Mikhail persuaded desperately: "They can't stop them without cavalry, only those shabby old-fashioned artillery pieces."  With more than 10,000 homeless people who have just been trained for more than a month, the Chinese can eat them with their bones in two hours! " "I bet you can last for at least one morning!" Sharif replied with a smile.  The smile on his face disappeared: "Have you forgotten what our mission this time is? It is the real combat effectiveness of the inspection team! If we run away now, what else will we see?" "You must be crazy.  , He must be crazy!" Mikhail hugged his head in despair.  Sharif patted him on the shoulder and whispered: "Mikhail, you don't need many people to stay. You can go back first and report the situation here to the governor for me. This is also a very important task -"  "No!" Mikhail interrupted Sharif: "I also want to stay, there are others who can take on the task of reporting to the governor. As for me, Captain Mikhail of the Semyonov Guards,  It must not be laughed at that a young major was allowed to take on the most dangerous task while he escaped alone!" At this point, Mikhail had a joking expression on his face.  (According to the Russian military system at that time, officers of the Semyonov Guards were equivalent to officers two ranks higher than the ordinary army)" "I knew you would stay, dear friend, you are a true nobleman!  Sharif excitedly stepped forward to hug Mikhail and kissed him on the cheek. Then Sharif let go of his arm and whispered: "Now I will gather all the instructors together and tell them the real situation.  Then let them decide whether to stay or leave!  "As Sharif expected, almost all the Russian officers in the advisory group asked to stay and show some color to the Chinese, so that Sharif had to draw lots to decide who would rush back to report to the Governor.?Everything that has happened here.  When all this was completed, a rebel soldier ran over in panic and shouted to Sharif: "Master Major, Master Major, the Chinese, the Chinese cavalry has appeared!" "What, the Chinese cavalry?"  Sharif turned around and jumped on his horse, galloped a few steps up to a high place, picked up the telescope and looked to the south. Sure enough, a small group of gray riding figures appeared on the southeast horizon, wearing gray-blue woolen coats and dark colors.  A leather hat, especially the white bird feather on the top of the hat.  This image is too familiar to Sharif. The Xibo Tuqi under Yanshan Mansion are like the hounds and eagles in the north of the Dashun Empire. They have been dealing with Sharif and his colleagues for decades.  .  There can only be one explanation for their appearance here. The main force of the Shun Army is about to appear.  "Damn it, that old fox must have caught up. He must have gotten the news that his detour operation had taken effect, so he accelerated the pursuit!" Sherif cursed in a low voice. In the legend of Russian soldiers, Gao Tingyu  His body has been covered with many strange paints. Many Russian soldiers believe that their powerful enemy knows many weird and powerful Eastern witchcraft and has won many battles with these powers.  As an old Don Cossack, Sharif, like his ancestors, although he believed in Orthodox Christianity, he also believed in the existence of witchcraft, necromancy, divination and many other supernatural powers, so he could not help but swallow his saliva.  He made a cross on his chest and whispered: "May God be merciful and bless his devout people!" "Now, let us go to the soldiers!" Sharif paused on his heels and quickly walked towards the rebel infantry queue.  As he strode forward, the other Russian officers followed him, like a female wild boar and her piglets following a male wild boar.  At the same time, the rebel infantry was already in a panic. On the unobstructed prairie, they also saw the appearance of enemy cavalry. If it was a normal situation, the rebels would also send cavalry to drive them away or  wipe out.  However, the few remaining cavalry on our side not only did not drive away the enemy, but instead accelerated and separated from the team. This is really not a good sign.  "Damn guys, they abandoned us!" Old Walnut pointed into the distance and cursed. In the direction of his finger, the back of the last group of cavalry was disappearing from the horizon.  "These slutty Tartars, I knew this would happen. They have been taking advantage of us from the beginning!" Glass Eyes shouted desperately.  "Shut up!" Yu Zhiheng shouted loudly: "Keep order!" "Everything is over!" Glass Eyes shouted loudly: "Just like in the past, we have all been abandoned, and the obedient will soon  Catch up, tie our necks with ropes, drag us all to the west, and sell us all to those gentlemen!" At this point, he took off the rifle from his back and threw it to the ground, shouting loudly.  : "I've had enough, it's time to break up!" "You idiot!" Yu Zhiheng, who finally couldn't control his emotions, punched the other person to the ground: "On this prairie, you are  Do you think you can outrun four legs with just two legs? I bet that as long as you leave the team and exceed the range of the rifle, those Xibo cavalry will tie you to the horse and drag you to death, even if you can escape this time.  What's the use? The government will definitely issue a reward for all those who participated in the rebellion. Any herdsman who encounters you will chop off your head for the reward. " Glass Eye wiped the blood that spilled from the corner of his mouth.  Looking at the soldiers watching around him, he saw a look of despair on each of their faces. Everyone knew that Yu Zhiheng was right.  The grassland seems to be a free land without legal restrictions, but in fact the grassland also has its own laws. In a sense, the laws on the grassland are stricter and crueler than in other places.  Because the living environment on the grassland is very cruel, once an individual leaves the shelter of the collective, it is almost equivalent to being sentenced to death.  These escaped slaves were able to survive on the grasslands only with the tacit approval of the princes, nobles and living Buddhas.  Once the Shun army successfully suppressed the rebellion, they would definitely investigate the crimes of those who participated in the rebellion, or at least cut off relations with them. Under such circumstances, it would be impossible for these escaped slaves to survive on the prairie.  impossible.  "Then what do you think we should do?" Glass Eyes shouted desperately: "Fight with the army? I know that you, Yu Zhiheng, have always dreamed of fighting with the army and wanted to get your sister out, but you know how to fight.  Do you know how to command? You were a refugee like us more than a month ago. The officers have all run away! We have been abandoned!" "Soldiers, gather your troops quickly, the Chinese are coming.  "It's gone!" A piece of half-baked Chinese interrupted Glass Eye's desperate cry.  EveryoneWhen he turned around, he saw dozens of Russian officers sitting on their horses, looking at them. The leader was Sharif. He looked at Yu Zhiheng for a while, recalled it carefully for a moment, and said: "Yu, you send a man right away."  Give me a hundred men. I just intercepted the artillery, but the loaders ran away a lot!" "Yes, Major Sharif!" At this time, the training of this month came into effect, and Yu Zhiheng stood up straighter reflexively and asked  Sharif performed a military salute, then turned around and shouted to Old Walnut: "Old Walnut, lead your company out of the queue and wait for dispatch!"

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 36 Ulantoro Sea

    "Yes, boss!" Old Walnut was shocked by the suddenly tense atmosphere. The panic and complaints just seemed to be frozen by something and could not come out of his throat.  "Yu! This place is still more than ten kilometers away from the Ulan Toro Sea!" Sharif said loudly while looking at the map in his hand: "I order you to follow Captain Mikhail's command and lead your team to speed up the march.  , get there before dinner and occupy a favorable position!¡± ¡°Yes, Major Sharif! Captain Mikhail!¡± Sharif nodded and boosted the morale of the soldiers according to the habit in the Russian army: ¡°Okay, young man.  Guys, start running! Use your feet to spank your butts, or I will kick your butts with my leather boots. Guys, run faster, the girls have already lifted their skirts in front.  "What are you waiting for!" Under the deployment and command of Russian officers, the rebels moved quickly. They discarded useless baggage and accelerated their march.  But those Xibo cavalrymen who were originally responsible for reconnaissance and delaying the rebel movements committed an old habit. There were many valuable things in the large amount of baggage dropped by the rebels. These Xibo cavalrymen immediately seized this great opportunity to make a fortune and forgot about it.  his true mission.  By the time Gao Tingyu learned the news, it was already four o'clock that afternoon.  "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why didn't you step up the pursuit of the rebels!" The high-pitched voice echoed in the commander's tent. The four cavalry generals knelt on the ground, trembling and afraid to make a sound.  Chen Zaixing, who was sitting in the passenger seat, saw Gao Tingyu angry for the first time. All the generals were silent. Chen Zaixing suddenly felt his arm being stabbed. He turned his head and saw that it was Li Bin who was attacking him.  With a wink, his eyes turned to the several cavalry generals kneeling on the ground.  Chen Zaixing immediately understood Li Bin's intention.  "Commander Yu!" Chen Zaixing coughed, stood up and said: "Although these people missed the opportunity to fight this afternoon, they also made some gains, which is not without minor achievements. In addition, the bandits have not been defeated yet, and the court still has  When employing people, why not just record their crimes for now and let them perform meritorious service if the war fails?" Gao Tingyu didn't answer immediately. He glanced at the people kneeling on the ground and finally said quietly.  Said: "You guys don't get up to thank Mr. Chen. If Mr. Chen hadn't spoken, you guys would have lost your heads today!" "Thank you for your humble position, Mr. Chen!" "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Chen!" Those guys!  The officers quickly stood up and bowed to Chen Zaixing. Mr. Chen helped them up one by one and said with a smile: "Generals, I am doing this to protect talents for the court. If you generals really thank me, you will be able to fight against thieves next."  He bravely killed the thieves in the battle, and the rebellion was put down a few days ago, so the official expressed his gratitude!" After hearing this, those people hurriedly promised to atone for their sins through meritorious service in the next battle, and they calmed down in the tent.  Gao Tingyu ordered the troops to stop advancing, build camps and rest, and sent cavalry to investigate the enemy's situation.  When the generals retreated, Chen Zaixing saw Gao Tingyu's ugly face, so he stepped forward and asked: "Commander Yu, the rebels abandoned their baggage today. It must be that General Xue's detour has been completed and the thieves have fled. This is a great thing."  Ah! But why was your face so gloomy just now? " "Master Chen, you only know one thing but not the other!" Gao Tingyu sighed and said in a low voice: "It's true that the rebels abandoned their baggage.  Because it was learned that Xue Ruowang's roundabout division had been completed, but not far from here was the Ulan Tuoluo Sea. There were many swamps there and the roads became narrow.  Return to Kulun. Xue Ruowang has been running for thousands of miles, but he does not lead many troops. If he is defeated, the thieves will surely become more powerful, and all the previous hard work will be in vain!  We can do it!" Chen Zaixing complimented, and then said: "But the slave commander is only capable of cavalry, and the troops are not his strength. Our artillery is sharp and well-trained. Even if he defends in danger, there will be no great danger.  "Isn't it a problem?" "If it's just the tribes in Outer Mongolia, it won't be a big problem! They have neither machinery nor money, how can they compete with our elite troops in Dashun? It's just that there have been many Russians in the border areas in recent years.  Participating in it, this time must be no exception. The Russian troops are well-equipped and well-trained, and their soldiers are accustomed to hard work and perseverance. They are really our enemy in the north. " "It's true what Commander Yu said, but it's just that!  I have a question I don¡¯t know whether to ask!¡± ¡°Master Chen, please speak up!¡± ¡°How involved will the Russians be in this Coulomb incident? Will they directly send troops or just intervene behind the scenes?¡± Gao Tingyu pondered for a moment.  He replied in a low voice: "In my opinion, it depends on the progress of the war. If the rebellion is put down soon and I have enough strength to go smoothly, the Russians willIf there is a stalemate in the war and our Dashun is depleted of troops and people, I'm afraid those Russians will take action directly!  " "Then what Yushuai means is that everything has not been finalized yet?  "    "good!  A strange smile appeared on Gao Tingyu's pale face: "The world is like this. In the final analysis, wisdom, planning, and negotiation are not as effective as cannons and bayonets."  It doesn't matter if we fight a battle tomorrow, let those Russians see my Dashun's military power. Only in this way can there be peace!  "    "tomorrow?  " "Yes, that's tomorrow!  Gao Tingyu smiled: "I think those rebels are too nervous to sleep at this time!"  ¡± Unlike the Central Plains, most of the rivers on the grasslands are inland rivers. These rivers originate from the snow water in the mountains, and then flow down the valleys and converge into rivers. As the sun evaporates and the rivers seepage, they slowly  Slowly disappearing into the vast grassland, the end point of these rivers is often a large lake or swamp, and the Ulantoro Sea is one of them. The herders on the grassland call the lake "Haizi", and the surrounding areas of these lakes are often lush with water and grass.  , often becomes a treasure land for herdsmen, and even a market town appears. This is where the name Ulan Tuoluohai comes from. Yu Zhiheng was lying on a pile of hay. The night was already very deep, and he was chewing grass roots.  While looking at the stars in the sky, there were snoring sounds and the occasional crackle of the campfire in his ears, but he was not sleepy at all. Yu Zhiheng knew very well that the decisive moment would come when the sun rose above the horizon again.  Thousands of people will shoot each other, fight, die or survive here, and there is a high possibility that he will be one of the countless people who die, and this is entirely his own choice. ¡°Boss, you sleep too.  Not!  "A low voice interrupted the silence. Yu Zhiheng did not change his posture and replied in a low voice: "Well, I think about the war tomorrow, and I can't sleep!  Old Walnut, what about you?  " "It looks like a ball!  "Old Walnut spat, moved his body twice and leaned closer: "Damn, I'm supposed to live like this and die, but at this juncture, I'm really freaking out!  " "Don't say that, old walnut!  "Yu Zhiheng patted the other party's shoulder: "We are also human beings, and we have to live our lives as individuals. If the battle ends tomorrow, it is not certain who will win and who will lose?  " "Well, you'll suffer the consequences while you're alive, but you'll have to settle for death!  "Old Walnut cursed twice, threw his head back and fell down. After a while, a burst of snoring came. "You will suffer while you are alive, and you will be fine after you die!  "Yu Zhiheng spat, spat out the grass roots, closed his eyes and fell asleep. At about eight o'clock the next morning, a group of Xibo cavalry from the Shun Army appeared on the outskirts of Tulan Town. This market town and most of the other places on the grassland  Like most market towns, they are formed by business travel and regular markets. The market town is formed by various buildings on both sides of two cross-shaped streets. Whenever a caravan passes by, the surrounding herdsmen will move.  They gathered here spontaneously and traded with the caravans on both sides of the street. "Boss, let's go to the market town and have a look!"  Maybe you can get something useful!  Such as clothes, boots, etc.  "A cavalryman shouted loudly to the leader. The leader looked at the market town not far away. According to the order of the superior, their task was to move along the rebels' footsteps and look for traces of the enemy. Because the shun army was advancing very quickly,  Logistics and supplies can¡¯t keep up. Many soldiers are short of shoes, coats and other items, especially semi-regular troops like the Xibo Cavalry. ¡°Okay, bastards, move quickly and don¡¯t waste too much time, understand.  !  Otherwise -" the leader made a chopping gesture with his arms: "Do you understand?  " "Thank you so much, boss!  "The cavalry whistled, and the excited cavalry urged their horses to rush towards the market town. This was a good opportunity. Those who arrived first could get good things, but those who arrived later had nothing. "These bastards!  "The leader laughed and cursed. He did not follow. Anyway, his men would leave the best part to him. He jumped off the horse, took off his pants, and was about to relax his bladder when a sudden burst of gunfire almost caused him to lose his temper.  He peed all over his pants. ¡°Damn it, what¡¯s going on!  "The leader hurriedly pulled up his pants, jumped on his horse, and looked towards where the gunfire came from. He saw a cloud of white smoke rising from the grass next to the market town, and several horses that had lost their owners were running around aimlessly. "Damn bastards  Traitor!  "Fuller did not panic. The Xibo cavalrymen who served as sentinels were all selected veterans and knew what to do when encountering this kind of situation. He leaned down and kicked the horse's belly twice with his feet. The horse  He ran toward the white smoke emitted by the firearm. After running for more than thirty meters, he saw six or seven ragged men pushing toward him while loading bullets.  Caught in the act!  "Fuller held his breath, drew his saber, andHe gently kicked the horse's buttocks with the spur on his back heel.  The dexterous war horse immediately understood its master's intention and accelerated towards the enemy.  Two breaths later, Fuller was only six or seven meters away from the enemies.  Perhaps because of the sound of horse hooves, the enemy closest to Fuller turned around and looked this way. Before his scream could come out of his throat, Fuller slashed his neck with a knife.  The sharp saber used the horse's speed to easily cut off tendons and blood vessels, and bright red blood spurted out immediately.  Fuller used the speed of his horse to separate the victim's saber from the victim's wound. Then he twisted his waist and cut the second man's neck with the saber. At this time, the first man's body was like a pile of rotten wood.  Fell in the grass.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 37 First Battle

    "The enemy is here!" Almost at the same time as the scream, Fuller's saber cut off the shouter's arm. This was the result of the opponent's instinctive blocking with his hands. Then Fuller urged his horse to hit him.  Falling down, heavy horse hoofs stepped on the opponent's chest, and blood and screams poured out of his mouth almost at the same time.  "Kill him, kill this Tatar!" The remaining rebels surrounded him angrily. One of them had already loaded a bullet and fired a shot at Fuller. Fuller instinctively tilted his head and shot  Feeling a burning sensation on his left shoulder, he roared angrily, slapped the horse's butt with his saber, and drove the horse over.  The rebel who fired the gun turned around and ran away, but Fuller slashed him in the back and threw him to the ground.  "Drive, kill!" At this time, the rest of the cavalry also rushed up, and immediately chopped down the remaining rebels to the ground, leaving only the last one alive. The cavalry tied his hands and feet and threw him into the ground.  On the back of the horse, he was brought to the leader, threw it on the ground and loudly reported: "Boss, we caught a alive man!" "Well!" The leader jumped off the horse and raised the prisoner's chin with his saber: "Say, Che Lin  Where are the rebels? "How many of you are there in the market town?" "Sir!" The rebel looked at the sharp saber in front of him and replied in a trembling voice: "Chelin Dorji is already here."  He escaped with his cavalry, leaving only forty or fifty people in the market town. I don¡¯t know about the others! "Please forgive me!" "Chelin Dorji fled with his cavalry.  ?" A puzzled look appeared on the leader's face. He twirled his beard and turned to Fuller: "Fuller, go back immediately and tell the Lord the news here." "Yes!" Fuller agreed.  He raised his hand, clamped the horse's belly violently, and drove the horse to gallop along the road it came from.  The leader looked at the retreating cavalry, suddenly pulled out his saber, cut off the prisoner's neck with one blow, raised the bloody saber and shouted loudly to his men who were waiting for orders: "As for us, rush into the market town now.  "Have fun!" "Have fun!" The momentum of the attack by more than a hundred cavalry was very shocking. A small group of rebel soldiers in the market town had just reacted. They relied on the houses on both sides of the street to resist the cavalry attack.  The leader of the Shun Army was very experienced. When he saw this, he asked half of the people to jump off their horses and shoot at the rebels. The remaining half of the people circled from outside the town to the rear of the rebels. Under attack from both sides, the rebels quickly put up resistance.  collapsed.  Most of them fell under the crossfire, and the rest fled in disgrace.  This kind of small-scale encounter would have been quickly forgotten, because this kind of thing is so common on the grassland.  However, due to the battle that occurred next, this encounter will be mentioned in many military textbooks, and it is used as an example to illustrate that even in the era of breech-loading guns, a capable and proactive cavalry can still  It has its place.  Twenty minutes after the encounter in Tulan Town, Major Sharif received news of the approaching Shun army, and he immediately made a decision.  First, he sent a battalion of infantry to move closer to the market town and drive the enemy's cavalry out of the market town.  At the same time, the main body of the rebels began to move towards the high ground on a branch overlooking the market town.  The rebel positions ranged from Chicken Head Hill on the left, along the highland ridge, to the "Dome" highland on the right.  On the ridge, Sharif established his own artillery position, from where rebel artillery fire could flank the enemy as they passed along the post road.  When they saw the rebel counterattack, the Xibo cavalry of the Shunjun army chose to retreat to avoid a meaningless battle. Before leaving, they set a fire to prevent this place from becoming a fortification held by the enemy.  Of course, these Xibo cavalrymen have more or less gadgets on their bodies, which are the trophies they got from the merchants in the town.  It was ten o'clock in the morning on June 17, 1886.  Sharif's rebels had already occupied the preset positions, and soon after, the rebel troops also spread out along the foothills of the highlands.  In order to wait for the heavy artillery troops behind, Gao Tingyu had to wait until two o'clock in the afternoon.  When the artillery units of the shun army arrived, the rebel strength on the highlands also increased, and there was even time to build parapets and trenches at important locations.  At 2:30 in the afternoon, Gao Tingyu finally decided to launch an attack. First, he launched a diversionary attack on Jitoushan on the left flank of the rebels, while his real target was the Dome Heights on the right.  Gao Tingyu planned to break through the opponent's right wing first, then rotate to the left, attack the rebels' central position, and finally outflank the rebels in a traditional way.  The Shun Army's attack on Dome Heights took about thirty minutes later than the attack on Jitoushan Heights. The attack began with an artillery bombardment. New cannons manufactured by the Tianjin Machinery Bureau fired shrapnel shells at the rebels.  On their position, the shock waves, projectiles and shrapnel generated by the explosion tore apart everything they encountered. If the rocks were concentrated, more fragments would be produced, greatly increasing the lethality of the artillery shells.  Although?The artillery fire from the Shun Army was fierce, but the casualties were very limited.  The reason is simple. Experienced Russian officers did not know that most of the rebel soldiers were on the back side of the ridgeline, and most of the shrapnel was blocked by the mountain itself.  However, the Shun army's diversionary attack on Jitoushan was effective. Sharif did not send more soldiers to reinforce the Xiaoyuanding high ground. The total number of rebels guarding the highlands did not exceed 600, but the Shun army they faced exceeded  Fifteen hundred people.  Yu Zhiheng squatted behind a low wall. Below him, groups of soldiers wearing gray or black uniforms were crossing a broken area, where many limestone rocks protruded from the ground and were white, as if many bones were scattered.  There, the locals nicknamed it "Skullland."  Under the sunlight, the bayonets on the rifles held by the Shun army soldiers reflected white light, which looked very impressive.  At this time, Yu Zhiheng suddenly remembered what the beautiful Russian officer said to him not long ago: "Yu, this is our rightmost position. I have placed you here. You must guard it. If  Once the Shun army passes here, they can attack the central position from behind, and then everything will be over. Do you understand? " "Master officer, unless I die here, no enemy will pass through here!" Yu  Zhiheng repeated in a low voice what he said in front of the Russian officer not long ago. Now he must use actions to fulfill his oath.  "Everyone, stand up and come to the low wall!" Yu Zhiheng turned around and shouted loudly. As he shouted, a soldier blew the horn, and groups of rebel soldiers stood up from behind the ridgeline. These  The ragged rebel soldiers lay down behind the low wall and began to use their various rifles to target the enemies who were climbing towards the ridgeline.  "Everyone take aim slowly. No one is allowed to shoot without my order!" Yu Zhiheng shouted loudly behind the soldiers. After months of training, he knew very well the impact of these rifles in the hands of the rebel soldiers.  Because of its power, he decided that it would be more effective to fire at a distance of about 80 to 100 meters.  At this time, the soldiers of the Shun Army had passed through the broken area, and their formation became orderly again, with sharp bayonets standing like a forest, and a flag embroidered with a white tiger fluttering in the wind.  Seeing this scene, Yu Zhiheng suddenly felt his throat being strangled by an invisible hand, and his breathing immediately became rapid.     boom!  At this moment, there was a sudden sound of gunfire, which seemed to be a signal. There was a sudden burst of gunfire on the high ground, and the white smoke emitted from the muzzle immediately blocked Yu Zhiheng's sight.  "Damn it, I haven't given the order yet, who fired the gun!" Yu Zhiheng roared angrily. He knew very well that he couldn't hit anything at this distance, and these escaped slaves who had just picked up their rifles not long ago were very slow to reload.  This wastes a valuable shooting opportunity.  "It's me, boss!" A weak voice came over. Yu Zhiheng turned around in the direction of the voice and saw an old man raising his right hand with a pale face, looking at him timidly: "Please  Forgive me, I was just too nervous, so¡ª¡ª" "Shut up, Tian Chao, you idiot!" Yu Zhiheng scolded angrily: "This is a battlefield, load your bullets quickly, I have to wait until you are alive to apologize.  And you idiots," Yu Zhiheng yelled at the other soldiers.  "Yes, boss!" The rebel soldiers on the highlands were busy loading bullets. Although the Russians provided Chelindorzi with 6,000 Russian-made rifles, less than half of these rifles were Berdan 1871 rifles (by  The famous American firearms expert and inventor Saigon Bodan made it in 1868 and was the standard equipment of the Russian army from 1869 to 1891). The rest are old-fashioned single-shot front-loading rifles that have been eliminated by the Russian army. Even these old-fashioned single-shot rifles.  Not all of these rebel infantry have muzzle-loading rifles. Many soldiers even use British brown bass muzzle-loading rifles and other older rifles. Naturally, these firearms cannot compete with the Tianjin machines used by the opposite army.  Compared with the imitation Mauser 1871 rifle produced by the Manufacturing Bureau.  At this time, the white smoke had gradually dissipated under the blow of the wind. Yu Zhiheng saw that the attacking troops of the Shun Army had advanced to a distance of only about two hundred meters from their own side. These troops were wearing gray woolen coats and black pointed hats.  , the infantrymen with white feathers on their hats walked forward slowly according to the rhythm of the drums. About forty meters behind them, there were seven or eight corpses lying scattered. This should be the corpse just now.  The result of a volley fired by the rebels. As a rifled rifle, the shooter's skills at this distance are not very good.  "Damn it, load the bullets quickly, hurry up!" Yu Zhiheng roared loudly, but his roar had the opposite effect. Almost all the rebel soldiers participated in the war for the first time. Under the terrifying pressure, many even  He couldn't even load the bullet, let alone aim and shoot.  At this moment, the marching drums on the hillside suddenly stopped. Before Yu Zhiheng could realize what was going on, a loud command sounded.    "Everyone is here, stand at attention - aim - shoot!" "Bang!"

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 38 Courage

    Hundreds of rifles fired in volley, but Yu Zhiheng almost only heard a gunshot. Almost at the same time, there was a flash of fire. Looking through the gap in the stone wall, there was already a fire outside, as if the door of a stove was suddenly opened.  Once, it seemed to close immediately.  The stone wall made a terrifying cracking sound.  That big flag fell.  The burst of shooting was so fierce and dense that it broke the flagpole, a datewood pole as thick as a forearm.  Many bullets passed through the gaps in the stone wall or shattered the stone, creating a large amount of flying fragments.  Suddenly, there was a scream from behind the stone wall.  The first volley shooting left a chilling impression.  The attack came with such ferocity that even the boldest people could not help but think about it.  What they have to deal with may be the most elite unit of the entire Northern Shun Army-"A Wall".  "Ready - aim!" The officer commanding the soldiers looked at the stone wall. He did not issue an order to attack, but ordered a second volley of guns. Following the officer's order, the soldiers pulled the bolts of their guns.  , golden brass bullet casings fell to the ground like hailstones.  Although the rifles equipped by the Shun Army were copied from the Mauser 1871 model without a magazine, due to its late introduction, the repeating rifles used by Turkey in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877 were inferior to the single-shot Winchester rifles.  The huge damage caused to the Russian army. Beginning in 1879, mechanics from the Tianjin Manufacturing Bureau have improved the existing Mauser 1871 rifle and installed a five-round tubular magazine in the butt, so when shooting  No need to reload round by round.  Yu Zhiheng leaned against the stone wall. He could clearly hear the orders of the soldiers down the hillside and the crisp metal collision of the gun bolt. He stared at the flag that fell on the ground not far away, which represented  The flagpole holding their team's flag was broken and fell to the ground.  Suddenly, he crawled forward a few steps, grabbed the broken flag in his hand, looked up at the rebel soldiers around him, all of them were pale and trembling, hiding behind the stone wall. It was obvious that they had just escaped.  The volley fired by the army scared them all.  "Who? Who here has the courage to raise this flag again!" Yu Zhiheng shouted.  No one answered, no one answered.  Once the flag is raised, it will become a target for shooting again. Anyone who raises the flag again will simply die.  Even the boldest person cannot make up his mind to sacrifice himself at this time.  Yu Zhiheng himself felt scared.  He asked again: "No one wants to go?" At this time, the Shun army fired a second salvo, and a torrential rain of bullets swept across the stone wall. Yu Zhiheng felt a hot wind blowing above his head, and he instinctively shrank his neck.  , another person was shot and fell down. The rebel soldiers all had their eyes flashing, and a few timid ones even started to move their bodies. It was obvious that it would not be long before it turned into a big rout.  "No one wants to go?" Yu Zhiheng asked for the third time. He gritted his teeth and was about to stand up. Suddenly, a person next to him rushed over, snatched the flagpole from his hand, turned around and stood up.  He stood up and waved the flagpole vigorously. The flag fluttered on the high ground in the wind.  "Tian Chao, be careful!" Yu Zhiheng had already recognized the person who took the flag. Before he could say the second sentence, the third shot was fired like a shotgun, hitting the stone wall.  Tian Chao¡¯s body swayed, and his knees sank. He used the flagpole to prop him up, but the flag slipped from his hand.  His body fell down like a board, falling backwards to the ground, lying straight on his back with his hands crossed on his chest.  Strips of blood flowed out from under his body like streams.  Tian Chao's old face was pale and sad, and his eyes were wide open, still looking at the sky.  But the end of the flagpole has been inserted into the crack of the stone.  The people were all controlled by a kind of anger that was not controlled by human power. They even forgot to defend themselves. They all approached the corpse in shock and fear.  "Why, why¡ª¡ª" Yu Zhiheng's lips were trembling. Although he tried his best to control himself, he still couldn't say a complete sentence.  Tian Chao¡¯s lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but the wings of death had enveloped him at this time. Yu Zhiheng could clearly see that his eyes had lost their life, leaving only a faint smile.  Yu Zhiheng reached out and touched Tian Chao's face, closed his eyes, turned around and said to everyone: "Brothers, this is the example he set for us. He stood up! Let's retreat.  , He marched forward bravely! Let us see how those who tremble with old age educate those who tremble with fear! Now it is our turn, let us protect his body as we protect the body of our father.  " People responded to Yu Zhiheng's words with a low and firm voice. Everyone quickly returned to their positions, and the fear seemed to disappear from their bodies.  At this time, the Shun army had stopped shooting, raised their rifles with bayonets fixed, and quickly charged towards the stone wall.Come.  "Shoot!" Yu Zhiheng fired the first shot while giving the order.  A row of firelight shot out from behind the stone wall. The attacking Shunjun seemed to have hit an invisible wall, and many people fell to the ground.  But these tough soldiers did not retreat. Instead, they seemed to be enraged. They fired back with rifles and rushed towards the stone wall at a faster speed.  Just like that, bullet against bullet, bayonet against bayonet, the brutal battle began.  Thick smoke enveloped the entire front. Bullets were taken out of the fast ammunition box and stuffed into the smoking gun chamber. The firing pin violently hit the gun chamber, making a sonorous sound. Everyone's faces and hands were burned by the burning gunpowder.  And became black.  Yu Zhiheng waved the command knife in his hand to resist the enemy soldiers who had rushed to the edge of the stone wall. Bullets kept flying around him. At this time, he could no longer care about other things. There was only one thing in his mind.  Thought: No matter what, the enemy cannot be allowed to break through the stone wall.  Under the high ground, Chen Zaixing was looking at the battle situation on the mountain with a telescope. Next to him was Li Bin, who was responsible for the specific command of the siege of Little Round Top Highlands.  Gillings and Duncan, on the other hand, stood further back. After all, the firing range of rifled rifles was far beyond that of smoothbore guns. If they were hit by stray bullets at this distance, they would still die.  "Drum! Let the second wave go up!" Li Bin put down his telescope. On the hillside, the first wave of attacking Shun troops were being driven out from behind the stone wall. The bodies of Shun troops in gray coats were everywhere.  "What's wrong? Is the war situation unfavorable?" Chen Zaixing asked in a deep voice. Before the attack, Mr. Li was confident about taking the high ground. He even believed that there was no need to waste artillery shells and that the rebels could be defeated with just bayonets.  "Don't worry, Mr. Chen!" Li Bin's face was ashen. This arrogant officer never expected that these traitors would be so difficult to deal with. He gritted his teeth and replied: "It's just a minor incident. It will take another fifteen minutes at most."  , your leather shoes can be used to step into the enemy's position!" "Master Li, from what I can see, the rebels on the highlands are very naughty. Master Wang is very brave, but the rebels have gained the advantage.  Fang Yang is not in a good position to attack, so it is better to bombard him with artillery fire and kill him before attacking again." Li Bin showed his toughness at this time. He stiffened his neck and replied: "Sir, there is no need to go to such trouble!  , I can attack it again, and I can naturally take it down!" Chen Zaixing nodded and stepped aside without talking. Although he had a high status in the army, he did not have the power to interfere with the command of the former enemy.  Li Bin pulled out his sword and rushed to the soldiers who were about to go out. He shouted loudly, apparently to boost the morale of the soldiers who were about to go out.  Chen Zaixing was about to raise his telescope to look at the battle situation on the mountain when he heard a cough from behind. He quickly turned around and saw Gillings looking at him with a smile, and Duncan standing beside him.  "Master Chen, I hope I didn't disturb your command!" Gillins bowed slightly to Chen Zaixing.  "No, as you can see, I am just an idler here, and the person in charge is Master Li!" Chen Zaixing smiled and pointed to Li Bin not far away.  "That's great!" Gillings smiled. He pointed at the second wave of soldiers advancing towards the hillside and said with a smile: "Very good soldiers, brave and determined, they can compete with the warriors of the British Empire."  Comparing them! Do you think I am right? " "If it is just about courage and determination, you are right!" Duncan thanked Chen Zaixing. This Scotsman is not like Gillings.  While chatting and laughing with his recent enemy like that, he still firmly remembered that the yellow-skinned monkey in front of him was the culprit who almost had to be transferred to the reserve army in disgrace not long ago.  "What if it's just courage and determination?" Chen Zaixing frowned. It was obvious that the red-haired foreigner was a little unconvinced, but that didn't matter. If he could make effective suggestions, he wouldn't mind bending down and giving him some face.  "Then what do you think we still lack? Major Duncan?" "Some flexibility, Mr. Chen!" Duncan replied: "Look, you have more than 1,400 soldiers here, but you can invest them all at once  The maximum number of people fighting is no more than four hundred. The reason is simple. The battle line is too narrow, and the limited space limits the number of troops you can invest, making it impossible to use your numerical advantage. Why don't you lengthen the battle line and find a way to detour back to the enemy?  How about going to the side? This will force the enemy to either disperse their forces or be surrounded by you!" "Your suggestion is very good!" Chen Zaixing pointed to the distance with a smile: "But the reality of the battlefield limits us.  One side of this highland is a steep ridge, and the other is a swamp. Do you think we should cross the ridge or walk into the swamp? "Of course it is a swamp!" Duncan replied: "The ridge is guarded by rebels.  And the swampBut there is no one to defend it. Natural obstacles are not difficult to overcome, but artificial defenses are difficult to overcome.  "Speaking of this, Duncan squatted down and drew a figure on the ground, and replied: "Mr. Chen, in my hometown, you can often see this kind of swamp. In order to be able to survive on this soft and soft ground, we locals  Walking, I came up with a way to tie wicker or other branches to the shoes to form a frame, and then cover it with leather or something else, so that the contact area between your feet and the swamp will be larger, and people will not fall into it.  Go in the mud.  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 39 Collapse

    Chen Zaixing squatted down, looked at the graphics on the ground for a while, stood up and asked, "Major Duncan, can you make a scene?" "Of course!" Duncan replied, "He pointed to the reeds next to the swamp:  ¡°Just use the reeds there and you can make it in two minutes!  "    "very good!  "Chen Zaixing looked at the battle on the high ground. The Shun Army's second attack had reached a stalemate. He turned back and asked Duncan: "Major Duncan, if I give you a hundred men, are you willing to lead them to carry out the attack you just made?  What is the recommended copy implementation?  " Duncan turned around and glanced at Gillings. When he saw the other person nodded slightly, he nodded and replied: "This is my honor!  " On the high ground, the battle has entered a fierce state. The Shun army soldiers have occupied one third of the stone wall. Soldiers from both sides are fighting to the death with bayonets, gun butts, stones, fists and even teeth in front and behind the stone wall.  . Yu Zhiheng was surrounded by enemies several times his own. If it were not for the sacrifice of other rebel soldiers and good luck, he would have turned into a corpse full of holes by 3:30 that afternoon.  On the left and right, the rebels on the top of the small garden finally repelled the third attack of the Shun army. However, only about 250 of the defenders on the mountain could continue to fight. This number of people was simply not enough to continue to defend.  The four-hundred-meter-long stone wall. Yu Zhiheng had to consider whether he should abandon this position. "Retreat, never!"  "When Yu Zhiheng tentatively put forward his suggestion, fierce opposition immediately broke out in the crowd. These people who were already red-eyed waved their weapons angrily. Old Walnut took a step forward and pointed at the side where  The flag, which had been beaten to the point of being no different from rags, shouted loudly: "Are you going to hand over this flag and Tian Chao's body to Shun Gouzi?  no way!  " "We can take the body away!  "Yu Zhiheng tried his best to persuade the other party: "We have too few people. Next time, at most the next time, the enemy will rush to the high ground and stab us all to death with bayonets. At that time, we still can't save the flag and the bodies!  " "No, the enemy can't rush up!  "A somewhat stiff Chinese voice interrupted everyone's argument. Yu Zhiheng turned around in surprise, just in time to see the smiling face of Mikhail. This Russian aristocratic officer who usually had a straight face was now  He smiled very cordially. "Yu, I brought reinforcements, four hundred people, and a Napoleon cannon. Major Sharif has clearly determined the enemy's main attack direction. You and your soldiers have done a good job. You are a true soldier."  warrior!  " "This is what I should do, Captain!  "Yu Zhiheng licked his chapped lips and replied timidly: "But please forgive me. I asked to retreat just now, not because I was timid, but -" "No, you don't need to apologize!  "Mikhail interrupted Yu Zhiheng's apology: "Anyone in your position can only do this. Fighting is not about letting soldiers die. Even the great Kutuzov did it in Borodino.  Choose to retreat.  "Yu Zhiheng frowned. Obviously he couldn't understand the mixed Chinese and Russian words behind Mikhail, but he still felt the other party's kindness. "So, what should my people and I do now?  ?  "    "rest!  Just leave it to us, your people can serve as a reserve team!  "Mikhail replied with a smile. Under the high ground, bursts of gunfire came from the northwest. It was a diversionary attack by other parts of the army. It was already 3:40 that afternoon.  At five minutes, the remnants of the third wave of repulsed Shun army had just retreated from the hillside. These soldiers were sitting or lying on the grass in groups of three or five. Almost all of them had their heads lowered, tired and tired.  The pain almost overwhelmed these strong men. ¡°Shame, shame!  "Li Bin's face was ashen. This proud officer was almost driven crazy by the defeat just now: "I would rather be killed on the spot by the traitor's bullet than watch the commander's standard camp in front of a group of escaped slaves.  Turn around and run away!  Now, everyone, stand up!" The soldiers who heard Li Bin's order stood up blankly, and saw their commander standing at the front of their first row, pulling out his command knife: "Now, I will lead it myself.  As you launch another attack, you will either die on the hillside or occupy the high ground!  "The morale of the soldiers was re-energized by the heroic behavior of their commanders. They quickly reorganized into a queue. Strength and courage seemed to have returned to their bodies all of a sudden, and everyone's backs were straight.  , two eyes sparkling ¡°Now!  Everyone listen to my command!  "Li Bin turned around, took off his hat at the same time, picked it up with the tip of the command knife, turned around and shouted: "This is our flag now, go forward, boys, let them taste the power of the bayonet.""Mr. Li, please wait a moment!"  "A voice interrupted Li Bin's actions. He turned around and saw Chen Zaixing walking quickly towards him. His face changed slightly, but he still stiffly bowed slightly to Chen Zaixing and said calmly.  He said in a voice: "Master Chen, please tell me quickly if you have anything to do. The military situation is urgent!  " "Master Li, I just want to give you a suggestion.  I think this can save a lot of blood of soldiers!  Chen Zaixing replied in a low voice: "Our artillery has a huge advantage, but during our previous artillery bombardment, the cunning enemy hid behind the ridgeline, and even shrapnel damage to it was very limited."  What I mean is that when you attack about a hundred meters, you order all the soldiers to crawl for a minute or a minute and a half, and at the same time order the artillery to fire a rapid fire, and then take the opportunity to launch an attack. What do you think of this?  " Hearing this, Li Bin's face gradually softened. He had also heard that Mr. Chen had made great contributions in Myanmar, but he thought it was just a matter of strategic planning like ordinary civil servants. After all, with the popularity of hot weapons,  Using it, war has become more and more a professional job, but he did not expect that Chen Zaixing was an expert. From his perspective, this idea was quite good, because when Shunjun rushed to a distance of about 100 meters.  At that time, the rebels could not continue to hide behind the ridgeline to avoid artillery fire. They had to resist behind the stone wall, which became a living target for the artillery. Moreover, judging from the rebels' shooting skills, the most casualties among the rebels were within fifty meters.  At a distance, this bombardment can reduce the casualties of many soldiers. "That's too much for you, sir!"  "Li Bin cupped his hands and was about to turn around and give the order to attack when he heard Chen Zaixing's voice coming from behind: "One more thing. I have just sent people to lead a small group of soldiers from the swamp to the back of the high ground.  It's almost time, and Mr. Li will be prepared later to avoid accidentally injuring one of his own!  "    "What?  Li Bin was stunned when he heard this. He turned around and saw that Chen Zaixing had already walked towards the artillery. He gritted his teeth, walked quickly to the infantry who had already lined up, and loudly ordered: "Everyone, listen up."  Okay, you all have to watch me carefully later. If I throw this hat to the ground and yell to lie down, then you will lie down too, and then wait for about a minute, and I will stand up and charge towards the stone wall.  You must also charge with me, do you understand?  " "Yes, sir, don't worry, we will follow you!  "    "very good!  Now, attack!  The soldiers of the Shun Army crossed the grass and broken areas and rushed towards the stone wall on the high ground.  The rebel artillery on the high ground began to fire at the cis troops. Due to the lack of well-trained gunners, Mikhail had to serve as the gunner himself, and he only had solid shells instead of shrapnel shells, which were more threatening to the infantry.  However, the high-speed flying iron ball still penetrated into the dense formation of the Shun army, tearing apart everything it encountered.  However, the Shunjun soldiers still moved forward firmly.  Then came the thunderous gunshots of Berdan's 1871 model rifle. The soldiers of the army staggered and trembled as if they were walking into a storm, and some people kept falling.  But Li Bin didn't seem to see the countless black holes in the stone wall. He waved the saber holding his hat and shouted: "Be brave, boys! Be brave!" The soldiers of the Shun Army shouted in unison.  With the cries of the soldiers, they advanced towards their goal, the stone wall on the high ground, which showed their determination to seize the goal to the death, but they paid a terrible price for their courage.  Li Bin looked at the stone wall not far away. It was probably only about fifty meters away. The gunfire from the rebels was becoming more and more intensive. Through the thick white smoke, he could still see a burst of  There was a flash of fire¡ªthat was from rifle fire.  He turned around suddenly, threw his hat to the ground, shouted at the same time to lie down, and fell to the ground. The soldiers behind him also quickly imitated his commander's team and fell to the ground.  "Huh? What are these damn Chinese doing?" Mikhail saw the enemy's strange movements in confusion. Before he could react, a harsh scream suddenly came from the air. He instinctively  He fell to the ground, this action protecting his life.  Boom, boom!  A burst of artillery shells exploded over the high ground. These were almost all shrapnel shells. The iron bullets and shrapnel produced during the explosion swept across the high ground, knocking down the soldiers who were shooting at the enemy behind the stone wall.  For these rebel soldiers who had only picked up rifles for more than a month, this test was too harsh. Many soldiers immediately dropped their rifles, turned around and fled behind the ridge.  "Bastard, coward, come back!" Mikhail got up from the ground angrily, raised his pistol and fired two shots into the air, but the two shots were too weak on the high ground, and the soldiers continued to shoot towards  Fleeing behind the ridgeline, Mikhail was about to order his men to kill several deserters when an 8-inch shrapnel exploded in the air less than eight meters away from him. The air wave generated by the explosion would??Hail blew to the ground.  The young Tsarist Russian aristocratic officer pushed hard on the ground with his hands and tried to stand up again, but he failed.  For the first time, Mikhail felt that his strong arms were so weak that he could not even support his own weight. Then he fell to the ground weakly, and the soldiers' shouts of killing could be heard in his ears. Mikhail  I felt that my head was getting heavier and heavier, and I fainted as soon as my vision went dark.

 End of Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 40

    I don't know how much time passed, but Mikhail seemed to hear someone calling his name far away. He wanted to open his eyes to see who it was, but his upper and lower eyelids seemed to be as heavy as cast lead.  After struggling for a while, he managed to open his eyes, only to see that everything in front of him was hazy, as if everything was shrouded in a thick fog.  "Captain! Captain! Wake up!" Mikhail turned his eyes and saw Yu Zhiheng shaking himself violently, with a look of concern on his face.  Mikhail tried his best to smile and asked: "How is it now?" "My people have already gone up, you don't have to worry! Master!" Yu Zhiheng looked at Mikhail's chest worriedly.  Er also felt the other person's gaze. He reached out and touched his chest. His fingertips immediately felt wet and slippery. He looked at his palm again and saw that it was already a bright red.  "Master, don't worry, I will bandage you right away and then have someone carry you off on a stretcher. Everything will be fine!" Yu Zhiheng clumsily tore open the hem of Mikhail's shirt to make a bandage, but  For some unknown reason, he tore the shirt several times without tearing it open.  "Don't bother, Yu!" Mikhail pushed Yu Zhiheng's arm weakly: "With so much blood, the shrapnel must have broken the artery. You are just prolonging my pain! Die on the battlefield  It's not a terrible thing for a Russian." At this point, he reached out to touch his chest with difficulty, took out a blood-stained relic box, kissed it on the lips, and whispered.  Said: "Yu, please give this to my wife and tell her that her husband has spent his life serving God and the Tsar, and that I love her-" At this point, Mikhail finally  After spending the last bit of his life, his right hand holding the cross lost its strength, and the reliquary fell back to his chest.  Yu Zhiheng stretched out his hand and stroked Mikhail's face a few times, wiped away the blood on his face, took off the relic box and put it in his arms carefully, and whispered to him: "Please  Don't worry, Master Mikhail, I will definitely bring this to your wife!" Then he stood up and looked towards the battlefield.  At this time, the Shun army had occupied most of the stone wall and captured the rebel Napoleon cannon. If it had not been for the addition of the more than 200 reserve troops led by Yu Zhiheng, the Shun army might have occupied the entire small town.  Dome Heights, but even so, they were not far from their goal.  Li Bin stood on the Napoleon cannon, waving his saber, and loudly encouraged his soldiers: "Be brave, children, be braver, drive these bastards down the mountain, you have to do it, you have to do it  Here we are!" But the rebel soldiers surrounded the flag and Tian Chao's body and refused to retreat. No matter how Li Bin encouraged his men, they still could not completely drive the enemy off the high ground.  At this time, the time hand has pointed to five o'clock in the afternoon, and the soldiers on both sides are exhausted. Even with Li Bin's arrogance, he has to admit that he cannot win the victory alone. The balance of victory depends on which side.  The reinforcements arrived first.  At this time, the dense bushes behind the high ground began to shake violently, and a pointed helmet of the Shun Army emerged from it, followed by the unique gray coat of the Shun Army.  This was the belated roundabout force led by Duncan. They wandered in the dangerous swamp for more than an hour, and several soldiers of the army paid the price with their lives.  But at this critical moment, this small force finally appeared at this critical place.  As for what happened next, I think it is enough to quote directly from the original text of Mr. Gillings's famous memoirs. Thanks to the brilliant pen of this British gentleman, the scale of this incident was not large.  The battle in "Cambridge History of China" actually occupies more than two pages. You must know that the famous Battle of Chibi in "Cambridge History of China" only takes up four lines and 117 English words. This is  To its Chinese readers, it is simply ridiculous.  "When I saw Major Duncan's red hair emerging from the bushes at the foot of the mountain, I had to think of the afternoon of June 18, 1815, which happened to be five o'clock on the high hill near Frichemont.  The bright line of spears appeared in the distance (This refers to the Battle of Waterloo, when the British and French armies fought fiercely until 5 p.m., and Bl¨¹cher, who led Prussia, arrived with his troops and attacked the French army, so Napoleon was defeated.) Maybe.  Some gentlemen may think that I am exaggerating in comparing the great battle that decided the fate of Europe to this small conflict at the edge of the world. But if we stand higher and look farther, we will find this 'small battle.  'There is a close connection with the two wars that almost destroyed the entire European civilization thirty years later. As a Chinese proverb says: 'The end is obvious, but the beginning will be subtle!'  Come back to that fight.Under the leadership of Major Duncan, the small group of Chinese soldiers crossed the swamp and appeared behind the high ground where the rebels were located.  Like a small weight falling on one end of the scale, victory immediately became an obvious fact.  The rebels who were attacked from both sides fell in rows, but except for a few people, the vast majority of them fell bravely on their positions.  The victory or defeat of the Little Round Top Heights determined the outcome of the entire battle. The Chinese commander immediately sent out his force to bypass the rebels' central position and moved his artillery to the Little Round Top Heights.  After occupying this well-positioned artillery position, the Chinese's excellent artillery can carry out side fire on the rebels' central position.  By seven o'clock in the evening, the rebels completely collapsed. Thousands of people abandoned their weapons and tried to escape under the cover of night. However, under the pursuit of a large number of Tatar cavalry loyal to the Chinese emperor, only a handful of them were able to escape.  Only people can escape.  In the next few days, the savage Tatar cavalry carried the newly severed heads as proof of receiving the bounty. Of course, they also captured them alive when possible, because there were many slaves behind the army.  Merchants were willing to pay to buy these captives and sell them to the west. This was a very profitable business.  There are many large cotton plantations in the west that are willing to pay high prices for these slaves, which provide more than half of the high-quality raw cotton to the factories in China's Jiangnan region that are competing fiercely with Manchester textile companies.  " Now let us turn the hands of time back to two o'clock in the morning that day, and talk about that unfortunate battlefield again, because it is indispensable to an important character in this book. " June 1886  The night of the 17th was a full moon night. The moonlight made it easier for Xibo and Khovd's cavalry to pursue the fierce pursuit of the army. It pointed out the movements of the deserters and handed over the people in the catastrophe to the greedy and ruthless people.  The Mongolian cavalry contributed to that massacre. In natural disasters, the night can sometimes help people to kill. When the last row of rebel soldiers fell in the crowd, there was only a piece of flat ground on the top of the small garden.  It was a desolate scene. The infantry of the Shun Army occupied the rebel camp. This was the usual practice of the victors, and they slept on the couch of the losers. At this time, Gao Tingyu returned to his tent and began to write a letter to the court.  Memorial. After describing the fierceness and cruelty of war, in order to prevent my readers from having the illusion that war is a noble activity, human emotions are sublimated in war, so that war can make human beings  It becomes noble and great. No, war is not like this, at least not entirely. It also has its ugly side, such as collecting the dead people's belongings immediately after victory, and the next morning's morning light often shines on the naked bodies.  Of course, taking the spoils has been the natural right of the victor since ancient times, but this does not mean that all those involved in this dirty and very profitable business are soldiers, just as there is always a small fish following the shark in the ocean.  The back of the army enjoys the food scraps left by the former. From ancient times to the present, there are these bat-like figures at the back of the army. They are half bandits and half servants. They wear military uniforms instead of going into battle. They pretend to be sick and ride with a lame heart.  , sometimes with women, riding in small cars, selling private goods, selling and stealing casually, beggars, orderlies, pickpockets and the like who asked the officers to be guides. These are only vaguely found in the corners of history books.  The number of scumbags that can be seen depends on the strictness of the general's military discipline, so we can judge the general's strictness from the number of tails in the army. As for Gao Tingyu, he is not immune, but there are not many in number.  On the night from the 17th to the 18th of the month, Gao Tingyu was strict and ordered the soldiers to kill without mercy. However, while the thieves were being shot on one side of the battlefield, thefts were still going on on the other side.  The moonlight illuminated the wilderness. About three o'clock in the morning, there was a person wandering along the concave road on the right side of the small garden. Judging from the appearance of this person, he was exactly the kind of person we just described. He was neither smooth nor smooth.  He was neither an army nor a rebel, neither a soldier nor a civilian. He looked half like a human and half like a ghost. He was wearing a cloak that covered his head. He was sneaky, but he was full of courage. He walked forward and walked towards.  Looking back. Who is he? His origin may be clearer in the night than in the day. He does not have a bag, but there are obviously some big pockets under the shirt. He stops and looks around for fear of anyone paying attention to him.  , he suddenly bent down, turned over some silent and motionless things on the ground, then stood up again and walked away secretly.  His movement, his air, his quick and mysterious movements were like the kind of wild ghosts that haunt the barren hills at dusk, the kind of wandering ghosts mentioned in legends on the prairie.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 41 Thief

    The night was bright and clear, with not a single cloud in the sky. The bloody battles during the day did not affect the brightness of the moon. The branches of some trees on the highlands were broken by bullets, but they never fell to the ground. They were hung on the trees by their skins, gently blowing in the night wind.  Shaking, a weak air current blew through the grass, as if a soul was floating on it.  In front of the Shunjun camp, the sounds of night patrol sergeants coming and going could be faintly discerned.  Now can we talk about the situation on the right side of Little Round Top in the hollow road, where the rebels launched their final counterattack in an attempt to retake the high ground. These desperate and heroic people rushed to the high ground three times and were captured again.  The Shun army on the high ground was driven back with bayonets until the Shun army moved their artillery to the high ground and knocked them to the ground in rows with shrapnel. Then the Xibo cavalry attacked from the high ground, using sabers and spears.  After everything was over, the dense corpses fell to the ground layer by layer, still maintaining the formation in which they launched the attack.  The sunken road was already filled with corpses, layer upon layer, horrifyingly.  The man who robbed at night was walking towards that area. He sniffed the vast cemetery and looked around, as if he was inspecting the procession of the dead, walking forward in a pool of blood.  He suddenly stopped. A few steps away from him, a hand stretched out from the pile of corpses under the moonlight. There was something on the finger of that hand that shone brightly in the moonlight, a silver cross.  The man bent down and squatted for a while. When he stood up again, there was no silver cross in his hand.  This man did not really stand up. He was hunched over, with the weight of his body resting on his knees and hands, which were half kneeling on the ground. He stretched his head to both sides of the concave road, looking out, like a bird looking for food.  Scavenging jackal.  After a while, after making sure that there was no one around, the man stood up. At this time, the cloak on his head fell down, revealing a familiar face. This man was Jiang Zhiqing.  At this moment, Jiang Zhiqing was suddenly shocked. He felt that someone was holding him from behind.  Jiang Zhiqing turned around and saw that the hand that was originally open had now closed and grabbed the edge of his clothes.  Ordinary people must be shocked, but he laughed.  "Spit," he said, "it's a good thing it's a dead man! I'd rather meet a ghost than a sentinel." As he was speaking, his hand was exhausted and he dropped it.  The strength of the dead is limited.  "Strange thing!" Jiang Zhiqing said again, "Is this dead man alive? Let me take a look." He bent down again, searched the pile of corpses, opened up the things that were in the way, grabbed the hand, and pulled  Hold that arm, move your head out, drag your body out.  After a while, a lifeless man, at least an unconscious man, was dragged out. He was a rebel officer. This could be seen from the shoulder strap on his body that was the symbol of an officer. There was blood on his face.  It was blurry, and a saber wound extended from the right forehead to the left side of the chin, only five centimeters away from his left eye.  In addition, there did not appear to be any wounds or broken limbs on his body, and luckily, some corpses crossed over him to form a gap, so he did not receive the fatal pressure.  Jiang Zhiqing stretched out his hand and groped around the body, first in the jacket pockets, then in the bottom pockets, and finally in the shoes. After he touched all the places where his belongings might be hidden, he still found nothing.  He spat on the ground angrily and cursed: "Damn poor guy!" At this moment, the eyes of the corpse on the ground opened, and he said breathlessly: "Thank you!" Jiang Zhiqing flipped him over in a hurry  The movement, the coolness of the night breeze, and the smooth air he breathed woke him up from his coma.  Jiang Zhiqing did not answer.  He looked up.  He heard footsteps in the wilderness, perhaps some patrol coming.  The rebel officer whispered, because he had just regained his breath and was not far away from death: "What is the situation now?" "The Shun army has won, and the Mongolian cavalry is pursuing!" The footsteps of the patrol became increasingly clear.  Jiang Zhiqing stood up and prepared to leave: "Someone is coming!" The rebel officer tried his best and stretched out his hand to grab the other party's shirt: "You saved my life, who are you?" "Let go of your hand!"  , I am the same as you, I must leave immediately, otherwise they will shoot me, I have saved your life. Now you can escape by yourself." "Okay, please remember my name, my name is Yu Zhiheng.  , please tell me your name, I will do my best to repay you!" "Jiang Zhiqing!" Jiang Zhiqing left quickly without looking back.  Now let us look away from this episode and return to our main line.  At about five o'clock in the afternoon on the second day after the Battle of Ulan Tuoluo Sea, Chen Zaixing was riding on a beautiful Hequ horse.His straight body rose and fell slightly with the horse under his crotch. Behind him were Gillings and Duncan.  Due to their outstanding performance at the critical moment yesterday, their status was upgraded to guests between prisoners and surveillance objects. Even their servant Jiang Zhiqing's treatment was improved a lot. The guard beside him disappeared as soon as the battle ended.  .  Gillings slapped his horse lightly, rode side by side with Chen Zaixing, and asked: "Mr. Chen, I heard that there were many Russian officers among the rebels yesterday? Is this true?" "Yes.  "Chen Zaixing is not prepared to hide the other party on this issue. It is a semi-public fact that there is a shadow of the Russian Empire in these rebellions in the north.  "Then can you reveal how you will treat these people?" "According to the tacit understanding reached by both parties in the past, the dead will be handed over to the other party after cleaning up. As for the living?" Chen Zaixing smiled and said: "This is the commander's business.  "I can't say for sure now!" "That's it!" Gillings nodded slightly. It was obvious that the commander-in-chief of the Shun Army decided to keep these prisoners as bargaining chips to find the most advantageous time to throw them out.  He pondered for a moment and smiled: "Mr. Chen, if possible, I would like to ask you a personal question! After this war is over, where will you go? Mongolia? Burma? Or somewhere else?  "Haha! Mr. Gillings, don't you think it's too early to talk about this?" Chen Zaixing closed his eyes slightly comfortably. The wind on the grassland at this time was still very cool and pleasant.  "Mr. Chen, sometimes it's better for us to prepare early!" After Gillings said this, he leaned over and lowered his voice and said: "Mr. Chen, I hope to have some cooperation with you in business. Please believe me.  "I, you and I have a very bright future in business!" "Business?" Chen Zaixing was slightly stunned. He did not expect that this British guy was so forgetful or flexible.  You must know that just a few months ago, he and he were still fighting a life-and-death struggle for the ownership of Myanmar, but now the other party can actually act like old friends and talk about business cooperation. These Westerners are really turning their faces against each other.  Still fast.  "Yes, Lord Chen. Please believe me. As you know, the Irrawaddy Delta region in Myanmar, which is the most rice-rich, is now under the control of the British Empire; as far as I know, due to the rapid development of industry, the Jiangnan region of your country  The population in Heyanshan Prefecture has increased significantly, requiring a large amount of imported food." At this point, Gillins spread his hands: "You see, there is a place of production and there is demand, which means huge profits!" "You are right.  That makes sense!" Chen Zaixing looked at the British guy who looked at him calmly: "But why are you telling me this? There are many grain merchants in Shanghai and Tianjin. You can definitely negotiate this huge profit with them.  Business, don¡¯t say this is a thank you for taking care of you along the way!¡± ¡°Of course not, of course not! Mr. Chen, I think you are a little too sensitive!¡± Gillins waved his hand awkwardly: ¡°I  Naturally, there are also some needs for cooperation with you. You know that Myanmar¡¯s tin mines, oil, various gemstones, teak wood are mainly in Central Myanmar and Upper Myanmar, and the best anthracite coal. These are all under your control in the Kingdom of Myanmar.  However, the original market for these minerals is in the international market. If we can reach a cooperation, we will definitely get very generous profits!" Chen Zaixing looked at the other party with interest and suddenly smiled: "Mr. Gillings, I  I don¡¯t know why you have so much confidence in me? I am just an ordinary minister of Dashun and I don¡¯t know where I will serve in the future, but you are discussing this kind of business with me. Why don¡¯t you go directly to the king of Myanmar?  What about discussing with Her Majesty the Princess? If you are willing to give a suitable price, I believe they will accept your request! " "Because you are an unusual person, a person with extraordinary willpower.  He is someone who will never accept fate's arrangements, but will create his own destiny! My experience in Myanmar not long ago told me this!" Gillings looked into Chen Zaixing's eyes and said, "For people like you,  I and the gentlemen behind me hope to have long-term cooperation with you. Please believe in our sincerity!¡± ¡°The gentlemen behind you?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Chen! Now is a great opportunity for Myanmar.  After the war, the price of tin ore and teak in London doubled. You can buy it at a good price. If you allow Jefferson Company to own 49% of the equity, I am willing to help you get it all done. Within half a year, you will get a good price.  You can earn 350,000 pounds! That's 1.1 million taels of silver!" At this point, Gillins's eyes turned red and he stared at Chen Zaixing.  "Jefferson Brothers?" Chen Zaixing looked at the other party in confusion.  "Yes!" Gillings?? smiled and nodded: "This company is named after my father, Jefferson Gillings. This company operates import and export trade in Liverpool and London. I personally own 11.2% of the company's equity.  He is also one of the directors of the company!" "Mr. Gillings, what do I need to do? Do you think I can wait for the money to come into my pocket without doing anything?" "Please believe me, you don't have to do anything, just write.  Write a letter to that beautiful princess, asking for the special export rights of tin ore and teak for this newly established trading company. I believe that the beautiful princess will not have the heart to refuse you.  My benefactor!" When the words "great benefactor" were mentioned, Gillins winked at Chen Zaixing ambiguously.  "Trading company?" "Yes, Mr. Chen, I plan to establish a trading company in partnership with you. Jefferson Company holds 49% of the shares, and you own 51%. You see, you have an absolute majority of the company's shares.  You are the one who controls the company, so you don¡¯t have to worry about anything at all! In order to commemorate my friendship with you, I propose to name this company Pyay-Yangon Company. Pyay is the place where the peace treaty was signed, and  Yangon is where the company is based, what do you think?" Gillings looked very sincere, but thought to himself: "It doesn't matter how much the shares are, anyway, it's my people who control the tin mines and teak wood sales in the market, I can definitely take care of it.  Most of the profits are controlled after the sale, and what is left in this trading company is just a squeezed lemon!" Chen Zaixing did not immediately answer the other party's proposal. He pulled the reins twice, and the well-behaved Hequ horse  He slowed down, and after two minutes of silence, Chen Zaixing replied: "Mr. Gillings, I am very interested in your proposal, but the details need to be modified. For example, how about changing to an auction system? Myanmar agrees to sell every year  Give a certain amount of tin ore and teak to Jefferson Company, and you come up with a price. As long as your price is right, I believe there is nothing that can prevent you from doing this business. "What do you think of my suggestion?" Gillings was stunned for a moment.  Chen Zaixing's proposal cleverly bypassed his trap, preventing him from obtaining excess profits by monopolizing the export rights of Myanmar tin ore and teak, and keeping the profits in his own hands in the form of freight, insurance premiums, etc.  He could not raise objections to Chen Zaixing's proposal. After all, the other party's suggestion was in line with the usual business rules. However, Gillings did not give up. He gritted his teeth and whispered: "Mr. Chen, why can't we give Jefferson Company a franchise?"  ? You must know that if other people can export tin ore and teak from Myanmar, there will probably be conflicts and they will not be able to sell it at a good price! " " Please rest assured that the Kingdom of Myanmar will soon introduce a law to declare all minerals  Both teak and teak are the property of the king. No private mining or logging is allowed without the permission of the royal government. The government will decide the quantity to sell based on the market price, and the Jefferson Company will get a reasonable profit!" Chen Zaixing deliberately added, "reasonable!"  "The pronunciation of three words.  "Okay, I agree with your proposal!" Gillings nodded dejectedly. After all, although he couldn't get all the profits, he could at least get quite generous profits. It was just tin ore, but teak was unique in the world.  There is no other branch of this store, and the Royal Navy cannot do without Burmese teak.  "Mr. Gillings!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "I believe this rebellion will be over soon. I can write that letter to Her Majesty the Princess. As for the 350,000 pounds you just mentioned, I believe you are not talking about it."  You're kidding!" Gillings looked like a rattlesnake whose tail had been stepped on. He immediately raised his head and stared hard at Chen Zaixing, but Chen Zaixing still looked at him with a smile. After a moment, Gillings' eyes softened.  He came down and whispered: "Of course, this is a gentleman's promise!" "Very good, as soon as I return to Zhangjiakou, I will write to Her Majesty the Princess. This is also a gentleman's promise!" At this point, Chen Zaixing smiled and said to her.  The other person winked.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 42 Heroine

    As the leader of the rebels, the Great Khan Chelindorzi of the Tushetu Department received news of the destruction of his infantry unit and artillery on the fifth day after the Battle of Ulan Toro Sea.  Chelindorzi did not react much to this. After all, this was what he expected. He stepped up his pace to be crowned the Mongol Khan of Khalkha. On June 24, 1886, that is  On the sixth day after the Battle of Ulantoro Sea, Chelin Dorji was crowned the Great Khan of Khalkha Mongolia at the foot of Mount Burhan, the holy mountain in Mongolia. On the evening after the ceremony, he led his tribe  After leaving here, he set a fire before leaving and burned the city of Cullen completely.  On the morning of the third day after Chelin Dorji left, a small group of cavalrymen arrived at the area not long ago known as the city of Kulun. They began to extinguish the remains of the buildings that had been burned to ruins.  Fire, clear the ruins, and prepare for the upcoming arrival of the army.  Most of the buildings in Kulun City were burned down. There were only two relatively intact buildings that were preserved in the fire - Sedan Temple and Kulun Duwei's Mansion. Sedan Temple was revered by the Mongolian cavalry who executed Chelin Dorji's orders  The retribution of the gods and Buddhas was merciful to this temple, the residence of living Buddhas in the past, and only set fire to a few adjacent houses; as for the Kulun Duwei Mansion, it was built as a fortress when it was first built, and it was basically an earth and stone structure.  Natural fire resistance is better.  Two days later, the main force of the Shun Army arrived in Kulun, followed by the princes and nobles of the Khalkha Mongolian tribes. These guys who just stopped and watched not long ago and did not express their stance are now filing in.  He walked in from outside the tent and knelt at Gao Tingyu's knees, confessing to him his loyalty to Emperor Dashun and his hatred for the traitor Chelin Dorji.  As for why they have not expressed their attitude until now? These princes all said that it was because the rebels were previously powerful, and they had to accept the humiliation and bear the burden.  Then they all pointed out that they were actually loyal to Master Wang secretly and had done a lot of work.  "Commander, Marshal, our Chechen tribe has always been loyal to Emperor Dashun!" A fat man with a neck as thick as his head knelt on the ground and said loudly: "Chelin Dorji secretly colluded to escape and accumulated arms.  , Xiao Wang had already told the governor of Zhangbei that he would be safe, but he didn't expect it to happen suddenly. He couldn't prepare for it, so he had to put on a smile and deal with it. Thanks to the longevity god for protecting me - "This.  The Chechen Khan didn't know where he found a post prepared for him by a master. The writing was mediocre and confusing. Chen Zaixing, who was sitting next to Gao Tingyu, couldn't help but laugh. He covered his mouth with his hands and bowed to Xue Ruowang.  He said in a voice: "Ruowang, did this guy really send a discount to the Zhangbei Protectorate?" "Master Chen, this guy really didn't lie!" Xue Ruowang bowed slightly and replied in a low voice: "But this kind of discount is very  It is common. Unlike in the mainland, there are no marks between the fields. It is normal for various tribes to have conflicts over water sources, pasture land, and loss of livestock. In the past, it was just a matter of direct action, and whoever is more aggressive now has the right to protect them.  The government prohibits all ministries from using force to resolve the issue and leaves it to the court for arbitration. As a result, the losing side becomes dissatisfied and uses eye drops on each other. There are one or two such tricks every year, and there are countless of them! " "So that's the case, doesn't it mean everyone can use it?  Is this an excuse?" "That's right!" Sure enough, as Xue Ruowang said, almost every prince who came forward to kneel down used this excuse as a reason for his exculpation, but Gao Tingyu just nodded slightly, without comment or expression.  Chen Zaixing, who was sitting aside, couldn't help but feel bored, but he knew that he didn't know much about the situation in Mongolia, so it was better not to talk nonsense.  At this time, almost all the people who came to the tent to see him were left, except for the last one, a handsome young man of sixteen or seventeen years old, who stood out among a group of fat, cunning princes and nobles.  Chen Zaixing frowned slightly, thinking to himself that the chief of some tribe had gone crazy and dared to send his nephew over to make up for the loss at this juncture. Could it be that he didn't want his head anymore?  "Don't beg, little girl. She is the eldest daughter of Chelinduanduobu, the king of Saiyinnuoyan tribe. Today, she comes to pay homage to Mr. Gao on behalf of her father!" At this point, the young man bowed down with his hands folded. Chen Zaixing listened to his clear voice.  Roumei turns out to be a woman in disguise.  "That's it!" Gao Tingyu nodded slightly, then his face changed slightly, and he asked in a deep voice: "What about Che Lin Duan Duo Bu? Why don't you come to see me in person? Could it be that you have done something illegal and are afraid to see me?  "Gao Tingyu, who had been silent just now, suddenly asked a question, and the air in the tent suddenly seemed to freeze.  The princes were frightened at the same time, but they were secretly glad that they were not the ones kneeling on the ground.  Bieqi replied proudly: "My lord, my father can't come. My brothers are still young, so I disguise myself to see you. Please forgive me!" "Can't come?" Gao Tingyu was slightly stunned: "Is it possible?  Seriously ill?""My lord, when summoned, even if my father is still breathing, he will come here even if he is carried by others!" When Bieqi said this, his eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of mist: "My lord, when the Living Buddha is seriously ill,  , the evil thief Chelin Duoerji took the opportunity to lure horse thieves, escaped slaves, and evildoers on the grassland to Kulun, with evil intentions. Seeing that the situation was not good, my father wanted to attack Lord Jueluo of the Duwei Mansion, but was stopped by the evil thief Chelin Duoerji.  The thief found out, took him away, and detained him in the army. He still doesn't know whether he is alive or dead. I hope Master Gao will make the decision for everyone in my Saiyinnuoyan tribe!" At this point, Bieqi fell to the ground and kowtowed.  Gao Tingyu's eyes flashed slightly, and then he said in a deep voice: "Don't beg Boji (Boji: eldest daughter, Boji means eldest daughter, which is the honorific title for the eldest daughter of a nobleman in Mongolian), you said that your father was betrayed by a traitor  Chelin Dorji detained him, and he didn¡¯t know whether he was alive or dead. How could he know whether he had become a thief?  There are people from all tribes, but there are no people from the Saiyinnuoyan tribe. If you check it, you will know that my Saiyinnuoyan tribe has survived to this day because of the kindness of Emperor Dashun. I will never dare to betray the Lord.  Collaboration with foreign countries, please be careful. If you don¡¯t believe it, I still have a witness!¡± ¡°Yes! If you allow it, I can ask someone to prove it now.¡± Gao Tingyu nodded slightly and stood up to wait.  The men waiting at the tent door nodded.  After a while, two members of the Saiyin Nuoyan tribe brought up a stretcher, placed it six or seven steps in front of Gao Tingyu, then put down the stretcher and turned around to retreat.  There was a man wrapped tightly on the stretcher. People in the tent immediately smelled of medicine. It was obvious that the man was seriously injured.  Gao Tingyu stood up, walked to the stretcher, and looked at the man up and down for a while.  Suddenly his face changed drastically, and he pointed to the man on the stretcher and asked Bieqi: "Isn't this Jueluo? He, he is not dead?" "Yes, this person is Jueluo, the commander-in-chief of Dashun Kulun.  After the rebel Chelin Duoerji rebelled, Lord Jueluo led two hundred soldiers to defend the mansion. The rebels sent a large army to besiege him for more than 20 days. When the army was approaching, they had to lure the rebel army south to ease the siege.  , my little girl took the opportunity to send loyal men to rescue Master Jueluo, and he has been hiding in the tribe until now. Just ask Master Jueluo himself whether it is true or not! " "Bieqi's words are like putting a thunder in the tent, the tent.  The princes here all know that no matter how eloquent they are, they may not be as good as what Jueluo said while lying on a stretcher.  At this moment, everyone's gaze on Bie Qi suddenly changed from gloating to envy and pleading. When you are still in the water and the other party has landed, it is wise to show due respect to the one who landed first.  What Gao Tingyu did next shocked everyone in the tent. After he walked to the stretcher and carefully confirmed that Jueluo's vital signs were still stable, he immediately ordered the guards to carry him to his sleeping tent.  , and asked the doctor to come to Haosheng to take care of her. Then Gao Tingyu walked up to Bieqi, bowed to the tearful girl, but Bieqi was startled, and quickly jumped aside to get out of the way, saying repeatedly: "Sir,  "How can you afford it?" "How can you afford it?" Gao Tingyu said solemnly: "Jue Luo led hundreds of weak soldiers in the midst of strong enemies, and fought unyieldingly without humiliating his integrity. You are now in a desperate situation, and you have to work hard to survive.  I am not a person like Huo Jueluo, but I am a loyal minister of Shun. If Gao is too proud to show respect to you, all the scholars and officials in the world will think that I am blind." After that, Gao Tingyu asked others to beg for a seat.  He straightened his clothes and bowed to him again. After standing up, he said to Bie Qi: "I will write down your affairs in the memorial to the court. You don't have to be brave about your father's affairs. I have my own arrangements."  Hearing this, a stone finally fell to the ground in his heart, and he knelt down and said: "Don't beg, thank you for your understanding!" Gao Tingyu nodded, stretched out his hand to help him sit aside, turned around and sat down in the middle, and said in a deep voice  : "Master Chen, please write a letter to the court on my behalf to commend Jueluo and Bieqi for their achievements!" "Yes!" Chen Zaixing walked to the case, pondered for a moment, then wiped the ink and submitted it to the court.  In front of Gao Tingyu, Gao Tingyu read aloud: "Jueluo defended the isolated city with a few soldiers. When the Xiongnu charged, he faced tens of thousands of people for days and months. He was exhausted mentally and physically. He dug mountains into wells and boiled leather into food. He died in the face of thousands of deaths.  There is no hope of life. Thousands of ugly prisoners were killed before and after, and the soldiers were all loyal and brave. They were not ashamed of the great man. The noble girl of Saiyinuoyan tribe was in the middle of the strong bandit, and she came to help to live up to the loyalty of the loyal minister.  , It¡¯s unprecedented in ancient and modern times. It¡¯s appropriate to show off one¡¯s rank and strengthen the moral integrity of the people.¡± ¡°Good, good, good!¡± Gao Tingyu praised continuously: ¡°Master Chen is worthy of being the second-ranked man appointed by the late emperor. There is no need to change it. It¡¯s so direct.  Report it to the imperial court!" "Master Chen is really brilliant, I admire him very much!" "Thank you for your help!" The generals in the account responded in unison, including six or seven points.In order to please the coach Gao Tingyu, the remaining three or four points are indeed Chen Zaixing's article that he just wrote well. He was able to report Jueluo's achievements to the heavens. As frontier soldiers, they felt sad after hearing this, so naturally they  Easy to relate to.  Gao Tingyu coughed, and the tent immediately returned to calm. He turned his eyes to the princes and nobles. These noble chiefs of Khalkha Mongolia all felt that their bodies were swept by two invisible cold lights. Many people  They couldn't help but shudder, and some of the most unbearable ones simply felt hot between their legs, and a stream of heat flowed down, and they actually became incontinent.  "The traitor Chelin Duoerji rebelled. His father was held by the thieves and was unyielding. His daughter secretly sheltered my loyal minister Da Shun. None of the Saiyinnuoyan tribe joined the bandits. Good, very good, very good.  "Okay!" Gao Tingyu's voice was not loud, but every word was like a whip hitting the backs of those princes. With Gao Tingyu's voice, their knees became more and more bent, and they reached the last three "Okay"  At that time, two people simply knelt on the ground, kowtowed and begged for mercy.  It was like the first domino to fall, and soon other people were rushing to kneel on the ground, kowtow and beg for mercy.  Gao Tingyu seemed to have not seen the scene in front of him at all. He turned to Chen Zaixing and asked: "You can't run an army without rewards for meritorious service. Saiyin Nuoyan is commendable for his loyalty and bravery. Mr. Chen, how do you think we should reward him?"  "Commander, how to reward is within the scope of the imperial court!" Chen Zaixing reminded cautiously: "Besides, the traitor Chelin Duoerji has not yet been captured, isn't it too early to mention this?" "How can the imperial court persuade loyal ministers if they don't reward them?  It was also stated in the decree that I can divide the pastures, tribes, and livestock easily. Master Chen, you don¡¯t have to worry!¡± ¡°What the commander said is true!¡± Chen Zaixing nodded. What Gao Tingyu said makes sense. He is here.  Thousands of miles away, it is definitely impossible to tell everything, and decisions must be made on the fly.  The noble chiefs of the Khalkha Mongolia in front of us are not fuel-efficient lamps. If we want to quickly put down this rebellion, we must use both kindness and power, fight and pull, to divide and disintegrate it. Not only must we put down this rebellion, but we must also put down possible future rebellions.  To nip any signs of rebellion in advance, you cannot do this simply by following the rules.  "As the officials below see, the Saiyinnuoyan tribe is indeed commendable for its loyalty and bravery, but the one who has made the greatest contribution is the noble girl Bieqi. Although the Saiyinnuoyan tribe's Khan King Chelinduan Duobu has made meritorious deeds, all his sons are young.  After King Khan was imprisoned, not only did his tribe not participate in the rebellion, but they also protected Lord Jueluo who was in dire straits. These are all the merits of the noble lady. Otherwise, if someone from Saiyinnuoyan tribe participated in the rebellion, even if King Khan was at that time  I have no fault in being detained, and my subordinates will also be punished, so I think that the Saiyinuoyan tribe should be rewarded, but the person who deserves the reward is the noble girl, don¡¯t beg!¡±

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 43 Generous Reward

    "What Mr. Chen said is true, and it coincides with a certain family!" Gao Tingyu said with a smile, thinking to himself that Chen Zaixing could turn around after resigning, and he was so prosperous that he was indeed extraordinary.  Here, I just let a little slip, and the other party immediately caught the scent and followed him. His keen senses and thoughtful thoughts were all chosen. Such talents will not be buried anywhere.  Thinking of this, Gao Tingyu lightly patted the armrest of the seat and said loudly: "Secretary, write down my order!"  I can't reason with you. Today, the noble daughter of the Saiyin Nuoyan tribe, Biqi Boji, is not afraid of the rebels. She rescues the loyal ministers from danger. She can't reward the rebels Che Linduo Erji's tribe for her loyalty.  The pasture land is divided into three, and one of them is Beggar Boji Tang Muyi. " As soon as Gao Tingyu finished speaking, the tent was silent, and everyone's eyes were focused on Beggar on the ground. The eyes of these people were different.  There is envy, jealousy, and fear.  Although the order Gao Tingyu just dictated is not yet a formal imperial edict and needs to be approved by the emperor of Hanjing, but with his prestige and power, now that the young master is in power, it is almost equivalent to an imperial edict.  This girl, who is kneeling on the ground and is less than twenty years old, has become the successor to one-third of the strength of the Tuxietu tribe, the once most powerful tribe in Khalkha Mongolia. If you take into account her father's Saiyinnuoyan tribe and the  With a good relationship with Dashun represented by Gao Tingyu, Bieqi was already the most powerful and powerful of all the Mongolian princes in this tent.  Several of the most thoughtful Mongolian princes also heard the next level of meaning from Gao Tingyu's order: According to Gao Tingyu's order, although the reward just sounded rich, even if it no longer gives any benefits to the Saiyinnuoyan tribe, the grassland  After hearing this, the people on the throne would never be able to say that Emperor Dashun had mistreated his loyal ministers.  But one-third of the tribesmen and land of the Tuxietu tribe were not given to the Saiyinnuoyan tribe, but only to Bieqi Boji. Bieqi Boji was a woman, and judging from her age, she was going to get married soon.  After she goes out, the tribes and pastures she owns will soon leave the Saiyinnuoyan tribe when she gets married. Therefore, the Saiyinnuoyan tribe will actually not be able to get any actual benefits from this reward. Naturally,  It will not become a new potential threat on the grassland due to its growth in strength.  Emperor Dashun could even marry Bieqi Boji to a prairie prince who needed to be bribed in order to enhance his control over the grassland tribes.  This Gao Tingyu achieved multiple effects with a simple strategy. He was indeed an old fox whose fur had turned white.  Just when the most cunning Mongolian kings were slandering Gao Tingyu.  But suddenly I heard Bieqi's excited voice: "Sir, I don't want followers or rewards!" "Oh?" Gao Tingyu sat back on his seat and said warmly: "Bieqi Boji, why don't you want rewards?" "  Sir!" Bieqi raised his head and said, "I saved Master Jueluo just because of the Bodhisattva's teachings about doing good things and opposing bad people. Chelin Dorji launched a rebellion for his own ambitions. Thousands of people on the grassland will because of it.  He bled to death because of his ambition. His wife lost her husband, her mother lost her son, and her children lost their father. That¡¯s why I saved Lord Jueluo, hoping that the war could end soon and people could live a peaceful life again. "Don¡¯t beg for rewards.  There was a stutter at first, but slowly her words became smoother and louder, echoing around the tent.  "I see, don't beg Bo Ji, you are indeed a good noble girl. Che Linduan Duobu has a good daughter!" Gao Tingyu nodded and asked, "Do you remember the first paragraph of my order just now?"  Bie Qi was stunned when she heard the words. She had a good memory and had received a good Chinese education, so she replied in a deep voice: "It should be the husband who rewards and punishes. It is the most important task of the military and the state. Those who have meritorious service will not be rewarded, and those who are guilty will not be punished. Although Yao  , Shun cannot be justified. '" "Yes, you have a good memory, but do you know what this passage means?" "It means that rewards and punishments are important matters in managing military affairs.  , Even sages like Yao and Shun could not achieve great governance! " "You said it very well. Don't beg Boji, I accept the emperor's entrustment to deal with the affairs of the Inner and Outer Mongolia.  If I don't reward you for your great achievements, how can you encourage others to do good deeds? " "You are right, sir!"  -" Bieqi suddenly raised his head, with a look of sadness on his face: "You have given me so much pastoral land at once, I am afraid that the Saiyinuoyan tribe will never have a peaceful life again!" "  What a strange woman!" When Chen Zaixing heard this, he couldn't help but praise in his heart. He originally thought that the Mongolian lady in front of him was kind-hearted and courageous. She was already a rare strange woman, but he didn't expect that the other party had already noticed it.  In order to realize the consequences of receiving a generous gift, even though he had just guessed Gao Tingyu¡¯sThe intention is good, but after all, he is an outsider, unlike Bie Qi who is in the middle of the situation and has huge profits.  You must know how many great people in the world were blinded by the huge profits in front of them, and ended up falling into trouble.  However, Bieqi could see through the pitfalls behind the scenes, and he indeed had extremely great wisdom.  "Don't beg Bo Ji, are you worried that someone in the tribe will covet your tribe's grazing land and embarrass you?" Gao Tingyu said with a smile: "Don't worry, I, Gao Tingyu, put it here. Whoever dares to embarrass you will be with you."  I, Gao Tingyu, am in trouble, and I am in trouble with the imperial court." At this point, Gao Tingyu's voice softened: "Don't beg Bo Ji, think about it, those pastoral lands in Chelin Dorji's hands have become the basis for him to do bad things.  , but if it is in your hands, you can do good things. If you don't want it, and other bad people get it, and cause trouble, you will not be responsible for the separation of flesh and blood and the loss of life. " "After listening to Gao Tingyu's words,  After saying that, Bieqi's face changed slightly, and her wavering expression gradually became firmer. She stood up, bowed down to Gao Tingyu, and said in a deep voice: "My lord, the lesson is that Bieqi will definitely live up to your expectations and let the grassland  There will be no more trouble in the upper tribes, and the people will live a healthy life!" "Good, good!" Gao Tingyu praised continuously: "Don't beg me, you are really a Mosang flower on the grassland.  I am so lucky to have a woman like you! You have worked hard today, please step aside!" "Don't be ashamed to beg!" Don't beg and bowed to the side. The other Mongolian princes in the tent all said.  Casting envious glances at her.  "It was a reward just now, now it's time to be punished!" Bieqi's departure seemed to take away the warmth of Gao Tingyu's voice. The old man's voice sounded gloomy and terrifying, making many princes instinctively shrink their necks.  , especially those who are secretly involved with Chelin Dorji, as if this can avoid the subsequent wrath of thunder.  "You say that Chelindorji colluded with Russia, besieged the envoys of Emperor Dashun, and committed treason. How should we deal with it?" "He should be cut into pieces with a thousand swords as a warning to others!" "He himself should be quartered on five horses, and his family should be cut into pieces.  "Behead them all!" "All the men among his tribe will be executed, and all the women will be sold into slavery, and any children taller than the axle of the cart will be executed!" The princes rushed to speak, and the punishments they proposed became more and more severe, as if they were the carts.  The biggest victim of the Lindorji uprising is not a mortal enemy.  "Haha!" A burst of laughter suddenly interrupted the voices of the princes, which seemed particularly abrupt in the tent at this time. Everyone's eyes suddenly focused on a thin man in the right compartment, and his face was covered with scars.  , full of fierce and ferocious looks, with his forehead cleanly shaved, and the hair on the back of his head braided, the whole person looks like a ferocious wolf, it is Duolong, the leader of the Sauron cavalry who accompanied Xue Ruowang into Mongolia.  "You hate that Chelin Dorji so much. You want to beat and kill him. Why didn't you do it earlier? You caused me to jostle on horseback for four or five days, running from Hailar to Culun. My hands are sore from killing people.  At this point, Duolong flicked his right wrist, as if he was flexing his tired wrist muscles.  As if in response to Duolong's sarcasm, a deep laughter immediately came from the tent. It was the generals of the Sauron cavalry who accompanied Xue Ruowang on the detour, and the generals of the Khovd cavalry and Xibo cavalry in the Monan grassland.  "Damn Manchu dogs!" Regardless of their usual conflicts, all the Khalkha Mongolian princes had the same thought flashing through their hearts at the same time. However, no one dared to refute. Instead, they all lowered their heads and let those who hide their hatred  His gaze went to the floor.  "Shut up, Duolong!" Xue Ruowang shouted. After all, Duolong is also his subordinate. The guilt of such a military misconduct in the big tent is certain. Then he turned around and bowed to Gao Tingyu who was looking up.  : "Commander Qi, this guy Duolong is rude and ignorant, and he has lost his etiquette in front of the army. His crime is really unforgivable. However, please see that he is loyal to the king and has made many military exploits along the way. Please spare him this time!"  "Since you are interceding for him, give him forty military sticks!" Gao Tingyu said solemnly: "Now is the time to employ people, so first give him ten sticks, and leave the rest for now. If he has military exploits next, he will be exempted."  Go, otherwise we will settle the score in the future!¡±  There was a dull sound, obviously an execution was taking place outside.  However, the Mongolian princes in the tent were not happy at all, but felt terrified.  The muscles on the faces of these normally pampered princes were all distorted, as if the wooden stick had hit them instead of Duolon.  After a while, two sergeants dragged Duolong in to revive him. The man who was a lively man just now was now covered in blood and was no longer human.  Many princes could not help but instinctively avoidTurning his eyes, Mongolia has been at peace for decades. These princes and nobles are no longer accustomed to fighting and fighting like their ancestors. In terms of body, body and wealth, they are already similar to the upper-class scholar-bureaucrats in the mainland.  If they were allowed to hide behind and plot, they would still be capable of shedding other people's blood, but if they had to touch their own flesh and blood, that would be a completely different matter.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 44 Finale

    "My lord, my lord, the villain is guilty! The villain is guilty, please forgive me!" Suddenly, a prince fell to the ground and kowtowed to Gao Tingyu like garlic.  His actions were like a signal. The princes rushed to the ground and begged for mercy. In the end, even the last few standing also fell to the ground, fearing that they would be punished if they knelt down too late.  .  "Oh? Why are you all like this? From what you just said, everyone is at odds with Chelin Dorjina. Before the incident, they repeatedly made excuses to the Zhangbei Protector's Mansion, but after the incident, they were just conciliatory.  He has never been rebellious. It seems that not only is there no fault, but he has merit? " Gao Tingyu's voice was not loud, but it sounded more sinister to the ears of the princes. When he thought of the rows of bright bayonets he saw when he entered the tent,  , even more frightened.  The most incompetent ones were already paralyzed on the ground, and there was a stench coming out. They were obviously incontinent.  Chen Zaixing frowned, and was hesitating whether to find a way to retreat outside the tent to breathe fresh air, when he was stabbed in the back. When he looked back, he saw Li Bin's serious face. Knowing that the other party was hinting that he should go out to answer the conversation, he had no choice but to  Holding back the stench, he stood up and said: "Commander Yu, Chelin Dorjin is preparing to hide himself. The incident happened in a hurry, and all the nobles have no choice but to do so. Otherwise, they will just feed rabbits to tigers and sacrifice their lives in vain. Now, my lord, you have just arrived in Kulun."  , the nobles came immediately, which shows his loyalty to the court and the emperor!" When the princes heard Chen Zaixing's words, they were like a drowned man who picked up a straw, and they immediately grabbed it no matter what.  He rushed to express his loyalty to the imperial court. Previously, he was just forced by the situation and had no choice but to do so. His impression of this strange Mr. Chen from Hanking has also improved a lot.  "That's it!" Gao Tingyu listened for a while and then interrupted the princes' begging for mercy: "You all said you are loyal to the court, fine! I will give you a chance. Has Chelin Dorji gone to the west now?  ? You will lead your own tribes to pursue their tribes, and use practical actions to prove your loyalty to the court and the emperor!" As soon as Gao Tingyu finished speaking, the princes almost immediately showed a bitter look, although the rebels  All the infantry and a considerable amount of artillery were lost in the Battle of Ulan Toro Sea, but the strength of the Tuxie Tubu headquarters was basically intact. If these princes are a group of jackals, then Chelin Dorji is  Even though the lion was injured and tired, it was not something these jackals could handle alone.  Gao Tingyu glanced at these Mongolian princes and guessed what these guys were thinking. He stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Everyone, don't worry about the powerful rebel forces. After the Battle of Ulan Tuoluohai, the rebels will  The thief Chelin Dorji is already scared. Otherwise, how could he escape from Kulun without a fight? With my anti-rebellion army here, how can the traitors be defeated? You have just seen that the court treats loyal ministers.  , we will never let him suffer. After this incident, the Tu Xie Tu tribe is definitely over, and two-thirds of the tribe and pastures still have no owners!" At this time, the princes' minds became active again!  , the meaning of Gao Tingyu's words is very clear. After this rebellion, the entire Tuxietu tribe will definitely cease to exist, so get rid of one-third of the tribes and pastures that have been allocated to Beqi Boji,  The remaining bulk is naturally given to those who are wiping out the remnants of the rebels and obtaining the head of Chelin Dorji himself.  This is quite a big bait. The Tuxie Tu tribe has a history of hundreds of years and has always been one of the most powerful tribes among the Khalkha Mongolian tribes. If two-thirds of its strength can be annexed, it will immediately  Being able to rise to become the most powerful tribal prince in the Khalkha Mongolia was a big temptation. Unknowingly, everyone's breathing became heavier.  "But if someone is still afraid to move forward now, or even secretly colludes with the traitor! Humph!" Gao Tingyu's voice suddenly turned cold: "Then you have to ask him to try the knife on my waist. It's not good!" As soon as he finished speaking,  , Gao Tingyu fiercely pulled out his waist knife and slashed it on the armrest of his seat. The sharp waist knife cut off a corner of the armrest, revealing the white wood stubble inside.  Under Gao Tingyu's coercion and inducement, all the Mongolian princes expressed in unison that they would mobilize their troops immediately after returning to scout Chelin Dorji's movements, or send troops to pursue the rebels, or provide logistical supplies and intelligence to the shun army. They must do so as soon as possible  Destroy the rebels.  Chen Zaixing, who was watching with cold eyes, was sneering in his heart. These princes and nobles were indeed a bunch of mediocre people. When Gao Tingyu flashed this piece of fat in front of his eyes, he lost his mind and ran around following the bait, completely unaware of the scent hidden in the bait.  It is a poison that penetrates the intestines.  After wiping out the Tuxie Tu tribe of Chelin Dorji, Gao Tingyu would definitely not let the remaining pasture land and tribes fall into the hands of a powerful tribe, forming a new center of power in Khalkha Mongolia and becoming  The hidden danger of Dashun's northern border will instead use various means to bring the Khalkha Mongolian tribes back into chaos, weaken the powerful ones, make them hate each other, check and balance each other, and thus?Unable to pose a threat to Dashun Northern Territory.  These Mongolian princes who fixed their eyes on the inheritance of Chelin Dorji were destined to end up in vain.  Chen Zaixing was thinking about it when he suddenly felt that there was another gaze in the corner staring at these princes. He turned around and saw that it was Bie Qi. She was looking at his compatriots with a kind of concern and pity.  Obviously this smart woman also saw the miserable prospects of these compatriots, but she was completely powerless to change everything, not even a reminder.  Looking at the beggar, Chen Zaixing, who had always had a bystander attitude, couldn't help but sigh secretly. In the tide of this era, personal happiness, anger, sorrow and joy are the most insignificant things. The wheel of history is rolling forward, no matter what  How smart and powerful this person is, but facing the power of millions of people, it is extremely difficult to be alone, let alone protecting his family and the people he loves around him. It is so heartbreaking.  She had also tasted the pain of split lung, and now it was this smart woman's turn to taste it.  Chen Zaixing was sighing secretly, but he didn't notice that Bieqi's eyes turned around. He happened to see Chen Zaixing looking at her. His face suddenly turned red, and he lowered his head unconsciously. After a moment, she raised her head firmly again.  He stood up and stared at the man not far away, his eyes shining brightly.  At this time, Chen Zaixing was thinking about his own thoughts and did not feel the eyes of others at all.  At this time, Gao Tingyu had completed the assignment of tasks to the Mongolian princes. When the princes exited the commander's tent, Chen Zaixing also walked out of the tent and was about to return to his own tent. At this time, he suddenly heard someone whispering behind him.  "Master Chen!" Chen Zaixing turned around, and a beauty dressed in men's clothing walked out from behind the tent. It was Bieqi. She bowed deeply to Chen Zaixing and whispered: "The little lady wants to ask Master Chen for something.  "Because the matter is urgent, please forgive me for being abrupt!" "Don't dare!" Chen Zaixing quickly turned aside and bowed to him: "Don't beg me, you don't have to do this."  You are a person who has made great contributions to the court. As long as it is within your power, you will not shirk." "Thank you, sir!" Bieqi stood up, his face turned red, and he was speechless for a while.  Seeing her like this, Chen Zaixing thought to himself that it might be something that was difficult to say, so he smiled and said, "Don't beg me, dear lady, if it's something that is difficult to say, why don't I go find some paper and pen and just write it on the paper."  " "No need to bother!" Bieqi gritted his teeth and raised his head and said. It turns out that she and Chelin Dorji's beloved daughter Sara have been friends since childhood. This time Chelin Dorji started to fight.  Rebellious, as his daughter, the only fate Sarah faces is execution. As her friend, Bieqi hopes to find a way out for her friend. She knows that Gao Tingyu will definitely not agree to her request, and the only possibility and possibility among Shunjun is  The person who dared to speak to Gao Tingyu was this senior official from Hanking.  "Sir, Chelin Dorji is naturally guilty of rebelling. But Sarah is only seventeen years old this year. She is a woman. She cannot ride a horse or shoot a gun. Fighting and other matters are men's business. She  What can I do? Please be merciful - " "Don't beg me!" Chen Zaixing interrupted the other party's plea: "Stop saying that, I, Chen Zaixing, did not set up the laws of the court. Your friend is the one who rebelled.  The daughter of Chelindorji, the thief, should naturally be punished accordingly. Just as if Chelindorji succeeds in her rebellion, she will become the princess of the Great Mongolia. There is no free lunch in the world. "Speaking of this,  Chen Zaixing paused for a moment: "If you really want to help her, send someone with a message to tell her to run abroad as soon as possible. As long as she does not fall into the hands of our Dashun Army, her life can still be saved.  "Thank you, sir!" Bie Qiman knelt down to Chen Zaixing with tears in her eyes. When she raised her head, she could only see Chen Zaixing's retreating figure in her eyes.  Che Lindorji was sitting on the horse. He had long been pampered and was not used to the bumps on the horse and the friction of the saddle on the inner thighs.  But there was no way. The enemy had already entered the city of Culun on the third day after he left Culun. His army had to speed up its march to distance itself to be safe.  The gorgeous mobile felt tent and all other baggage that was not conducive to movement were abandoned. Chelindorji knew that the well-equipped and well-trained artillery and infantry troops were not something his tribal army could resist.  , he could only hope to repel the Shun army by emulating his ancestors' Fabian strategy against the armies of the ancient Chinese - using starvation and supply difficulties to wear down the enemy.  Of course, he also had a way to defeat the enemy, lure the Russians to invade, and help him establish his great Mongol Empire.  But that also takes time.  And obviously his enemies will not give him time easily.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 45 The Way Out

    "Come here!" Chelin Dorji gritted his teeth and ordered to a capable man: "Go and choose a few trustworthy people. Divide into two groups. One group will go to Ulan Tuoluohai to meet them.  , if you want to see the corpse alive, you must find Major Sharif and Captain Mikhail for me; the other group goes to the Governor of Eastern Siberia and tells the Governor that as long as he is willing to send troops, I am willing to agree to any request. Do you understand?  ?¡± ¡°Yes, Khan!¡± The man saluted on his horse and was about to ride away, but was stopped by Che Lindorji.  "Wait a minute, go get Sarah!" "Yes!" After a while, a gorgeously decorated two-humped camel came over. Sarah poked her head out of the sedan and asked her father, "Father!  "What do you want from me?" "Sarah!" Chelin Dorji reached out and stroked her daughter's silky hair, with a hint of tenderness in her usually cold eyes: "Get ready and go to a safe place.  "Father, I want to be with you!" "No!" Chelin Dorji interrupted his daughter sharply, and even though he felt that his attitude was a little too harsh, he sighed,  He reached out and picked up his daughter's hand, and while stroking it, he whispered: "Sarah, the situation is very urgent now, and a big battle may happen at any time. It's not safe for you to be with me. Go to a safe place, right?"  "Father, it's more advantageous for me!" "But, but -" Sarah was speechless for a moment when she heard this, tears already filled her eyes and flowed down her smooth cheeks.  Seeing this, Chelin Dorji's heart softened, and he said softly: "As a father, I don't want you to leave, but this, this is a last resort!" At this point, Chelin Dorji couldn't help but burst into tears.  .  Seeing this, Sarah also knew that Chelindorzi had reached the point where she had no choice, so she wiped the tears from her and her father's faces, got off the sedan, shook her long braid and held it in her mouth, pulled out her dagger and held it in her mouth.  He cut it off, presented it to Chelin Dorji with both hands, and said sadly: "Father, it's a pity that Sarah is not a man. Otherwise, she will become your hound and eagle, dig out the heart and liver of your enemy, and present it to you.  !" After that, she kowtowed to Che Lindorji three times, got up and climbed onto the carriage.  Chelindorji carefully took the braid into his arms and said in a deep voice to the capable man: "You must send Sarah safely to the governor of Eastern Siberia. You can tell the governor that Sarah is my Chelindorzi."  Erji's most precious treasure has now been sent to him, so he can fully trust that I will fulfill my promise. Please send a hundred thousand Russian troops as agreed. You can set off now! " "Yes, Khan!" " Follow the camel team!  Gradually going away, Chelin Dorji's eyes gradually became colder. He turned around suddenly and said in a deep voice: "Send the order and speed up the march!" Kulun City, Sedan Temple.  This has been converted into the headquarters of Shun Army.  Gao Tingyu and the generals were standing in front of a huge map, planning the next military operation against the rebels.  "Commander, according to the information from the scouts and other tribes, Chelin Dorji's troops went northwest when they came to drive from Kulun. There are about 30,000 riders in his troops. They were one day's journey away from Kulun.  The old and weak of the tribe separated from the others and turned to the northeast. The two sides were not together. " "This guy is so cruel!" Xue Ruowang sneered. Everyone understood what he meant.  It was clear that he was using the slow-moving old and weak as bait to lure the pursuing enemies, while he himself led the powerful cavalry to throw off the enemy's pursuit.  "Of course the wolf cub is cruel!" Another general of the army responded and asked Gao Tingyu to fight: "Commander, please leave the Xibo and Kobdo cavalry to me. It will take as long as ten days or as little as seven days. I will definitely give them to you."  Bring the head of the thief Che Lindorji back to the Marshal to play with!" "How can you get ahead of me?" Xue Ruowang quickly turned around and said, "Commander, let me go.  The Lun Cavalry and the Oroqen Cavalry came from there, and the terrain is familiar. I can chop off Chelin Dorji's head in eight days at most!" The rest of the Shun army was about to step forward to ask for a fight, but they saw Gao Tingyu raising his head.  Raising his hands, all the generals were silent. Gao Tingyu looked at the map intently for a while. After a while, he turned around and said, "Let's stop here today!" Then he turned around and left, leaving only the stunned people in the room.  Will.  "The generals send you off to the commander-in-chief!" The long voice of the guards came from outside the house.  Chen Zaixing sat at his desk, admiring a gold-inlaid short knife with great interest. This was one of the many gifts given to him by a Chechen Khan. The scabbard was made of gold, and the end of the handle was made of gold.  There is a golden tiger head, which is ferocious and powerful.  Chen Zaixing pulled out his short sword and saw the cold air under the lamplight, and there was a faint mark of blood on the blade. He knew that this sword had killed someone.There are so few people, and the blade is short, but the blade is thick and heavy in the hand.  While Chen Zaixing was browsing, a burst of voices suddenly came from outside. Chen Zaixing heard Gillings's weird Chinese, so he put the dagger on the table, walked to the door and said, "Mr. Gillings is my friend.  Invite him in!" "Chen, your place is better!" Gillins walked into the house and looked at the furnishings in Chen Zaixing's room with envy. He shrugged: "Compared with where you live,  My tent is simply a pigsty! I originally thought that Cullen City was a city with clean beds and a bathtub, but in fact it was just a livestock pen, a huge livestock pen full of excrement!  Horses, cows, and camels, you see." As Gillings spoke, he showed Chen Zaixing the feces on his pants and leather shoes.  Chen Zaixing listened to Gillings's complaints with a smile. Gillings's complaints were not unfounded. Kulun City was originally a large market built around the Sedan Temple. Judging from its size and number of residents, it was only comparable to the mainland.  Compared with the small and remote county town, after Chelindorji was set on fire, what was left was just a pile of ruins.  The princes and soldiers brought a large number of livestock with them, and there was no plan. Naturally, this place became a huge livestock pen.  "Mr. Gillis, please forgive me, this is Kulun, there is a shortage of water on the grassland, and Mongolians have almost no habit of bathing. If you find it unbearable, I can send you a team of guards to escort you back to Zhangjiakou." "  Go back to Zhangjiakou? No!" Gillings immediately rejected Chen Zaixing's suggestion: "The war is not over yet, I will never leave. With so much first-hand material, I can write a very popular book, "  The Times and the Daily Telegraph will give me very generous compensation for serializing my work! I will never leave! " "If that's the case, Mr. Gillings, I think you can go back now!  , because there won¡¯t be any big battles next!¡± Chen Zaixing picked up the short knife from the table and said with a smile while admiring it.  "There won't be a big battle? Why? As far as I know, the Tatar leader named Chelindorzi has not been captured yet. He still has an army of about 30,000 people! How can there be no big battle?"  "Of course there will be battles!" Chen Zaixing paused: "But that is only a battle between the Mongols. If nothing else happens, the Dashun Army will no longer have large-scale military operations. Geely  Mr. Si, I don¡¯t think you want to continue your journey with those rough Mongolian cavalry?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Gillings had a look of disgust on his face.  Tian has seen the rough life of those herdsmen, and it is not a good idea to travel with them.  "Chen, why are you so sure? Why doesn't Dashun invest more efforts to eliminate the rebellious chief in one go?" "Mr. Gillings, you don't know this land yet. Compared to this vast land,  On the grassland, an army of only 10,000 to 20,000 is too small. If an army is sent to pursue Chelin Dorji, it would be better to find a lost copper plate in the square. Not only will it fail to achieve the goal, but it will only consume precious supplies.  The horses are exhausted. It is better to let the Mongols deal with the rebels themselves. They are more familiar with this land than us, and let our warriors save their strength to deal with more dangerous enemies." "More dangerous enemies?" Gillings frowned.  He frowned and lowered his voice and said: "Russians?" "Mr. Gillings!" Chen Zaixing stood up and made a gesture to go out: "Your imagination is too rich. Now I am going out. All the princes  The living Buddha and the living Buddha are waiting for me. I will discuss the reincarnation of the living Buddha with them! As for your residence, I will pay attention to it." "Please forgive me!" Gillins spread his hands and walked out. He looked at Chen Zaixing.  As he left, he murmured to himself: "Russians, Japanese! I think this is the biggest gain of my trip!" It has been two weeks since I left Kulun. For Chelin Dorji, this is  Two weeks was so long. As the new living Buddha, Jebtsundamba VIII, who had just been canonized by the court, was recognized by the princes of the Mongolian tribes in Khalkha, more and more tribesmen began to leave his army.  Fleeing, the army under his command now has less than 15,000 people, less than half of what it was when he left Kulun City. Horse teams from other tribes gradually appeared on both sides and behind the army. These horse teams seemed to be unknown.  Shadows appeared above his head. It was obvious that these people were not here to escort him.  "Has the envoy to the governor of Eastern Siberia not returned yet?" A drunken man's slurred voice came from the tent. Along with the curse, a heavy gold wine glass flew out of the tent, and the wine glass was smashed.  On the mud floor, there is a dull soundsound.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 46 Drunk

    "Wise King Khan! Please be patient. Judging from the departure time, the team escorting Princess Sarah has not yet reached the border, let alone heard back!" An "Urusi" was bowing to Che Linduo  Erji reported, "Patience?" Several days of excessive drinking have greatly damaged Chelindorji's self-control. He tried his best to stand upright from the chair, but the large amount of mead and horse wine had already  With his butt firmly stuck to the bench, Chelindorji struggled for a while, and finally decided to use his strength to raise his voice: "Asshole, you mean I'm not patient enough? Dog slave, I  Now I want to show you the patience of the descendants of Genghis Khan! Come here, drag him outside, take off his shirt, and give him a hundred lashes! Let everyone see that I have enough patience to chop off your head!  Let¡¯s listen to some moaning and whipping to relieve our boredom!¡± ¡°Great Khan! Great Khan!¡± the ¡°Ulusi¡± shouted in horror. Two stout house slaves had already walked in, preparing to execute Chelin Dorji¡¯s attack.  Order.  The "Ulusi" shouted loudly while retreating, trying to wake up Chelin Dorji from his drunken state.  "You can't do this, I'm telling the truth!" "I can't do this? How dare you say that, you dog slave!" Chelin Dorji was irritated, and when he was dazed by alcohol, he didn't know where to find it.  Li Li suddenly stood up from the chair, grabbed the sword beside him, staggered towards the "Wulu Si" who had been forced to kneel on the ground by two stout house slaves, and stabbed the sword fiercely.  He started beating him with his sheathed sword, and while beating him, he cursed: "You are worse than an ant, how dare you say that the descendants of Genghis Khan, the beloved of Changshengtian, and the almighty Emperor of the Mongolian Empire can't do it?" That unfortunate "Wu"  "Ruth" immediately fell to the ground, holding her head and begging for her life.  "Forgive me! Have mercy! I beg you, spare my life!" he cried.  "Forgive?" Chelindorzi, who had completely lost his self-control, screamed: "Forgive a bastard who denies my dignity and my rights? No, you must die, you bitch, die here.  , die in front of my eyes! I long to appreciate your last convulsions and listen to your hoarse gasps before death" Chelin Dorji cursed, brandished his sword, and beat him hard with the scabbard.  He grabbed the opponent's head and body, but his strength was quickly exhausted, so he ordered the two stout house slaves: "Hey, you lazy guys!"  Why do you just look at him without moving?  Catch him and beat him!  beat him to death right here in front of me!  Strangle him to deathbeat him to death!  " The two slaves were still hesitant. Chelindorji mustered up the last bit of strength and shouted in a terrifying voice: "Do it now, otherwise, I swear on the name of my ancestors that I will  You shall all be put to death at the stake!  "The slaves immediately pushed the unfortunate "Urusi" to the ground, beat him with their fists, and trampled him with their feet. Chelin Dorji was like a beast that smelled blood, scurrying around.  Go and yell like crazy: "Yes, yes!  Beat it, step on it!  More energy!  Choke this bastard to death!  Choke him to death, choke him!  " Two strong and strong domestic slaves, driven by the animal instinct to protect themselves, carried out their master's orders. They beat the "Ulusi" hard. The "Ulusi" tried hard to defend himself, waving his hands  Powerful fists were struck at them. When the slaves hit him, they didn't hit him with much force at first. They were just afraid of disobeying their master's orders, but gradually they were angered by the pain caused by the returning fists, and also by Che Lin's pain.  Dorzi's crazy scolding and shouting forced him to exert terrible force, overwhelming the other party, making him lie straight on the ground unable to move. Then, a house slave grabbed his throat with both hands and used force.  With all her strength, she pressed her knee against his chest and strangled the "Ulusi" to death within a few seconds. With a cruel and animalistic thirst for blood, Chelin Dorji enjoyed the drama of the beating.  His eyes almost popped out of their sockets, foam was spraying from his lips, and he shouted in an extremely weak voice: "Yes yes harder!"  Strangle him to death!  Pinch!  " Just when this "Ulusi" was dying, Chelindorji, who was exhausted by the shouting, shouting and rage, suddenly threw his head back and shouted in an extremely low and almost inaudible voice:  "Help!  ¡­¡­I'm dying!  Help!  ¡­¡± The house slaves ran over quickly. They picked up Chelindorzi, put him on the blanket, let his head rest on the cushion, and called the doctor. But their tyrannical master¡¯s face  Already lifeless: his eyelids have been closed, his clenched teeth are exposed, his lips are twisted, and his whole body is shaking.??.  The servants and subordinates were busy around him, trying their best to bring him back to consciousness; but suddenly, a spasm passed through Chelindorji's body, and he began to cough the most violently.  Then, a stream of blood spurted out of his mouth, he let out a few low moans, closed his eyes and died.  In this way, the instigator of the largest rebellion in Dashun in the 1880s, the last Khan of the Tuxie Tu tribe, ended his own life when he was sixty-three years old, and also ended the rebellion.  .  Two days after his death, a group of nobles from the Tuxie Tu tribe took his body back to Kulun and asked Gao Tingyu to surrender.  The beginning of this rebellion was due to the sudden death of a person, and it also ended due to the sudden death of a person. This coincidence has to be felt as a hint from the Lord of Heaven, foreshadowing something.  Something very big was about to happen, and this rebellion was just a sign before it happened, like a few drops of rain before the storm.  The day after it was confirmed that Chelin Dorji, the leader of the rebellion, had died, Gao Tingyu made a preliminary plan to deal with the rebellion in Kulun: first, deprive Chelin Dorji of all power and positions, and remove him personally.  His body was publicly punished by being quartered with five horses in the square in front of Sedan Temple, and according to the teachings of Lamaism, his head and limbs were burned, and the ashes were scattered in four directions, so that his soul was scattered and unable to be reincarnated; secondly, Tuxie Tubu's  Men who were taller than a cart axle were all executed, women and children were demoted to herd slaves, and other people who participated in the rebellion were also executed. If there were any escapees, other tribes could kill them without any punishment, and their property would be returned to them.  Thirdly, in view of the fact that the Tuxie Tu tribe attracted a large number of escaped slaves, hired technicians from Russia, mined and cast weapons, its armed forces grew stronger, and finally triggered a rebellion.  Dashun ordered the tribes in Outer Mongolia to prohibit the mining of copper, iron and other minerals, casting and making firearms.  All existing mines and craftsmen's workshops will be demolished, and those who mine secretly will be severely punished.  All escaped slaves will be deprived of their freedom of life. If their owners can be re-established, they will be returned to their owners; if they cannot, they will be auctioned off to use as military expenses.  Fourth, except for the one-third of the grazing land and livestock of the Tuxie Tu tribe that has been allocated to Beqi Boji, the remaining two-thirds will be distributed according to the merits of the other tribes in chasing the remaining rebels.  When Chen Zaixing learned the specific content of this plan, he was discussing with some princes how to divide the power boundaries between the upcoming Jebtsundamba VIII and the secular princes.  The content of the plan surprised him very much. Gao Tingyu made this plan much more cruel than the most harsh plan he expected, and the speed of announcing it was so fast that even he and himself, as the imperial supervisor, did not hear any news.  , although Gao Tingyu was quite dictatorial in military matters along the way, but that was during the war.  Moreover, as the mutual understanding between the two deepened and the situation improved, by the middle and late stages, the two had reached a considerable tacit understanding on many matters. This was the first time that such an abrupt action was taken when the military operation was basically over.  Chen Zaixing decided to discuss with Gao Tingyu before his influence fully expanded, and strive to make certain modifications to this plan, especially the execution of all men in the Tuxie Tu tribe and the ban on mining minerals and making firearms by the Outer Mongolian tribes.  Big decisions.  Chen Zaixing hurried to Gao Tingyu's shogunate, and rushed in without waiting for the guards to inform him. He just walked full of footsteps outside the door, calmed his rapid breathing a little, and said in a deep voice: "Commander Yu, I would like to see Chen Zaixing."  " "It's Mr. Chen, please come in!" Gao Tingyu's voice came from inside the house. Chen Zaixing lifted the front of his official robe slightly, then went up the steps and entered the house.  I saw four or five other generals besides Gao Tingyu in the room. When they saw me, they quickly stood up and saluted.  Chen Zaixing was anxious, and while making a group salute to everyone, he said loudly: "Shuai Yu, I have an important matter to discuss with you alone!" Chen Zaixing also emphasized the word "alone".  Gao Tingyu frowned slightly and raised his hand slightly: "Let's stop here today. You guys can go back and discuss the rest of the things, and come up with a feasible solution tomorrow!" "Yes, Marshal!" All the people said together.  Sheng responded, and filed a complaint to Chen Zaixing and exited the door.  As soon as the door closed, Chen Zaixing stepped forward and asked in a low voice: "Shuai Yu, why did you come up with the disposal plan like this? Why don't you discuss it with me?" As soon as the words were spoken, Chen Zaixing felt that the tone of his voice  It was a little serious, so he quickly explained: "Shuai Yu, I'm not blaming you, it's just that this plan is really a bit -" When he said this, he didn't know what words to use to tactfully remind the other party.  It's stuck there.  "Is that too much?" Gao Tingyu took a sip of tea and took over Chen Zaixing's unspoken words.  After Weber updated it yesterday and the day before yesterday, he later found that it did not appear in the latest chapter. No.But you can link to it through the next chapter. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with the website, so please forgive me.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 47 Reliquary Box

    "This?" Chen Zaixing smiled awkwardly: "You can't say that, but Yushuai, can you reconsider the execution of the men from the Tuxie Tube and the ban on mining? Are the men from the Tuxie Tubu close?  There are 150,000 people. Execution of them all would harm Tianhe, right? The mining matter is extremely involved. I'm afraid that all the princes are involved, and the consequences will be even greater in the future!" "Yes, these two things are indeed true!  It¡¯s too much, but Mr. Chen, you can¡¯t deny that it is indeed beneficial to the country, right?¡± ¡°This¡ª¡± Chen Zaixing couldn¡¯t help but be stunned.  If you think about it carefully, these two measures of Gao Tingyu are not only of great benefit to the Dashun court, but they are also old practices in ancient China.  On the grasslands with harsh living conditions, individuals cannot survive alone, so each individual actually belongs to a certain tribe. Therefore, once there is a rebellion, it is not a certain person or a family who rebels. For the rebels  Naturally, the punishment will not be limited to a certain person or a certain family.  Executing young men and selling their wives into slavery from rebel tribes has been a common law on the grasslands for thousands of years. Although it is cruel, it also has its own inherent rationality.  As for the ban on mining minerals and manufacturing firearms by Mongolian tribes, it has a long history. In ancient East Asia, the sale of ironware outside the Great Wall has always been strictly restricted by the state. The reason is very simple. This can weaken the military potential of nomadic tribes with low technical levels on the grasslands.  .  Since ancient China could weaken the military strength of potential enemies by prohibiting the sale of iron tools to nomads outside the Great Wall, it is normal for Dashun to now prohibit the Mongolian king from openly mining copper and iron ores and manufacturing weapons to achieve the same purpose.  "Is it true that these two things are necessary for Dashun to rule Outer Mongolia? But times have changed. If you did this a hundred years ago, it would be completely normal, but now all the hundreds of thousands of enemies who have laid down their arms have been  Killing him is different, he will arouse the hatred of all Mongolians. As for the ban on mining minerals, sir, you know in your heart that maybe Chelindorzi can make knives, spears, armor and other items from his workshop.  Some crude firearms, but it is absolutely impossible to produce a large number of sophisticated breech-loading rifles, heavy artillery, shrapnel shells, Gatling guns and other modern weapons. With those primitive weapons, perhaps more than a hundred years ago, the Jungar people could have given  The army poses a certain threat, but today can only be said to be some trouble, nothing more. There is no need for you to use such extreme measures for such a small trouble." "No, you are wrong." Gao Tingyu's eyes suddenly appeared.  With a sad expression: "If your master were here, he would also agree with me." "Master?" Chen Zaixing was stunned, and Wu Hanmin's stern face flashed before his eyes.  "Yes, if he were here, he would definitely understand my intention!" Gao Tingyu sighed, then straightened his face, and said in a deep voice: "Chen Fusheng, I will serve as your tutor today and make you a politician.  The last lesson!¡± ¡°Chelin Dorji¡¯s rebellion was not an accident, he just started it. A hundred years ago, Dashun indirectly helped Jebzundamba Living Buddha after defeating the Jungar Khanate.  Controlling the Khalkha Mongolian tribes. However, in the past few decades, the power of the secular princes of the Khalkha tribe has continued to grow, while the strength of the Living Buddha Jebtsundamba has become relatively weak. The most powerful of these secular princes want to rely on external help.  Chelin Dorji was one of them. Fifty years ago, no, thirty years ago, those secular princes would have never had the guts to launch a military coup on the night of the living Buddha's death.  If you want to keep the Khalkha Mongolia within the territory of Dashun, you must change the old way of governance. ""The old way of governance?" Chen Zaixing repeated, his face suddenly changed, and he asked in a low voice: "Chengzong.  "Emperor?" "That's right! It was Emperor Chengzong who pacified the Jungar Khanate!" Chen Zaixing said nothing, but his face had turned pale. He who was familiar with history books knew that this man was known as the "Second Emperor."  What did Emperor Chengzong do after he conquered the Jungar Khanate? He had the highest martial arts among his ancestors. He executed hundreds of thousands of Jungar men according to the common practice on the grasslands. All men taller than the axle of a cart were executed.  The Zhungar tribe, which was once famous on the grassland, became extinct. Only the historical term Jungar Basin still reminds people that such a tribe once existed in history.  Even the Dashun subjects of later generations complained about Emperor Chengzong's atrocities. However, until the end of the 19th century, the Anxi Protectorate had always been the calmest section of Dashun's territory.  "You should know that the good and evil of politicians are completely different from the good and evil of ordinary people. Judging the good and evil of politicians is not based on his actions, but on the results of his actions. Ordinary people have no intention of inflicting torture on others.  There is no doubt that it is evil, but if politicians use torture to deter potential criminals and maintain normal order, it is good. Since Dashun wants to directly occupy Khalkha Mongolia, the generals should seriously consider the crimes they must commit and must do so.  Take advantage of the peak of military power to complete it once and for all to avoid the need for it in the future.??Continue to commit it.  In this way, since he does not need to commit crimes again, he can make people feel safe again, and then give small favors, and people will stick to him.  In this way, in just one generation, Dashun will be able to firmly control the land of Khalkha Mongolia!  "    "I see!  Yushuai, your hard work is really, really, but I'm afraid it will be a little rude in the history books of future generations!  "Chen Zaixing sighed softly. At this time, he fully understood Gao Tingyu's painstaking efforts, but a bitter taste lingered in his mouth and could not leave for a long time. "I am a member of the Tian family, and my family and country are one.  In this life, I only hope that I will have no worries in the northern border of Dashun. The ancients said, "Three generations of generals are taboo in Taoism."  ¡¯ I am now close to the age of hearing. Even if I die tomorrow, my life will not be shortened. Personal reputation and reputation are no longer considered, and I will let future generations comment!  " When Chen Zaixing heard this, he knew that the other party had made up his mind. He sighed softly and bowed to Gao Tingyu: "Since Commander Yu has made up his mind, I won't say more about the official. It's just the way of doing politics.  Zhang Yichi, just dealing with the traitors is not enough. I would like to ask all living Buddhas to do a massacre to pay homage to the heroes and soldiers who sacrificed their lives to defend the country, and to provide relief to the victims of the disaster!  "    "Um!  Gao Tingyu nodded: "That's fine, I'll leave this matter to you, Mr. Chen!"  The necessary funds came from the property confiscated by the Tuxie Tu Department!  " "Yes, Yushuai!"  "Chen Zaixing bowed his hand to Gao Tingyu and turned to leave. He was in an extremely depressed mood at this time. What Gao Tingyu said just now seemed like a huge burden was weighing on his heart. For a moment, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but began to doubt that he had given up on being a businessman.  Is it right to choose to become an official again? As he said, Gao Tingyu was 100% loyal to the court, but was he also loyal to the court? Chen Zaixing was stunned for a moment.  Chen Zaixing walked out along the wall. He didn't know how long he had been walking. Suddenly, a cold wind blew and he woke up. Chen Zaixing looked at the surroundings and saw that it was a remaining house that originally belonged to a certain country.  The fur traders in the mainland, perhaps because they were relatively close to Sedan Temple, survived the fire that Chelin Dorji set before escaping from Kulun. Now there are several important people living in it who are important to the Shun army.  Guest, Chen Zaixing remembered that he had ordered Gillings to be moved here after he complained to him that the accommodation environment was too bad. At this time, he suddenly felt that he wanted to find someone to chat with, and it seemed that this British man was a good choice.  Chen Zaixing opened the courtyard door, and a man walked out with a bunch of things. He happened to bump into him. The things in his hands fell to the ground. He was about to yell, but he recognized Chen Zaixing, and the man immediately changed.  With a smile on his face, he came forward to dust off Chen Zaixing's coat and said with a smile: "I just heard the magpies chirping in the yard. I didn't expect that a noble person is here. Sir, are you here to see Mr. Ji?"  Mr. Ji has just gone out. Sir, please go in and sit for a while. I will serve you tea immediately!  " Chen Zaixing had already recognized the man as Gillings's Chinese servant named Jiang Zhiqing. He saw him with a flattering smile on his face, leading the way. When Chen Zaixing heard that Gillings was not there, he was about to turn around and leave, but suddenly saw him on the ground.  There was a flash of light, and he stepped forward to pick it up and saw that it was a golden relic box, which was one of the many things that had just fallen from Jiang Zhiqing¡¯s body. ¡°Oh, it turns out you are a member of the sect.  "There are many literati in Dashun who believe in Christianity. Chen Zaixing is no stranger to this kind of jewelry. At this time, he has seen clearly that the relic box is very finely made, and there is also an inlaid in the center of the relic box.  A pearl the size of a finger is not something that someone like Jiang Zhiqing can have. ¡°Is this relic box yours?  "Chen Zaixing asked in a deep voice while admiring the relic box. Jiang Zhiqing was stunned when he heard this. This relic box was one of the gains he got from the battlefield that night, but he didn't expect that it would be picked up by this relic box.  Master Chen saw it, he hesitated for a moment, and finally decided not to pretend to be his, and carefully replied: "Sir, I picked this thing up on the battlefield that day. I thought it was a valuable thing, so I left it here."  around.  "    "Um!  "Chen Zaixing nodded. He naturally knew that what this guy said was not true, but there was no need to investigate further at this time. Chen Zaixing turned over the relic box and saw a protrusion on the back of the relic box. He  After pressing hard, the back suddenly popped open, revealing a photo of a beautiful woman holding a baby and a lock of golden hair. Chen Zaixing secretly thought that this woman should be the lover of a certain Russian police officer, that Russian police officer.  The police officer took his lover's photo and hair with him as a token of his longing for him. Now it seemed that this person was in serious danger. Chen Zaixing looked at the photo carefully and saw that the woman had almond-shaped eyes, peach cheeks, and a plump figure.  An extremely outstanding beauty. Chen Zaixing admired the relic box for a while and found it quite fond of it. He then smiled and said, "I like this thing very much. How about you give me a price?"  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 48 Resignation

    "Sir!" Jiang Zhiqing said with a smile: "I have been playing with this thing in the hands of the villain for many days, but I have never found these mechanisms inside. It can be seen that this thing has a fate with the adults, but it has passed through the hands of the villain.  Forget it, how dare you ask for a price! If the adults like it, just take it and give it to the villain to buy a pair of shoes. " Chen Zaixing heard this and said with a smile: "Three or five coppers, how about it?  So, this sacred box is made of gold, and with this pearl, it costs more than a hundred taels of silver. How about taking the whole one hundred taels of silver?" "Then I will thank you for the reward.  !" Jiang Zhiqing hurriedly sang a promise, which was also an unexpected joy for him. After all, although this sacred box is very valuable, it is difficult to ship. The price of the harvest is so high that you can get it for ten taels.  A buyer of two or three taels is considered a conscientious person. It is not easy to meet a generous buyer like Chen Zaixing.  Chen Zaixing put the object in his arms and casually chatted with Jiang Zhiqing for a few words. He found that the man was quick-witted, knew some English, and was quite knowledgeable in his speech. He couldn't help but feel something in his heart. He came back from Mongolia this time and went to Myanmar to build a railway.  Building factories and mines requires manpower, and the locals in Myanmar cannot do it. Jiang Zhiqing is a meticulous person, so he is a good candidate. Besides, he can also put a nail next to Gillins. Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing smiled and said: "Zhiqing, this time  What plans do you have when you return from Mongolia? " "What plans do you have for a villain like this!" Jiang Zhiqing smiled bitterly: "Mr. Gillings said that he would recommend a position in the business for the villain. If that's true,  Thank God!" "Well! It's good to work in a British trading company!" Chen Zaixing smiled: "Well, you and I are in love today. If you can't go to the trading company, how about working under me?"  Thank you for the compliment!" Jiang Zhiqing was overjoyed when he heard this and hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed three times. He had already decided in his heart that even if Gillings recommended him to a British business firm after the matter was over, he would definitely be from the bottom.  Starting out as a boy, given his background, his future was very slim.  But Mr. Chen seems to appreciate him quite a lot, and comparing the two sides, he should naturally follow him.  After Jiang Zhiqing kowtowed three times, his relationship with Chen Zaixing was naturally different. Chen Zaixing casually hinted a few words, and Jiang Zhiqing immediately understood the other party's intention and repeatedly expressed to his new master that the two foreign devils would be together in one day.  Even a few drops of shit will never escape Mr. Chen¡¯s eyes.  Chen Zaixing returned to his residence and took out the relic box to enjoy. Looking at the photo of the beauty in the box and the strand of blond hair, he thought to himself that since such a personal and important item was lost, the owner of the box must be in trouble.  The beloved wife and child are still at home, but the person in the dream has turned into a withered skeleton by the Wuding River. Is there anything more tragic than this in the world?  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but sigh. After a moment, he suddenly remembered that the gentle and beautiful eldest princess of Burma, Her Majesty, was very affectionate towards him, but he was unable to respond because of his important position. Today's conversation with Gao Tingyu  The conversation made me make a decision.  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing walked to the table, laid out his pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and wrote with a swipe of brush: "I am entrusted by the imperial court to deal with all affairs in Mongolia with my humble talents. Since I was appointed, I have been worrying about it all night, fearing that the entrustment will not be effective and the imperial court will be harmed."  In the Ming Dynasty, we went out of the fortress in May and went deep into Shuomo. Now the rebel Chelin Dorji has taken charge, and the tribes of Khalkha have been defeated.  If you are not able to be driven, if you wear gold and purple and live in the jade hall, you may lose the status of a minister. Now that everything has been done, the hometown is deserted and overgrown. Please go back to the forest and spring to enjoy the happiness of peace. May your majesty be compassionate to the foolish and sincere, and listen.  I am afraid of dogs and horses, so I would like to express my gratitude to you." After Chen Zaixing finished writing, he checked it again, sealed it, and wrote quickly: "Everything in Mongolia has been settled, and I will be successful.  After retreating, I wonder if there is still a place for Chen to stay by the Yiluo River, beside the beauty's knees?" After folding the letter, he called the servant on duty outside the door, handed the letter over, and said in a deep voice: "  You rush this letter to Zhangjiakou, send it by telegraph to Mandalay, and deliver it to Her Majesty the Princess Regent! " Mandalay, it is already hot summer in Mandalay in June, and the scorching afternoon sun passes through the light green bamboo curtains!  Filtered by the gauze curtain, only a comfortable glimmer is left.  Luo Lin was leaning on the couch, her graceful curves showing in the weak light. Two maids knelt beside her, fanning her gently, and the room was quiet.  At this time, a female official walked in with a telegram on a silver plate in her hand.  According to Luo Lin's prior order, telegrams from certain important sources must be reported as soon as they arrive without delay. After the incident of his father's death, Luo Lin became extremely precocious.  "Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Luo Lin opened her eyes, her eyes soon brightened, she sat up on the couch,He asked in a loud voice: "Is there a message?" "Yes, Your Majesty. It was forwarded from Shanghai!" "Dashun?" Luo Lin took the message and frowned slightly. During this time, Dashun's banking group  We are negotiating the terms of the loan with the Royal Government of Myanmar, but generally Shanghai banking groups will not send electricity directly to Myanmar, let alone Her Majesty the Princess Regent.  "Ah!" As soon as Luo Lin opened the message, he couldn't help but exclaimed.  The female officials and maids in the room looked at the eldest princess in surprise, which was extremely rare.  Luo Lin quickly regained his composure and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, please step aside. I want to be alone for a while!" "Yes, Your Majesty!" Everyone bowed and saluted, and then filed out, leaving only Luo Lin in the room.  .  "Great! I'm so happy!" As soon as the last person left the house, Luo Lin couldn't control himself and jumped up like an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Her beautiful face was covered with blush.  After pressing the message to his chest and savoring the taste of happiness for a while, Luo Lin quickly came to the table and wrote the following words in Chinese: "Please board the nearest ship, Luo Lin is waiting for you!"  Then she stood up and said loudly: "Come here, send this message back immediately, quickly!" Hanking has entered midsummer in July, and after several heavy rains, the weather has risen rapidly.  But compared to the hot weather, the citizens at the emperor's feet were more interested in another thing.  That was the famous commander-in-chief, Gao Tingyu, who stayed behind in Yanshan Prefecture and was the governor of the Mongolian military. It only took him two short months to eliminate the rebellious Tuxie Tube Khan Chelin Dorji. According to past practice,  The main leaders of the rebels will be escorted to Hanjing for a prisoner dedication ceremony. Today, as Dashun's national power is gradually declining, this grand ceremony has not been held for decades. This makes people in the capital spend all day in teahouses and restaurants.  The idle people among them had another topic to talk about and felt extremely excited.  "Last year, the chaos in Burma was quelled, and this year, the Mongolian Tatars were pacified. We have won such a beautiful victory in both the south and the north. We still have capable people in Dashun!" "Who says it's not the case? If it weren't for the protection of the ancestors and gods, how could it have happened?  Mr. Zao and Mr. Gao are such good futures. " "What you said is a bit wrong. How can Mr. Zao compare with Mr. Gao? Mr. Zao spent a year in Myanmar, and Mr. Gao spent more than three months.  , in total, it was just a round trip, and Chelin Dorji was knocked down after just a few turns at Kulun's place. I remember that there was a famous general in an ancient book who went to Liaodong and said: "A hundred days to go, a hundred days to pay back."  A hundred days of attack, and sixty days of rest, is enough for one year. "We tall people are not bad at all, right?" The man who spoke looked like he had been reading for a few days, and he hung up his book bag proudly.  But the man next to him interrupted and said, "Bah, that's Sima Yi you're talking about, who later usurped the throne of the emperor and was a traitor. Is this an appropriate comparison for you?" The man was stunned for a moment, and then his face turned red and bright.  Bai, explained awkwardly: "Is it Sima Yi? I just said that our tall men are almost as good at fighting as Sima Yi, and I'm not saying anything else about him. Don't talk nonsense!" "Pfft!" The man next to him almost spit out the tea in his mouth.  He came out and said, "Go and tell Mr. Gao yourself and see if he believes it. In my opinion, he will definitely give you thirty or fifty military sticks and teach you a lesson! If you don't believe it, just go and try it."  , If what I said is wrong, I, Liu Er, will be the host here today!¡± The man from before replied, ¡°Who is Mr. Gao? How can you and I have the qualifications to speak in front of him?¡± He just said  At this point, he was drowned out by the cheers of other idle people in the teahouse.  But along with the documents announcing the victory, there was also a piece of information that did not attract the world's attention. It caused no less waves in the court than the documents reporting the victory, and that was Chen Zaixing's resignation information.  "My lords, what's going on with Chen Aiqing's excerpt?" Empress Dowager Deng asked the cabinet ministers sitting in confusion: "Is it Ding You? But it's not mentioned in the excerpt?"  The ministers looked at each other, but what they saw in each other's eyes was confusion.  In the end, Wang Qinian, who was the leader, had to stand up and reply: "Queen Mother Qi, according to the rules, if it is Ding You, he must explain it clearly in the brochure. Mr. Chen also understands the rules. If he didn't mention it in the brochure, it should not be the reason for this.  "It's not Ding You. Is he complaining about illness? But it's not mentioned in the brochure?" Empress Dowager Deng became more and more puzzled. She had only seen people who worked hard to get promoted.  But for people like Chen Zaixing who took the initiative to resign, it was still the first time.  "Queen Mother!" Qi Zhiti took over: "From what I can see, Master Chen must really want to resign." He paused here and continued: "Actually, this is not him.  The first time he resigned from his job was when he was working in Hongwen Hall.??, the future was bright, but he suddenly resigned and went to Myanmar.  If it hadn't been for the chaos in Myanmar this time, I'm afraid he wouldn't have become Feng's wife again. I heard that he has done well in business in Myanmar in the past few years, and he has already had his own career, unlike me.  If a family has no money left, they have to give up their waist for five buckets of rice.'  Now that the chaos in Burma and Mongolia has calmed down, Mr. Chen might as well go back home." "Look at Mr. Qi, you talk about your own family being so pitiful. Are we, Dashun, so mean to our ministers?  Empress Dowager Deng covered her mouth behind the curtain and said with a smile: "But if you put it this way, Mr. Chen is a great sage like Tao Zhugong. He is very powerful in officialdom and business. Once he succeeds, he will leave."  And go.  But he wonders if there is a beautiful Xi Tzu waiting for him to ride on the boat with him?  "Due to the integration of Tencent's literary business and other reasons, Original Reading Network will officially stop writer services from June 1, 2013, and transfer all its contracted writers and contracted works to Chuangshi Chinese Network. Weber will also be in Chuangshi Chinese  The website continues to serialize this book, link http:\/\/chuangshi. qq. com\/read\/book\/161817890. Also, the editor there got my author name wrong. It may take a few days.  We can change things later, and I hope everyone will continue to support Weber.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 49 Heartbreak

    "Please rest assured, Queen Mother. Mr. Chen is now famous all over the world. How can he be without a beautiful woman to accompany him?" Queen Mother Deng smiled slightly: "In this case, a gentleman will not force others to do anything. Since Mr. Chen really wants to resign, the Ai family will agree to it."  . It¡¯s just that we need to give more rewards, and we can¡¯t let the world say that the imperial court has treated the heroes poorly and hurts the scholars¡¯ desire to serve the country!¡±  I sat down to eat.  Wang Qinian happened to be sitting next to Qi Zhiti, took a few bites, and whispered: "Why do you want to say good things to that Chen Zaixing today?" Qi Zhiti smiled slightly and replied in a low voice: "Why, do you still want to treat him?  Is it disrespectful to the court to lose the integrity of the minister?" Wang Qinian remained silent and did not answer. It was obviously very inappropriate to do this to a meritorious minister at this juncture. If nothing else, even Empress Dowager Deng would not be able to pass the test.  "In this case, why not just buy a good one? Besides, it is not a bad thing for Chen Zaixing to leave the court. At least it will give Mr. Wu in the southwest a little help, right? You are the chief minister, so you can just give in to these small things.  !¡± ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°The Queen Mother has already decided to give you more rewards. I heard that Mr. Chen has made a lot of money in Myanmar over the years, so it¡¯s okay to give him too much money.  It¡¯s not interesting anymore, it¡¯s just a title.¡± ¡°Huh! The court is really tight now!¡± Qi Zhiti didn¡¯t answer, but just smiled.  Both of them are prime ministers, so they naturally understand the current family background of the imperial court. Although Dashun handled the two incidents in the north and south in the past two years very properly and did not let the war be delayed, war is war, as stated in "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu  "The expenses for internal and external expenses, the use of guests, the materials for glue and paint, and the support of chariots and armours, cost a thousand gold a day, and then a hundred thousand troops will raise them." This is definitely not an exaggeration. Some time ago, Dashun raised debts, increased taxes,  Compared with the cost of the two wars, the income of millions of taels of silver increased through fundraising and other methods was like a pile of sugar washed away by the flood, slowly collapsing and disappearing under the water.  In a sense, the Dashun Empire was not the winner of this war. It gained very little in this war, but the foundation of the empire and its fragile financial balance were slowly being eroded.  Compared with the previous dynasty, Dashun's annual income was several times higher, but times have changed, and expenditures have grown faster. The construction of railways, the use of telegraph lines, the new army, navy, and the machine bureau behind it  , factories all require a lot of money expenditure.  These expenditures are like a monster that can never be satisfied, constantly devouring the wealth of the empire.  Now for the chief minister of the empire, the biggest problem is none other than finding new sources of wealth and more wealth to support the continued survival of the empire. Unfortunately, this is what Wang Qinian and others are least good at.  It's not that the Confucian scholars in Dashun are the kind of old antiques who "why talk about profit"? Those who can reach the position of cabinet minister have long been in the official career, and all of them understand the importance of money to an empire. In a certain sense,  It is said that money is the blood of the giant empire. If there is not enough money, no matter how vast the territory of the empire is, how rich the products are, how numerous the army is, and how rich the people are, the empire will only die.  But the problem now is that no matter how hard these smart ministers dig, they find that compared with the empire's expenditure, the income is always so short.  So much so that Hu Keqin, the Minister of the Ministry of Finance, who cried about poverty all day long, half-jokingly and half-seriously said the following during a private banquet: "If this continues, Dashun will probably be like the old shabby settlement."  They usually sold the properties and houses left by their ancestors one by one and mortgaged them to make ends meet. When the sales were almost completed, it was no longer the emperor on the throne who decided national affairs, but the creditors holding the bonds behind them.  . Sometimes I feel that the form of empire is no longer suitable for this country. The reason is very simple: the emperor cannot earn as much as he spends. How can such a business in the world be sustainable for a long time? It is better to let those who can earn more.  Let the guy with a lot of money do this hard work!¡± Of course, Mr. Hu¡¯s somewhat rebellious remarks did not reach the ears of the Queen Mother, but even if the kind and benevolent Queen Mother Deng heard this discussion, I am afraid she would  He would just smile bitterly and not punish Hu Shangshu!  Even though she lives in a deep palace, she also knows how bad Dashun's financial situation is now. The reason for all this is not that Dashun is too poor now, on the contrary, but that Dashun is too rich. It's just money.  Can't collect it.  It has been more than two hundred years since the founding of the People's Republic of China.  The country of Dashun has undergone slow and irreversible changes. Although the power of the country is still in the hands of Confucian officials whose main source is the imperial examination, the source of the Confucian officials is very different.  In our own country, the ratio of northern and southern Jinshi was about 6:4, but with the recovery and development of the economy, the ratio of northern and southern Jinshi gradually became 7:3. By the time of Emperor Zhezong, it actually reached a terrifying 8:2, and just  Gangnam DistrictMore than ten states and counties accounted for 30% of the country's quota of Jinshi for that year.  This is of course not an accidental phenomenon. The huge economic gap between the north and the south determines that the south has a more literate population and a better education. It will naturally have a greater advantage in the imperial examination. This is indeed the case for Wuyue in Jiangnan, the most economically prosperous country.  Although some people in the court were worried about this and requested various means to limit the number of Jinshi scholars in the south and maintain a certain political balance, in the face of the large number of ministers from the south in the court, their actions failed without exception.  In Zhezong's later years, there was a situation where "the cabinet was all occupied by Wu Yin". This made the old and frail Emperor Zhezong quite annoyed, and he famously said, "Wu'er is frivolous and ruins our country's affairs!"  Under such a situation, it is obviously very difficult to increase the country's revenue by increasing taxes on wealthy areas. Although the imperial court has tried to increase taxes on the south, especially the Jiangnan area several times in the past century, it has resolutely safeguarded local interests.  Under the obstruction of the southern ministers, all failed without exception. Those industrial and commercial giants held huge amounts of money in their hands, employed millions of workers, and had amazing power.  As Qin Jihong, a famous minister during Emperor Zhezong's time, wrote in a memorial: "The customs of the people in the south of the Yangtze River are frivolous and do not value savings. Those who wear rich and embroidered clothes will not have enough food for ten months. The surnames of Jiaxing Liu, Yixing Wu, Huating and Chen  There are more than millions of people in Wu and Yue who depend on him. If his family is destroyed, millions of people will suddenly lose their jobs. If there are followers of Chen and Wu, I will be afraid that half of the south of the Yangtze River will not be owned by the imperial court!  , the imperial court has basically given up the attempt to restore fiscal balance by increasing industrial and commercial taxes in the Jiangnan area, and basically used traditional tax methods such as money lending, wine tax, and salt tax to make up for the state. However, these methods have one or another sequelae, such as wine tax and salt tax.  The consumption tax will increase the living pressure of ordinary people and increase the sales of illegal salt and liquor. It should not be too heavy, so the problem of insufficient national funds will become more and more serious. And money lending requires paying a lot of interest, which will be counterproductive in the long run.  Increased the burden on the court.  Compared with many other ancient countries at the same time, Dashun was very lucky. Its long distance from Europe determined that the greedy European powers could only invest very limited power in it. Its huge size allowed it to undertake military modernization.  The huge amount of money required gave Dashun enough military power to resist the invasion of foreign powers. The huge progress in military technology brought about by modernization only widened the military gap between Dashun and the surrounding traditional vassal states.  Therefore, in a sense, the first industrial revolution in the 19th century not only did not weaken, but greatly strengthened Dashun's traditional strategic position in East Asia.  But this impact was not one-sided. While huge technological progress enhanced the empire's military power, it also weakened the empire's financial and social foundation. A large number of bankrupt farmers entered the cities and became workers, and production achieved great development.  , but the massive wealth that grew was concentrated in the hands of emerging factory owners and bankers, while the government received little.  These rising classes, armed with vast wealth and influence, were smug and ready to reshape the country according to their own wishes, while the rulers of the empire were hesitant about which path to choose.  As Gillings wrote in a letter to Balfour: "The Dashun Empire is a giant, but a giant with a body of steel and legs of clay. His fragile ankles and knees are being crushed by the heavy upper body.  He will be broken into pieces if he is pushed hard. "Although most people in the court were confused about Chen Zaixing's intention to resign, there was still one person who guessed the answer.  , the reason is not that this person is smarter than everyone else, but because this person is a woman, a woman who has feelings for Chen Zaixing.  Although women do not surpass men in wisdom, sometimes women have amazing intuitions that allow them to directly reach the other side of reality through many fogs.  For example, this time, Jiang Qingyue guessed the real answer the moment she heard the news about Chen Zaixing's resignation.  "It must be because of that woman, the Princess Regent of Myanmar, that he resigned!" Jiang Qingyue clenched her fists in pain, biting her lips with her teeth, but the pain caused was compared to the feeling in her heart  , simply not worth mentioning. When she thought of that man leaving her for another woman, she felt as if there was an invisible beast biting in her chest. At this time, she felt that she was a woman, not a guard.  Immortal, stick to the pen and carry out the purpose.  "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" A voice woke up Jiang Qingyue, and a person beside him whispered: "Your lip is broken and blood is flowing out. Wipe it quickly!" Jiang Qingyue finally realized,  Feeling the sting on her lips, she quickly wiped away the blood with her handkerchief, turned around and smiled gratefully at the man holding the pen. At this time, she heard the shrill singing voice of the female official in her ears, and she knew that the court meeting was over.  .  Jiang Qingyue lowered her head slightly in the direction of Queen Mother Deng's throne as required by etiquette, her mouth filled with the bitter taste of blood.??Taste.  "Very good, Resurrection, this time we are even!" I continue to implore all book friends to go to the Genesis Station to collect it. After the import is completed, the book will continue to be serialized on the station.  The link is as follows: http:\/\/chuangshi.  qq.  com\/read\/book\/161817890.  html

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 50 Heartbreak

    As a famous writer said, the unfortunate people in this world are all different, but the happy people are similar.  At this time, like most happy people, Chen Zaixing felt relaxed after having the heavy burden off his shoulders. After handing over the official seal letter in Hanking, he took a boat down the river and rushed to Shanghai, where he prepared to go to Shanghai.  The big shot in granting loans in Myanmar met and then sailed to Myanmar.  Not wanting to have anything to do with Beijing, he drove lightly and kept his distance. Only his friend Shen Hongmao was the only one who saw him off at the pier.  "Brother Fusheng, you and I have to say goodbye today. I don't know when we will see each other again!" Shen Hongmao, dressed in Tsing Yi, took two glasses of wine from the servants on the side and handed one to Chen Zaixing: "Come, you and I will drink this glass of wine together.  I wish you great success in Myanmar and carve out your own world!¡± ¡°Thank you, Brother Shen!¡± Chen Zaixing drank the wine in one gulp and said with a smile, ¡°To be honest, this is my second time to resign and leave.  Hanking, but last time I was full of resentment and empty-handed; this time I was full of ambition, which is really different! " "That's natural. Last time I was alone, but this time I have a beautiful woman. Naturally, it's very different!  It's different!" Shen Hongmao also knew something about Chen Zaixing and Luo Lin's relationship. He and Chen Zaixing were close friends in the same year, and there were only a few close servants around him, so there was no taboo about talking.  After hearing this, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Brother Shen, Brother Shen, I thought you were a Taoist teacher, but I didn't expect you to be so narrow-minded!" At this point, he nodded: "Yes, I really want to go here.  I'll have a chat with the Princess Regent!" "Oh, it's really unfounded!" Shen Hongmao folded his fan and slapped his palm: "No wonder you don't want to be a good official and go to Myanmar.  Princess Shang! That¡¯s right, even if you become a military official in Pingzhang, how can you be as king in Myanmar and live forever? " "What did you say? I went to Myanmar mainly for my family.  Jiye, even if there is no such thing as the eldest princess, I will still go!" At this point, Shen Hongmao's face became serious: "Speaking of Jiye, you mentioned the purchase of the two Bessemer converters to me last time!  It's done. Do you want to ship it to Shanghai and transfer it to Myanmar with you? " "No!" Chen Zaixing shook his head: "I have already handed over this matter to Kong Zhang. I plan to transfer the steel to Myanmar.  The factory is located in Yunnan. Mr. Kong has already gone to Yunnan to prepare for purchasing land and building the factory. This time I will go to his place first and then enter Myanmar. I will come back to you in a few months after I leave.  You just need to be more convenient with him!" "Is that natural? They are all from my own family!" Shen Hongmao nodded and asked: "I thought you were going to build it in Myanmar. I saw the rivers there and the water transportation costs.  It¡¯s cheap. It would be good if you set up the factory in Mandalay!¡± ¡°You are right, but Myanmar is not our homeland after all. This time, the British were willing to give up China and Upper Myanmar to us because of the unfavorable war situation. Who will do it in the future?  Knowing whether there will be another trouble, if the steel factory is built there, if the war goes bad, wouldn't it be used as a wedding dress for others? Secondly, steel is a weapon of the military. The strength of the country and the rise and fall of the nation are all related to this. I built it?  The steel mill is not only for making money for itself, but also for the prosperity of Dashun, not for the prosperity of Myanmar. Thirdly, although there are many iron mines in Myanmar, there are not many coal mines suitable for steelmaking, and even if they are, they are far away from the iron mines.  It is far away and not conducive to mining. ""Then where do you plan to build it?" "It is initially selected near Kunming in central Yunnan. There are coal mines in Kunming, Chuxiong, Yuxi, and Kaiyuan.  There are iron mines in Yuxi, Kunming, and Wuding. The local terrain is flat and the transportation is relatively easy. Whether it is building a factory or other things, it is more convenient. " "It turns out that you have already made a plan!  "Shen Hongmao took the wine jug from the servant's hand, filled Chen Zaixing's wine, and poured it for himself. He said in a deep voice: "It's getting late. You and I are both men, so we won't behave like that woman.  Remember, good friends are as close as the sea is apart!" After saying this, he raised his head and drank it all.  "Okay! The man will leave Guanshan, but if we have the same aspirations, what's the problem?" Chen Zaixing also drank a full glass of wine, threw the glass into the water, turned around and boarded the boat.  Yunnan Anning, inn room.  Kong Zhang tiredly threw the bamboo stick to the side, sat down, hit his back hard twice, spread his short and thick legs, and let out a painful groan.  "These past few days, I've walked over mountains and ridges, climbed through ditches and climbed into caves. I've finished three lifetimes of hardship in just one month!" Kong Zhang cursed and complained a few times: "We are also helping Chen Fusheng, why should that bastard from the Liu family go to Manchu City?"  Dele eats and drinks, but I have to travel over the mountains and be a mountain rat. Damn it, when Chen Fusheng comes back, I must talk to him happily!" The dark-skinned man next to him looked atThe newly dug ore sample smiled and said: "Mr. Kong, this is your fault. Mining is a hard job. It was the same in the forests of Myanmar back then. At least it is now in China, and it is not far from Kunming."  It¡¯s only a hundred miles away, and it¡¯s the best thing to have a document issued by the government.¡± ¡°Is this still the best?¡± Kong Zhang accidentally touched the blistered sole when he took off his shoes.  He couldn't help but scream, pointing to the shoes that were already stained with red mud and shouting: "Look at these shoes, they weigh two kilograms, they would crush a person to death! I said Master Ji Jianzhang Ji Seji, you are torturing me!"  It¡¯s been a month, I won¡¯t keep you company if you keep going through this!¡± Kong Zhang threw aside the shoes he had just taken off, accidentally touched the blisters on his feet, and couldn¡¯t help but let out another scream.  Seeing Kong Zhang's embarrassed look, Ji Jianzhang smiled and threw the mineral sample into his pocket. He stood up and grabbed one of Kong Zhang's legs and said with a smile: "You look like you have never experienced hardship. Get two buckets of hot food."  Come with water, soak your feet, apply medicine, and you won¡¯t be afraid of calluses anymore!¡± ¡°What? You want to climb a mountain?¡± Kong Zhang stared at Ji Jianzhang¡¯s face in horror, and quickly pulled his legs away from him.  He pulled his hand back: "Are you going to build a factory or what? You have been running for almost two months, are you tired?" "He paid a high price of one hundred and fifty taels of silver a month for Fusheng.  Me, I have to be worthy of the price. Besides, building a steel plant is no small matter. We have to consider the sources of iron, coal, and lime ingredients, as well as water sources, geology, and workers' food and clothing. It's not a simple matter.  Leave room for future development, if you don't take it into consideration, you will be in big trouble in the future!" At this point, Ji Jianzhang's face was already filled with red light, as if he was talking about something extremely exciting:  "I heard that you went to Burma for business last year and trekked hundreds of miles on foot amid the rebellion, but I didn't expect that you were so miserable!" "I can't bear the hardship?" Kong Zhang almost fell out of his chair when he heard this.  He jumped up and said, "The bullets were flying right next to my ears at that time! If you hadn't wet your pants already! But at that time, I was just trying to make money, and the money that was wasted on me was in front of me. Now what?  ? Running around in the ravine all day long, I can't even see a cent of silver. How can it be the same? " "Short-sighted!" Ji Jianzhang sneered: "You are full of money. When you dig the mines and make the steel,  Come out, it¡¯s not just free money for you to take! No wonder some people say that you money bankers are all silver rats who can¡¯t see beyond three inches.¡± ¡°Little bastard!¡± Kong Zhang finally couldn¡¯t hold back these days.  Accumulated resentment: "Am I short-sighted? If I hadn't stuck with you, how much more money would have been spent these days. There are hundreds of hired porters, livestock, and craftsmen alone. These all cost money! What do you mean?  How long will it take to open a factory to make steel? Now it's just throwing money into the water, and you won't see a dime coming out. Not to mention whether you can practice it, even if you can make steel, who will?  Do you know if it is more expensive than the steel of Hanking and the foreigners? It¡¯s weird for you to buy high-priced and poor-quality steel!¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Ji Jianzhang was also hit by Kong Zhang, and he couldn¡¯t help but glare.  , it turned out that this person was an engineer hired by Chen Zaixing from Shanghai with a lot of money, and he was a madman who believed in industrial salvation.  Chen Zaixing asked him to take charge of the site selection and preparation work for the steel plant, and asked Kong Zhang to take charge of expenditures and negotiate with the government and local governments. These days, Kong Zhang watched the white money flowing out like water, and the stalls became bigger and bigger, but  The day when he can get his money back is far away. Although it is not his own money, Kong Zhang can't help but feel heartbroken and has to worry about Ji Jianzhang's expenses from time to time. Under such circumstances, the relationship between the two is naturally not much better.  The two stared at each other angrily for a long time. Ji Jianzhang finally couldn't hold on any longer. He snorted and turned around to sit down. He sneered: "I'm too lazy to talk to an ignorant bastard like you. How do you know about national affairs?"  , In today's world, a country has nothing if it doesn't have a lot of steel. What's the use of just having money? If the foreign devils come over, can you use the money to fight back the enemy?  What's the point of having money? Why don't you ask me to pay for the bills if you have the ability? Why don't you use your steel to hire people to work? What do you have to worry about if the foreign devils come over? As long as you have money, you can buy any guns or cannons. This company doesn't sell them.  It¡¯s not like there¡¯s only one company in the world that sells it. As long as it¡¯s cheap and of good quality, why don¡¯t you make it yourself? Then why don¡¯t you farm your own land, spin your own clothes, and cut your own clothes? ¡° ¡°You,  You¡ª" Ji Jianzhang was so angry at Kong Zhang's words that he was speechless for a while, and finally said angrily: "The world's major events are ruined by you short-sighted despicable people!" After that!  Then he pushed open the door and slammed it and went out.  "Big things in the world? You are just a craftsman. You think you are Chen Fusheng, and you dare to mention big things in the world! What a joke!" Seeing that Ji Jianzhang was so angry with him, Kong Zhang raised his voice even more to scare the people who lived next door.  Ji Jianzhang heard that heThe sound of ??.  "You are just a pawn. Mr. Chen spent a lot of money because he needed you. Just do the job well. There is no need for you to talk about other things!"

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 51 Preparation

    After Kong Zhang finished shouting, the resentment in his chest also disappeared. The hotel clerk brought the foot-washing bucket up. He soaked his feet in hot water for a while, and suddenly he felt no discomfort anywhere in his body.  I just ordered some food to eat. After I was full and warm, I couldn't help but wonder if I had been too hard on myself these days, and whether I should find a girl to come over and relax my muscles and bones.  When Kong Zhang thought of this, he felt a burning sensation in the lower third of his navel. In the past two months, he had been crawling around in the mountains with the guy named Ji, and he had never seen even a decent-looking woman.  It was nothing more than being exhausted every day in the wild, but now that I had eaten and drank enough in the hotel, the blood accumulated in these days came flooding back.  Thinking of this, Kong Zhang jumped up from the bed, called the waiter and explained a few words, and the waiter went to make arrangements. Kong Zhang fell on the bed, picking his teeth, and thinking happily about the enjoyment he would have later.  .  After a while, the waiter brought a woman over. Kong Zhang looked around for a while and felt that although his skin was darker, her appearance was still serious, so he took some broken silver from his arms and threw it to the waiter, who took it.  Yin Zi quickly left and closed the door.  Kong Zhang lay carelessly on the bed and said loudly: "Woman, come here and massage my shoulders, waist and legs. We are exhausted from being in the mountains these days!" The woman hurried forward and pressed against Kong Zhang.  Zhang sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing Kong Zhang's shoulders, and said with a smile: "Is your guest collecting mountain goods? Why else would it be so hard!" "Now is the time to collect mountain goods!" Kong Zhang lay on his back  Enjoying it on the bed, he replied hummingly: "Besides, you don't need to be in the mountains all day to collect mountain products. You can just go to the market on the days when you go to the fair!" "That's what the guest officer said!"  Laughing, his hands went to Kong Zhang's waist and hips. Kong Zhang lay on the bed, connected with the woman's breath. He couldn't hold it back for a long time. He turned over and pressed the lady under him, laughing.  He said: "You have been pressing the button for me for a long time, now it is my turn to press the button for you!" As he said this, he touched the woman's body with his hands.  About twenty or thirty minutes later, Kong Zhang got up from the bed with satisfaction. He felt that no part of his body was uneasy and uncomfortable. He picked up his underwear from the ground and was about to put it on when something suddenly came from outside the door.  There was a quick knock on the door, and then Ji Jianzhang's voice was heard.  "Mr. Kong, Mr. Kong!" No matter how the man was disturbed at this juncture, he would not be happy, and Kong Zhang was no exception, not to mention the man who had just had a quarrel with the man outside not long ago.  While putting clothes on his body, he replied in a rough voice: "Why are you so anxious that you can't even let me take a rest? Are you going to let me live?" "Master Chen is here! It's in the lobby of the inn.  !" Ji Jianzhang paused for a moment, and then shouted in a more urgent voice: "Master Chen is here!" "What? Chen Fusheng is here!" Kong Zhang was shocked when he heard this, and he quickly grabbed it.  The clothes were wrapped around himself, but the more anxious he became, the harder it was to put them on. While Kong Zhang was still buttoning up, he heard Chen Zaixing's voice coming from outside.  "What is that fellow Kong Zhang doing? Could it be that he is hiding something shameful in the room?" While speaking, Chen Zaixing had already knocked on the door twice and said loudly: "Old Kong, open the door quickly, it's me, Chen Fusheng!"  "Come on, come on!" Kong Zhang whispered to the prostitute while putting on his shoes, "Hurry up and hide under the bed. You can come out only when I call you. I will give you more money."  !" As he spoke, he pushed the woman under the bed, tidied up the room again, and then opened the door after confirming that there was nothing in the way.  "Kong Zhang, what are you doing in the house? Why did I knock on the door for a long time before I opened the door!" Chen Zaixing complained as he walked in. Looking at his face full of dust, it was obvious that he had come all the way.  " "My lord, please forgive me. I have been in the mountains these days and I am very tired. I fell asleep in the house just now!"  " "Stop calling me adults, I'm not an adult now!  "Chen Zaixing sat down on the bed, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp. It seemed that he had worked hard along the way. "Why are you looking at me?  Sit down!  "Chen Zaixing looked at Ji Jianzhang and Kong Zhang who were standing aside, and patted the bed board: "I forgot to tell you that I have resigned, so you don't need to call me Sir anymore, call me Husheng.  That¡¯s it!  " Kong Zhang and Ji Jianzhang were stunned. Ji Jianzhang was fine with it, but Kong Zhang had followed Chen Zaixing to Burma. He quickly asked: "Fu Sheng, you have made great contributions to quelling the chaos in Mongolia this time, why do you want to resign?  official?  " " Let's talk about this later!  "Chen Zaixing smiled slightly and pushed the matter aside. He turned to Ji Jianzhang and asked: "Mr. Ji, how are you preparing for the mining and factory construction?  ¡± When it comes to mining and building factories, Ji Jianzhang¡¯s excitementThe head immediately came: "Mr. Chen, please wait a moment. I'll get the map and notes. Let's make it clearer!" After a while, Ji Jianzhang came back with the map and notes from next door. Because the table was too small,  He simply rolled up the bedding on Kong Zhang's bed and threw it aside, spread out the map on the bed, pointed to the marks on the map and started talking.  "Mr. Chen, I have basically made a trip to the identified iron ore mines in Yunnan in the past two months. The general situation is as follows: the iron ore mines in Yunnan are mainly distributed in three mineral belts: the central Yunnan iron ore belt,  The Lancangjiang Iron Ore Belt and the Tengruili Iron Ore Belt include Pu'er, Kunming, Chuxiong, Yuxi, and Honghe. The highest-quality ore is in Dahongshan in Xinping. After considering the comprehensive conditions, I think Kunming should be mined.  "Iron mine nearby!" "Well! What about the factory?" "It's right here! It's very convenient, densely populated, and has plenty of water. Coal mines, gypsum soil, and other minerals are also nearby.  It¡¯s not too far. In the future, when the construction here is completed, a special railway can be built to the Xinping Mine and the refined ore can be transported there!¡± Ji Jianzhang spoke with great energy, and his whole person seemed to have changed.  Chen Zaixing looked at the map for a while, then stood up and said, "Well, I'm going to stay in Yunnan for a while. You should hurry up and report to me the land to be acquired and the money spent, so that I can discuss it with my advisor!"  When Ji Jianzhang heard this, he couldn't help but feel extremely excited. His dream of saving the country with steel for many years was about to become a reality. He bowed to Chen Zaixing and said, "Thank you, Mr. Chen, thank you, Mr. Chen!" "No need to be polite!" Chen Zaixing hurriedly said.  He stretched out his hand to help him up, but accidentally bumped his body into the bed, and then there was a sneeze from under the bed.  "There is someone under the bed!" Jiang Zhiqing, who accompanied Chen Zaixing into the house, reacted very quickly. He pulled out the pistol from his waist, pointed it at the bed and shouted: "Whoever is hiding under the bed, come out quickly, or I will shoot!"  "Don't shoot, don't shoot! I'm not a bad person!" A woman's voice immediately came from under the bed, and then a half-naked lady crawled out from under the bed, lying on the ground trembling and shouting: "Don't shoot, yes  That master asked me to hide under the bed!" Several eyes suddenly focused on Kong Zhang. Even though Kong Zhang was not thin-skinned, he couldn't help but blush slightly and coughed: "I am in the mountains these days.  It was so hard that I didn't even touch a woman's finger, so I called over, but I didn't expect you to come at the right time-" "That's it! This is my fault!" After hearing this,  Chen Zaixing already understood the whole story. He smiled narrowly at Kong Zhang, turned around and said to Jiang Zhiqing who was standing at the door waiting for instructions: "Zhiqing, take this woman down quickly and give her more money to stop her from talking nonsense!  "Yes, sir!" Jiang Zhiqing hurriedly put the pistol into his pocket and helped the woman up. He didn't want to get any advantage on his hands. The woman did not dare to say anything at this time. Jiang Zhiqing picked up the woman's clothes one by one.  , stuffed it into the woman's hand, and after she had just put it on, she took it downstairs.  Jiang Zhiqing took out two taels of silver from his arms, weighed it in his hands, and felt that it was still a bit heavy. He took out another one and a half taels of silver from his arms and threw it to the woman. He sneered: "Take it, be sensible, don't do it."  You are talking nonsense everywhere, otherwise our master will arrest you and give you a spanking if you hand a picture to the Yamen!" The woman picked up the money. Although she felt it was too little, she saw that Chen Zaixing was dressed elegantly and the man next to her was beautiful.  The follower Jiang Zhiqing had a revolver stuck in his waist. He didn't know where it came from and didn't dare to say anything. He picked up the silver and stepped aside.  Jiang Zhiqing clapped his hands, then went upstairs and reported to Chen Zaixing: "Reporting to the master, I have sent the woman away with five taels of silver." At this time, Chen Zaixing had already gone with Ji Jianzhang and Kong Zhang.  After the man finished speaking, he said to Jiang Zhiqing: "Okay, go and get ready. These two and I will go back to Kunming soon!" "Yes, sir!" Jiang Zhiqing bowed, turned and went downstairs.  .  Only then did Kong Zhang notice Jiang Zhiqing and asked with some confusion: "Fusheng, is this your new servant? Why does it look familiar to me?" "Familiar? That's natural. Do you remember that Gillings? Two  Didn't he have a Chinese servant with him when we went to Zhangjiakou a month ago? " "That person?" Kong Zhang frowned: "Why did you accept him?  "No." "Haha!" Chen Zaixing smiled: "I think he is very smart and speaks some English. This time he followed the foreigner from Shanghai to Zhangjiakou and from Zhangjiakou to Kulun. He has seen battles.  Now my business is getting bigger and bigger, and I can¡¯t do it without a useful manpower around me!¡± ¡°If you confirm, say hello to me, you can choose any guy in my business, why would you choose such an ignorant person?¡±  What is the reason, Kong Zhang??Jiang Zhiqing had a very bad impression.  Chen Zaixing did not answer. He just smiled but said nothing, thinking to himself: "This Jiang Zhiqing is used to do shady things. Your guys know it well, but they may not be as useful as this person at critical times!"  , Jiang Zhiqing appeared at the door again, and said in a deep voice: "Master, the carriage is waiting downstairs!" "Yes!" Chen Zaixing nodded, turned to Ji Jianzhang and smiled: "Brother Jianzhang, you want it?"  Pack up the necessary information and come with me to Kunming to meet Mr. Wu and prepare to occupy the land to build a factory and start a mine! "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 52 Official Stock

    Kunming, Yunnan-Guizhou Jiedushi Residence.  There was silence in the study room. A wisp of green smoke was flowing out from the antique bronze animal head incense burner, slowly floating upward, forming a light blue smoke column. An old man in his sixties, dressed in casual clothes, stood in front of the desk.  After concentrating on writing, Chen Zaixing stood half a step behind the old man, holding his breath, slightly hunched over, watching the old man write.  The old man used a wolf hair pen. Because the hair of wolf hair is thick and hard, it is usually used for drawing and less writing. Even when writing, it is usually with a rough font.  But this old man was copying the "Nanhua Sutra" in small regular script. There was a layer of sweat on his forehead. It was obvious that he had consumed a lot of energy, but his right hand holding the pen was as solid as a rock. What he wrote was:  The small regular script characters penetrated the back of the paper, as if they were carved with a knife.  I don¡¯t know how much time passed, but the old man finally put down the wolf hair in his hand, and Chen Zaixing on the side quickly presented the hot tea that had been prepared.  "Teacher, please use tea!" The old man didn't say anything. He took a sip of the tea and moistened his throat. He then carefully looked at his homework for the day. He held the teacup with his right hand and passed it to the side. Chen Zaixing hurriedly stepped forward to take it.  Pass and set aside.  The old man looked at it for a while, then returned to the seat in the middle and sat down. Chen Zaixing quickly stood aside and bowed his head.  "Fu Sheng, tell me what happened to you this time, why did you resign?" The old man was Chen Zaixing's mentor, Wu Hanmin, the military governor of Yunnan and Guizhou. He had eyebrows raised and eyes bulging out from under his two white eyebrows.  When the two rays of light came, they didn't look like the pure and honest scholars they had just now.  "Teacher Qi, the boy's resignation this time is not due to phlegm. There is a reason!" "The reason? I want to hear it! Last time it was for that Jiang Qingyue, what about this time? What's the reason?  " "Teacher, when you were a student who was a Jinshi, you once said this: 'If you live and die for the benefit of the country, how can you avoid it because of misfortunes and fortunes?' This sentence has always been kept in mind by students. I am not studying to become an official.  The key to the country's prosperity and the well-being of the people is not the court, so I resigned!" Wu Hanmin couldn't help but sneered when he heard this: "Oh?  , where are you? You have been struggling in Myanmar for a long time. In addition to making yourself rich, can you also benefit the country?  Come to think of it, I will kick you out and pretend that you are no longer a student!" His eyebrows were swollen and his hands and feet were trembling slightly. It was obvious that he was extremely angry.  "Teacher, please calm down and please listen to the students! Why do we read the books of sages? It is just to educate the people, correct customs, and clarify the principles of the court. But now the country is in chaos and the invasion of foreign barbarians cannot be solved by the court."  Wu Hanmin snorted coldly and asked: "How do you say this!" "Students dare to ask the teacher, why is the Queen Mother waiting for the master?" Wu Hanmin pondered for a moment and replied: "Although the Queen Mother is not as intelligent as the average person, she is very open-minded.  He is good at words and is not extravagant. Since the death of the late emperor, he has not built palaces. Whenever there is a flood or drought, he makes private wealth to help the victims. He is a rare and kind master!  "Wu Hanmin frowned. He still had some grudges against this competitor in the political arena, but he was unwilling to speak against his conscience in front of the students: "Since Wang Pingzhang took office, he has been brave enough to do things, although he is not selfless.  , But he is not a sage, but he still manages to do his best in his position. Among all the ministers in our dynasty, he is at least the best!" "What the teacher said is true, but the Queen Mother is a benevolent person, and Wang Xianggong is.  Xian Xiang, the Marquis Zao and Marquis Gao in the border areas are also rare and good ministers. However, in recent years, there have been more and more chaos in the border areas, and the Western Yi have become more and more rampant. What is going on?  " Wu Hanmin was silent. A high-ranking official like him naturally knew that what his disciples told was the truth. He was familiar with history books and had long felt that the Western barbarians he faced were completely different from the barbarians recorded in past history books.  of enemies.  For thousands of years, facing the surrounding barbarians, the Han nation has always had a unique sense of pride: "If people from afar are dissatisfied, then cultivate virtue and virtue in those who come here!" This teaching of Confucius is not an empty talk. In ancient East Asia,  Civilization is almost the same as Chineseization. Barbarians may be able to temporarily win on the battlefield, but if they want to get rid of their status as barbarians and live a civilized life, the only way is to become Chinese. And who is willing to do so forever?  What about being a savage?  These Western barbarians who came by boat from thousands of miles away not only possessed powerful military force, but their civilization was no less than that of the ancient Chinese civilization, and in some aspects was even better.  The old methods were completely useless, which sometimes made the old man feel panic.  "Then what do you think?" "The ancients said, 'Those who study literary affairs must be armed.?¡¯ The treatment of Westerners is the same. What they respect is nothing more than strong ships and cannons. Although our generation has a machine bureau and a shipbuilding bureau, compared with other countries, the quantity is small and the quality is poor.  For example, last year's Burma War was just an Indian colony in England. It was able to bring out more than 5,000 rifles and dozens of artillery pieces to support the puppet king Meng Ji. I heard that these were only five or six days' worth of weapons from the London Arsenal Arsenal.  It takes four or five months for our Dashun Tianjin and Hanking machine bureaus to produce it, not to mention the quality gap. With such a gap, how can Xiyi not covet it?  What about invading my vassal?  " "Then how do you deal with it?  " "Reward large-scale private industrial and commercial enterprises, especially steel, mining, machinery, shipbuilding and other enterprises!  "Chen Zaixing replied decisively: "Guns, warships and other military weapons are based on these industries. If there are a large number of these enterprises among the people, the imperial court will not need to rely on those several machine bureaus to manufacture ordnance.  There is no need to spend a lot of money from abroad to purchase various machines and equipment every year, which is really a great thing that benefits the country and the people!  "    "well said!  "When Wu Hanmin heard this, he couldn't hold it back anymore and clapped his hands in agreement: "Then Fu Sheng, you came to Yunnan this time just to set up a business?  "Yes, although the British invasion was repelled this time, the Western Yi are greedy people. As long as they have the opportunity, they will definitely cause trouble again."  According to the peace treaty, I, Dashun, can only station no more than 1,500 soldiers in the Kingdom of Burma. I am afraid that relief will not be available in a hurry, so the students plan to build a railway between Kunming and Mandalay. In this way,  In peacetime, the products of the two countries can flow to each other, but in wartime, tens of thousands of troops can directly enter Burma in a few days. Naturally, the British do not dare to do so!  " "Build a railway?  "Wu Hanmin's face showed a look of surprise: "This costs a lot. Even in the mainland, only a few have been built. The roads between Yunnan and Myanmar are rugged and the transportation is inconvenient. I'm afraid it will cost more. How can you get so much money?  To build a railway?  " "Teacher, do you remember that I have obtained the monopoly right to trade with Myanmar this time?  I plan to use this income to build the railway, and raise private equity from the mainland for the remaining part. Once the railway is completed, the income will be considerable.  When Chen Zaixing said this, his voice suddenly became softer: "But before that, the students plan to build a steel plant in Kunming first and solve the problem of the railway tracks first!"  "    "Steel Plant?  Wu Hanmin was a little confused by Chen Zaixing's jumping topic, and couldn't help but ask: "How long will it take to wait?"  Why not buy from outside?  " "Teacher, the British have coveted Burma for many years, and they are most afraid of me building the Burma Railway. If I buy railway tracks from outside, they will definitely block it.  Besides, this railway consumes a lot of rails. If you buy it, the cost will inevitably increase. It¡¯s better to control it yourself!  " "What you said makes sense!  Wu Hanmin nodded: "You must have come to see me this time about the steel plant. Since you are doing it for the national economy and people's livelihood, how can I not support you? Come on, where do you want to requisition the land? I will write  Write a letter and inform the local county magistrate!  " "Thank you teacher!  " Chen Zaixing was overjoyed when he heard this. He quickly bowed down and stood up. He smiled and said, "I have one more thing to ask the teacher for. It will cost a lot to build a steel plant.  Although I have raised funds from various sources, I am afraid that there are still some gaps, and I would like to ask the teacher to provide some money from the vassal treasury!  ¡± It turns out that at the time of Dashun, in addition to part of the tax revenue of each province being transferred to the central government, a considerable part was retained in the provincial capital for the expenditure of local heads. Especially in border provinces, because there were foreign enemies or local ethnic minorities to be on guard against, local governments  A larger proportion of the fiscal revenue will remain in the vassal treasury. This is the case in Yunnan and Guizhou. It has been accumulated over the years and is a quite large amount. ¡°How can this be done!  Wu Hanmin immediately rejected Chen Zaixing's request: "This is the money and food used by the country to prepare for war. How can it be spent casually?"  Do you think the imperial law does not exist?  " Chen Zaixing rolled his eyes and said with a smile: "Teacher, I didn't take it privately. You can use this money to buy shares in the steel factory!  Think about it, Yunnan and Guizhou are important border defense areas, and weapons are all imported from the mainland, which costs a lot of money. If we can build a railway from Chengdu to Kunming, wouldn't it be a legacy for future generations?  It is also your achievement to build a steel plant first!  "    "this?  Hearing what Chen Zaixing said, Wu Hanmin couldn't help but ponder. At his age, he has already become a highly respected minister, and all he cares about is his achievements and reputation for future generations. What Chen Zaixing just said really scratched his itch.  Thinking of this, Wu Hanmin coughed: "This matter is of great importance, and it has to be reported to the court, so it cannot be done overnight!  " Chen Zaixing was secretly happy when he saw that the other party was relieved. On the surface, he said respectfully: "What the teacher said is true. It's getting late, so the students left first. Tomorrow I will bring the land patterns needed to open the mining plant.  Come, ask the teacher to take a look!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 53 Going to the Country

    A few days later, Chen Zaixing, who received the required letterhead from his advisor Wu Hanmin, left Kong Zhang and Ji Jianzhang to purchase land near Kunming and prepare for the steel plant, while he went north to prepare to enter Myanmar.  Since ancient times, there have been two main roads from Yunnan to Myanmar - the southern route and the northern route.  The southern route starts from Kunming and passes through Xiangyun and Mengding to Lashio.  The northern line is Kunming-Xiangyun-Dali-Baoshan-Tengchong-Myitkyina.  Compared with the northern route, the distance of the southern route is shorter and the terrain is flatter. When the rebellion broke out in Myanmar, it was the southern route that Chen Zaixing and the Shun Army passed through. However, the northwestern Yunnan area passed by the northern route was densely populated and rich in products.  Fengfeng, Dali, Baoshan and Tengchong are all important towns in western Yunnan, and the trunk roads of the ancient Silk Road also pass through here. The locals have a tradition of going to Myanmar to do business since ancient times. Most of the Chinese businessmen in Myanmar are from the local area, and there are quite a few in the Upper Myanmar region.  Prestige, Chen Zaixing's plan to build the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway was inseparable from the support of these overseas Chinese in all aspects, so he entered Myanmar from the northern route this time, and when he arrived at Myitkyina, he changed to the waterway to Mandalay. Along the way, he had many exchanges with local business leaders.  Investigate the local customs and prepare for your big plans.  Along the way, Chen Zaixing visited local business leaders and paid attention to local transportation routes. By the time he arrived in Myitkyina, it was already mid-August 1886.  After arriving in Myitkyina, he first sent a telegram, then bought a boat and sailed down the river to Mandalay.  In the palace, Luo Lin is sitting on the throne, and his younger brother Luo Qin is sitting aside. Several monks and ministers are reporting political affairs to her. Although she appears to be as usual, those who are familiar with her will find that this shrewd and beautiful woman  The eldest princess is a little different from the past. Although she is still sitting on the chair, her soul has gone somewhere.  "Your Majesty! The report of the ministers has been completed. Do you think this is OK?" Maung Ji finally finished the report. He closed the document in his hand, stood up straight and waited for the ruling of Her Majesty the Princess Regent.  Although he was not Luo Lin's direct descendant, after the negotiation, he showed flexibility and fair stance in granting farmers freedom and allowing them to redeem their land. Luo Lin admired him very much, so he continued to promote his position.  Now Maung Ji is already one of the important ministers around Luo Lin, and he is also the leader of the moderate nobles in the Privy Council. He can be said to be one of the most powerful people in Mandalay City.  "Oh? Have you finished your report?" The reaction of the beautiful eldest princess was very strange. She raised her head in confusion, as if she had just woken up from a dream. Suddenly, Luo Lin realized what was happening, and a look of confusion appeared on her face.  Blushing: "I'll do as you say, Wu Maoji, is there anything else?" "No more, Your Majesty!" "That's it for today!" Luo Lin stood up in a hurry,  This unconventional behavior made the ministers a little flustered, and they quickly lowered their heads to send off their two sacred majesties.  After the two majesties left, the ministers began to exchange doubts. In fact, in a sense, these noble figures were as curious about the superiors as the women in the vegetable market.  Pretending to be powerful and dignified, when these big shots in Mandalay discussed their beautiful master, the topics were equally tacky and tasteless.  "There was something wrong with the look of Your Majesty the Princess just now!" "Yes, it's like a maid looking forward to a tryst with her lover!" "Maid? Your analogy is a bit disrespectful!" "It's a bit rude, but you  Don't you think this metaphor is very vivid? The maid at home will always be distracted when there is a tryst, as if to say, "You ignorant old guy, why haven't you finished it yet?" "Haha!  That's right. After all, Your Majesty is still a woman, and women are like this at this time!" Maang Ji lowered his head slightly. He did not participate in the chat of his colleagues. As a hard-working and capable bureaucrat, he still has a mountain of affairs.  Waiting for him to deal with it, whether it is granting freedom to farmers or redeeming land, it is not an easy matter.  While the ministers were joking and joking disrespectfully, Luo Lin quickly walked to his palace and whispered to his personal maid: "Prepare a soft sedan, or one without the royal family mark, and wait in front of the door. Also,  Wait for me to change my clothes, I'm going out soon!" Then Luo Lin quickly walked into the bedroom, and with the help of two personal maids, Luo Lin dressed up. As the true supreme ruler of the Kingdom of Myanmar, Luo Lin naturally has no shortage of beautiful clothes and precious clothes.  jewelry, and the two personal maids also have very high taste.  But what was different from usual times was that after changing clothes and jewelry five or six times in a row, Luo Lin still felt dissatisfied.  Finally, the older maid asked carefully: "Your Majesty, can you tell us the identity of the person you are about to meet? This way we can more easily help you choose the right outfit!" Luo Lin did not  Answering immediately, she bit herHe opened his lips, hesitated for a moment, and whispered: "It's Mr. Chen!" These two maids were close to Luo Lin and knew a lot about her thoughts. After looking at each other, the older one  The maid walked to the closet and came out after a moment, with an extra piece of clothing in her hand.  "Your Majesty, please try this one on!" After a while, Luo Lin walked out of the fitting room.  "Can you guys see it?" Luo Lin asked timidly.  "Your Majesty, please wait a moment!" The older maid picked up a hairpin from the dressing table and came to Luo Lin's side. She pulled Luo Lin's long hair back and stuck it with the hairpin.  He came to the front and took a look, clapped his hands lightly, and said with a smile: "Okay, Your Majesty, you can look in the mirror!" I saw a beautiful girl appeared in the mirror, with her long and translucent black hair pulled back.  A simple bun, the rubies on the hairpins emit beautiful light, reflecting the girl's white cheeks, the white silk dress wraps her body, the thin waist outlines the heart-stirring curves, and the round and white skin is exposed under the long skirt.  calf.  Luo Lin couldn't help but cover her cheeks with her palms, and her palms immediately felt the warmth of her cheeks.  "It's so beautiful, isn't it? Your Majesty, your beauty does not need to be decorated with any other gestures or clothes. It is enough to embellish it with that hairpin! Are you satisfied?" "Satisfied!" Luo Lin did it after a while.  After answering, she whispered: "You two go outside and see if the sedan is ready?" "Yes!" When the two maids went out, Luo Lin suddenly turned around in front of the mirror,  The long white skirt was rolled up, like a snowdrop.  When Luo Lin stood in front of the mirror again, her cheeks were slightly red, and her eyes were full of joy and expectation.  Since early Guo Quan resigned from office, Chen Zaixing, who succeeded him, has never returned, and later resigned. In fact, the person who served as the highest authority representative of Dashun in the Kingdom of Burma was Shi, the chief of the Hu Burma Academy.  All gone.  But today, this big man who had made great contributions in the recent incident and had a close relationship with the two His Majesties had refused all foreign guests and was meeting with an important guest.  "Resurrection, I didn't expect that after half a year I didn't see you, you actually went to Mongolia again and made such a great contribution!" Batu raised his glass to Chen Zaixing opposite: "Here, let me toast you!" "It's just because of people that things happen!"  Chen Zaixing finished his drink and said with a smile: "It's nothing!" "You can't say that! In less than two years since you were resurrected, you have conquered Burma in the south, expedition to Mongolia in the north, and have partnered with the two marquises Zao and Gao. If you say  It all happens because of people, no one will believe it! Although there are many talented people in the imperial court, who is like you who came from Hongwen Hall and has experienced martial arts? You just have to sit down like this.  If I can't enter the political hall in ten years, you can gouge out my eyes!" At this point, Batu lowered his voice: "Why do you want to resign? Do you really want to go?  Doing business? " "What's wrong with doing business?" Chen Zaixing avoided Batu's inquiring gaze and poured himself a drink: "Buy the cheap and sell the expensive, and chase the tithe, and enjoy life, isn't it?  Is it good?" "Huh!" Batu snorted, put the wine glass on the table, and said with a sneer: "I thought I was going through hardships with you, but I didn't expect that in your eyes, I was just an outsider.  Forget it, Chen Fusheng, you can drink alone, I won't accompany you anymore!" As he spoke, Batu had already stood up and was about to leave.  While he was talking, a person had already arrived from outside and said in a deep voice: "Sir, there is a sedan chair outside. I just want to see -" When the informant said this, he stopped talking and turned his eyes to Chen Zaixing.  Batu was unhappy in his heart and naturally said in a bad tone: "You are sneaky, just drive him out!" Upon seeing this, the informant hurriedly said: "The guy said he wanted to see Mr. Chen, and he gave me this thing, saying  It's as a voucher!" He also took out a folded piece of letter paper from his arms and handed it over. Although he didn't know who was in the soft sedan, he looked at the escort of several maids.  His demeanor and demeanor are extraordinary. He must be one of the upper-class nobles of the kingdom. This Mr. Chen is an extremely important person. He has just arrived in Mandalay and there are people asking for an audience. Naturally, he does not dare to act alone.  "Making lies!" Without waiting for Chen Zaixing to reach out, he grabbed the letter, opened it, looked at it, and muttered in a low voice: "Everything in Mongolia has been settled. The man should retire after his success. I don't know that beside the Yiluo River, beauties have their knees."  Next to me, there is Chen¡ª¡ª" After reading this, Batu raised his head in surprise and asked, "Is this your handwriting?" Chen Zaixing smiled and said nothing, snatched the letter from the other person's hand, put it in his arms, and turned to  As he walked out, Batu behind him realized what he was doing and hurriedly chased him out shouting: "Fusheng, is this why you resigned?"?Don¡¯t do it!  " Chen Zaixing just ignored him and walked out of the mansion. He saw a soft sedan chair beside the door. There were four or five maids standing beside the sedan to guard him. When he saw that he came out, he quickly gathered his clothes and bowed down. Chen Zaixing walked to the sedan chair and sighed.  The voice said: ¡°Is there a place for Chen in the sedan chair?  " No one in the sedan answered. After a while, a small white hand stretched out from behind the curtain and gave it a few gentle hooks. Chen Zaixing smiled, lifted up the front of his shirt, bent down and got in through the sedan door.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 54 Beauty

    Chen Zaixing had just gotten into the sedan. Before he could see the layout clearly, he felt a soft body rushing into his arms. Then his lips were filled with a warm feeling. He instinctively stretched out his hands to hug the person.  , for a time, the sedan was filled with spring scenery.  I don't know how much time passed, but Chen Zaixing was leaning on the cushions in the sedan chair. Luo Lin was sitting beside him, arranging his hair and saying coquettishly: "It's all your fault for messing up my hair!" "Attendant  "I'm too weak to hold you up!" Chen Zaixing smiled slightly: "In that case, let me comb your hair as an apology!" "Okay!" Luo Lin turned around enthusiastically: "Sir, you have to comb it for me.  A good-looking one, otherwise I wouldn't agree!" "Wrong!" Chen Zaixing's hands suddenly stopped: "What did you just call me? You can just call me resurrected!" "Resurrected?" Luo Lin chewed on these two words.  This is a somewhat unfamiliar Chinese character, and I can¡¯t help but feel a little crazy.  "That's right, Fusheng is my character. "Book of Rites" says: 'A man with twenty crowns has a character'. From now on, you can use the word to match it!" "Okay, but I don't have a character yet, so I ask you to name it for me.  One word!" "This!" Chen Zaixing pondered for a moment and said, "Let's call it Mu Hua, what do you think?" "Mu Hua, Luo Mu Hua!" Luo Lin repeated it several times, as if he was deciding something important.  "Okay, let's call it Mu Hua!" At this moment, Luo Lin suddenly noticed the relic box hanging on Chen Zaixing's chest. He picked it up and rubbed it while asking: "Huh? What is this? From the resurrection?  Where did you get it? " "Oh, this is a relic box. I got it from this trip to Mongolia. It should have belonged to a Russian official!" " How do you know?  You see, the words on the outside of the box are all in Russian Cyrillic letters, and the style is Orthodox. Most Russians believe in Orthodox Christianity. " "That's it!" Luo Lin nodded, holding this sacred object in his hand.  Box, it seems that she is quite fond of this thing.  Suddenly, she accidentally pressed a raised spot on the relic box, and the surface of the box popped open, revealing what was inside, but it was a photo and a strand of blond hair.  "Whose photo is this?" Luo Lin's expression suddenly changed. She had already seen clearly that the photo showed a beautiful Western lady, about twenty-four or five years old, with a plump figure and a baby in her arms. She was at her most beautiful.  "How do I know that they must be the wife and children of a certain Russian official? That's why I keep it with me so I can take it out and look at it from time to time. I must be unfortunate!" Luo Lin looked at the person in the photo, and then looked at it again.  Looking at her chest, she couldn't help but grit her teeth.  "Then why did you take someone else's photo with you? Is it because you fell in love with that woman?" Luo Lin's voice was already crying.  Only then did Chen Zaixing understand what was going on. He replied dumbfounded: "What are you talking about? It's just a photo, not even a name. Where can I find it in such a big world? Besides, there is  You, what else do I want from other women? I only bring this thing to pity this officer. If I encounter their mother and son in the future, I will give them some money to compensate them!" "Are you serious?" "Of course it is?  To tell the truth, just by relying on a photo, you are still a Russian. Where in the world can you find a mother and son? " Luo Lin already believed Chen Zaixing seven or eight times, but she didn't want to show weakness. She stretched out her hand and said  Chen Zaixing gently stroked his arm, and suddenly pinched Chen Zaixing's arm hard.  "Ouch, it hurts so much!" Chen Zaixing almost jumped up in pain. While stroking his sore spot, he asked, "What are you doing!" "Does it hurt?" Luo Lin leaned over as Chen Zaixing was being pinched.  He kissed the spot and licked it twice, raised his head and smiled: "It's much better now! I don't care who this woman is, and I don't care whether you like her or not. As long as you bring her photo, I don't like it.  I only have you in my heart, and you can only have me in your heart!" At this point, Luo Lin leaned over and turned into the other person's arms, pressing his cheek tightly against Chen Zaixing's chest.  Chen Zaixing was treated both softly and hard by Luo Lin, so that he didn't know what to do for a while, but he was still very touched by the other party's thoughts. While reaching out and gently stroking Luo Lin's smooth hair, he sighed: "You, you!"  After an unknown amount of time, the silence in the sedan chair was broken by Luo Lin's voice: "Fusheng, how long will you stay in Myanmar this time?" "How long? Are you going to drive me away before your butt gets hot?" Chen Zaixing said jokingly.  "How could it be!" Luo Lin got out of Chen Zaixing's arms and looked sideways into his eyes, his eyes full of affection: "I wish you could stay in Myanmar and Mandalay forever."??You are a minister of Emperor Dashun. You have no control over yourself. The emperor may send you somewhere one day.  Sometimes I think, if I were not a princess, but just an ordinary Burmese woman, I could follow you to the ends of the earth-" "You don't have to follow me to the ends of the earth!  Chen Zaixing interrupted Luo Lin: "I am no longer a minister of Emperor Dashun. I have resigned!"  "    "What?  "Luo Lin's eyes showed unbelievable surprise, and she asked in a trembling voice: "You have resigned?  " "Yes, after putting down the rebellion in Mongolia, I submitted my resignation to the court, and the court approved it when I returned to Hanjing.  Now that I am a commoner, as long as you don't dislike my status, there will be no obstacles between you and me!  "Having said this, Chen Zaixing looked at Luo Lin with a smile and spread his hands. "I am so happy!  " "Wrong, we will all be happy!  "Three days later, a shocking news came from the palace. One of the two majesties of the Kingdom of Myanmar, Her Majesty the beautiful Princess Regent, was engaged. The betrothal was to none other than the man who had married in Puppetry more than a year ago.  When Wang Mengji rebelled, he escorted the two majesties to Dashun, and later led the troops to defeat the puppet Wang Mengji and the British. After the restoration of the country, Mr. Chen Zaixing, the upper class of Mandalay expressed their disapproval of the newcomer.  Congratulations, but some people familiar with the Dashun system were surprised and asked privately: "According to the Dashun system, it seems that internal ministers are not allowed to marry foreign vassals. How can Mr. Chen be an exception?  " Hanjing, Yanying Hall. Empress Dowager Deng and several important ministers are sitting in their own seats. This time the meeting is coming to an end, the things to be dealt with are also satisfactory, and the atmosphere in the palace has become relaxed. "  Queen Mother, your husbands are all here today!  Lin Wanqing stood up and said with a smile: "I will tell you a happy event to make everyone happy."  " "Happy event?  Say it quickly!  To be honest, the Ai family has been hearing about floods here and there droughts every day these days, and they have two more wrinkles on their foreheads. They just want to hear some happy news. Hey, I really don¡¯t know how the late emperor lived back then. He didn¡¯t have a moment to spare.  This seat is really difficult to get into!  "Having said this, Empress Dowager Deng couldn't help but patted the armrest of the seat. "Do you still remember Mr. Chen Zaixing and Chen who resigned from office?  " "Of course I remember, why, is it his happy event?  " "Yes, Queen Mother, you really see thousands of miles away, and you guessed it right!  " "I see. Did Master Chen resign to get married?  That would be strange. Could the court still prevent him from getting married?  " "Queen Mother, you only know one but not the other!"  Lin Wanqing smiled and said: "This Master Chen's bride is none other than the regent princess of the Kingdom of Myanmar."  Think about it, he was my Dashun's minister for one day, how could he be the husband of the eldest princess the next day?  Hey, I can¡¯t tell that Mr. Chen is really a romantic figure!  " When the Queen Mother Deng heard this, she suddenly realized: "So that's the case. No wonder he is so eager to resign. It seems that the eldest princess and him have a long-standing friendship. I'm afraid they have made an appointment long ago.  " Lin Wanqing responded: "The Queen Mother is right, this Master Chen is really a wonderful man with love and righteousness!  "Intentionally or unintentionally, she glanced at Jiang Qingyue behind her, and the other person's pale face made her feel a sense of pleasure. "Humph!  How outrageous!  It was Wang Qinian who spoke: "The good disciple of Wu Han Minjiao actually gave up the court for a woman. Isn't it possible that I, the great Shun, don't have a good woman who is worthy of Chen Fusheng?"  Do you have to go to Myanmar to marry that eldest princess?  How unbecoming!  " "Wang Pingzhang, I don't like hearing what you say!  Lin Wanqing sneered: "What happened to a girl? The Queen Mother and I have seen photos of the eldest princess. She is a handsome and good daughter. It is normal for Mr. Chen to meet her and fall in love with her."  Which daughter's family wouldn't like such a good, kind and capable man?  Does it mean that a ruthless Lu man must be a loyal minister of the court?  Wan Qing didn't think so.  Besides, Mr. Chen did not give up his official position to live a happy life at home when the country was in crisis. He only resigned from his official position after his work was accomplished. If Wang Pingzhang could not let go of this, then it would be too Taoist.  !  "    "you!  "Wang Qinian stood up so angry at Lin Wanqing's words that he didn't know what to say for a moment. Empress Dowager Deng quickly stopped Lin Wanqing and said, "Sister Lin, if you don't shut up, your words are too sharp.  !  Then she turned to Wang Qinian and said: "Ms. Wang, Mr. Chen is a meritorious minister no matter what. What he did did not violate the court system. If he treats him poorly, wouldn't it mean that the court is mean to the meritorious minister?"  The eldest princess is a minister of the vassal state, so she needs to be comforted even more.  Let's do this. In the name of the imperial court, prepare a thick gift and give this giftEverything was done properly!  Wang Qinian heard the tone of Empress Dowager Deng. Although he reprimanded Lin Wanqing on the surface, he was actually on Lin Wanqing's side. Knowing that it was no longer possible, he could only respectfully say: "Old minister, I obey the order!"  " "If there is nothing else, let's stop here today!  " Lin Wanqing carefully turned sideways and observed Jiang Qingyue's actions from the corner of her eyes. However, to her disappointment, although her opponent's face was pale, he still remained calm and did not lose his composure.  In fact, she didn't believe that after all these years, Jiang Qingyue still dared to risk the world's disapproval and have any actual connection with Chen Zaixing. She was just habitually giving mental blows to potential enemies. Over the years, the inner court had fought openly and secretly.  Let this behavior become almost a subconscious habit, even if you have long forgotten the reason for doing it in the first place.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 55 Mercenary Part 1

    "Girl from the Jiang family! Why do you look so ugly? Are you feeling unwell?" Lin Wanqing pretended to be concerned and stepped forward to greet her, looking like a considerate and good sister.  "It's nothing, I just wanted to be cold last night and there was a little more wind. Maybe I caught a cold. I just need to go back and rest for a while." Jiang Qingyue lowered her head and said casually. All she wanted now was to ask the enemy in front of her as soon as possible to reply.  Go to your place and be alone for a while.  "I'm cold, let me take a look!" Lin Wanqing refused to let go, stretched out her hand to grab Jiang Qingyue's hands, and exclaimed: "Oh, why are your hands so cold? You are weak, so you can't do anything wrong. Someone is here,  Quickly send Dr. Qiu from Taiyuan Hospital to take a look!" At this point, she pretended to be affectionate: "Sister, I will ask my subordinates to bring some Korean ginseng from the house later.  Use it to replenish your body. This illness must not be delayed!" Jiang Qingyue resisted the urge to withdraw her hand from the other party's hand and whispered: "Thank you, sister!" "Thank you for everything!  Sister!" Lin Wanqing smiled and lowered her voice and said, "You can't trust those stinky men in the outer court!" Jiang Qingyue trembled slightly, raised her head and looked at Lin Wanqing, and saw a smile on her face.  He couldn't see the meaning of what he said just now, so he lowered his head and said, "Qingyue, thank you sister for the tip!" Mandalay, Myanmar.  News that Her Majesty the Princess Regent is about to marry Chen Zaixing, a native of Dashun, has spread. As the central figure in this incident, Chen Zaixing has been living a very busy life.  Burmese nobles, businessmen, Dashun expatriate leaders, all kinds of people used one reason or another to look for opportunities to get acquainted with this legendary figure, and Chen Zaixing also dealt with them one by one with his smooth skills.  .  There are already rumors in Mandalay's high-level circles that after the marriage is completed, Chen Guiren will become the prime minister of the Kingdom of Myanmar and directly control the power of the kingdom.  Of course, this rumor has not been officially confirmed, but even if we do not consider his marriage to Her Majesty the Eldest Princess, this gentleman will be an indispensable person with his deep connections with Dashun officials and his inextricable connections in Myanmar.  A person who is looked down upon.  But today, visitors who went to see Chen Zaixing¡¯s apartment in the Burmese Protector¡¯s Mansion were politely but firmly turned away by the guards at the door. The reason was very simple - Mr. Chen had a distinguished guest visiting today, and he had already made arrangements and would not see outsiders.  While the visitors left disappointed, they were also wondering what kind of big man could be worthy of Mr. Chen's courtesy. However, if they were allowed to see the real situation, they would definitely be disappointed.  Inside the apartment.  Chen Zaixing smiled and made tea for the two dark-skinned Sikhs with black cloth turbans in front of him: "I haven't seen each other for half a year. I wonder if you two are still used to living in Myanmar these days? Do you have enough food and clothing?  "Shortage?" Cindy and Simba looked at each other, and Cindy said solemnly: "Thank you, Mr. Chen, for your concern. There is nothing short of money and rice during this period. I am still used to it when I live in Myanmar."  "That's good, that's good!" Chen Zaixing smiled and pointed to the steaming tea cups in front of them: "Please have some tea. Also, I'm no longer an official, so just call me Mr. Chen."  Okay, you can call me Chen Fusheng, you don¡¯t have to be a grown-up!" "Thank you, Mr. Chen!" Cindy picked up the thumb-sized tea cup in front of her and took a sip. She felt a bitter taste filling her tongue.  After tasting it, I felt a faint sweetness again.  Cindy couldn't help but think to herself that the taste of this tea was just like Mr. Chen in front of her, hard to fathom.  He was much more thoughtful than his companions. During the armistice negotiations between China, Myanmar and Britain, he had heard that the British had requested to repatriate these Indian soldiers who had defected before the battle, but were sternly rejected by Chen Zaixing, who was the Chinese representative at the time.  Much to Simba's surprise.  Although Mr. Chen had made many promises in front of himself and Simba before, this moment was different from the other moment.  Cindy knew very well that the credibility of the big shots was not as reliable as they said. Now that peace had arrived, Indian soldiers such as herself were no longer of use value to the Chinese, so instead of fulfilling their promises and refusing to repatriate, it would be better to negotiate with the British  It is more beneficial to make a certain exchange of interests during negotiations.  Judging from the rumors and impressions I have heard, Mr. Chen does not seem to be an honest and trustworthy person. On the contrary, he is a naked Machiavellian who values ??morality and promises.  The future will not be a barrier to his actions.  Cindy put down the teacup, nudged Simba next to her with her elbow, and said with a smile: "I heard that Mr. Chen is about to marry Her Majesty the Princess of Myanmar. Congratulations!" "Congratulations!" Simba then reacted.  , but half a beat too slow.  "So you guys know it too!" Chen Zaixing smiled: "I don't know what your plans are in the future. We are friends in need. When you go back this time, you can ask those companions.If you want to go back to India, Chen will provide you with travel expenses. If you want to stay in Myanmar, if you have any difficulties, just tell us!  " "It is impossible to return to my hometown for the time being!  "Cindy sighed: "The British hated us deeply about the mutiny. Going back will cause trouble for our family, so we have to stay in Myanmar. Fortunately, there are many Punjabi fellows here, and we are still used to it?  " "That's great, but I don't know what you know and what do you want to make a living on?  " "This -" Cindy and Simba were immediately speechless. Most of their more than a thousand companions were poor Punjabi farmers, otherwise they would not have worked as mercenaries for the British for meager wages. After many years of service, they  How can they make a living? Even if there are a few people who have skills to make a living, the vast majority of people have no skills to make a living. Cindy hesitated for a moment and whispered: "Mr. Chen, if you can allocate land to us, we can cultivate our own food."  !  " "Farming?"  "Chen Zaixing frowned: "If there are only more than a thousand of you, I can find a way to mention it to my acquaintances in the Privy Council. However, I'm afraid there aren't that many people connected together around Mandalay. I'm afraid you will either be broken up or have to break up.  It was moved to a relatively remote place.  " "Mr. Chen, can you please be accommodating to this, even if it's smaller, just four or five acres per person, it doesn't matter if the land is a little different, but it's best if they are connected together!  "Cindy immediately showed a look of embarrassment on her face. No wonder he was like this. These Indian soldiers are all outsiders. They have different appearances and language barriers from the local Burmese farmers, not to mention that they were in the hands of many of them when suppressing the Burmese farmers' uprising.  It¡¯s a lot of blood debt. It¡¯s okay if they stay together, but if they are torn apart, you can imagine the future. ¡°Cindy, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help, you know the current situation.  After the war, Myanmar was redeeming land. Unlike the remote areas around Mandalay, the manors of the nobles were not large, and most of them belonged to farmers. Moreover, the nobles in Mandalay were not too short of money and were generally unwilling to sell their manors.  , so if it is around Mandalay, it is indeed difficult to have large pieces of land. Even if it is scattered, it will take a lot of effort!  " When Cindy heard this, she knew that what Chen Zaixing said was also true, so she had to smile bitterly and said: "Mr. Chen is saying that the scattered parts are better than nothing at all!  " "I also understand your worries. You are afraid that if you are scattered and weak, you will be bullied by the local people in Myanmar!  Chen Zaixing poured tea for the two of them: "Actually, you don't have to farm. Didn't you serve as soldiers before?"  Can I still continue to serve as a soldier now?  The more than a thousand of you are all well-trained, and you are much better than those Burmese soldiers who have just started training!  " "Mr. Chen, you don't know something!  "Cindy smiled bitterly and explained: It turns out that after China, Britain and Myanmar signed the peace agreement, most of the Shun army returned to China according to the peace agreement, leaving only 1,500 soldiers stationed in a few key points. In order to quickly spread to the entire  After the peasant uprising in Central Myanmar was suppressed, the Royal Government of Myanmar not only quickly reorganized a new army, but also hired this group of Indian soldiers. This group of soldiers lived up to expectations and played an important role in the war to suppress the peasant uprising.  After the revolting peasants were suppressed, the Royal Government of Myanmar quickly disarmed the Indian soldiers on the grounds of the terms of the peace treaty. If Liu Qingyang, who had been instructed by Chen Zaixing, had not mentioned a few words in the loan agreement, I am afraid that these Indian soldiers  The local soldiers have been deported by the Royal Government of Myanmar ¡°That¡¯s it!  "Chen Zaixing nodded. He had heard what Cindy just said from Liu Qingyang before. It seems that this situation was expected by him. Although these Indian soldiers are well-trained, they are not in the Kingdom of Myanmar.  But it has no political foundation. The nobles are afraid that it will become a tool for the king and the eldest princess to suppress their own side; and the king and the eldest princess do not have enough skills and abilities to control this army for their own use, so they are unwilling to give it to them.  Support. So in this case, these Indian soldiers who came from afar naturally ended up like this. "Then are you willing to do things for me?  "    "for you?  "    "good!  Chen Zaixing smiled: "As you just heard, I have resigned."  However, I have obtained the exclusive right to trade with Myanmar, as well as the right to build a railway from Mandalay to Kunming and other related rights.  So I opened a company called Shunhua Company to engage in trading, mining, and road construction in Myanmar.  You also know that these businesses are risky and require a group of trustworthy guards. Are you willing to do this job?  " Cindy and Simba didn't speak. They naturally knew what the Shunhua Company that Chen Zaixing was talking about was. More than three hundred years ago, the British East India Company also used a similar route to set foot in Surat (a village in western India).  Port, the land where the British East India Company established its first trading post in 1613, and now the Chinese used the same method to set foot on the Burmese people.??Land.  "No, I refuse!" Simba spoke for the first time today, "Please wait a moment!" Cindy grabbed his companion's arm. He turned around and smiled at Chen Zaixing: "Mr. Chen, this matter  It¡¯s very important. The two of us can¡¯t give you an answer right now. Please give us some time to discuss it with our colleagues and then give you a reply, okay?¡±

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 56 Mercenaries Part 2

    "Of course!" Chen Zaixing stood up with a smile: "The wedding between me and Her Majesty the Eldest Princess will be held after the rainy season. Give me an answer before then. Is there enough time?" At this point, he extended his right hand to the other party.  .  "That's enough, Mr. Chen!" Cindy quickly took hold of the other person's extended hand.  "Very good, if everything goes well, you will be the deputy captain of the security department of our company!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile.  "Thank you for your appreciation!" Cindy quickly bowed.  Ten minutes later, when Cindy and Simba had just walked out of the back door of the Colonel's Mansion, Simba, who had already been unable to restrain his anger, imitated his companion's tone in a sarcastic tone and said: "'Thank you for your appreciation!  "What an elegant gesture! I thought you were going to kneel down and lick the soles of the Chinese's feet!" "That's enough, Simba, do you know our situation? You, me, and more than a thousand companions?"  Our food, clothing, shelter, future, and life are all in the hands of that Mr. Chen. Isn¡¯t it right to show him some respect? ¡°Don¡¯t you hear what that guy wants from us?¡±  What they do is exactly the same as the British East India Company! " "Don't think that others are fools!" Cindy turned around fiercely, her eyes blazing with anger: "Simba, I am also a Punjabi, what do you know?  It's the East India Company. But what other choice do we have now? Our hands are already accustomed to knife handles and triggers, not to mention there is no land for us! And isn't this your favorite job?  Wearing military uniforms, riding on the back of a war horse or elephant, waving sabers and rifles, like a Sikh warrior, isn't this your favorite life? " "Yes, I don't hate fighting, but I am a Sikh warrior,  You can only serve the orthodox king, not become an accomplice of bandits!" Simba retorted angrily: "What Mr. Chen wants to do is no different from those British people hundreds of years ago." Cindy immediately retorted: "Orthodox.  King? Don¡¯t forget Aurangzeb (the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, who pushed the Mughal Empire to its largest territory, but his extreme Islamic policies intensified internal conflicts in India and executed Sikhs during his reign)  The leader of the religion, Dege Bahadur, aroused constant resistance from the Sikhs). He is an orthodox emperor, but he is also the most brutal bandit! "How dare you tease me!" Simba extended his hand angrily!  Towards the waist, there is the pride of Sikh men - a short sword.  "I'm just stating the facts!" Cindy replied with a sneer: "Maybe Mr. Chen is a robber, but he did not attempt to rob the Sikhs' wealth, and in a sense, he is also an orthodox king.  Don¡¯t forget, he is about to become the husband of Her Majesty the Princess Regent of the Kingdom of Myanmar, and he has the right to demand the power of the Kingdom!¡± Faced with Cindy¡¯s rebuttal, Simba¡¯s anger gradually calmed down, no matter how deep in his heart he was.  I hate Chen Zaixing's suggestion, but I have to admit that the future of myself and those more than a thousand unfortunate companions depends on the other person's thoughts. If they want to gain a foothold in a foreign country, they, the wanderers, must find a strong supporter.  From now on, the only one willing to extend a friendly hand to them is Chen Zaixing.  "Okay, I can reserve my personal opinion." Simba released his right hand from the hilt of the dagger: "But it doesn't mean that I will support you!" "Simba, my good brother!"  Cindy, who had calmed down, came over and reached out to hug the other person: "Please believe me, I am definitely not doing this for the position promised by Mr. Chen. All my wisdom and strength are for the future and happiness of my companions!"  In this regard, my personal interests and likes and dislikes are not important! " "Maybe you are right!" Simba was also infected by his companion's enthusiasm, lowered his proud head, and responded with warm hugs and kisses.  Companion, then the two Sikhs walked side by side to where they lived.  When Simba and Cindy disappeared from the end of the street, an ascetic came out of a side alley. The monk was in ragged clothes, with no shoes on his pitch-black feet, and a few inches of hair on his head.  Holding a wooden staff, the only thing that distinguishes him from a beggar is a string of polished rosary beads held in his right hand.  This ascetic was 1.70 meters tall, which was considered a tall man in Myanmar at that time. He looked at the direction in which Simba and Cindy were going, and walked towards the Burmese Colonel's Mansion.  This ascetic monk walked slowly along the side of the street. Myanmar mainly believes in Hinayana Buddhism and advocates self-liberation. It has great respect for such monks who practice hard. What's more, this monk's face has dark skin and wrinkles on his face.  The carvings on the knife are average, which shows that he practiced very hard.  When pedestrians saw the monk, they all moved out of the way and bowed to the side. Some even knelt on the ground and people in the shops on the roadsidePeople also brought out fruits and meals, and the monk bowed in return when someone saluted him. When someone gave alms, he took a small piece from the first family and put it in the cloth bag he carried with him and stopped taking it. When passersby saw that he was practicing so hard,  I couldn't help but respect him more and more.  The monk walked for a while, and not far ahead was the back door of the Burmese Protector's Mansion. Still more than ten meters away, there were four soldiers of the Shun Army standing guard, their rifles and bayonets shining sharply on their shoulders.  Pedestrians were still more than ten meters away before they took a detour and stayed away.  The monk stopped and looked blankly at the Shunjun sentry at the back door of Xiaowei Mansion.  At this time, four or five Burmese servants walked towards the back door with a soft sedan. They were still some distance away from the back door. The sentry stepped forward to check. A Burmese noble got off the soft sedan. The checking sentry quickly raised his hand.  Hands salute and let go.  The monk not far away couldn't help but trembled when he saw this, and quickly lowered his head and turned around to leave.  The monk had just taken two steps when two men dressed as Burmese suddenly walked out of the diagonal and blocked the way. He was startled. Before he could speak, he heard the other party ask in a deep voice: "Who are you, sneaky?"  What are you doing wandering around outside Xiaowei's Mansion?" The monk forced himself to calm down and defended in a deep voice: "I just happened to pass by this place, and I don't know what Xiaowei's Mansion is here, let alone what you are talking about.  "What do you mean?" "How dare you deny it!" Another man sneered, and casually opened the front of his coat, revealing the revolver stuck in his waist: "Come to the house with me, and give me some pepper water.  As soon as the whip is applied, I will call you whatever your ancestors were called!" The Burmese he spoke at this time had an obvious Shunren accent, and he was obviously a Shunjun secret agent who was secretly patrolling outside the house in disguise.  Seeing this, the monk knew that it would be unlucky to be detained by these two people, so he gritted his teeth and prepared to find an opportunity to escape.  At this time, someone behind him suddenly asked: "What's wrong? What's going on?" When the two spies took a look, it was the Burmese nobleman who had just arrived at the back door of the house who was speaking. It was Maung Kyi. This person was responsible for this period.  He has made great progress in the land redemption work. Both all walks of life in Myanmar and the Dashun side value him very much. They all agree that this person is one of the few capable talents among the Burmese nobles. Even Batu also respects him very much.  The leading spy quickly bowed to him and said respectfully: "Lord Maung Ji, this guy has been hanging around here for a long time. The two of us feel that he is acting suspiciously and are going to take him back for questioning!" Maung Ji frowned!  Frowning, he was planning to come to see Chen Zaixing today to discuss some matters, but he saw this just as he arrived at the door. Out of instinctive national pride, he was very disgusted with the arrest of Burmese monks in Mandalay, the capital of Myanmar.  .  So he said to the two spies: "We in Burma believe in Buddhism. As long as the monks have not committed major crimes of rebellion, the kings of all ages will forgive them. I saw it clearly just now. This monk just stood here for a while.  It¡¯s not a big mistake!¡± ¡°This!¡± Seeing Maung Ji trying to excuse him, the leading spy quickly said with a smile: ¡°Master Maung Ji, you don¡¯t know that the false king Meng Ji and the rebels have just been put down.  , there are still many remnants who have not been hunted down, and many of them are disguised as monks. Master Diok has issued strict orders. You would rather kill a thousand by mistake than let one go. You are kind-hearted, but be careful of these.  The Yu Party is taking advantage of it!" Maung Kei was furious when he heard this: "Nonsense, Myanmar respects Buddhism. Even if the Yu Party is really a traitor, as long as it has a repentant heart, it will still provide a way out. How can it be reasonable to kill the good people too?  " Seeing that Maung Ji was angry, the spy did not dare to disobey him. He had no choice but to bow to Maung Ji and retreat in despair.  Maung Ji watched the two spies leaving, sighed, and said softly to the monk: "Master, I still have some things to deal with. Why don't you follow my entourage and wait outside the house for a while?  , I will send you out of the city after I finish my work! Otherwise, these two spies may not give up and come to harm you again after I leave!¡± The monk was very strange, his back was still facing Maung Ji, his shoulders trembling slightly.  He didn't even reply, but he seemed mute.  Maung Ji felt strange when he saw this and asked, "Master, turn around!" The monk hesitated for a moment, turned around, and looked directly at Maung Ji.  When Maung Ji saw the monk's face, his body trembled, as if he had been struck by lightning.  "Song Shen, why is it you?" "Yes, it's you." Song Shen's face was calm: "Long time no see, thank you so much this time!" Maang Ji suddenly woke up, he looked around,  He lowered his voice and asked: "You don't want your life. The city of Mandalay is full of Shunjun and Diok spies. They have already offered ten thousand taels of silver to buy your head. I don't know how many people want your life!"  "So what? My life is no longer my own!" Song Shen smiled slightly, as if the reward he mentioned just now was about someone else.  "It's better to be alive than dead!  "Maung Ji looked around. There were already some idle people pointing in this direction. He stamped his feet: "That's all. Let's wait until next time to see Chen Zaixing. It's too dangerous here. Get on my sedan and follow me.  Walk!  " Song Shen nodded, followed Mao Ji into the other party's soft sedan, and walked all the way. The people around him thought that this noble man had encountered a monk who was cultivating by chance, and invited him to go home to worship. They all gathered together and marveled. After a long time,  Disperse.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 57 Confused

    In the sedan chair, Maung Ji stared into the other person's eyes and asked in a deep voice: "Honestly, why did you take such a big risk to protect the Lieutenant's Mansion?" "It's okay to tell you! I'm not here this time.  For other reasons, just to kill Chen Zaixing!" Maang Ji frowned and asked, "Chen Zaixing? Why did you kill him? He has long since resigned from the post of Emperor Dashun and is just a businessman.  "Hmph, if he doesn't become an official, he will do more harm than good! Think about it, after he marries Her Majesty, the eldest princess, he will be able to legitimately control the power of the Kingdom of Myanmar. I heard that he will also build a road leading from Mandalay to Datong.  If we follow the path of Shun, I'm afraid that the whole of Myanmar will be annexed by Shun in a few years." Maung Ji sighed when he heard this: "Although what you said makes some sense, Chen Zaixing has been living in seclusion these days, protecting the Burmese captain's mansion!  The security is tight. What can you do alone? Even if you are asked to kill Chen Zaixing, what will happen? Now that the war in the country has just subsided and the people have just lived in peace for two days, the farmers you originally wanted have obtained  Land and freedom are gradually coming. What good will come of your making such a fuss? You should leave the city early, find a remote place, marry a wife, and live a good life for two days!" Song Shen listened and was silent for a long time.  He whispered, "At that time, tens of thousands of people died because of me, but I was living well, marrying a wife, and living a good life? Do you think my conscience will not be guilty?" "Words  You can¡¯t say that. I didn¡¯t let you out before, so I didn¡¯t let you die like this!¡± ¡°Then why did you do that?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t change the fate of Myanmar. You have not finished the road, but the assassination  Chen Zaixing can't change anything!" Song Shen was convinced by Maung Ji. He lowered his head and asked, "Wu Maung Ji, what do you think I should do?" "I don't know, at least I don't know yet.  I have now achieved part of your previous goal. About 15% of the farmers in Central Myanmar have received their own land and freedom. In the next three years, the remaining 85% will  The farmers will also get land and freedom, and then go to Burma! I think you should sit down and observe Chen Zaixing carefully to see what he does. This is also very useful for Burma. Don¡¯t die easily. There are many things that only a living person can do.  "You're right!" Song Shen nodded: "It's not the time for me to die!" "Okay!"  The bearer outside shouted twice, and the soft sedan changed direction.  He said seriously: "Wu Songcan, let me try this road first. If I can't make it, turn everything over and try your own way!"  Chen Zaixing from Cindy and Simba was facing two thick stacks of documents and accounts, his forehead already wrinkled into a "mountain shape". Sitting facing him was Liu Qingyang, who had been in Mandalay for two months.  "Hey, Brother Liu, I really can't stand it anymore! Why do I think this thing of yours is much more difficult than when I took the Jinshi exam?" Chen Zaixing finally gave up on trying to figure out the relationship between Jiangnan Bank Group and the Jiangnan Bank Group by reading the two stacks of documents four to five feet high.  The Royal Government of Myanmar Loan Details Efforts.  "Haha, there is a specialization in the arts! I am not as good as you in terms of policy papers, but compared to these monetary things, haha!" Liu Qingyang smiled and poured a cup of tea for Chen Zaixing, but did not say, "You are not as good as me."  exit.  "What are you laughing at?" Chen Zaixing snorted coldly and picked up the tea cup: "If I hadn't left Kong Zhang in Kunming to build a steel plant, you wouldn't be so proud!" "You can't say that! Kong Zhang  Although my family also runs a bank, it is still a little different from us. In terms of legal documents, our Jiangnan Bank is more formal." At this point, Liu Qingyang took out a book from the document, flipped through a few pages, and pointed to the line above.  Said: "Fusheng, what do you think this paragraph means?" Chen Zaixing took the document and read it according to the other person's finger: "The Jiangnan Five Bank Group paid 8.5 million taels of customs silver to the Kingdom of Myanmar. This payment is  The total number of loans recorded on June 22, 1886 AD (Appendix 12) (A) The 8,500,000 taels are customs silver, which can be easily converted into gold at the market price.  The price of money in various countries is as shown on the left: one tael of customs silver, which is three marks and five hundred and fifty-five in Germany, three and five ninety-five in Austria, three and seven hundred and forty-two in the United States, and three and five francs in France.  , which is three shillings in England, one Fleur 0,796 in Holland, and one ruble 412 in Russia. The Russian ruble, with an annual interest rate of four cents, was originally divided into thirty-nine years by the Kingdom of Burma, as shown in the following table.  Each chapter shall be paid off (Appendix 13). The principal and interest shall be paid in cash, or in cash based on the market price on the due date." "How?" Chen Zaixing frowned and replied, "It seems that these compensations are paid in cash.  It¡¯s priced in gold, so what?¡±"Resurrection, you don't understand the mystery!" Liu Qingyang smiled: "You also know that the most common currency in the international market today is the pound. There is no other reason. The British currency is linked to gold. No matter who,  You can exchange pounds for corresponding gold at the Bank of England, but my country in Dashun uses silver as currency. Now that many silver mines have been discovered in the world, silver will inevitably depreciate relative to gold in the next few decades. I will lend him silver now.  , but in the future it will be stipulated that the money will be repaid according to the value of the gold. This alone will make the profit far better than the mere 4% annual interest!" At this point, Liu Qingyang could not help but laugh proudly.  "Chasing the bad guys!" Chen Zaixing snorted coldly, but he had to admit in his heart that he absolutely did not understand the many traps in these terms.  Liu Qingyang laughed twice and continued: "It would be best if the Kingdom of Myanmar pays off its debts, then we can use the various taxes, land, rights, and minerals they have used as mortgage. That will be a hugely profitable deal!"  Chen Zaixing did not speak. In this matter, he and Liu Qingyang were originally wearing the same pants. He helped the Jiangnan Bank Group behind him to build bridges and pave the way to enter Myanmar, while the Jiangnan Bank Group spent large sums of money to support  The realization of grand ideals is a matter of mutual benefit.  As for the Kingdom of Myanmar that suffered among them, even without Chen Zaixing and the Jiangnan Banking Group, this kingdom would have already become the possession of the British, and the end would be even more tragic.  Chen Zaixing and Liu Qingyang discussed for a while. Liu Qingyang was not interested in building the Kunming Iron and Steel Plant. This kind of heavy industrial project with large investment, slow recovery of costs and uncertain profit prospects was not what Jiangnan Banking Group was interested in. However, he was interested in the construction of Kunming Iron and Steel Plant.  The planned Yunnan-Myanmar Railway project is quite interesting. After all, judging from the several railways that have been built in Dashun, the profits and various potential benefits on paper are very considerable, not to mention that it can also be obtained through various other means.  The private sector obtains capital and makes profits from it.  After some bargaining, Chen Zaixing and the Jiangnan Banking Group represented by Liu Qingyang reached a preliminary agreement: Chen Zaixing would completely transfer the fundraising matters of the Yunnan-Burma Railway to the Jiangnan Banking Group, and the Jiangnan Banking Group must complete the transaction within two years starting in 1889.  Within the period, that is, before December 1891, no less than 6.5 million taels of silver were raised for the Yunnan-Burma Railway. In exchange, the Jiangnan Banking Group would obtain 60% of the equity of the Yunnan-Burma Railway.  At the same time, it has been initially determined that the rails of the Yunnan-Burma Railway will be mainly purchased from Kunming Iron and Steel Plant, and the insufficient parts will be purchased from other parts.  In this way, the historically famous Shunhua-Hude Group was born in this humble room in the backyard of the Hu Burian School Lieutenant's Mansion. In the decades of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this  The group has influenced, and can even be said to have controlled, the lives of hundreds of millions of people throughout Dashun and surrounding areas. It is like the Bible.  The terrifying beast described in the Book of Job is like a beast in the sea, ferocious and terrifying. Such a monster has never appeared in Dashun's thousands of years of history.  Japan, Tokyo, Luming Hall.  Duncan got down from the carriage with some difficulty. His figure seemed a bit too burly compared to the narrow carriage.  He looked around cautiously, then turned around and lightly knocked on the compartment wall twice, and then Gillins stuck his head out of the compartment.  I saw that he had returned to his old British gentleman attire. Except for some red cheeks, his recent trip to China did not leave any traces on his body.  Gillings jumped out of the carriage, held his hat that was knocked crooked, and smiled at the white man who jumped out behind him, "Colonel, don't you think old Duncan is making a fuss out of a molehill? Probably in his opinion, there is one on every street corner here."  Chinese spy!" The white man whom Gillings called "Colonel" had a serious face. He frowned slightly: "Mr. Gillings, I have been to this city many times as a naval officer.  , As far as I know, there are many Chinese businessmen and expats here. Who knows if there are any guys with special missions here. In view of the sensitive mission we have undertaken this time, I think it is better to be careful! "Also, white people!  The man straightened his back: "You'd better stop calling me by my military rank and call me Alexander!" "Okay, Alexander! It seems that what happened in Myanmar not long ago gave you a lot of stimulation. Indeed, because  With huge human resources, the Chinese have certain advantages in the army, but the navy is different. It not only needs a huge amount of money and excellent technology, but also a group of well-trained officers and officers with rich experience and bravery.  Sailors! In this regard, the Chinese can never compare with Great Britain! "That's natural, we Britons are fish!" Alexander puffed up his chest proudly, but then he whispered: "But China is still a fish.  It should not be underestimated. Although their navy is not worth mentioning now, their resources are too rich, and the long coastline cannot be blocked at all. The cruisers of the Far East Fleet will have to face armored battleship-level opponents in the future. If possible,  In the Far East or?Need a helper.  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 58 Kaori Inoue

    "Yes, this is the purpose of our trip!" Gillings walked into this small two-story brick building in Italian Renaissance style. What made him happy was that there were many Western Europeans coming in and out at this time. The three of them  The face of a Westerner was not conspicuous here at all. As soon as Gillings walked through the door, two maids rushed to greet him. They waited for Gillings to sit down on a low stool. One of them put on his slippers, and the other gently  Massaging Gillings' shoulders.  While enjoying himself, Gillings asked Alexander: "Then who do you think we should choose? Bear or?" At this point, Gillings winked at the maid aside.  "It's not clear yet!" Alexander also sat down and stretched out his legs to let the woman take off his shoes: "It depends on the results of the inspection, but I am not inclined to Xiong. After all, he also has conflicts of interest with our country in Europe.  , Supporting them will complicate the situation! " "You are right, I agree with you on this point!" Gillings stood up and tried on his slippers: "After all, this country is smaller, as long as Dashun exists.  , we don¡¯t have to worry about turning around and biting him back.¡± Then, he patted Alexander who had already changed his shoes: ¡°Now let¡¯s go and see who is waiting for us.¡± Gillings and his party are three people.  After passing through several floors of courtyards, we walked into a secret Japanese-style courtyard. In the narrow corridor, a servant girl in kimono led the way about a few meters away. On both sides were made of paper sliding doors.  Next door, dim lights are projected from both sides of the aisle and from behind the translucent paper sliding doors, adding to a mysterious atmosphere.  After turning seven or eight turns, Gillings finally gave up trying to remember the way he came. Finally, before his last bit of patience was exhausted, the servant leading the way opened a paper sliding door and said to her with a smile.  He gestured to come in, and with the light from the room, Gillings could clearly see two men in kimonos sitting on their knees in the room. They were obviously the Japanese personnel waiting to talk to him.  The three Gillins had just entered the room. They were not used to the Japanese kneeling method, so they had to sit cross-legged.  The younger of the two Japanese people opposite made a gesture, and the servants in the room retreated and closed the door.  At this time, the older Japanese nodded slightly and said in English with a strong Japanese accent: "Dear Mr. Gillings, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Kaoru Inoue, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Imperial Japanese Government.  This is my personal secretary, Jin Kuroshima. In view of the sensitivity of the meeting we are about to begin, please forgive me for arranging the location of this meeting in the restaurant." Gillings glanced around the room curiously and saw this room.  The interior is empty, with the exception of two lamps for lighting. There is no other furniture. The exquisite porcelain containing sake and dishes is placed on a lacquerware tray. The four walls made of white paper present a beautiful appearance under the reflection of the lights in the room.  In this semi-transparent state, anyone who attempts to eavesdrop outside the house will expose his presence. Obviously, the other party arranged the meeting location here for no reason.  Gillings recalled the information about the possible interviewees in his mind for a while, and smiled slightly: "Dear Minister, I am the special envoy of the Prime Minister of the British Empire, Arkansas. Gillings, this is Colonel Alexander, the special adviser to the Navy. This is  This is Major Duncan. We came to your country this time to negotiate for the renewal of the Japan-UK treaty!  With Inoue Kaoru's profound cultivation, her heartbeat couldn't help but beat fast. It turned out that since Emperor Meiji came to power in 1868, he began to reform, advocated civilization and enlightenment, took back national sovereignty, and revised the unequal treaties signed with European and American countries since the end of the shogunate, Meiji has always been  top diplomatic priority of the period.  As early as 1871, the Iwakura mission sent by the Meiji government began to try to amend the unequal foreign treaties. However, the American and European powers had a tough attitude. They not only rejected Japan's request, but also proposed more harsh conditions and plans. The mission did not  Achieve their goals.  Subsequently, in 1875, Japan¡¯s Minister of Finance, Shigemo Okuma, wrote a note to Foreign Minister Terajima, asking him to raise the issue of customs tariff revision to the great powers. In 1877, Japan launched negotiations with the United States, Britain and other countries in an attempt to take back its tariff autonomy, but the United Kingdom refused. At that time, Japan  Foreign Minister Terashima had no choice but to resign in 1879.  Kaoru Inoue is his successor. He believes that in order to amend the treaty, Japan must first become a "new European empire." Only in this way can Japan be on an equal footing with the world's advanced countries.  This is also the reason why Inoue Kaoru built the Luming Pavilion and strengthened communication with European and American powers.  But no matter how much Inoue Kaoru surrendered and Westernized, the marathon treaty revision negotiations with European and American powers never made progress. Inoue Kaoru also suffered a lot of attacks from political opponents and the public. At this time, the British suddenly took the initiative to send representatives to communicate, which made him  How not to be overjoyed.  "Everyone, please let us drink to the friendship between the two civilized nations of Japan and Anglo-Saxon!" Inoue Kaoru tried her best to suppress the excitement in her heart, picked up the wine glass in front of her and drank it all in one gulp. As a founder of the Meiji Restoration,One of the Nine Elders, he entered politics after the Meiji Restoration and was active in politics and economy for two terms. However, in the 6th year of Meiji (1873), he was investigated by the then Minister of Justice Eto Shinpei due to budget issues and the corruption incident at the Orizawa Copper Mine.  , had to resign.  With the help of the deep connections accumulated during his reign, Inoue Kaoru has achieved great results in the textile industry and railway industry. He has close ties with Nippon Yusen Line, Mitsui Zaibatsu, and Fujita-gumi. He also has a strong voice in the financial world.  In the end, he became the top advisor of the Mitsui Zaibatsu. In short, Inoue Kaoru has become a giant in Japan's political and economic circles at that time. Now there is only one goal in front of him - to ascend to the throne of prime minister, and what else can be compared?  Will successfully revising the contract become the last step to ascend to the throne of prime minister?  Even if the person now in the prime minister's seat is Hirobumi Ito, who made himself return to politics.  "A monkey is still a monkey when he puts on clothes!" Gillings drank down the glass of wine and glanced at the bloated old man with short stature in front of him with contempt. If the failure in Myanmar made him still embrace Chen Zaixing, who is also of yellow race.  If he was in awe, his deep-rooted white superiority complex broke out again in front of Inoue Kaoru.  He didn't even bother to hide his inner contempt deep in his heart, so that the face of Inoue Kaoru's personal secretary Kuroshima Jin, who was sitting opposite, also showed anger. Kuroshima Jin's back straightened, and when he was about to stand up, his knees  But he was patted by someone, and he turned his head and saw Inoue Xin shaking his head slightly meaningfully.  "Patience!" Kuroshima Jin saw these two words from the Lord's eyes, and he lowered his head in humiliation: "Damn British and American ghosts, one day I will let you know how powerful the Yamato nation is!" "Mr. Special Envoy, may I ask?  What is your mission in coming to Japan this time?" asked Inoue Xin nonchalantly. As an old man who had experienced the thrilling events at the end of the Bakumatsu, he could easily feel the contempt for himself deep in the white man's heart, but with  What is different from those excited young people is that Inoue Kaoru really knows how cruel this world is. It is not that you have the courage and talent to have the last laugh. Sakamoto Ryoma is dead, Yoshida Shoin is dead, and Okubo Toshimichi is dead.  Oh, Omura Masujiro is dead, and Saigo Takamori is also dead. All of these people were influential figures at that time. In terms of talent and prestige, they are even better than those famous big shots on the stage today, but these people  They have become a pile of withered bones in the ground, but these people on the stage are still alive. Not only are they alive, they also control the destiny of tens of millions of people in this country and this nation.  So it doesn't matter what others think of you. The important thing is to know when to be patient and when to explode. This is the real warrior.  "As you just said, for the sake of the friendship between the Japanese nation and the Anglo-Saxon nation!" Gillings put down his glass. To be honest, he was not very used to the taste of Japanese sake.  "Your Excellency, you have always advocated for the Japanese nation to become civilized and leave Asia and join Europe. There is no doubt that you are the most enlightened and far-sighted politician in this country." At this point, Gillings paused: "Japan is an island country.  Great Britain is also an island country. On certain issues, our two nations have a common language! " "A common language?" Inoue Kaoru carefully savored the meaning of Gillings's words. He seemed to have caught a glimpse of it, but just now  Tightening his fingers, the ethereal shadow slipped from his fingers.  "Yes, we are both island countries. In a sense, the history of our two countries is the history of fighting against the powerful empires on the mainland, isn't it?" Gillings said with a smile: "The British Empire has always been resisting the first empire on the European continent.  A powerful country, Spain, France, Russia. As for Japan, your enemies have not changed much!" A bitter smile appeared on Inoue Xin's face. As a Japanese with a good education in Sinology, he knew very well that most of the people in East Asia  Historically, Japan was just a backward country located on a remote island. In most cases, the central empire on the mainland did not bother to attack it, and Japan generally would not launch provocations beyond its own capabilities.  However, although Gillings' analogy is inappropriate, it still achieves its purpose of conveying the message.  "What you said makes sense!" Inoue Xin carefully considered her words to properly express her precise attitude: It is not impossible for Japan to become the helper of the British Empire in East Asia, but it must get a good price.  "But that's all in the past. Now Japan and Dashun have very good relations. There are more than 100,000 Chinese expatriates in Tokyo!" "Of course, of course!" Gillings smiled and patted his knee. Regarding his opponent's  Cunning didn't surprise him. During his several years in Myanmar, he had already learned enough of this Asiatic cunning from the indigenous people.  But that doesn¡¯t matter. As long as there is enough fragrant bait, are you still afraid that the fish won¡¯t take the bait?  "Your Excellency, I have another mission when I come to Japan this time!" Gillings suddenly changed the subject: "In view of the fact that your navy has been asking the Bank of England for a ship purchase loan, Alexander??The colonel is an outstanding officer of the British Empire's Far East Fleet. The colonel is responsible for inspecting the type of warships required and the amount of the loan!  " "It's an honor to meet you, Colonel!  "As Inoue Kaoru greeted Alexander, her mind was a mess. He was like Theseus in a maze, searching for the other party's true intentions along the thread. But Gillins just changed the subject and changed the subject.  His clues were cut off. At this time, Inoue Kaoru couldn't help but feel a little confused. "Your Excellency, the main task of my trip is to help your country's navy estimate the naval strength and potential of potential enemies and determine the number and types of warships needed for national defense.  , and the money needed!  "Alexander bowed his head to Inoue Xin reservedly. "Potential enemy?  "Alexander's answer was like a bolt of lightning across the night sky, illuminating Inoue Xin's mind. Combined with everything that happened not long ago, Inoue Xin immediately guessed the other party's true intention: "The British just had a meal in Myanmar.  Because of the loss, he came to Japan and wanted to use the Japanese to contain Dashun!  " After clarifying the purpose of the other party, Inoue Kaoru couldn't help but perked up. He smiled slightly: "Mr. Colonel, although I am not the Minister of the Navy or the Minister of Finance, as a member of the cabinet, I think the most important thing for Japan now is not to establish a  A powerful fleet, but to invest limited funds in industry, agriculture, and transportation, especially the silk weaving and transportation industries. If your country is willing to provide loans to purchase freighters or new textile machinery, Japan will definitely be very  Thank you.  As for warships, under the circumstances of peace in East Asia, I don¡¯t think it is necessary yet!  " "Cunning old fox!  " Gillings cursed secretly in his heart. It was obvious that the other party had guessed the true intention from somewhere and deliberately showed a nonchalant look, forcing himself to pay a higher price in the subsequent negotiations. "Peace can only be achieved when  Only with the balance of military power can it be guaranteed!  If the Japanese Empire did not have a powerful enough navy, how could it talk about peace?  As far as I know, Japan does not have enough raw materials, and the products it produces need to be exported in large quantities. Without a strong navy, how can it ensure the normal conduct of trade?  Gillings said here: "Of course, the British Empire's Far East Fleet will ensure the normal conduct of free trade, but the British Empire also needs friends, friends who can fight side by side on sea and land!"  ¡± Kaoru Inoue, who is used to Japan¡¯s unique political tradition of ¡°belly arts¡±, immediately heard the sensitive content in the other party¡¯s words. He pondered for a moment and asked in a low voice: ¡°Then what kind of things will your friends in your country get?¡±  What about treatment?  " "Friends will naturally receive equal treatment!  " Gillings immediately gave a categorical answer. The atmosphere in the room immediately became solemn. Inoue Kaoru's swollen eyebags twitched slightly. He was extremely excited for a moment. He had been struggling for the position of Foreign Minister for seven years.  The goal finally saw the light of day, and for a moment he seemed to see the position of Prime Minister beckoning to him. Inoue took a deep breath, suppressed the excitement in his heart, and whispered: "Your Excellency, Special Envoy, you should know that compared with Japan.  Dashun is poor and small. Although it has undergone reforms for nearly thirty years, its human, material and financial resources are far from being a match for Dashun, which occupies the East Asian continent.  Dashun has a population of 40 million and a standing army of 600,000, while Japan has only 40 million and an army of only 100,000. The gap between the two can be described as worlds apart. Moreover, being alone outside the East Asian continent, there is no way to deal with the Great Shun.  Shun poses any threat.  " "Indeed, if it were Japan now, it would indeed be unable to pose a threat to China!  Gillings smiled and said: "But what if it is ten years later or fifteen years later?"  Japan will always become stronger with the support of the British Empire!  " "Dashun will also become more powerful. They have more land, more population, and stronger financial resources. The gap between Japan and them will only widen.  Besides, Britain and Japan are different. Britain and Dashun are not bordering each other. If the two countries conflict, the most they can do is to pay some money. Japan is different. Dashun is only separated by the East China Sea. I'm afraid it will destroy the country!  " "Your Excellency, Minister, you should know that Japan is not the only one who has conflicts with Dashun. The Russians were involved in the rebellion that occurred in Outer Mongolia not long ago.  Dashun has a vast territory and many enemies. Moreover, while their domestic economy is developing rapidly, various conflicts are also intensifying.  What do you think the outcome would be if the Russians came into conflict with them in the north, the Japanese attacked Korea, the French in Annan, and the British Empire in Burma?  This complex empire, with no traditional connections and tied together by force, will be shattered like a porcelain bottle dropped to the ground, and Japan will become one of the biggest beneficiaries of the collapse of the empire!  "The room fell silent, and only the heavy breathing of Inoue Kaoru and Kuroshima Hitoshi could be heard. The two Japanese could no longer hide the excitement and greed in their hearts at this time. Especially Inoue Kaoru, who is a prominent figure in the Japanese economic circle  With deep connections, it is clear that after nearly three years ofDuring the ten years of reform, the Japanese government actively introduced Western science and technology and established a number of state-owned enterprises focusing on military industry, mining, railways, and shipping.  At the same time, modern equipment such as silk reeling and textiles are introduced, demonstration factories are established, and advanced technologies are promoted; foreign experts are recruited, students are sent abroad, and high-level scientific and technological talents are cultivated.  But all this requires huge amounts of money. Although the Meiji government levied high taxes on farmers, Japan, a small country with a small country and poor people, still suffered a financial crisis due to the heavy financial burden. Therefore, in the early 1880s, the government transferred a group of  State-owned enterprises and mines were sold at low prices to capitalists who had colluded with the government and thus had privileges (the so-called political and businessmen). Generous protective policies were used to encourage Chinese, landowners, businessmen and upper-class nobles to invest in banks, railways and other enterprises, cultivating a group of chaebols.  , and Inoue Kaoru is one of these beneficiaries.  As one of the best, Inoue Kaoru understands that the Japanese people at the bottom, who have been completely exploited by high taxes, cannot provide the product market that these chaebols need. If the Japanese empire cannot break out and find external markets for its products,  , waiting for these plutocrats is the only way to perish.  In a sense, Gillings's suggestion is right. If the Dashun Empire collapses, Japan will indeed be one of the biggest beneficiaries. As for what happens next, it can only be thought about later.  "Then, if Japan agrees to your suggestion and forms an alliance with the British Empire, can your country make concessions in revising the treaty?" Inoue Kaoru asked in a low voice. He had made up his mind at this time, no matter what the British were hiding behind  No matter what evil intentions, as long as the other party agrees to make concessions in revising the contract, he can agree first, and he can't suffer any loss anyway.  When he saw the hesitant expression on Gillings's face, he quickly added: "Mr. Special Envoy, I am only the Foreign Minister and do not have the power to make such a big decision, but if I become the Prime Minister of the Japanese Empire, then I will surely  We can do more to strengthen the friendship between Japan and Britain!" "Cunning Japanese monkey!" This was the second time Gillings cursed the other party in his heart.  The British man's face showed that the other party was slandering him, but this time Kuroshima Jin did not feel angry. On the contrary, he felt a burst of pleasure in his chest at this time: "British and American devils, this time you know how powerful the Yamato samurai are.  Let¡¯s do it!¡± Half an hour later, only Inoue Kaoru and Kuroshima Jin were left in the Japanese room, sitting across from each other across the lacquerware with drinks and dishes. By this time, the sake in the porcelain bottle had already gone cold, and neither of them was called to come.  The woman warms the wine, drinking it cup by cup.  I don't know how much time passed, but Inoue Kaoru picked up the wine bottle and poured it into the glass, leaving only a drop or two. It turned out that the wine had been finished.  "Your Excellency, please wait a moment. I will ask my maid to bring wine right away!" Kuroshima Jin stretched out his arms and stood up.  "No need, I've had enough fun today, let's stop here!" Inoue Xin threw the wine bottle in his hand on the tatami and stood up. Who knew that he had just drunk a lot of cold wine without knowing it?  I didn't feel my stomach at first, but now it has started to attack after sitting for a while. My legs have already become weak. As soon as I stood up, I stumbled forward. Fortunately, Kuroshima Jin jumped up to hold me, so I didn't fall.  "Sir, are you okay?" Kuroshima Jin asked, turning his head and shouting outside: "Come here, call the doctor!" "No, I'm fine, I just drank a little too much!" Inoue Kaoru  His mind was still clear, and he waved his hand: "Just ask someone to bring some hot water and hot towels!" "Yes, Your Excellency! Bring hot water and hot towels quickly!" Kuroshima Jin shouted to the outside,  He then flattened Inoue Xin's body and put a mat under the other person's head to prevent his trachea from being blocked by food or thick phlegm and causing an accident.  "Kuroshima, do you think what I did is right?" Kuroshima Jin lowered his head and saw Inoue Kaoru's eyes were clear. It was obvious that he was not in a state of confusion when he spoke just now.  He hesitated for a moment and replied in a low voice: "Your Excellency, many times when faced with a decision, what matters is not whether the decision is right or wrong, but the responsibility of having the courage to make a decision. Maybe this is the consciousness of a warrior!" "Okay, okay,  The enlightenment of a samurai!" Inoue Xin nodded: "As long as you make a decision, you don't have to think too much, just go ahead with your head held high. You will be happy when you win, and you will be happy when you lose -" Inoue Xin's voice became quieter and darker.  Shimahito lowered his head worriedly and listened, only to hear that the other party was breathing evenly and calmly, and he was already asleep. He smiled bitterly, stood up, opened the door, and whispered to the maid who was accompanying him: "Minister  Your Excellency is asleep, go get a blanket to avoid catching a cold!"

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 59 Inoue Kaoshita

    At the same time, Gillings and his party were sitting on a rickshaw returning to their apartment.  Gillings was very excited about the outcome of this secret meeting.  Inoue Kaoru has agreed to support Inoue Kaoru to go further politically if the British side makes certain concessions on consular jurisdiction in the treaty amendment negotiations, while Inoue Kaoru will reduce political conflicts with Russia and strengthen the navy and army.  construction; Japan and Britain cooperated in the navy, Japan provided ports, repairs, coal supply and other aspects of cooperation for the British Far East Fleet, and jointly suppressed Dashun; Japan and Britain mutually recognized each other's special interests in East Asia.  It can be said that his trip to Tokyo has made a good start.  As for why he did not choose Hirobumi Ito, who is the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, but Kaoru Inoue, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as the partner, that is because Gillings believes that compared to Kaoru Inoue, who is dedicated to Westernization and leaving Asia and joining Europe, as the government's third  The veteran Ito Hirobumi is more inclined to reform internal politics and accumulate strength, rather than immediately becoming hostile to Oshun, a mainland power that is far stronger than Japan.  More importantly, although Inoue Kaoru is far less powerful than Ito Hirobumi in the political world, compared to Ito Hirobumi, who retains the legacy of the samurai and disdains accumulation of wealth, Inoue Kaoru has rich connections in the economic world, including Mitsui, Nippon Shipping and other Japanese economic circles.  Important chaebols regard him as their spokesman.  Although Japan's political arena is still dominated by the elders of the Meiji period such as Ito Hirobumi, as the times change, when these elders gradually wither, the plutocrats who control the lifeline of Japan's economy will come to the forefront and become the country's  The real masters, these chaebols, are eager to expand outward and obtain larger product sales markets and raw material origins. Therefore, forming an alliance with Inoue Kaoru will make it easier to jointly deal with Dashun in the long run.  Two days later, Inoue Xin¡¯s private residence.  Bamboo leaves are falling on the stone floor in scattered patterns. A red maple tree grows deep in the bamboo forest. A trickle of water flows from the bamboo trough into the well. The stone railings along the well are covered with moss. There are a few red leaves floating in the water. Although the entire courtyard  The place is not big, but it presents the quiet and ethereal feeling unique to Japanese gardens, which is obviously designed by a master.  "Inoue-kun, you better understand me! You know that I, Ito, don't like anything. When I have a headache from working on state affairs all day long, it is probably better to be naive than to ask men to pour me a glass of wine and help me change clothes at dinner.  The beautiful geisha¡¯s jade hands can make my heart happy.¡± A burst of hearty laughter came from the secluded Japanese-style courtyard. A middle-aged man with a pale face and a Western-style beard was leaning on the arms of two geishas while drinking.  The geisha laughed loudly while serving the sake.  "Drunk on the knees of a beautiful woman, waking up and seizing the power of the world. This is your famous poem. I can't even fulfill such a wish, so how dare I invite you to my humble home?" Inoue Xin, who was opposite, said with a smile, at this time  He lost all of his usual majestic appearance. The front of his kimono was open, looking like a libertine in the flower streets and alleys of Tokyo.  "This wine tastes so good!" Ito Hirobumi took a sip of sake and gently stroked the white hand of the geisha on the right: "It's been a long time since I drank such good wine. I don't know why, but it was obviously very bad before.  The wine will taste good. " "It must be that the person drinking with you has changed!" Inoue Xin sighed: "Although the wine has been drinking for a long time, the mood is different, and the taste of the wine is different!  "Yes! When the five of us went to the UK to study together (the Cheung Chau Five), did we ever think that we would be here today? Along the way, many of our companions fell, some died at the hands of the enemy, and some died in the  In the hands of our own people!" Ito Hirobumi's voice became smaller and smaller, and his blurred eyes were a bit childish.  "Ito-kun, but from now on, we are taking the right path, and the sacrifices of our companions are worth it. Over the decades of reform and enlightenment, Japan has made great progress. As long as we continue on this path, we will definitely become a  No less powerful than the European and American powers! " "Okay, okay, Mr. Inoue, you are going to start showing off your theory of 'leaving Asia and joining Europe'!" Ito Hirobumi suddenly laughed and hugged the two.  A geisha: "With such a beauty by your side, on such a beautiful night, and with such good wine, you still talk about boring things. Inoue-kun, you are such a boring man!" "I  It has always been this boring, Ito-kun, did you just realize it today?" Inoue Kaoru smiled slightly, turned her head and winked at Kuroshima Jin, who was kneeling next to him. Kuroshima Jin stood up and quickly walked to the courtyard.  The servants and maids inside all retreated far enough away from the room.  "Ito-kun, the director of the Cotton Textile Association hopes to introduce the most advanced British-made textile machines. In view of the lack of funds, they hope to increase the amount of subsidies provided by the government." Ito Hirobumi frowned, obviously he did not like it at this time  Although he brought up this topic, he still couldn't bear it considering the other party's identity.The temperament replied: "Inoue-kun, now is not the time to discuss this kind of thing, and you have already earned enough money, so there is no need to speak for those businessmen who smell like copper while drinking!  " "Ito-kun, I am not advising you just for personal gain. You know that if Japan wants to be strong, it must have more factories. Our competitor Dashun's textile factories in the south are larger than ours.  , Their sources of raw materials are also cheaper. Only by using more advanced equipment and the cheapest workers can Japan win in this competition! " "We have already given them enough subsidies!" Ito Hirobumi shouted!  : "In order to provide them with loans, technology subsidies, purchase new equipment, and build roads, ports, and ships, the people have already done their best. These businessmen should find ways to solve the problems themselves, instead of constantly reaching out to the people!"  Ito Hirobumi, who was disturbed, waved his arms and lifted the hands of the geisha behind him.  Inoue Kaoru retorted calmly: "But there are some problems that cannot be solved by these businessmen. Chinese businessmen have a vast domestic market, as well as vassal countries such as Mongolia, Anxi, Korea, Annan, and Myanmar as product markets. Their factories  The scale is larger than ours, so the unit price of the products is also cheaper. If this continues, Japan¡¯s textile industry will be finished. Your Excellency, Prime Minister, you don¡¯t want to see such a situation, right?¡± Ito Hirobumi immediately learned from the other party¡¯s words.  Feeling a dangerous aura, he glanced at Inoue Xin doubtfully and asked, "Inoue-kun, what are you going to say today?" "Pah!" Inoue Xin tapped her palm twice, and the two arts  The prostitute quickly stood up, packed up her messy clothes, bowed to Ito and Inoue Kaoru, and retreated.  At this time, only Ito Hirobumi, Inoue Kaoru, and Kuroshima Jin were left in the room.  "The only way out is to build a strong army and find its own colonies for the empire!" "Inoue-kun!" Ito Hirobumi raised his tone: "We have already agreed on this issue. Now, at least for now,  What the empire needs is savings and patience. The empire is still very weak. War will destroy this country! ""How can the empire save money without tariff autonomy?" Inoue Kaoru retorted loudly: "The goods of the European and American powers only use it.  With such low tariffs, domestic companies cannot compete with them. We can¡¯t even compete with the Chinese. Do you think we can accumulate strength if we continue like this?¡± Ito Hirobumi has calmed down: ¡°Inoue  "Jun, what do you want to say tonight? No need to beat around the bush, just say it!" "The British are willing to make concessions in the treaty negotiation, as long as we are willing to ally with them and the Russians to fight against Dashun, if Dashun is defeated  , the British are willing to recognize the special interests of the Japanese Empire in Korea and Taiwan!" The room fell silent. After a while, Ito Hirobumi asked: "Inoue-kun, do you agree?" "No, I am just the Foreign Minister, no.  I may answer it alone! But from a personal perspective, I expressed my interest in this proposal. The treaty negotiation has reached a deadlock. Without the help of the British, we cannot force the European and American powers to make concessions on the treaty issue!" "This way.  Can we make them make concessions?" Ito Hirobumi sneered: "Although Korea is not a Japanese colony, at least we can share it with Dashun. If we agree to the British suggestion, we will completely side with the British.  On the other hand, that means war. A small country like Japan will definitely become expendable in such a war. Even if the side wins, will it be able to keep the spoils? You know, the British are tens of thousands of kilometers away.  And Dashun and the Russians are by our side. To protect North Korea and Taiwan means fighting the Chinese and Russians for ten, twenty or even a hundred years. Do you think Japan will be the final winner in this war?  "After hearing Ito Hirobumi's rebuttal, a layer of cold sweat broke out on Inoue Xin's forehead, but he gritted his teeth and replied: "Your Excellency, we have no choice. The British are the strongest and Japan is the weak.  Only by siding with the strong can the weak have a chance of survival. If they are trapped on these small islands, they will only die! " "I think it is you and the group of businessmen behind you!  For your own selfish desires! Inoue-kun!" Ito Hirobumi stood up and looked coldly at Inoue Kaoru who was kneeling on the ground: "I reached a secret agreement with the British and successfully climbed to the throne of prime minister through negotiation.  The interests of the chaebols have put millions of Japanese and this country into the gamble. I just want to ask you a question. If you lose, how can you face those who have fallen halfway?  Where are the companions?¡±

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 60 Breakup

    "No, it's not!" Inoue Kaoru said loudly, like a beast that had been touched by pain: "I am doing this for the emperor and this country. There is no other choice. The empire can win the final victory.  Victory, North Korea, Taiwan, and Manchuria will all become part of the empire! They will definitely-" Inoue Kaoru's voice became louder and louder, and in the end it was no different from a roar.  Ito Hirobumi looked at Inoue Kaori coldly, picked up the coat on the ground, put it on, bowed slightly to him, and whispered: "Thank you for the hospitality, farewell!" and walked out the door.  go.  Kuroshima Jin stood up and was about to say goodbye when he suddenly found that Inoue Kaoru on the ground had lost his sight and screamed loudly. He didn't realize that Ito Hirobumi had left at all, so he had to bow slightly to Ito Hirobumi and leaned over to take care of him.  Inoue Kaoru.  After about half a cup of tea, Inoue Kaoru regained her consciousness, leaning on Kuroshima Jin's arm, still saying to herself: "I am right, I must be right!" A few days later, as the Prime Minister and Minister of the Cabinet  Hirobumi Ito, the Minister of the Imperial Palace, wrote to His Majesty the Emperor, dismissing Kaoru Inoue as Foreign Minister and replacing him with Munemitsu Mutsu on the grounds that negotiations with European and American powers on the treaty revision were unfavorable.  Ito Hirobumi's sudden action caused an uproar in the government and the public, but Inoue Kaoru, as the person involved, accepted the change calmly, as if it was just an ordinary thing.  "Ah! He is indeed one of the 'Five Heroes of Choshu', a hero of the same generation as Mr. Ito. He is still so calm in the face of such changes. This is not something ordinary people can have!" "Yes, Inoue.  When Your Excellency heard this, it was like a trivial matter like "Have you eaten?" "Your shoes are loose." This is the true samurai manner!" "What do you know? Even if Inoue-san is out of office, he is in politics.  He still has deep connections in the industry and economic circles. As long as he gives an order, the treasury of Mitsui and Nippon Shipping will be opened for him. I bet that he will make a comeback soon! " "Then you can't underestimate Mr. Inoue like this.  "Ah!" "But to be able to remove Mr. Inoue like this at once, the Prime Minister is indeed a first-rate strongman!" Such comments can be heard everywhere in Tokyo's political and business circles, so Inoue  Although Inoue Xin was out of office, his home did not become deserted. People in carriages or sedan chairs came to see him in an endless stream, but Inoue Xin always stayed behind closed doors.  I am reprimanding you. As a minister, I am thinking about my mistakes behind closed doors. I hope you will understand.  But the atmosphere inside Inoue's house was not at all what Inoue Kaoru mentioned. In the courtyard where Ito Hirobumi was hosted for a banquet that night, six or seven men of different colors were sitting on their knees. If people outside saw these guests, they would definitely  You will be even more amazed at Inoue Kaoru's deep connections in the political and economic circles, because these people are all political and business giants such as Mitsui Banking Corporation, Nippon Shipping Lines, Fujita Group, Mitsui & Co., Ltd., and respectively control Japan's core industries such as finance and shipping.  "Your Excellency, how can the Prime Minister dismiss you like this? This is too much!" "Yes, even Mr. Ito cannot dismiss a senator like this!" People made fierce voices, and as the person involved, Inoue Kaoru  But he did not express his position. He just drank quietly, which made the voices of the politicians and businessmen who were closely connected with him gradually become quieter.  "Your Excellency, what are your plans?" a young man in his early thirties asked. He stood out among a group of elderly people over fifty.  "Nakagami-gawa-kun, Mr. Ito is the prime minister, which means he represents the emperor. As a minister, you can only bow your head and obey the emperor's orders!" Inoue Kaoru put down the wine glass in her hand and replied in a deep voice: "As for the emperor's orders?  It doesn't matter whether it is beneficial to you or not. Haven't you heard that 'thunder, rain and dew are all thanks to your kindness'?  Hikojiro is the nephew of Fukuzawa Hiroyoshi. He also served as Inoue Kaoru's personal secretary. He was very loved and trusted by Inoue Kaoru. After Nakagawa Hikojiro was dismissed from his post in 1880, he entered the business world and developed under his uncle and Inoue Kaoru.  With the support of the company, he has become a director of Mitsui Bank, Mitsui & Co., and Mitsui Mining, an investigation committee member of Mitsui Wufu Store, and a counselor of Dai Yuanfang (the Mitsui Zaibatsu internal organization that manages individual affairs, similar to a board of directors). Although he is young  At just thirty, he has already become a top figure in Japan's business world.  It was precisely because of his status and close relationship with Inoue Kaoru that he was the first to speak just now.  "I'm very grateful to you all for coming today, but taking a break from politics is actually a good thing for me!" Inoue Kaoru smiled: "But before leaving office, I still did one thing for you.  , Mr. Nakagami Chuan? " "Ha"??!  " "Last time you asked me about the subsidy issue for the introduction of the latest textile machines, I have already mentioned it to Mr. Ito. He originally disagreed, but if you ask again now, there should be no problem!  Inoue Xin said with a smile: "If it still doesn't work, you can go to the British Chamber of Commerce. I believe that the other party is willing to make certain concessions on price!"  " "Hai!  "Hikojiro Nakagami had a look of surprise on his face, and the politicians and businessmen bowed deeply to Inoue Xin together: "I have been indebted to you for your care for so many years. I really don't know what to say!  "    "do not talk like that!  You are all the largest companies in Japan. Only when you are strong can Japan be strong!  Please work hard!  " "Hai!  ¡± Soon after, the politicians and businessmen had left, and there were only two people left in the room - Inoue Kaoru and Kuroshima Jin. Inoue Kaoru was pouring herself a drink, looking content and content, not having just been kicked out by Ito Hirobumi.  Frustration in the political world. Looking at the other party's appearance, Kuroshima Jin finally couldn't hold back anymore. He took two steps forward and asked, "Your Excellency, why don't you fight back?  These politicians and businessmen have received so much favor from you. With their money and resources, you will definitely be able to overthrow the Prime Minister!  " Inoue Kaoru smiled slightly, but did not directly answer the confidant's question: "Kuroshima-kun, what kind of person do you think the Prime Minister is?  " Kuroshima Jin lowered his head and thought for a while, then replied: "Your Excellency, the Prime Minister, is a man of great ability and caliber. This country was almost built by him single-handedly!  " "Then do you think I am comparable to him?  " Kuroshima Jin looked at Inoue Kaoru, gritted his teeth and replied: "I'm afraid there are still some places where it's not as good as it is!  " "Yes, if I were in his position, I would definitely be prepared for the deposed person's counterattack, let alone him?  I bet that among these politicians and businessmen there may be spies sent by Ito-kun. If I do anything rashly, there will be a report on his desk in just an hour!  "    "What?  A layer of sweat immediately appeared on Kuroshima Jin's forehead: "These people have received great favor from you, but there are actually secret spies of His Excellency the Prime Minister?"  " "Kuroshima-kun, fortunately you live in such a peaceful era. If it had been the end of the Tokugawa period, you would have been killed from behind!  Inoue Xin sighed, with a sigh on his face: "The so-called businessman is a person who values ??profit above all else. For the sake of profit, he can abandon any kind of kindness, loyalty, life, and love. If he has a high enough  For a price, even his own life can be sold to you.  No matter how much kindness you have had to him, if someone can offer a higher price, he will leave the past kindness behind. A businessman is such a person!  " "It's really terrible!  "Kuroshima Jin's forehead was already dripping with sweat: "Then why did you make friends with them?  Aren't these businessmen who don't understand what loyalty is too dangerous?  Inoue Xin finally showed a sad expression on her face: "Samurai are indeed loyal, but they cannot stop warships and cannons. In today's world, only countries that can produce better and more warships and cannons, and businessmen know how  Do it! It's their time now!" Kuroshima Jin also sighed. He could hear the rare loneliness in Inoue Xin's tone. Didn't this veteran, who was known as the "common official", feel that he had fallen behind?  What were the laments of the samurai of the era? It was different from Saigo Takamori (one of the three heroes of the Restoration who launched the Southwest War because he opposed the Meiji government and harmed the interests of the samurai class during the Restoration).  However, Inoue Kaoru has realized that the trend of the times is irreversible, so she actively caters to it. ¡°Sir, what should we do now?  "    "do what?  Nothing to do!  Inoue Xin smiled and said: "This country was built by Ito-kun. If I want to fight against him, I will definitely not be able to defeat him."  " "Then why did you argue with him that night?  " "Because my path is the right one.  The country is also alive. Once it is established, it will have its own will and will move forward along its own path. If the ruler violates this will, he will be overthrown to the ground.  If my path is right, then either Mr. Ito will turn around and cooperate with me, or he will be knocked off his throne by the country, so we don't have to worry!  "Having said this, Inoue Kaoru pointed to her empty wine glass and said with a smile: "Kuroshima-kun, my wine glass is already empty. It's not right for you to ask me to talk so much but not pour me wine.  So polite!  " "I'm sorry, I'm rude!  "Kuroshima Jin hurriedly bowed his head, picked up the jug and poured wine for the other party. Inoue Xin took a sip of the wine and said with a smile: "Ito-kun, you are on the stage now, and I am in the audience. I want to see when it will be my turn.  I'm on stage and you're off stage!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 61 Requisition

    In the blink of an eye, the time has reached the end of 1886. The site selection and construction project of Shunhua Company's Kunming Iron and Steel Plant in Anning, Kunming has begun. In order not to delay the entire project, both coal and iron mines have to be excavated.  , to ensure sufficient reserves of ore and coal.  But a thorny problem arose in front of Kong Zhang and Ji Jianzhang - insufficient labor.  To put it more clearly, it is that there is a shortage of heavy labor force such as miners who are used to develop mines and have extremely high mortality rates.  From the perspective of a modern person in the twentieth century, this is simply a ridiculous question.  At the end of the 19th century, the total population of Dashun was close to 400 million. How could such a huge population lack miners?  But what is different from this plane is that due to Dashun's military victory over the grassland nomads, the Han people obtained large tracts of land in the Northeast, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Annan. By the 1870s, the total population of the Northeast alone had  It exceeds 16 million. In a sense, this reduces the population pressure on the mainland. Then the population density of Yunnan, where agricultural development conditions are far less than those in Northeast and other places, is much smaller than in the original area.  More importantly, many local residents in Yunnan are ethnic minorities. Historically speaking, these ethnic minorities were almost all ruled by chieftains. It took the efforts of the Ming and Shun generations to "reform their native lands and return them to their hometowns." Many villages were converted to their native lands and returned to their native places within a few days.  Ten years later, the residual power of these chieftains for thousands of years is still there, and the closeness of social organization is far less loose than that of Han villages.  Even if there are poor people in this kind of village, the original clan blood relatives are still there, so naturally there will not be too much free-flowing remaining population.  What's more, with the backward production technology conditions and heavy physical labor at the time, mining would cause a large number of deaths and injuries. If local people were recruited as miners, it would easily trigger a large-scale civil commotion or even an uprising, both for safety and cost considerations.  , it is very uneconomical to recruit local people as miners.  Due to time constraints, Kong Zhang immediately telegraphed Chen Zaixing in Mandalay to ask for instructions on how to respond.  Mandalay, the palace of the King of Myanmar.  Chen Zaixing is sitting on a back chair. The desk in front of him is filled with various documents. The words on them are in Burmese and Chinese. Although Chen Zaixing has been doing business in Myanmar for many years and can understand some Burmese,  They were all common sayings circulated among common people and businessmen, such as elegant sayings circulated among the court nobles, and he was a little struggling.  Suddenly, Chen Zaixing's eyes went dark, but someone covered his eyes from behind, and then he heard Luo Lin's familiar sweet voice.  "Guess who I am?" "Let me think about it slowly!" Chen Zaixing pretended to hesitate, then slowly touched his back with his right hand, and suddenly exclaimed: "Ah! What a big mouse!" "  Rat?" Luo Lin instinctively jumped forward and got into Chen Zaixing's arms. He looked around but saw that the stall was clean. There were no rats. When he turned his head, he saw Chen Zaixing's smiling face. He couldn't help but said in a coquettish way: "  You lied to me again, where is the mouse?" "My eyes were covered by you, but I heard a rustling sound, which sounded like a mouse, so I shouted!" "Rustling!" Luo Lin said.  When he realized that Chen Zaixing was pointing at Sang and scolding Huai, he made a pink fist and hit the opponent like raindrops: "I told you to tease me, I told you to tease me!" "Don't hit me, don't hit me!" Chen Zaixing received a few punches and hurriedly said  Begging for mercy.  ¡°Let¡¯s see how dare you go around the corner and scold me in the future!¡± Luo Lin snorted coldly and shook his hands twice.  "Why, where did it hurt just now?" "No, the hand I used to sign the documents today hurts so much!" Luo Lin sighed: "Resurrection, there are more and more things happening in the Privy Council now, I can trust those around me  There are really not many people, why don¡¯t you come out to the Privy Council?¡± ¡°Well!¡± Chen Zaixing pondered for a moment: ¡°I am a Dashun person after all, isn¡¯t it convenient?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the inconvenience for you before?  You were able to take care of the Privy Council when you were young, but why can't you do it now that you have become my husband? You don't know that those nobles are becoming more and more difficult to deal with, and they won't let go of even the smallest things. If this continues, Luo Qinfei and I will have nothing to do with them.  You can't stand it up!" At this point, Luo Lin couldn't help but feel resentful.  "One moment and another moment!" Chen Zaixing smiled noncommittally: "At that time, I was a court official in Dashun, and it was an extraordinary period. Now I don't have any official position, and I don't have a soldier in my hand. I only have a mouth.  How can those nobles take my words seriously? I'm afraid that if I go to the Privy Council, I won't be able to help you but will be criticized." Luo Lin thought the same thing. In a sense, her marriage with Chen Zaixing was over.  She hoped to marry the royal family to expand the power of the Burmese nobles. These people who were originally her supporters have now become opponents. This is why the opposition forces in the Privy Council have increased significantly during this period.  Thinking of this, Luo Lin couldn't help but sigh: "Hey, it would be great if Luo Qin was older, he could directly take charge!"&nbsp"That makes no difference. The strength of a ruler has nothing to do with his gender, only his strength!" Chen Zaixing asked: "I think you should strengthen your control over the army. The Privy Council can be slower!" "Say  I feel discouraged about the army! Even today in the Privy Council, the nobles asked for a reduction in military expenditures, but without military expenditures, how can they maintain the new army? They all said that since they have signed a peace agreement with the British and have Dashun's protection,  There is no need to maintain so many new troops. The taxes on farmers are already heavy and they must recuperate!" At this point, Luo Lin was so angry that his cheeks were bulging: "They all know that the new army is the foundation of the royal family.  He clearly wants to weaken the power of the royal family!" Chen Zaixing nodded. As Luo Lin said, after the rebellion launched by the puppet king Meng Ji and the invasion of the British, the kingdom's original old army had been exhausted in the war.  However, the military foundation of the new kingdom government was the new army re-established in the counter-insurgency war. This new army not only eliminated the peasant rebels, but also deterred potential aristocratic separatist forces. As the main spokesperson for the interests of the aristocracy, the Privy Council  Naturally, I don't have a good impression of this new army.  Since the military power of the nobles was very weak, the main method used by the nobles to fight against the royal family was to choke on military expenditures, forcing the royal family to weaken its military base. Although Luo Lin was very angry about this, he did not dare to directly confront him because the foundation was not yet solid.  The Privy Council took action.  "Luo Lin, I think it's better for you to play it safe in the Privy Council! We have been fighting for more than two years. People's livelihood in many places is in decline, and the British are also watching. If you fall out with the nobles now, it might attract the British again.  "Invasion, that would be troublesome!" "I know that, but now we have no money, and it seems that the new army will not be able to pay. It can be delayed for a month or two. What will happen if there is no new army?"  Those nobles don¡¯t even take the royal family seriously!¡± ¡°How much money is left in the new army¡¯s military expenditure?¡± ¡°There are five battalions in total, with a total of 3,500 infantry and artillery troops. The military salary alone is enough every month.  It costs eight taels, which is nearly one million taels a year. After deducting debts, fees, official salaries, and donations to temples, the government's revenue is probably less than 500,000 taels. The rest depends on the royal family's income.  Make up for it!" At this point, Luo Lin's face was filled with sadness: "It would have been fine in the past, but after the rebellion, the richest Lower Burma has been cut off by the British, and a lot of land has been left barren." At this point!  , Luo Lin couldn't help but sigh.  Chen Zaixing hesitated for a moment and said: "Actually, it's not impossible!" "You have a way to resurrect? Say it quickly!" "The royal monopoly, and the sale of slaves!" "I know the royal monopoly, but what about selling slaves?" "  According to Burmese law, many criminals were demoted as slaves, and during the recent peasant rebellion, many people were demoted as slaves. These people can be sold and exchanged for money to use as military expenses! " "You are resurrected again!  You're kidding!" Luo Lin smiled bitterly: "There are more than 10,000 rebel slaves sold, and no one can buy them on the market." "Shunhua Company is willing to buy them!"  Hua Company? Isn't that you? Why do you want so many slaves?" Luo Lin's eyes widened.  "Building roads and mining require a lot of labor, especially mining! I am building a steel plant in Kunming, which requires a large number of miners. I can buy any number of slaves from Myanmar!" Luo Lin hesitated when he heard this.  Finally, she whispered: "I still have to discuss this matter with Maung Ji and give you an answer!" "No, absolutely not!" Maung Ji waved his arms angrily and said loudly: "How can this be done?  These people were sold to foreign countries. How could you, Princess, give such an order? " "But there are many Chinese businessmen buying slaves in Myanmar and bringing them back to China. " "This is a completely different matter. Shunhua Company buys those slaves?"  You are going back to mine, how can you come back alive? This is simply massacre. Buddha will not condone this kind of behavior! " "Then what are you going to do? Now that the military budget is insufficient, do you want to reduce the new army?  "Then you can't sell slaves to Shunhua Company!" He naturally knew that the royal family's military expenditure was insufficient, but he had no solution. When it came to this, Maung Ji could only insist on it.  "Ng Maung Kee!" Chen Zaixing came out from behind the curtain: "These slaves are rebels. If according to the laws of the kingdom, they will be hanged and their families will be demoted as slaves. Your Majesty, the eldest princess, did this  You are already lenient, I don¡¯t know why you are so opposed to it!¡± Maang Ji stared at Chen Zaixing fiercely, stretched out his right hand and pointed at Chen Zaixing¡¯s nose and asked: ¡°What¡¯s the idea of ??selling slaves?Is that what you came out with?  It must be you!  " When Luo Lin saw this, he said angrily: "Maung Ji!  what do you mean!  Put your hands down, Resurrection is my husband and a member of the royal family. You must show due respect to him!  " Maang Ji took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, put down his hand, bowed his head to Chen Zaixing and said: "I'm sorry, Mr. Chen, please accept my apology. I was so angry just now.  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 62 Substitution

    "Wu Maung Kee, please don't worry. Everyone gets angry sometimes. Luo Lin and I both know that you have been serving the royal family faithfully." Chen Zaixing smiled: "I understand your thoughts very well. The kingdom cannot  It exists without the New Army, and the New Army needs money, but as the king's servant and the leader of the Privy Council, you always have to do things you are unwilling to do. ""For example, selling your compatriots as slaves?" "What if you want to do that.  I don't care about that!" Chen Zaixing sneered: "For Shunhua Company, it's just a matter of money. If you think this makes you feel embarrassed, I can make a request to a domestic company, and I believe I can find one.  Enough for the miners. But I just want to remind you that it was not me who turned them into slaves, but the laws of the Kingdom of Myanmar." Maung Ji stared hard into Chen Zaixing's eyes, but the other party just looked back calmly.  There was no joy or anger in his eyes, and after a while, Maang Ji walked out without saying a word.  The next day, Maung Kyi submitted his resignation to the inner palace. After the regent Princess Luo Lin failed to retain her, she immediately accepted Maung Kyi's resignation, and Diok took over as Privy Council Counselor, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Myanmar.  After Diok ascended the throne of Privy Council Counselor, the first thing he did was to immediately order the sale of all existing slaves to the Shunhua Company at the price of three taels of silver per person, and at the same time ordered the Shunhua Company to be given a railway from Mandalay to Kunming.  The exploration rights also include the development rights of land, minerals and forests within 30 kilometers on both sides of the railway.  In return, the Burmese royal family received a 30% stake in the newly established Myanmar Railway Company.  "Diok, this traitor, he turned to Chen Zaixing so quickly!" Maang Ji slammed the table, the wine glass jumped up with the shaking table, and the spilled wine soaked a large area of ??the table.  "He has become Shunguo's dog a long time ago!" Sitting across the table was a strong Burmese aristocrat, who was already six to seventy percent drunk and his face was already a little blue: "If that Chen Zaixing hadn't protected him,  Because he participated in the murder of the late king by the false king Meng Ji, he had been trampled to death by the elephant a long time ago!" At this point, the Burmese nobleman lowered his voice and said: "U Maung Kyi, you must find a way to deal with this dog, otherwise!  Sooner or later, he will put his dirty hands on our heads! " "What do you mean, Tu San?" Maang Ji heard the sinister meaning in the other party's words and couldn't help but trembled. He was already half drunk.  "Do it!" Tu San sneered: "A few days ago, several servants from my village escorted this year's taxes. They are from several generations. They are very loyal to me. I also have weapons there. Find them.  This guy was the one who got angry. He offended a lot of people when he started the rebellion. Who would have thought that it was the two of us who made the move?  Are you crazy? You should know that Diok is accompanied by dozens of guards wherever he goes, and he is also Mandalay's biggest spy leader. Can you kill him? How much trouble will it cause?  Yeah! Get rid of this idea as soon as possible!" Tu San sneered: "Maung Ji, it is precisely because he is the spy leader that I want to kill him. Killing this is the best dog used by the people of the country.  Blind their eyes so that other guys who want to join the Shun people will know what will happen to them. As for the guards, I have my own way!" "What way?" Maang Ji couldn't help but think.  It's not that I hate Diok to the core, it's just that I don't know where to start.  "You should know that according to the nobility, if the nobility wants to meet with the two majesties, they must enter alone and bring at most one attendant. No matter how many guards Diok has, he cannot be brought to the palace!" "You plan to assassinate in the palace.  Diok?" Maang Ji's face suddenly turned gray.  "Of course I'm not that stupid! Of course my people can't get in either!" Tu San smiled, dipped his finger in the wine glass, and began to explain while drawing on the table.  "You know, in order to prevent the soldiers guarding the gate from affecting the nobles in the palace, the guards are actually not at the palace gate, but at the gate outside the palace gate. There is a section of about 800 meters between the two gates.  The road is also used as a place to park carriages, horses and sedan chairs. When Diok reaches the gate, the guards must stay, and my people will start between the gate and the palace gate!" At this point, Tu San stretched out his hand!  His finger tapped the blank space.  "Then how did your people bring weapons in?" "Haha, then the secret must not be leaked!" Two days later.  Diok was sitting in a sedan chair, surrounded by fifty fully armed soldiers, all of whom he had sheltered during the war.  Diok knew in his heart that at first he followed the false king Meng Ji, and later he killed Meng Ji and joined the loyal army. There were many people who wanted his life. Instead of counting on thatIf your enemy lets you go, it is better for you to be careful.  However, from the two years of war, Diok learned this truth, that is, if a small country like Myanmar wants to live well, the only way is to identify a thigh and hug it tightly. When the situation is reversed,  , then you should decisively jump on another boat, there is no other way.  Diok thought and did this, so he was able to ascend the throne of Privy Council Counselor. He also knew why he could sit in this position below one person and above ten thousand people, and he used the fastest and fastest way to do it.  A thorough and at the same time the most shameless act to repay his master's kindness.  As for the curses and threats from the nobles in the Privy Council, Diok, even if he did not ignore them, did not take them too seriously. For him, the most terrifying thing was not the hatred of his compatriots, but the loss of the blessing of power.  He firmly believes that as long as there is no dry wood under the anger of hatred, there is nothing to fear.  Just as Diok closed his eyes and meditated in the sedan chair, the sedan stopped, and the voice of a close confidant came from the suburbs.  "Sir, we have arrived at the palace gate!" Diok nodded, got out of the sedan, straightened his clothes, and said, "Enter the palace!" Diok entered the gate and walked towards the palace along a road paved with bluestones.  Walking towards the gate, the gate was newly built after Meng Ji's last rebellion. The purpose was to strengthen the guard of the palace. Between the gate and the palace gate, it turned into a large and spacious courtyard, which was used for temporary parking of sedan chairs on weekdays.  place.  Diok and his entourage walked about half the way when they suddenly saw several men dressed as bearers surrounding them, with their hands wrapped in their sleeves, and they had bad intentions.  "Sir, something is wrong. Let's go to the palace gate quickly!" Diok nodded. The intuition brought about by wandering between life and death for several years made him feel that death was approaching him. He quickened his pace and headed towards  Run to the palace gate.  "Kill him, and you will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver!" The leader of the sedan chair shouted, and everyone pulled out their steel knives from their sleeves and rushed towards Diok.  "My lord, run quickly, I'll block you here!" The attendant pushed Diok hard and turned around to face the assassins.  Diok ran towards the palace gate without saying a word. Soon there were sounds of fighting and cursing behind him, which turned into dying moans in the blink of an eye. Diok knew that his follower was finished, so he gritted his teeth.  , rolled and crawled to the palace gate, and shouted loudly to the two guards guarding the door: "There are assassins!" Almost at the same time, the assassins who had killed the entourage had already caught up with them, holding high their bloody swords.  The steel knife roared and rushed towards Diok.  The guards at the palace gate are different from the guards at the outer gate. They are more of an honorary position. They are usually selected from tall and handsome young people from noble families. I have never seen such a battle before. The two guards were in a hurry.  As soon as the gun was cocked, the assassins had already rushed in front of them. One of them was immediately stabbed down with a knife. The remaining person fired a shot, but it missed. Then he was chopped on the head by the assassin with a knife, and he fell down.  Seeing that something was not going well, Diok turned around and ran away into the palace. As he ran, he shouted: "An assassin has entered the palace, an assassin has entered the palace!"  After a while, Diok turned two corners and disappeared, but the heavy footsteps and orders of the guards outside kept coming. It was obvious that the gunshots just now had alerted the soldiers outside the palace.  The assassin leader stamped his feet: "Forget it, Diok is very slippery, let's all run away, don't fall into the hands of the soldiers!" Twenty minutes later, Diok, sweating profusely, knelt down  In front of the livid-faced Luo Lin and the frightened Luo Qin, his whole body trembled.  Several bloody corpses were lying on the side, and two men were kneeling on the ground with bruises all over their bodies.  "What's going on? We actually let assassins come to the palace! Are there so many rebels in Myanmar?" Luo Lin finally couldn't hold back the anger and fear in his chest and shouted loudly.  "My lord deserves to die, my lord deserves to die!" Diok kowtowed quickly. As a counselor of the Privy Council and the de facto Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Burma, Diok was also responsible for the poor security of the palace.  "Luo Lin!" Chen Zaixing came out from behind, gently hugged Luo Lin's shoulders, and said, "Now is not the time to hold people accountable. The important thing is to find out the real culprit behind the scenes and punish them severely!"  "You are right, Resurrection! Diok, interrogate the assassin immediately, and be sure to catch the culprit behind it! No matter who it is, he must be severely punished!" "Yes, Your Majesty the Princess!" Dio  Ke kowtowed excitedly, stood up, and cast a grateful look at Chen Zaixing, who was standing behind Luo Lin. He knew very well who had saved him just now and turned things in his favor.  "Looking at Diok's leaving figure, Luo Lin's tense body suddenly relaxed, and she leaned weakly against ChenXing's arms: "Resurrection, how could things become like this? Are there so many people in the Privy Council who oppose my appointment of Diok to govern?" "Luo Lin, the specific situation is not clear yet, so don't think about it.  Too many!" Chen Zaixing gently rubbed his wife's hair and whispered: "But one thing you are right about is that once external troubles are eliminated, internal troubles will arise!"

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 63 Running Dog

    "Yes, sir!" The Sikh officer gave a military salute to Diok, turned around and ran towards the arrested noble. A moment later, there was a burst of crying and cursing from there - the Sikh soldiers  Pull the victim's arms apart, then put a hemp rope around the nobles' necks, and pull them to both sides. Under the tight hemp rope, although the victim struggled hard, their tongues soon came out of their mouths.  come out.  Signs of life disappeared from his body.  "Diok, you traitor! Maungji, please save me!" Tu San's voice came over. As the person who actually dispatched the assassin, Diok deliberately asked the soldiers to put his torture to the end to use terror.  and despair to torture this guy who tried to take his own life.  Hearing the other party's curses and pleadings, Diok strode up to Tu San. At this time, two strong soldiers had already twisted his arms and forced him to kneel on the ground. When he saw Diok walking over, one of them  He grabbed Tu San's hair and forced him to raise his head so that Diok could see his face clearly.  "You were the instigator of this assassination attempt on me?" "Diok, you are such a traitor, I only wish I hadn't killed you!" Tu San stared at him fiercely.  "Just a few of you want to deal with me?" Diok sneered and ordered to the Sikh soldiers: "Take them down, sort out the confessions first, and then execute all these people!" "Yes, sir!  "Diok, you traitor, I will never let you go!" Tu San's shrill shouts echoed under the tall dome of the Privy Council. Maung Ji standing aside couldn't help but shudder. In the history of the Kingdom of Myanmar, I dare not let you go!  There are kings who kill nobles unscrupulously like this, but their consequences are miserable, not to mention that Diok is just a Privy Councilor.  A thought suddenly flashed through his mind: "Is this Diok crazy?" Diok turned around, smiled and pulled Maung Kei: "Wu Maung Kee, it's too messy here, let's sit next door.  Come on!" The aroma of tea filled the room. Apart from the faint screams, it was no different from the usual chats between noble council members during Privy Council meetings.  Maung Ji silently sipped the fragrant tea in the cup without saying a word.  At such a time and place, he felt that nothing he could say was as appropriate as silence.  "Wu Maung Kee, do you know why I didn't include you in the list of assassins?" Diok suddenly asked.  "Why?" "Because you are the only member who came to the Privy Council today. When the nobles were hiding at home or escaping from Mandalay, you were the only one - Maung Kyi - who came to the Privy Council. You were the only one who came to the Privy Council.  A noble who values ??the safety of the kingdom more than his own safety, I will not harm someone like you!" Maang Ji's eyes widened in surprise, and Diok looked at him with a smile, his eyes filled with emotion.  sincere.  After about half a moment, Maung Ji replied in a low voice: "I don't believe what you say!" "Why don't you believe it? Because I am Chen Zaixing's lackey?" Diok smiled slightly: "Yes, whether it is to escape punishment or to become a  Privy Council Counselors cannot do without his support, but this is not inconsistent with my loyalty to the kingdom. "" Ridiculous, ridiculous! From the beginning, every move made by Chen Zaixing was for the benefit of himself and Dashun, and with the British.  I understood this when the treaty was signed. When the British recognized Dashun's suzerainty over Burma, Chen Zaixing betrayed the kingdom without hesitation. It is really true that a nobleman can be loyal to such an egoist and the kingdom at the same time.  The funniest joke I heard today!" "It's not that funny, Maung Kee! Maybe Chen Zaixing only cares about his own interests, but look at what he is doing now: building roads, raising taxes, forming new armies, and fighting  Aren¡¯t these what a king should do?¡±  "That's it!" "Maybe, but what matters is not what he thinks, but what he does, isn't it? You have also been a Privy Councilor for a period of time. How much land did you give to the farmers in total and how many freedoms did you give them?  Identity? How much tax does the royal government get?¡± Maung Kyi hesitated and replied: ¡°About 15,000 to 30,000 hectares of land, 400,000 to 500,000 farmers.¡± At this point, Maung Kyi hesitated.  stand up.  "Very good. In less than a month since I became Privy Councilor, by proposing to grant development rights to Shunhua Company within thirty kilometers on both sides of the railway, the Royal Government has acquired more than one million hectares of land, and once the railway is  In operation, the government owns 30% of the equity. Even if other incomes that come with it are not taken into account, the railway revenue alone is a considerable amount of income." Maung Ji sneered.?Then you, Diok, a Privy Councilor, have done a pretty good job?  " "It's very good, I dare not say it, but Maang Ji, you are also a sensible person.  Now that foreign powers are invading, it is impossible for the Kingdom of Myanmar to remain unchanged. If it does not, it will lead to the destruction of the country and the annihilation of the species.  Whether the false king takes the throne or the two His Majesties take the throne, everything will change.  But if we only rely on the strength of you and me, it will be difficult to change. Since Chen Zaixing has the method and strength, why can't we follow his method first?  "Maung Kee was speechless after hearing what Diok said. Diok's words just hit his heart. Since the first Anglo-Burmese War, in more than half a century,  The British continued to invade Burma in an attempt to turn it into a colony. Although Burma fought back with the support of Dashun, its land was taken away day by day, and the remaining land gradually became the property of neighboring Dashun.  Semi-colony, the enlightened aristocrats represented by Maung Ji are very sad about this. They also know that if they want to maintain the integrity of the nation, the only way is to reform and civilize, introduce advanced science and technology, and enhance national strength.  But to achieve this, we must first change the current situation in which all land in Myanmar is owned by nobles, monks, and kings, and farmers have no personal freedom. Otherwise, how can the kingdom be civilized and reformed if there is neither a strong central government nor a free labor force?  But to change the status quo, we have to face strong resistance from traditional vested interests such as nobles and monks. During more than half a century, several kings tried to reform, but in the face of fierce resistance from traditional forces, the results were all different.  It failed. There are only two paths before Maung Kyi: either use the power of foreign capital represented by Chen Zaixing to promote innovation, or mobilize the peasants to directly eliminate the nobles and monks. For Maung Kyi, the choice is extremely difficult.  "Maung Kyi, you should know that Myanmar is like a person walking on the edge of a cliff, either rushing over or falling. The last war will not be the last war between the British and Dashun. If Myanmar does not  If you can become stronger, you will be swallowed up by the winner next time!  " Maung Ji was finally convinced by Diok's eloquence. He shook his head: "Maybe you are right, then what do I need to do?  " "I need you to support me in the Privy Council, Wu Maung Kee, and you have always been doing the work of allocating land and giving freedom to farmers. This requires a lot of time and energy. I hope you can continue to do it!  "    "All right!  ¡± In this way, the assassination incident at the end of 1886 ended. In addition to the execution of more than thirty aristocratic members involved, the situation quickly calmed down. The cruelty of the war that had just subsided and the powerful strength of the Shun army had not yet come to an end.  Forgotten from the minds of the nobles, they lowered their heads in silence, swallowed their humiliation and hatred, and waited for the opportunity to take revenge. Three years later, in September, Yuhang, Zhejiang Province, was full of berths.  It was an open boat coming out of the countryside. The boat was loaded with new rice, which pushed the boat down very low. The leaves and garbage on the sides of the boat were surrounded by white foam, filling the boat with waves.  There is a gap between the river port and the street where only two or three people can walk side by side. On the other side of the street, the morning sun slants down from the broken Mingwa ceiling, and the light beams fall on it.  There were several old felt hats swinging outside the counter. These farmers wearing old felt hats came out of the boat early in the morning. When they arrived at the port, they didn't even dare to breathe, so they came to the counter and asked about the price of rice.  Four pieces of silver ocean, one stone of millet, two pieces of silver ocean!  "The gentleman behind the counter replied weakly. "What?  "The farmers almost didn't believe their ears, and their happy hopes suddenly sank, and everyone was almost stunned. "Didn't you buy brown rice for eight yuan per stone in June?  " "I've bought some for one stone and nine yuan!  ¡± ¡°How can there be such a sharp fall!¡±  "The gentleman sneered: "Don't you know what time it is now?  Rice is coming from everywhere like a tide. If you don¡¯t buy it now, will it continue to fall in a few days?  ¡± The energy that had just been exerted to rock the boat like a dragon boat race has now relaxed in everyone¡¯s body. This year, the weather has been helpful, and the bugs have not come to hinder us. We have harvested an extra three to five bushels per acre, and everyone thought that  It¡¯s time to take a breather. Who knew that in the end, we would get worse results than in previous years? ¡°It¡¯s better not to pretend, let¡¯s put it back at home and leave it for the women and children to eat.¡± I burst out from my simple heart.  Such angry words: "Hi!  "Mr. Mi Xing sneered, "If you don't behave, will people starve to death?  Let me tell you, there is a lot of Burmese rice at the wharves. Lord Zao sent troops the year before last and defeated the British devils. Burma became our vassal state in Dashun. One stone of rice there only costs one piece of silver, and Shunhua Company only costs one ship.  The shipment has come back, but the first few batches have not yetAfter eating, several more batches of food arrived on the big ship.  " "Burmese rice?  A stone of rice only costs a piece of silver?  Mr. Zaohou?  "For these farmers, it is a distant thing, as if it has nothing to do with them. The rice that has been delivered to the river port can only be said as an angry statement. How can we not be embarrassed?  The landowner had to pay rent, and the court's taxes also had to be paid. In order to hire helpers, buy fertilizer, have enough food to eat, and repay the debts borrowed, all of this had to be done with white silver or golden copper coins.  , and they only have rice, and there is money in the rice bank. "Let's go to the city to make money." In the city, there may be a better fate waiting for them, someone thought this in the next chapter.  Mr. Ye Shengtao's famous essay "Collected Three or Five Dou More", because I think in this Xinshun world, the fate of Chinese farmers will not be any different from that of compatriots in another dimension. The only difference is that this time  What drives them to desperation is not the rice and noodles shipped by foreigners, but the cheap food shipped back from abroad by the country's bourgeois adventurers. Finally, let's ask for recommendations and collect them. So, if the daily recommendation exceeds.  With ten votes, Weber will update twice, and with twenty votes, he will update three times. There is no way around it. The results of the new website are too hard!

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 64: Three to Five Dou More Charges

    However, the husband said "chi" again, twirling his thin short beard and said: "Don't talk about the city, it's the same as going to Shanghai. Maybe it's cheaper. Let me tell you the truth. We have discussed it among our colleagues.  , this year we only collect rice from Yuhang City. In previous years, if we collected too much, we could transport it to Shanghai. But now Burmese rice has come in, and the price is very cheap. If it weren¡¯t for the words of Mr. Hu from the Cao Gang in this section of the river, we would not be allowed to transport it.  Burmese rice is coming, people in Yuhang are eating Burmese rice! You guys can¡¯t even sell a piece of silver!¡± ¡°What, can¡¯t even sell a piece of rice?¡± Someone in the old felt hat suddenly panicked.  "You said that one stone of rice in Burma costs only one dollar per stone. Rice over there also costs money to grow. Why is it so cheap? You are not bullying us country people who have no knowledge to coax us?" "Scoff!  I don¡¯t have time to coax you! If you want to buy something, go to the back and don¡¯t block other people¡¯s way!¡±  When the soldiers came back, I heard from him that the land in Myanmar is fertile and there are few people, and millet can be grown three seasons a year. If it can be transported from there, the price may be cheaper. " "How can this be? We pay donations and taxes!  Is the purpose of conquering Burma to reduce the price of grain to four dollars per stone? Is there any way for farmers in the world to survive?" "Sir, can you raise it a little bit?" It was almost a pleading voice.  "It's easy to talk about it a little higher. Our rice business is opened with capital and risk. You have to know, if you raise a little higher, it means that working for you is in vain. Who is willing to do such a stupid thing?  " "This price is too low. We never dreamed that last year's selling price was 6 yuan. No, as your husband said, it was sold for 7 yuan. We thought that this year it would be better.  A little more than six yuan. Who knew it was only four yuan?" "Sir, it's the old price last year, six yuan." "Sir, the farmers are poor, please be kind and earn less." Another gentleman listened.  I was so bored that I knocked the hookah in my mouth on the counter twice, opened my eyes wide and said, "You think the price is low, so don't cheat. You came here by yourselves, and I didn't invite you. Just be more wordy."  What! We have plenty of foreign money. If we don¡¯t buy yours, we can buy other people¡¯s. Look, there are two more boats parked there.¡± Three or four old felt hats came up from the stone steps.  Chi's face expressed hope.  They immediately joined the group that had arrived first.  The slanting beam of light fell on the shoulders and backs of their rag coats.  "Listen and see what the price is this year." "It's not as good as last year, only four yuan!" With a look of frustration and helplessness.  "What!" Hope was like a soap bubble, and three or four more burst in a moment.  Although the soap bubble of hope bursts, the rice carried in the open boat must be sold; and it is destined that it can only be sold to this rice shop.  There is plenty of foreign money in the rice store, but the empty pocket of the rag jacket is exactly what needs foreign money.  During the debate about whether the rice was good or bad, and under the quarrel between Hu Ziqian and Manchu, the open boat at the pier was really turned upside down; the hull floated up a lot, and this boat and that boat were filled up.  The leaves and garbage in the gaps between them will be invisible.  The farmers brought the rice they grew to the warehouse of Wansheng Rice Store, and what they got in exchange was more or less a stack of silver.  A group of people grunted and left Wansheng Mihang, while another group of people stepped up from the dock.  In the same way, the soap bubbles of hope burst in front of the counter, driving away the joy I felt since the beginning of autumn looking at the heavy ears of rice.  In the same way, I sent the white rice that I was extremely reluctant to part with into the rice shop and exchanged it for free cash.  The streets are getting lively.  The farmers came to town today, and it turned out they had many plans.  When I run out of soap, I have to buy ten or eight yuan and go home.  You should also bring several boxes of matches.  I bought foreign oil from the hawkers who carried burdens to the village. For ten copper coins, I only had such a small scoop, which was a big loss. It would be much cheaper if several families bought a tin and used it together.  The colorful Shanghai-made fabrics displayed in the window were said to be only eight and a half feet long. The woman had been jealous of them for a long time. Today, Baomi was clamoring to come out together. He was a few feet tall, Ah Da was a few feet long, Ah Er was a few feet tall.  I have a budget.  Some women also have an oval mirror, a snow-white towel, or a beautifully knotted woolen hat in their budget.  It's rare that this year, the weather has taken care of me, and I can harvest an extra three to five bushels per acre, which makes my hands that are always tightly squeezed relax a little. Who says it shouldn't be?  Paying rent, repaying debts, and settling the union can probably be enough to deal with the past; besides dealing with the past, there is probably more left. When they left Mihang grunting, it was like walking out of a casino that has always been unfavorable to them - this time they lost again.  Got it!  How much to lose?  they do not know.  In short, the bag?Not even half a dollar or a dime of the stack of foreign money belongs to me.  I have to add an unknown number of pieces of silver to others before they will be satisfied. This will only be known after they tell me.  .  ???????????????????????????????????????????????OUT out.  So the streets became lively.  The farmers walked in groups of three and five, dragging their short figures on the narrow streets.  He was still mumbling, recalculating the price he had just gained, and cursing Mi Xing, who had a dark conscience.  Women had baskets hooked in their arms, or they were holding children by one hand, and their eyes just glanced at the shops on both sides.  The child was seduced by the red and green tin drums and tin trumpets, and stayed there refusing to go away.  "Little brother, it's fun, buy a foreign bronze drum and a foreign trumpet," he said in a deliberately seductive tone.  Then - winter, winter, winter - bah, bah, bah.  Dang, dang, dang - "The foreign porcelain basin is scratching, one corner is really fair, folks, take one with you." "Hey, folks, there are all kinds of floral fabrics here, special discounts, 8 cents to 51 cents  "Child, add three to the full foot, do you want to cut some back?" The shopkeepers in Laofuxing, Wanyuanxiang, Dali, worked very hard. They called "fellow folks" at any cost, and at the same time pulled and pulled the "fellow folks"'s cloth coats.  , they know that only today, the pockets of the "folks" are full, and this is a good opportunity that cannot be missed.  After hesitating to save the budget, the "countrymen" handed over the newly acquired Yin Yang piece by piece to the shop assistant.  Matches, soap, etc. are necessary, so I have to buy them, so I have to buy less.  The price of a can of foreign oil is too "bitter", so don't buy it, just sell it to the hawker for ten coppers per scoop.  As for the clothing material, those who planned to cut two pieces cut off one piece, and those who planned to cut the mother's and son's pieces together cut off only the son's piece.  I took the round mirror into my hand and put it in the window.  He put the woolen hat on the child's head and tried it on. As soon as it fit, he said "Don't buy it" and took it off again.  The "folks" also drank some wine and bought some meat from a cooked meat shop. After returning to their boat moored at Mihang Wharf, they took out bowls and dishes filled with salty rice and tofu soup from the bottom of the boat.  , then sat on the bow and started drinking.  A woman is cooking on the stern of the boat.  After a while, this boat also smoked, and that boat also smoked, and everyone shed tears.  The children fell and rolled in the open cabin, and played with dirty things floating on the river. They were the only ones who felt indescribable happiness.  When the wine is in your stomach, you talk more.  We know each other, we don't know each other, we fall into the same fate, and we drink on the same river. You pick up the wine bowl and say a few words, and I put down my chopsticks to pick up a few words. The one who listens, shouts "Yes",  If you don't like it, give it a scolding: everyone feels that this is exactly what is needed to vent.  "Four yuan a stone, what a ghost!" "Last year there was a flood, the harvest was not good, and we were losing money. This year is considered a good year, the harvest is good, but we are still losing money!" "This year's losses are worse than last year; last year, we were even better.  "You have to take out the rice you eat again. Alas, the farmers can't eat the rice they grow!" "Why do you have to take it out, you damn ghost? I must stay at home and feed it to my wife."  My son eats it. If I don¡¯t pay the rent, I would rather go to court and get them locked up!¡± ¡°I have no choice but to borrow four cents and five cents to pay the rent.¡±  What are you trying to do to carry a lot of debt next year?" "It's really hard to live in the fields!" "I think it's quite satisfying for those who want to escape from the famine."  There¡¯s no need to pay for it, let¡¯s go together!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to be the brains? There are a lot of brains out there, men and women, young and old, they all listen to the brains.¡± ¡°I think they can go to Shanghai to work.  Not bad. Isn¡¯t it that Xiao Wang from our village works in a factory in Shanghai? I heard that the monthly salary is eight yuan. According to today¡¯s price, that¡¯s two shi meters!¡± ¡°What are you looking for in the old calendar?  ! I heard that the business situation has been bad in the past few years, many factories have closed down, and Xiao Wang is working as a beggar. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±  Everyone was silent for a moment.  The red face looked ugly due to the sun and the alcohol, as if bright red blood would burst out from the skin.  "We farm every year, who do we farm for?" A man asked quietly as he took a sip of wine.  Another person pointed to the old and new gold-lettered signboard of the rice store and said: "It is planted for them right in front of us. We endured hardships, paid heavy interest and borrowed money to plant it, and they twitched their lips and said  "Four dollars a stone!" He swallowed all our oil and water!"If we make the price for ourselves, then it is fine. Based on the conscience, I don't want to want to have eight dollars a stone, I don't want to have more."  The rice bank operates with capital and refuses to work for us in vain. " "Then, our fields are cultivated with capital, so why should we work for them for nothing! Why should we work for the landowner for nothing!" "  I thought in the dark: I¡¯ll let you take advantage now, keep the rice here; if I don¡¯t have anything to eat from now on, I¡¯ll eat it from you!¡± He deliberately kept his voice low, and his eyes with red silk eyes squinted towards the shore.  "When you really have nothing to eat, it's not against the law to eat some rice wherever there is!" He said confidently.  "Didn't the neighboring county have a rice-robbing event this spring?" "Robbing rice? You might get shot, who knows!" Of course, there was no resolution in the scattered conversation.  After the wine was drunk and the meal was over, everyone set sail back to their own villages.  The dark green dirty water was rippling desertedly at the dock.  The next day another group of open boats came to berth here.  The same story is played out in the town.  This kind of story is also being performed in various cities and towns. It is really common and ordinary.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 65 De Yue Tower

    Shanghai, Deyuelou.  Deyuelou was originally founded in Suzhou during the Jiaqing period of the previous dynasty. It is famous for its exquisite wine and food.  Later, as Shanghai developed day by day, Suzhou Deyuelou branched off and went to Shanghai. It grew and grew, and it was obvious that it had overtaken the original old restaurant. In the whole of Shanghai, Deyuelou is second to none for Suzhou cuisine.  .  By four or five o'clock in the afternoon on weekdays, the tables in the building are fully booked by diners.  But early this morning, the clerk in the store put up a sign downstairs saying "The building is full, please forgive me!". When several regular customers passing by asked, they found out that the Shanghai Textile Association had already closed this shop three days ago.  The moon building is booked.  There could have been 17 or 18 tables on the roof of Deyue Tower, but today only 4 or 5 tables were set up. In total, there were only 30 or 40 people in total, so it looked a bit empty.  There had been three rounds of drinking at the table. No matter whether they were the host or the guest, everyone's face was full of alcohol, and it was obvious that they had drunk a little too much.  "Everyone is going with me! Everyone is going with me!" A short, fat man at the main table stood up, raised his glass and shouted loudly: "Everyone is here today. It is a thin noodle for Mr. Huang of Yuxing Cotton Factory. Here is  Huang has a drink first to show his gratitude!" Before the short fat man finished speaking, someone from the next table said: "Fat Huang, what you said is wrong. Mr. Chen is here today, and there are others here.  Who wouldn¡¯t come?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Not to mention Deyuelou, even if Mr. Chen says something to us, we¡¯ll have to rush over here!¡±  Fatty Huang was not angry at being insulted. He laughed: "That's natural, but I took this opportunity today and borrowed this glass of water and wine to express my gratitude to Mr. Chen on behalf of Shanghai's industrial and commercial community!"  At this point, he solemnly bowed and toasted to the person at the same table.  "Don't dare!" Chen Zaixing stood up. Like most people in high positions and accustomed to holding power, his red face always had a reserved smile, making it difficult for people to see what he was thinking.  He raised his glass and said with a smile: "It's really lucky for Chen to meet all the wise people today! How dare you say thank you!" "Mr. Chen's words are wrong. The price of rice in Shanghai has been rising over the years.  With the increase in the year, those rice shops took the opportunity to stock up on grain and raise prices, forcing all factories to pay additional rice subsidies to workers. Salaries already account for a large part of our textile factory's costs. If this continues, everyone's profits will increase.  The thinner it is, the harder it will be to do business. Mr. Chen shipped 8,000 tons of rice from Myanmar at once, cutting the price of rice by half. If nothing else, we have already saved money on rice.  , This is all the credit of Mr. Chen!¡± ¡°Yes, we work hard to do business, but those landowners, Mihang, sit there and do nothing. They just raise the price of food and give away our profits.  Fortunately, Mr. Chen acted righteously! " "That is, these landowners and rice merchants are obviously greedy, and they still pretend to beg for the people, saying that 'the harvest is not good' and 'the grain is cheap and hurts the farmers'.  What, have you read today's "Shanghai News"? The front page said, 'This year's harvest is extremely good, there is a surplus of grain, and the price of grain is low. Farmers are suffering. Please help us find a relief plan.'  When it comes to farming, we are not afraid that the farmers will not be able to pay the rent, but they will end up saving it on themselves!¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that most of these donations will end up on our heads!¡± There was a sigh at the wine table!  Sheng, there are precedents for this in previous years. When grain prices fell too much in good years, the court would usually use its own money or raise capital from major banks, banks and factories to buy grain and rice from various places and designate appropriate locations for farming.  The rice will be accumulated and sold one after another during the lean period in the coming years to keep rice prices balanced; at the same time, the tariffs on imported grains will be increased or the import of grains will be banned altogether.  No matter which method is used, it will increase food prices. Since workers' wages and rice prices have a very close linkage, it is extremely disadvantageous for textile factories that employ a large number of workers.  A young man stood up and said loudly, "Humph, this kind of thing should not be taken care of by the court at all. Prices rise and fall in the business world. It is a normal thing. Just accept your bet and admit defeat! The court has to take care of the food harvest, so let us weave cloth."  If there are too many, the court won¡¯t care if they can¡¯t be sold. It¡¯s natural selection and survival of the fittest!¡± This young man¡¯s words were fierce, but they appealed to many people. In the eyes of these factory owners, the business over the past few years has failed.  Things are getting harder and harder. More and more factories are opening, and they are getting bigger and bigger, but the market has not increased year-on-year. However, cost factors such as cotton and grain have become increasingly unfavorable, and workers' wages have also increased accordingly. Foreign countries  There are more and more competitors, but those landowners and rice merchants are trying every means to peel off a layer of skin from themselves. How can this continue?  These increasingly full-fledged bourgeoisie began to vaguely feel that they had to have their own voices in the court and speak for their own interests.  "Ahem!" Chen Zaixing said in a low voice.He groaned twice and said with a smile: "Although what this brother said is a bit biased, he is right in one sentence. There are too many weaving factories in Shanghai now. As far as I know, the largest textile factory in Shanghai alone  There are seventeen factories, and there are even more small and medium-sized ones. The price of cloth woven by so many factories has been very low, and there is no profit. Japan and North Korea used to be able to buy some of it, but at the end of last year, Japan also  The announcement of a 75% tariff on imported textile products will eliminate the Japanese market. This will not work. " "Yes!" "Yes!" There was a response from the crowd.  , these bosses all had sad faces on their faces, they had lost their appetite for the delicacies and wine on the wine table, and they all sighed.  "Ahem!" Chen Zaixing coughed twice, interrupting everyone's lamentations. In addition to opening up channels to export excess Burmese rice to China, he also had a more important purpose in coming to Shanghai this time.  That is to raise funds for the upcoming construction of the Yunnan-Burma Railway.  After three years of hard work, the two blast furnaces of Kunming Iron and Steel Plant have been built and iron production has begun. The exploration routes, technical preparations, equipment procurement and other work along the railway have also been initially prepared. However, if you want to build this railway, funds will be required.  There is still a big gap in the matter. Shanghai, as the largest industrial, commercial and financial center in Dashun and even in East Asia, is naturally the destination of Chen Zaixing's fundraising trip.  After years of development, the textile industry has become the largest industrial category in Shanghai and even the Jiangnan region. There is a bit of excess capital and output. Chen Zaixing hopes to draw some of the capital from it for railway construction.  "Everyone, this time I came to Shanghai. In addition to selling Burmese rice, I also sell tin, teak and other products. If you are interested, you can also talk to Chen. We are all friends and we can offer discounts on prices.  Well!" At this point, Chen Zaixing laughed.  Hearing this, everyone at the table became silent, and many people had troubled looks on their faces.  Finally, the businessman surnamed Huang who was sitting next to Chen Zaixing smiled bitterly and said: "Mr. Chen, it's not that we don't want to make this money, but it's just that we are in a dilemma?" "Embarrassed?" Chen Zaixing pretended not to understand, and raised his eyebrows slightly.  He picked it up and asked, "How did you start talking about this? If it's a problem with money turnover, it's not non-negotiable. What's the problem?" "It's not a problem with money!" The fat man Huang sighed.  : "I also know that teak and tin are both very profitable businesses, but the problem is that we are all in the textile business, and we don't understand these two industries. It's better to be experienced than to be a professional! That's fine, the most troublesome thing is  These things have always been bought and sold by British trading houses. If we make any move, I'm afraid, I'm afraid -" At this point, the businessman surnamed Huang could not continue.  "What are you afraid of?" "I'm just afraid that it will cause trouble!" When the businessman surnamed Huang said this, a layer of oily sweat oozed out from his forehead. He was already fat, and the layer of oily sweat on his forehead actually looked like it under the light.  The rock sugar elbows on the table are the same color.  "Mr. Chen, you are a noble person but you don't know the difficulties of us businessmen. Import businesses such as tin, teak, and foreign oil have always been handled by Taikoo and Yihe. If we get involved, I'm afraid there will be trouble in the future.  "A lot!" "Yes, Mr. Chen!" "Those foreigners are not easy to mess with. If you touch their business, you will get into trouble!" "Yes, many of our machines and parts must be imported from those companies.  , if we offend them, we will be in trouble if someone just cuts our necks!" There was a chorus of agreement at the table, and several businessmen simply talked about their own sorrows. It turns out that although Dashun has been in the country since the mid-19th century,  In economically prosperous areas such as Jiangnan, some industries using advanced industrial technologies have emerged, but these industries are mainly light industries with low investment and fast turnover. Even if there are some heavy steel and machinery industries, they are mainly military industries established by the government. These textile industries  The factory was far from comparable in scale and technology to the Western European powers at that time. It was controlled by others in terms of technology, equipment, capital, market and raw materials, so naturally it did not dare to offend these large trading houses that represented the great powers.  Chen Zaixing frowned slightly. He had known for a long time that British businessmen had made huge profits by monopolizing Myanmar's exports of tin ore, teak, grain, etc., so when he controlled Central Myanmar and Upper Myanmar, he planned to export tin and teak to Dashun.  They were waiting for Myanmar's specialty products in exchange for funds to build railways and develop military industrial enterprises. However, they did not expect that British businessmen would even have such tight control over the domestic market in Dashun. Although they could transport part of it to the country through the passage between Myanmar and Yunnan,  Today, when the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway has not yet been built, transportation costs are very high, and bulk commodities like these are simply unrealistic.  "The British have already controlled the sea. It seems that they still need to open up land transportation from Myanmar to the country first." Chen Zaixing thought to himself,??Now he is in a situation where a large amount of money is needed to build the Burma Railway; but if he wants to make money by exporting Burmese products to the country, he must first have cheap and convenient transportation lines. The two cause and effect each other, so  Like a pair of shackles, Chen Zaixing's neck was firmly stuck.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 66 Corn Laws

    "It seems that the only way is to go through the Gillins channel!" Chen Zaixing sighed secretly.  In the past three years, the company he partnered with Gillings has exported a large amount of tin ore and teak to Western Europe, and he has also made a lot of profits. However, overall, Myanmar's tin ore exports are still very cheap, and most of the profits are lost to middlemen.  and Western European factory owners, Chen Zaixing hopes to build his own tin smelting plant in Myanmar or China and export tin ingots directly to the country, but now it seems that this channel is not yet mature.  Chen Zaixing sat there thinking. The businessmen at the same table saw that he was silent and thought that his refusal had offended him.  These businessmen all know that he is not only wealthy and powerful, but also has inextricable connections with the top executives of several of the largest banks in Shanghai. More importantly, he is also the husband of the regent princess of Myanmar, and he also has such profound influence in the court.  If his connections make him unhappy, he can look good on the table with a flip of his hand.  The businessman surnamed Huang gritted his teeth and said cautiously: "Mr. Chen, if the quantity of your Burmese goods is smaller, it's not impossible for me, Fatty Huang, to grit my teeth!" Chen Zaixing was startled when he heard this and looked at the other person's face.  , and immediately understood that the other party was worried that he would not be able to save face, so he quickly raised the wine glass in his hand and said with a smile: "Then I'll thank you first. I'll be staying at Liu Mansion these days. If you can use it for anything, I'll let you know."  Don't be polite!" Fatty Huang was overjoyed when he heard this. He quickly stood up and raised his glass, saying repeatedly: "Mr. Chen, you're welcome, you're welcome!" He naturally knew where the Liu Family Mansion Chen Zaixing was talking about. If he could take advantage of this opportunity to make peace with Hou,  Mr. Liu from Deutsche Bank got acquainted with him, which was a blessing in disguise.  Fatty Huang put down his wine glass and looked around with envy and jealousy. He suddenly felt a heat in his stomach rushing to the top door. He couldn't help but said loudly: "Mr. Chen, if you can trust me, Fatty Huang, please first leave a list of the goods to be imported."  At my place, Fatty Huang is asking around in Shanghai, maybe he can find some solution. " It was already late at night, and Chen Zaixing got into the carriage with the support of Jiang Zhiqing. Jiang Zhiqing shouted to the carriage driver: "Go to Liu Mansion!  Then he got into the carriage and asked in a low voice: "Master, are you okay?"  Zhiqing, have you gone home to check on the situation? " "Sir, the place in my house has been demolished and turned into a factory area. After asking around, it seems that my father has passed away.  I heard that the younger brother and sister went to Jiaxing. "Oh? How could this happen?" Chen Zaixing stopped moving. Jiang Zhiqing has been working under him for the past three years. He is diligent, smart and ruthless, and has done a lot for Chen Zaixing.  The matter has become Chen Zaixing's confidant, so Chen Zaixing promoted him to be a commercial specialist in Shunhua Company. When he returned to Shanghai this time, he also brought him with him, intending to let him return home in fine clothes, but he did not expect this result.  "I heard that there was a conflict between the workers who were demolishing the house and the residents. The demolishers simply set a fire and burned many people to death. My father did not escape." Jiang Zhiqing stopped here. Chen Zaixing saw him  With a gloomy face, he sighed and said: "In that case, I will give you two hundred taels of silver and hire some monks to perform a ritual for your father. I am in Shanghai these days, and you can go to Haosheng to find the whereabouts of your brother!"  "Thank you, Master!" The carriage went all the way back to Liu Mansion. After Chen Zaixing washed himself, he lay down to rest. He drank Shaoxing Nuerhong that night. This wine is a type of rice wine. It is quite sweet in the mouth, but has great staying power.  Chen Zaixing actually drank a lot, and he had a seizure when he returned to his residence. He fell asleep and did not wake up until nearly noon the next day.  "Master, Master!" Chen Zaixing was sleeping soundly, but he felt that he was shaking. He turned over and was about to continue sleeping, but felt a cold feeling on his face. He suddenly woke up, and when he opened his eyes, he saw Jiang Zhiqing.  There was also a wet towel in his hand. It was obvious that the other party had just wiped his face with the wet towel to wake him up.  "What happened?" Chen Zaixing knew that his subordinate was not unaware of the seriousness, so he immediately asked in a deep voice.  "Master, there are more than 20 people outside asking to see you. Yesterday, Mr. Huang, Mr. Xu, and Mr. Chen all came!" "Mr. Huang? Mr. Xu, Mr. Chen?" Chen Zaixing frowned slightly. What Jiang Zhiqing said  These people are either the big factory owners who attended the banquet yesterday, or businessmen who import Burmese rice. I have been dealing with the channels for importing Burmese rice in Shanghai these days and have had a lot of relations with them. At this juncture, they came over. Could it be that they are  Something unexpected happened.  "Go out and take the people to the side hall and ask them to wait for a while. I'll be ready and I'll be there soon!" "Yes, sir!" Chen Zaixing freshened up for a while and then walked to the side hall. As soon as he got up the steps, he saw  More than 20 people in the hall stood up in unison,Everyone looked anxious.  Chen Zaixing made a group salute and said with a smile: "Resurrection has kept you waiting for a long time, please forgive me!" "Sir, something bad has happened!" Fatty Huang said anxiously. At this time, there was already a layer of sweat on his face, but  The difference from last night was that it was not oily sweat, but sudden sweating. He took out a newspaper from his arms and handed it over: "Look, Mr. Chen, there is news from Han Jing that the imperial court  A new law is to be enacted to restrict the import of grains! ""Restrict the import of grains?" Chen Zaixing was stunned when he heard this, and he took the Di's newspaper and found that it was already a little soft. It was obvious that everyone had circulated it several times.  It will be so.  "The Book of Han says: 'Buying is very expensive and harms the people; if it is very cheap, it harms the farmers. If the people are harmed, they will be separated, and if the farmers are harmed, the country will be poor.' In today's Dafeng in the south of the Yangtze River, and rice is imported from foreign vassals, a bucket of rice can only cost a few coins.  The farmers have been working hard for many years, but their income is not enough to pay the rent and taxes. They have abandoned their mausoleums and abandoned their fields and houses. If things go on like this, the fields in the south of the Yangtze River will be completely destroyed. Now, please show your love for the people and prohibit foreign vassals from entering the rice" Chen Zaixing saw it.  Here, I put the newspaper aside and couldn't help but sigh.  He imported grain from Myanmar, but he did not expect that it would objectively hit the agriculture in the Jiangnan region.  Since the Ming Dynasty, the southern Zhili region has been the richest and most developed handicraft industry in the entire Ming Dynasty. Many local farmers have changed their land from growing rice and other food crops to more profitable cash crops such as tobacco and mulberry silkworms. In addition, the population  Prosperous, so the price of food in Jiangnan is generally much higher than that in other areas of the country. This not only attracts food imports from neighboring areas, but also changes the way local grain farmers work. Generally speaking, these grain farmers  They all rent the land from the landowners, and through intensive cultivation, high yields of grain are obtained and sold to repay the landowners' rent.  The large import of cheap rice from Myanmar has caused the price of rice to plummet in the Jiangnan area centered on Shanghai. This has dealt a heavy blow to these tenants. Not only are they unable to pay the rent to the landlords, they cannot even maintain basic survival.  .  Because of the high land and labor costs in the Jiangnan region, it is impossible to compete with the subtropical rice cultivation industry in Myanmar, which has three crops a year.  These landowners and rice traders, whose interests were greatly harmed, asked officials on their behalf to immediately request the court to impose restrictions on the import of Burmese rice to protect their interests.  "Mr. Chen, you have to think of a way! There are 1,600 workers in my factory, and based on half a rice per person per month, that's 800 silver dollars! Eight hundred silver dollars!" said Fatty Huang.  Here, the fat on both cheeks couldn't help but tremble, and it was obvious that he was in extreme pain.  "Yes, Mr. Chen, that's not all. When the price of rice becomes more expensive, other costs will also become more expensive. The cost of transportation of raw materials and the rent of factory buildings will also increase. After we have Burmese rice, we will not have to pay for it this year.  If those rice merchants knew about this, they would definitely increase their prices and give me a severe blow!" "Yes, our business has only made a small profit in the past few years, if we do this again!  If something happens, you can't do anything anymore!" Chen Zaixing didn't answer immediately. He read the newspaper in his hand twice and said with a smile: "Everyone, this is just a rumor, and there is no decree from the court yet.  "My Majesty, the Queen Mother, is so benevolent that the Prime Minister and the Assistant Minister will definitely not let such a scholar's opinion come to pass." "It's really nothing." "Of course it's nothing!" Chen Zaixing smiled.  : "If this Burmese rice cannot come in, I will be the one who loses the most. It will be more than eight hundred silver dollars every month. I am not in a hurry, so why are you in a hurry?" When everyone heard this, they breathed a sigh of relief.  The clever ones also secretly guessed that Mr. Chen, who had great hands and eyes, must be so calm because he had someone to talk to in the court. They each had their own things to do, so they said goodbye and left. After a while, only Mr. Chen was left in the hall.  Next came Chen Zaixing and Jiang Zhiqing who were standing by.  "The opinions of corrupt scholars have misled me!" Chen Zaixing's face looked as if it was covered with frost, and he had already thrown the newspaper on the ground.  "Zhiqing, go and book the nearest train for me right away. I'm going to Hanking!" "Yes, sir!" Hanking, Prime Minister's Mansion.  "Dang, Dang, Dang!" A bell rang from the living room. It was already seven o'clock in the evening. After finishing his walk, Wang Qinian walked into the study room at the clock and started reading as usual.  As the de facto prime minister of the empire, he still maintained the habit of reading for at least an hour every day that he had developed since he was young. People who knew him well knew that after taking a walk after dinner every day, Wang Qinian would return to his study and read a book.  The book of hours, naturally no one will disturb it at this point.  But today was different from the past. Wang Qinian had just turned two pages when he heard a gentle knock on the door from outside.  Wang Qinian couldn't help but frown slightly, but after all, he had been an official for many years, so he still had the magnanimity he should have.    "What's the matter?" "Master, it's me!" It was the old wife's voice that came from outside.  Since she is an old wife, it must be something that cannot be postponed. Wang Qinian closed the book, stood up and said: "Come in and talk!" Wang's wife walked in, with a look of fear on her face, and lowered her voice: "Master, the in-laws are here.  If you don¡¯t know anyone, just wait outside!¡±

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 67 Bribery

    "In-laws?" Wang Qinian frowned. He had a son and a daughter. The son was an official in Shanxi, and the daughter was married to an official family in Hanking. The in-laws the old wife mentioned must be her daughter's Weng family.  Although Wang Qinian was fond of power and was not very broad-minded, he was very upright as an official and did not have much contact with his in-laws on weekdays.  Suddenly, someone from his in-laws came, and he already understood six or seven points.  "No!" Wang Qinian sat back in the chair and snorted coldly: "Just tell me that I have gone to bed to rest!" "Master, let's meet up. It's my in-laws who are here. If I don't see you, I'm afraid Cui'er is at his house.  It's hard to be a human being!" Wang Qinian saw the pleading look on his wife's face and thought of his well-behaved daughter. He sighed and said, "You know how the country's affairs are corrupted by others!" "Master!  We have been husband and wife for decades, let¡¯s meet him!¡± The king¡¯s wife begged: ¡°Whether you agree to the request from your father-in-law or not is a matter for the court, but it would be too unkind if you didn¡¯t even meet him!¡±  ?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After hearing what his wife said, Wang Qinian could only nod. No matter how honest he was, his daughter was the daughter-in-law of another family, and the relationship with her in-laws was too tense, so it was not okay for his daughter to be caught in the middle.  Be a good person.  He stood up, shook off his robe, and walked outside.  "My beard, I haven't seen you for a few days. Are you okay?" Wang Qinian entered the door and bowed his hand to his in-laws.  "Dear brother-in-law, you are here!" Seeing Wang Qinian coming in from outside, Pang Dexiong, who was twisting his long beard, stood up quickly. Because of his burly body and good beard, his relatives and friends called him Beard.  Wang Qinian is also called the bearded man because he is three years younger than him.  Pang Dexiong was also quite proud of this and cherished his beard very much. However, while waiting for Wang Qinian just now, Pang Dexiong had already cut off more than ten beards.  "Please sit down quickly!" Wang Qinian stretched out his hand to help Pang Dexiong sit down and asked with a smile: "If there is anything important, I want you to come in person. If there is anything, just send a junior over to let me know!" "Hey!  "My dear, I came to you to take refuge!" Pang Dexiong sighed and said, "Do you know that my house is full of people now, and they all come to ask for help. If I didn't come to you, where would I be?"  You can still be clean!" At this point, Pang Dexiong shook his head repeatedly.  "Please?" Wang Qinian's heart was bright, but he pretended not to know.  "My dear, let me ask you, did Lu Yushi from the Metropolitan Procuratorate make a suggestion two days ago, asking the court to ban the import of Burmese rice?" "Yes, but what does this have to do with the request?" "We will not beat around the bush.  Come on! My dear, this Lu Yushi is your prot¨¦g¨¦. This news shocked the court as soon as it came up. If it has nothing to do with you, I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Wang Qinian frowned slightly, and he was a little concerned about the other party¡¯s direct question.  Displeased, but still forced a smile and said: "Yes, this fold is indeed related to me, how about it?" "Hey, Lu Yushi, it doesn't matter if he gets the fold, I've just stirred up a hornet's nest over there, everyone came to my house  , you want me to come to you and ask you not to ban the import of grain." At this point, Pang Dexiong's face was full of bitterness: "Some people ask softly, and some use coercion to export. Hey, this is really true.  You're going to kill people!" "It's a joke, it's ridiculous!" Wang Qinian's face turned cold: "How can these guys interfere with the imperial government's plans? Bearded man, you know me. Everything else doesn't matter. I handle the imperial court's affairs.  There is absolutely no favoritism. " "My dear, don't rush to say anything!" Pang Dexiong reached out and grabbed the other party's sleeve, begging: "Do you know who is coming?" "  Who are they? They are just those profit-seeking people in Jiangnan!" Wang Qinian sneered: "They are not afraid that the ban on grain imports will raise the price of rice and increase wages, which will prevent them from making more money.  Insulting the peasants will destroy the foundation of the court. The peasants will be unable to make a living in the fields and will rise up. When the country is gone, what's the use of having more money?" Pang Dexiong sighed: "Hey, I don't know your big principles!  But do you know who is behind these people? If you impose this ban, there are not just one or two people who will be offended. Do you know that someone has already said that they are willing to pay this amount if this ban can be stopped?"  Having said this, Pang Dexiong stretched out two fingers.  "Two hundred thousand taels?" Wang Qinian sneered: "That's very generous!" "What two hundred thousand taels? It's two million taels!" Pang Dexiong sneered: "Those people had already spoken before I came, as long as  My dear, if you seal this ban, I will come out with you with two million taels of silver." Upon hearing this, a layer of purple appeared on Wang Qinian's face, he was familiar with him!Everyone knew this was a sign that he was extremely angry.  "Arrogant, having a few duwu is like bribing the court ministers!" Wang Qinian stood up suddenly: "bearded man, go back and tell those guys that I don't want a penny from you. This prohibition only requires me, Wang Qinian, to be in this position.  , I will definitely send it!" "Prince, think twice, these people are not simple behind the scenes!" "No need to say anything more!" Wang Qinian bowed his hand to the other party, then turned around and walked inside.  Pang Dexiong sat there alone with a wry smile on his face.  Wang Qinian returned to the study, sat down and wanted to continue reading, but despite his decades of cultivation, he still felt an unknown fire rushing straight to his forehead while sitting at the desk. He had never felt like this in the decades since he entered politics.  Angry too.  A group of businessmen chasing tithe dare to openly bribe themselves with those things. Do they think that everything in the world can be bought with money?  At the same time, he was also secretly frightened by the tone of those who offered bribes. As a skilled bureaucrat, Wang Qinian knew very well what two million taels was. In Dashun at the end of the 19th century, this amount of money was enough to equip three battalions (battalions).  It was an army larger than the largest army establishment at the time, or more than a top-level armored battleship.  And these people can bribe themselves without hesitation, which shows how powerful and wealthy they are.  Even though Wang Qinian was already a highly respected minister, he was still secretly frightened. After all, the other party was not the same person!  "Huh! Once a civil uprising is triggered, how can two million taels be spent!" Wang Qinian said to himself, as if to cheer himself up, he stood up, walked to the wall, and looked at the wall  A banner hanging on the wall read in a low voice: "If you are willing to live or die for the benefit of the country, how can you avoid it because of misfortunes and blessings!" "So, Mr. Wang refused?" "Exactly, I tried my best to persuade him, but he still refused.  Agreed, I just say that the price of food is related to the foundation of the imperial court and is definitely not a matter of money!" Pang Dexiong explained with his head lowered, as if he was quite afraid of the person in front of him.  "Humph, you rotten scholar! What is not a matter of money? How can there be anything in the world that is not money? The price of food is low and farmers are losing money. They can just eat foreign rice. Burma, the United States, and England. As long as you have money, you are not afraid of losing money.  People buy rice for you? But if the factories collapse and hundreds of thousands of workers in Shanghai, Jinling, Youzhou, and Hanking are left without work, something will really happen!" "What Liu Gong said is true!" Pang Dexiong nodded quickly.  Yes, the man in front of me can be said to have controlled the entire banking industry in South China. Although he does not hold any official position, his power is no less than that of many third- and fourth-grade officials. "Beard!" The handsome man in his early thirties next to him  The man said: "Thank you for taking this trip today. In fact, we also know that Wang Xianggong is also for the court. The two sides just have differences because of different views. I believe they will come together one day!" "Mr. Chen  That's true!" Pang Dexiong nodded repeatedly. Although this handsome man is younger, his background is very important. The power behind him can even stand in front of his own family.  "It's getting late, so we'll take our leave. We'll bother you another day!" The young man reached out and tugged on his companion's sleeve, stood up and said with a smile.  "Don't dare, please go slowly!" Pang Dexiong stood up quickly and sent the two people out of the gate. He saw the two people getting on the carriage before returning to the door.  On the carriage, Liu Zhiping habitually knocked on the door frame with his knuckles and whispered: "It seems that this time I came here in vain. Wang Qinian really can't explain it." "In my opinion, tonight is a great harvest!"  Chen Zaixing smiled.  "A great harvest? How can you say that after resurrecting?" "At least after tonight we can determine that the main link of the problem lies with Wang Qinian, and we will not waste our efforts on irrelevant people!" "So what? The price has been paid.  It¡¯s two million and he has refused. What else can we do?¡± ¡°Mr. Liu, although there are not many problems that money cannot solve in this world, Wang Qinian happens to be one of them. He reads the books of saints like him.  Money can't deal with people who read it in their heads." At this point, Chen Zaixing laughed and said, "You can't be subdued by force, you can't be moved by poverty, and you can't be corrupted by wealth. Wang Xianggong is worthy of these three sentences."  "I think it's just a granite head!" Liu Zhiping sneered: "Xi Yi's strong ship and cannon are coming, can it be blocked by his awe-inspiring aura?" "Haha!" Chen Zaixing smiled,  But he did not say anything to Liu Zhiping. As the boss of the largest bank in Shanghai and Dashun, Liu Zhiping has made huge profits through cooperation with Chen Zaixing in Myanmar over the years, and the relationship between the two parties has become increasingly closer.  After decades of development, the southern bourgeoisie, represented by Houde Bank, has accumulated a considerable portion of surplus capital. As the market for light industrial products such as textiles and flour has become saturated, steel, shipbuilding, and machinery have??Heavy industry is difficult to enter due to high technical and other aspects, and they are eager to find new markets and industry inputs.  Chen Zaixing's act of opening Myanmar just met their needs. The act of importing cheap rice from Myanmar not only reduced the labor costs of Jiangnan factories, but more importantly, opened up Myanmar as a product sales market and source of raw materials. Even if  If the imperial court hinders them, they will never tolerate it.  "Fu Sheng, what are your ideas?" Liu Zhiping was over his head and asked in a low voice when he saw Chen Zaixing looking like he had the pearls of wisdom in hand.  First of all, I would like to thank my book friends "Song Feng Ni Shui" and "Trainee Police Officer" for the reward. This is almost the first time in Chuangshi. Thank you very much!  At the same time, I beg other book friends to reward, recommend, collect, and click.  Weber wants it all.  I was surprised when I saw in the discussion forum that "I don't have any big pursuits" said that I am an all-powerful Chinese god.  how to say?  First of all, Weber doesn't have the consciousness of being a god among the greats. He is just a coder. As for whether he is popular or not, everyone should know that there are also big reasons for the changes in the website. There is no recommendation and he can't make it to the newcomer list. Naturally, his performance is not much better.  go.  Of course Weber cares about his grades, as they are related to the price of his next book after all, but what he cares more about is how well my book is written.  Let's put it this way, I hope that after twenty years, I dare to show what I wrote to my son and make him proud of having such a father, and then talk about grades.  Although there is not much left of integrity, the last bit is still needed.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 68 Uprightness

    "The idea, haha, since you can't be bribed and you don't listen to persuasion, then you have to change someone!" "Replacement? He is Pingzhangjun State Affairs and Assistant Minister, how can he be replaced?" Liu Zhiping suddenly became speechless and stared with wide eyes.  Chen Zaixing, a young man in his early thirties, is even more enigmatic than he was three years ago. If he was just a pond three years ago, he is now a lake.  "So what?" Chen Zaixing sneered: "There is a prime minister in the palace, and there are officials in the localities. Even though the emperor is young, he cannot have the final say in the dynasty alone, right? Shanghai, Tianjin, Jinling, Hanking  The industry has more than one million, so it is no joke that so many people are making trouble, and the tax revenue from these factories and shops is not a small amount. Even if Wang Qinian is prosperous, he can't stand such a waste, right? "  After hearing Chen Zaixing's words, Liu Zhiping's eyes couldn't help but light up, and he asked: "Fusheng, then we should contact colleagues from all over the country first, and then -" "No need, Mr. Liu, you and I are eye-catching in every move we make, so it's okay to lobby."  That's all. If this is just telling the truth and giving that guy a chance to beat him up, we only need to let people explain the harm clearly in the court first, and then things will take their course. We will hide behind the scenes and wait and see what happens.  "Resurrection is really great!" Liu Zhiping couldn't help but nodded after hearing this. He has been in business for decades and is not as familiar with the struggle in the court as Chen Zaixing said. Since Wang Qinian is determined,  The law prohibiting the import of grains naturally predicts that hostile forces whose interests have been harmed will block it in the court. If Chen Zaixing and Liu Zhiping contact businessmen from various places to initiate trouble, there is no airtight wall in the world, and Wang Qinian will definitely not be able to escape.  His eyes will tell you the truth, so it is better to wait and see what happens.  "Then where are we going now?" "Go back to our residence!" Chen Zaixing smiled: "I won't see anyone!" The next day, the court meeting.  "The sage has said: 'The way to manage government is to not be troubled first. The origin of people is in the place, and the origin of the place is in the appropriateness. The appropriateness comes from the time, the time is used for the people, the people are used for strength, and the strength is used in moderation.  "Knowing that the land is suitable, you need to plant trees at the right time. If you save the people's energy, you will make money" Wang Qinian suppressed the disgust in his heart and listened to Lu Shanxin, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, reciting his memorial loudly. He naturally knew this ordinary person.  Why did the ministers who rarely expressed their opinions suddenly jump out to talk about "sparing harsh affairs, sparing taxes and reducing taxes"? Obviously, it was in conflict with the request made by his disciple Lu Yushi a few days ago to ban the import of Burmese rice to ensure domestic rice prices.  There is a deep relationship with Zhezi.  "Humph, I bought myself just for a few things!" Wang Qinian cursed in his heart, just as Lu Shanxin had read the last paragraph of his memorial: "Today, merchants in the vassal country exchange what they have and what they have, it is  It's an ordinary matter. Why should the court cause trouble? " "So Mr. Lu, you are opposed to imposing restrictions on the import of Burmese rice?" Queen Mother Deng's voice came from behind the curtain.  "Not bad!" "Well, what do you all think?" Following the Queen Mother's inquiry, several more ministers came out to speak. Some supported the ban, and some opposed it. However, there were many more people who opposed it. There has been no one.  Wang Qinian who spoke looked at the people who objected coldly, and sneered secretly in his heart: "Let you and others be rampant, and I will catch you all in one fell swoop later!" Time passed very quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the end of the court meeting.  Empress Dowager Deng had cast an inquiring eye on Wang Qinian several times. She also knew that this excerpt was written by Wang Qinian's disciple. She thought she had obtained his approval, but she did not expect that the situation in the court was gradually unfavorable to her, and Wang Qinian still  Standing there silently, could it be that he saw how timid those who opposed him were?  This is different from his usual style!  Finally, Queen Mother Deng could no longer bear her temper. She coughed and asked Wang Qinian, "Mr. Wang, what do you think?" "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother, before expressing her attitude, I want to say one thing first!  "What happened?" Empress Dowager Deng smiled and said, "Mr. Wang, please tell me!" "The Empress Dowager knows that I have a habit of going back to the study for an hour after taking a walk after dinner without seeing any outsiders, so she knows this about me.  Friends who are accustomed to this will not come to visit me!" Wang Qinian paused and said, "But last night, someone came to visit!" "Oh? Who is that?" Queen Mother Deng looked curious.  She heard about it from the mouth of the late emperor. At that time, the late emperor also praised Wang Qinian for not forming a clique and pursuing selfish interests, and that he was a rare lonely minister in the world.  "She is the in-laws of the old minister. After all, my daughter is his daughter-in-law, so the old minister had to break the rules!" "I see, that's no wonder!" Queen Mother Deng was a woman after all. When she heard that Wang Qinian had broken the rules for her daughter, she felt inwardly.  give birth to a kinship? meaning.  "My brother-in-law came to see me but he wanted to ask me for something!" When Wang Qinian said this, his voice suddenly became louder: "Those people are willing to pay two million taels of silver to let Mr. Wang block the ban on Myanmar rice imports.  "The court hall suddenly fell silent, and everyone's eyes suddenly focused on Wang Qinian. His eyes were like lightning, scanning those who opposed the ban on Myanmar rice imports. Those who had spoken out instinctively  He lowered his head and avoided eye contact.  "Is this true?" Queen Mother Deng's trembling voice came from behind the curtain.  "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, everything the veteran said is true!" Wang Qinian's voice was as solid as iron: "Originally, the veteran was still a little undecided about banning the import of rice from Myanmar. After all, it involves a lot, and one must be cautious about national affairs. But after my in-laws left yesterday, the veteran  So I made up my mind to pass the ban even if I had to fight for it." The court was silent, and every minister who had just spoken out against the ban had a look of frustration on their face.  It seems that everything has become a foregone conclusion. If anyone dares to speak for the party that lifts the ban, it is equivalent to admitting in front of the Queen Mother that they have taken advantage of others. But thinking of the generous promise that person made to them, they can't help but secretly  Flesh hurts.  "I oppose the ban on food imports from Myanmar!" A voice broke the silence. In the silent court, you could almost hear the gasps of the ministers. People looked at this brave man who dared to brazenly brazen the world with surprise.  Seeing him walking out of the procession, he saluted the Queen Mother and the Emperor above the throne, and said in a deep voice: "Shen Hongmao, the left minister of the Ministry of Industry, opposes the ban on the import of Burmese rice!" On the throne behind the curtain, the emperor, who was already feeling a little bored, finally met  When it came to something that interested him, he moved his body so that his sight was not blocked by the steps. His Majesty Dan, a middle-aged man with a straight back, looked towards him with bright eyes, as if he could see through  Zhulian saw himself.  "Mother, this person's vision is so good!" The emperor shrank his neck in fear.  "Good boy, sit down Chongbin!" The Queen Mother gently patted her son's knee. She also felt the power in Shen Hongmao's eyes, which made her hesitate. According to her advance plan, she should have repelled him.  , now she decided to listen to what this person had to say.  "Master Shen, tell me why you oppose the ban on Myanmar's grain imports?" "Yes, Queen Mother!" Shen Hongmao turned to face Wang Qinian and asked in a deep voice: "Ms. Wang, you support the ban on Myanmar's rice imports because of the bumper harvest in Jiangnan this year.  To prevent the price of rice from being too low and hurting farmers?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I want to ask Prime Minister Wang, have you ever thought that if the price of rice is low, it will hurt the farmers, and what will happen to the poor in the city if the price of rice is high?  To make a living? Moreover, factory owners must issue additional rice stickers, which has increased the costs for factory owners. You must know that Japan's textile and other industries have developed rapidly in the past two years, competing with our textile factories and flour mills in Jiangnan.  It¡¯s very intense. It¡¯s not going to work like this!¡± Wang Qinian snorted: ¡°What you said is just a one-sided statement by those businessmen. They are greedy and will do anything for money. Farmers and grain farmers are the country¡¯s leaders.  "Foundation!" "Really, but last year one-third of the tax revenue of the imperial court came from Jiangnan, 70% of which was from industrial and commercial tax revenue, not to mention that more than half of the newly issued national debt in the past few years came from these 'profit-seeking'  What will happen if no one buys the newly issued treasury bonds? " Wang Qinian couldn't help but feel a little horrified when he heard this. It's okay to pay taxes. After all, those factories are there and as long as they start working, they have to pay them.  But the national debt is different. Although Dashun won clean military victories in the two wars between Burma and Mongolia after 1885, it was a heavy blow to its fragile finances. This financial system was still in its infancy.  In ancient empires, there were very limited ways to deal with sudden expenditures such as war. They were nothing more than issuing bonds, temporarily levying additional taxes, selling salt and other concessions, etc. Among these methods, the sequelae were minimal and more sustainable.  It is the issuance of national debt.  But the issuance of national debt is nothing less than a double-edged sword. A government must ensure that it can continue to obtain funds from the issuance of national debt. While paying the corresponding interest, it also has to continue to make concessions to the buyers of national debt, in accordance with their requirements.  Act, or at least not against their wishes.  In Dashun at that time, the biggest buyers of national debt were undoubtedly the Jiangnan bourgeoisie. Only they had so much funds to buy national debt.  "Yes, if no one buys the newly issued national debt, that would be a big deal!" "You need to think twice about this matter!" Some people in the court began to speak out in agreement. They did not dare to come forward to oppose Wang Qinian, but this  Sometimes I play drumsI still have the courage to speak out. These people are all from Jiangnan. They have more or less connections with the factory owners. At this juncture, they naturally have to speak for the village.  "Huh, the bonds issued by the imperial court are almost risk-free. Every year, you get five or six cents of interest. Are you afraid that you won't be able to sell such a good thing? What a joke!" Wang Qinian sneered and waved his hand.  Turning his sleeves: "Shilang Shen, you are the minister of the Ministry of Industry, so you don't have to worry about money!" Author's words: Dear book friends, the new website has been open for almost twenty days.  The results can only be said to be unsatisfactory, which made Weber very distressed.  Weber asked himself that he had put a lot of thought into the book, and he didn't dare to say it was fairy grass, but there was always food and grass. Taking a step back, at least it was hay.  But this score is not even in the top ten in the history category. Do you think this score corresponds to the score of the book?  Some friends told me in the group that instead of writing a book for Lao Bai, it is better to write for Xiao Bai, because Lao Bai is not as willing as Xiao Bai to applaud and pay for the books he likes.  It¡¯s not that many great writers can¡¯t write good books, but it¡¯s just that it¡¯s not worthwhile to do so.  So it¡¯s only fair that old white people can¡¯t find books they like, and those who are unwilling to pay will naturally not be rewarded.  Hearing this, Weber couldn't help but feel depressed. Isn't it a dead end for a writer like me who can't write novice books?  I used to think that since I didn¡¯t have a good book to read, I might as well write it myself. Wouldn¡¯t this work?  Although this book is a buyout, if the results are not good, then naturally the editor will not give you a contract for the next book.  I hope that if possible, everyone can help me post some recommendations outside. If you think the writing is good, you can recommend it or give it a reward. After all, my kind of book cannot be updated every day like the fairy tale novel.  Ten thousand.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 69 Workers

    Shen Hongmao didn't speak anymore and retreated into the ranks. Wang Qinian's eyes swept over the faces of the ministers. The whispers in the court gradually subsided. The ministers realized who really controlled the empire.  "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, I dare to ban the import of Burmese rice to protect farmers!" "Okay, then issue an edict that the import of Burmese rice will be prohibited at the ports of Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Ningbo in ten days!" A moment later, Queen Mother Deng's gentle voice came from  came from behind the curtain.  The court's ban spread like an invisible ripple across the sea. Bags of rice unloaded from the big ship were reloaded on the ship. The price of rice in Shanghai and even the entire Jiangnan region began to rise. The ordinary citizens cursed angrily. They were not allowed to  Don't spend more money to fill your stomach.  As for the farmers, they have not received much benefit. Most of the rice in their hands has been sold to rice banks at low prices not long ago. Even if a few people still have rice on hand that has not been sold, the imperial edict has not given it to them.  They brought benefits - the edict only ordered a ban on the import of Burmese rice, but did not order the rice bank to increase the price of rice purchase. In this regard, the Dashun court was a firm liberal market economy, and it benefited the most from this battle.  It was the rice merchants and the big landowners who opened the rice merchants, while the factory owners were cursing the imperial edict while thinking of ways to pass the losses on to others.  "Be careful!" Following the powerful chant, the worker next to the cart squatted down slightly, and the heavy cotton bale fell on his shoulders. The cotton bale was so big that from the perspective of a bystander, the worker  His figure was completely covered.  "Get up!" Following the chant, the cotton bag swayed towards the warehouse dozens of steps away. The heavy cotton bag pressed the man's waist almost parallel to the ground, but he still dragged his steps, one step at a time.  He moved forward one step, and when he lifted the heavy burden off his shoulders, his face was already livid and sweat was streaming down his face.  Every time a worker moves like this, he can get a bamboo stick from the warehouse manager as a bargaining chip to get money after completing the work.  About half an hour later, the goods were unloaded. The tired workers took bamboo slips to the accounting man to collect their wages for the day. The steward standing aside crossed his legs and looked at the workers in line coldly, both of them with shy stomachs.  The thugs yelled loudly: "Those who have been paid, please step aside and don't stand there blocking the road!" "Boss Xu, the amount of wages is wrong!" A paid worker shouted: "I will move today.  "Fifteen times, it should be thirty coppers. Why are there only twenty-five coppers?" "You can't steal our wages!" The workers gathered around.  The whip was swung above his head, making a sharp whistle, and he yelled in a stern voice: "What are you doing? Get out of the way, get out of the way!" The manager jumped up, opened the front of his coat, and exposed the pistol at his waist.  He clapped his hands twice and shouted: "What? Are you acting arrogant because of the large number of people? You guys are not afraid!" Seeing the fierce look in the steward's eyes, the workers backed away in fear. They had heard of this man with a fierce look.  It is a story about a middle-aged man. It is said that at least four workers who dared to organize their companions to demand higher wages from the factory owners died under his black gun.  "Tou Xu, we don't want to cause trouble!" A middle-aged man walked out of the crowd. He looked at the steward calmly, stretched out his right hand, with more than twenty coppers on his palm, and said in a deep voice: "But  The wages are indeed low. I moved fourteen times this time. It should be twenty-eight coppers, but there are only twenty-four!" The steward came over and scratched the man's hand with the whip handle.  After two clicks, he sneered: "I'm not paying less. The boss said that from today on, there will be no rice subsidy in the wages in the factory. It's just this much, every penny is a lot!" "What?" "How could this happen!  " There was a burst of exclamation from the crowd, and the workers' faces showed looks of surprise and anger. These porters are originally the lowest class among the workers in Shanghai, because they have no skills and can be used at any time.  They have been replaced by landless farmers who continue to flow into the city, so their wages are extremely meager, barely enough to make ends meet. If this part of their wages is deducted again, it will be almost impossible to survive.  "Shut up, the Shanghai Textile Industry Association has already discussed it, and all workers have stopped issuing rice stickers. It is not just our Yuxing Cotton Factory. Originally, after the import of Burmese rice, the price of rice has fallen, so there is no need to issue rice stickers.  If you want to blame it, just blame the imperial court. If the imperial court had not banned the import of Burmese rice, why would the price of rice in Shanghai be so high now? " "The imperial court? " " Banned the import of Burmese rice?" The workers couldn't help but discuss.  Porters at the bottom of society don¡¯t understand Myanmar, import bans, etc.But they understand a simple truth: if the price of rice is high, they will go hungry, and if they go hungry, people will die.  "Manager, please give me more! With this little salary, I can only cook porridge and drink it every day. Look at our physical work, we can't just eat porridge!" "Yes, pity us poor people, please give us more!" Facing all the workers  After pleading, the manager yelled: "This is a joint discussion among the textile industry in Shanghai, and it is not a rule set by our Yuxing Cotton Factory. If you want money for processing in the factory, it is a bad rule. Do you understand? It is a bad rule."  Rules!" When the manager said this, he waved his arm violently, and the whip made a sharp sound, and the workers moved away in fear.  "However, Mr. Huang is kind-hearted. The factory still has some Burmese rice imported when the price was cheap. The workers in the factory can also buy half a bucket at the price last month as a subsidy for the factory. But next month  The rice is gone when it¡¯s sold out!¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Huang, for your kindness!¡± When the workers heard that there was still cheap rice to buy, they kowtowed to the manager and hurried to Yuxing Cotton Factory.  He ran towards the gate, fearing that he would not be able to buy it if it was too late. The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving only one person behind, the middle-aged man who spoke just now.  "Brother Zhiheng, why don't you hurry up? If you're late, you're afraid there will be no rice!" A young man turned around and urged.  "We can deal with it this month, but what about next month?" The young man was stunned and replied: "Let's deal with it first and then talk about it next month!" "Let's talk about it next month!" Yu Zhiheng sighed:  "You go over first, I'm a little tired, I'll come over later!" "Brother Zhiheng, you have to hurry up!" The young man looked back at Yu Zhiheng and ran quickly towards the factory gate.  Yu Zhiheng sighed and sat down on the roadside. He felt some pain in his waist and stretched out his hand to punch his waist twice.  At this time, he couldn't help but recall his experiences in the past three years: after the Battle of Ulantoro Sea, in order to escape the pursuit of the rebels, he had to choose between fleeing to Russia or the mainland. Because Mikhail was lost to him,  With the relics, Yu Zhiheng decided to flee to the mainland. After some twists and turns, he finally stayed in Shanghai.  The reason is simple. In this city, no one will ask about your past.  But he soon discovered that, like the Mongolian grassland, Shanghai was also a place where the strong oppressed the weak, and the rich oppressed the poor. While the rich people spent a lot of money on a prostitute, hundreds of poor people were fighting for a little food.  Fighting to the death for the residue.  If there is any difference between here and the Mongolian grasslands, it is that the rich here are richer than the princes and living Buddhas on the grasslands, and the poor are also poorer, and the distance between the rich and the poor is so close, but the real  The gap was so far, just like the moon in the sky, as if it was within reach but out of reach, which made Yu Zhiheng confused and painful.  "Why are we poor people always the unlucky ones in the end?" Yu Zhiheng said to himself, his wrinkled face full of confusion.  The building outside the building.  "It's all nonsense!" "Master Ma, tonight the God of Wealth is really yours!" Under the light, Jiang Zhiqing shook his head and sighed, his face full of frustration, and handed a stack of silver from his waist.  Opposite him, a slightly bald middle-aged fat man smiled so hard that he couldn't even see his eyes. He took the chips and said with a vague smile with a jade cigarette holder between his teeth: "Bless me today, Bodhisattva.  You all are not allowed to leave, this place belongs to me, Ma Tiannan, later on!¡± ¡°That¡¯s natural, you, Master Ma, won tonight, and the three of us are all losers! We must give the three of us a chance to make gains!  Come on!" The person who interrupted next to him was the fat man Huang from Yuxing Cotton Factory. He winked at Jiang Zhiqing and said with a smile: "I, Mr. Huang, have already said ugly things, Mr. Ma, you can't win.  The money will slip away first!" "Huang Dongjia, what are you talking about?" That Ma Tiannan was getting excited and said with a smile while picking up the cards: "You know my nickname, Ma Tiannan, when did I do this?  "What kind of thing is that?" Jiang Zhiqing asked in amusement: "May I ask what kind of nickname Mr. Ma has?" "I can't tell you my nickname. I, Ma Tiannan, have a gangster nickname called Ma Sanguang. All my friends in Shanghai know it."  "As for whether you are here? Mr. Huang, please explain to this friend named Jiang!" This fat man Huang seemed to be quite familiar with this Ma Tiannan. He laughed loudly: "Brother Jiang, you don't know. Mr. Ma usually  He gambles very generously, and every time he goes out to play, he will not leave without "people's light, money's light, and sky's light," so he has the nickname "Ma Sanguang"! " "It turns out that Mr. Ma is indeed a hero in gambling!  "Ah!" Jiang Zhiqing laughed when he heard the sound, but he was secretly happy in his heart.I had accepted Chen Zaixing's order and came to have Ma Tiannan's relationship. If I wanted to accomplish something, I thought it would take a lot of effort, but looking at him like this, I just had to lose more money with him.  Thinking of this, Jiang Zhiqing looked at his own side, winked at his opponent, took out a nine-barrel card and punched it out, shouting loudly: "It's time for me to get back my money in this game!" "Haha!  , Just eat it!" "Oh! Brother Jiang, what kind of cards did you play, why did you let off the fire again!" In a blink of an eye, it was already the third watch.  The four people in the room ordered chicken porridge and crab roe buns for supper. Jiang Zhiqing did some calculations and found that he had lost almost four thousand taels of silver to Mr. Ma in the middle of the night. He was almost able to talk and was thinking about what to do.  I didn't know what to say, but I heard Ma Tiannan ask from the other side.  "Brother Jiang, you deliberately lost so much money from me tonight, but do you have anything to ask of me?" Jiang Zhiqing was stunned when he heard this, then raised his head to see Ma Tiannan's gaze, his heart moved, and he said with a smile: "Since Mr. Ma understands  Well, I won¡¯t beat around the bush, actually, it¡¯s not me who wants to ask Master Ma, but I have something I want to ask Master Ma to help me with!¡±

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 70 Smuggling

    "Do you want me, Ma Tiannan, to be your master?" Ma Tiannan put down the porridge bowl in his hand and said with a smile, "Then there must be something prohibited coming in?" This person works in the Shanghai Shipping Department and has seen many of these scenes. Naturally,  It's a quick guess.  "Haha, I really can't hide it from Mr. Ma!" Jiang Zhiqing said with a smile: "Yes, I have a large amount of goods to be shipped in. Please pretend that you didn't see it, Mr. Ma. As for the conditions, please let Mr. Ma go. Brother, I will never return it."  Price!" Ma Tiannan snorted coldly. At this time, he was a little confused about the man in front of him who claimed to be surnamed Jiang. It is said that he has been living in Shanghai for almost twenty years and has seen all kinds of people.  , but although the man in front of him was dressed luxuriously, he looked like a common bastard on the streets of Shanghai, but he was able to get Fatty Huang from Yuxing Cotton Factory to match him, and it was clear from his words that Fatty Huang was very fond of him.  Attentive, it is obvious that what people are looking for is the "honor" behind this person. Who is the big shot behind this person?  What kind of business are you doing?  Will it cause any big trouble?  Ma Tiannan couldn't help but ponder.  After a while, Ma Tiannan asked: "Ma, let me ask you, what kind of goods are you transporting? And, who is your employer?" "This -" Jiang Zhiqing pondered for a moment, and replied in a deep voice: "Yes.  Rice, Burmese rice. As for my brother, I cannot tell you, but I can tell you that it is Mr. Liu¡¯s friend.¡± Ma Tiannan was stunned when he heard this, and asked: ¡°Mr. Liu from Houde Bank?¡±  Nodding: "I wonder if Mr. Ma is satisfied?" "Well, since I am Mr. Liu's friend, I don't want the money myself, but my colleagues and subordinates need some money!" "No problem, I don't know twenty thousand taels.  "Is it enough?" Ma Tiannan was secretly happy when he heard this. According to his estimate, four or five thousand taels would be enough, and the rest would naturally go into his own pocket. He originally thought that the other party would offer ten thousand taels.  The most, but I didn't expect the other party to be so generous.  "Ma Tiannan solemnly took the cashier's check that Jiang Zhiqing had written in his arms and whispered: In three days, all my people will be at Wusongkou Pier. Just go ashore there and I will transfer them."  How about two days?" "Then I'll thank you, Mr. Ma!" Three days later, Wusongkou.  "Move quickly, my boss is being kind today. I will give you two meals of braised pork and white rice at noon and evening. Let's eat as much as we want! Double the wages! Work harder!" A foreman shouted loudly to the ragged porters.  Behind him on the river, two freighters were slowly docking towards the pier of the pier, and pale white smoke was floating out of their chimneys.  "Okay!" People cheered in unison. Many of them had not eaten meat for more than half a year. Their backs were bent due to heavy manual labor and meager wages. Many of them were less than thirty and had hair loss.  Pale, described as withered.  At this time, more than a dozen men came over carrying wooden barrels and baskets containing dishes and chopsticks. Smelling the aroma of rice and meat, the crowd immediately started to stir.  The foreman gave a high-five and shouted loudly: "Don't crowd, everyone has something. Our boss killed two fat pigs today. Let's eat as much as we can. It's easy to work when you're full!" People immediately gathered around, dozens of hands immediately  Reaching out to the barrels and baskets, the strong men who distributed the meals waved sticks to drive away the workers while stuffing the large bowls filled with rice and meat into their extended hands. The lucky ones who got the food immediately ignored the boiling rice.  And meat, while stuffing it into his mouth, he squeezed it out to enjoy his spoils.  The foreman looked at the porters who were huddled together, and smiled flatteringly at Jiang Zhiqing who was standing aside: "You crazy hungry poor guy made the master laugh!" Jiang Zhiqing did not answer. The scene in front of him was  It was so familiar yet unfamiliar. Just a few years ago, he was one of those people who had to make a living just for a meal. He smiled at himself, turned around and asked the foreman: "Three thousand and five dollars."  One hundred tons of rice can be unloaded in two days, right? " "Just look at it! With such good food and wages, why don't these poor men work hard?" The foreman wiped the armchair beside him diligently:  "Mr. Jiang, just sit here and watch. With me, Old Xu, watching here, nothing will go wrong!" "Well!" Jiang Zhiqing sat down and whispered: "You also know about these rice.  , I don¡¯t want outsiders to know that the dock¡¯s own stevedores are knowledgeable and knowledgeable, so I let your employer hire them. It doesn¡¯t matter how much they pay, just finish unloading the rice within two days.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll finish the meal later.  , I asked them to start working." Yu Zhiheng sat on the ground, swallowing the rice and braised pork in the bowl. Since coming to Shanghai, he has almost never eaten meat, and has almost forgotten what meat tastes like.  "Uncle Zhiheng, have you finished eating?"??Shall we go over and serve another bowl?  "The young man on the side reluctantly licked the edge of the bowl while looking at the men next to the rice pail not far away with some fear. "Well!  Li Su, let¡¯s go there together.  "Yu Zhiheng swallowed the last mouthful of rice, stood up, and walked with the young man to the place where the rice was served. "Give us another bowl!  "Yu Zhiheng handed over his and his companion's bowls. "It's Yu Tou!  Okay, you'll need to buy some energy for the work later!  "The foreman standing next to the rice bucket was not as picky and embarrassed as usual. Instead, he smiled and shouted to his men who were serving rice: "Put it fuller and add two more pieces of meat. If you can eat it, you can do it!  " "Okay!  "The waiter responded, and sure enough, he piled the big bowls filled by Yu Zhiheng and his companions to the tip. There were several big pieces of oily meat on top, and they were about to fall off. "Thank you very much, Xu Tou!  "Yu Zhiheng responded, took the bowl and replied: "We workers all have conscience. The boss gives us such good food and wages, so we will not fail to work hard.  "    "That's good!  Xu Tou laughed and pointed to several stoves not far away: "Did you see that there are four pigs over there, all prepared for you. Work hard, and those who work hard will not suffer!"  " Yu Zhiheng and his companions returned to where they were sitting. Li Su, probably because he had already eaten a bowl of rice and meat, was swallowing food much slower now. He murmured while eating: "Uncle Zhiheng  , Mr. Huang has shown great kindness this time. Even a rich man in the countryside cannot afford such good food during the Chinese New Year!  "    "Um!  Yu Zhiheng replied: "I guess there's something wrong with these goods, otherwise Fatty Huang wouldn't have paid so much!"  " "It doesn't matter what he is, we workers are just working hard to make money.  Li Su struggled to swallow a piece of half-cooked meat down his throat, and sighed: "I just don't know when I can eat a meal like this again."  " Yu Zhiheng did not answer. He lowered his head and looked at the rice and braised pork in the bowl and sighed. "Perhaps because the food was so good, the porters were very efficient. They shouted slogans in unison and moved the people on the ship.  Bags of goods are lifted into cages, then lifted from the ship to the trestle using a special boom, and then moved to a flatbed truck. Finally, the flatbed truck is used to transport the goods to the warehouse at the riverside terminal.  It was stored inside. By the time it got dark, more than a third of the cargo had been unloaded. At this rate, as long as they worked overnight, they should be able to complete the work within the limited time. After dinner, the workers on duty.  They received their wages for the day, which made them very satisfied. Compared with the delicious food and generous wages, the heavy manual labor was not so difficult. Almost everyone had a thought in their mind: If they could do it every day.  How great it would be! Yu Zhiheng stuffed his wages into his arms and was about to find a place to sleep. At this time, Li Su, who was lying aside, came over with a mysterious smile on his face: "Uncle Zhiheng,  Do you know what these goods we are unloading are?" Yu Zhiheng was already very tired and asked casually: "What are they?  "    "it is this!  Li Su stretched out his palm, revealing a handful of full grains: "When I was moving things, a sack broke and some leaked out. It is estimated that what we eat today is ground from these grains."  At this point, he turned his head to the sky and sighed: "Hey, Uncle Zhiheng, we unloaded so much rice today, how many people should be fed!"  How wonderful it would be if all this rice belonged to us and we would never have to go hungry in this life and could eat as much as we wanted!  " Yu Zhiheng didn't answer. He turned over and whispered: "It's late. Go to bed early. There is still work to do tomorrow!  " Yu Zhiheng was lying on the ground, with waves of heavy snoring coming from behind, but his thoughts were racing in his heart. He stopped issuing rice posts, the court banned food imports, and his boss suddenly generously hired them to unload and unload rice from the ship. These things were connected together, as if  A conspiracy was formed, but with his poor knowledge, he could not deduce the truth from these clues. Thinking of this, Yu Zhiheng couldn't help but sigh. Shanghai and the plantation were completely different worlds.  Everything in the garden is so simple and clear, the master is the master, the slave is the slave, and the slave is the property of the master; but in Shanghai everything is so unclear, and the masters and masters use this and other unclear methods to make everything clear.  They grabbed it into their own pockets, and although they seemed to be free, they were actually restrained, whipped, and driven by various invisible things, leading a life that was worse than even a slave.  Plantation slaves don¡¯t have to worry about having no food to eat or a place to sleep tomorrow. No plantation owner will let their property be damaged. But Shanghai is different. Thousands of landless peasants flock here every day.  Don¡¯t worry about your factory not being able to recruit people. Every worker is not a living person in their eyes.Living people are just parts that can be replaced at any time. No, they are not as good as parts, because the parts are more expensive.  First of all, I would like to thank the book friends Shun Feng Ni Shui for the reward. If I remember correctly, this is the second time. I will add an additional chapter to express Weber's gratitude.  I just took a look at the list, and my recommendation is actually not too bad. It barely made it into the top ten of the category, but the popularity value is far behind.  Many people are twice, three times or even ten times as old as me.  Some book friends said that it was written by someone else. I don¡¯t think so. Just look at the tips in other people¡¯s discussion forums. The number of tips for this book is negligible. The full support of their readers is enough to throw me away.  's disappeared.  From the first day of writing online articles, Weber felt that writers should focus on their books, rather than asking for votes or rewards, and readers would naturally reward them accordingly.  But looking at it now, it¡¯s not possible to do this. No matter how hard I write, my results will only be like this. But as long as others take enough measures and raise their arms, there will be a lot of people who respond.  You can go to the category recommendation of Chuangshi and take a look at the dozens of books ranked in front of this book in terms of popularity. If you think those books are better than this one, then treat my previous words as nonsense and let this book stand out.  This place is rotten and no website will give me a book contract.  If you think this book should go to a higher position, then please do your part to make excellent works appear where they should appear, so that more people can see excellent works, and  Let writers who really put their heart and soul into work get the rewards they deserve.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 71 Eating Meat Every Day

    Yu Zhiheng turned over. Although his body was tired at this time, his mind was getting clearer. Deep in his heart, a thought suddenly burst out: "Maybe life shouldn't be like this, and there can be a better way."  In those days, instead of like now, everyone is like a shuttle on a textile machine, driven by invisible whips to spin crazily. Workers are worried that one day they will be kicked out of the factory and thrown into the army of unemployment.  Women become prostitutes and men become beggars. "The meat is so delicious, have another bowl!" Yu Zhiheng was startled by the sudden voice from behind. He turned over and realized that it was Li Su who was talking in his sleep.  A smile appeared on his face, it was obvious that he was having a sweet dream.  "This kid can't even sleep well!" Yu Zhiheng smiled, stretched out his hand to rub the other person's hair, sighed, and closed his eyes.  The next morning, the workers ate a few buns and started working. After a day and night of loading and unloading, by noon, there was less than a quarter of the rice left on the ship. Jiang Zhiqing was very satisfied with this speed.  , this is the first time Chen Zaixing has given himself a task that he has completely completed.  Jiang Zhiqing knew very well that compared to the grandeur of his master's ongoing undertaking, his trustworthy team was very limited. As long as he could handle this matter well, what awaited him would be his own responsibility.  "Master Jiang!" The foreman came over with a smile: "You see, the rice is almost unloaded. Why don't you let the workers work harder and have lunch after unloading?" Jiang Zhiqing was stunned when he heard this.  Then he understood what the foreman meant. He was heartbroken to give such a good meal to the workers, and wanted to save rice and meat for the meal.  Three years ago, he would probably have teamed up with the foreman to scrape a layer of oil on these workers. However, Jiang Zhiqing has been following Chen Zaixing in the past three years. Even if he has never eaten pork, he has seen pigs running away. The situation has become much bigger.  He no longer values ??this small amount of money, but wants to handle this errand without making any mistakes.  So Jiang Zhiqing smiled: "Tou Xu, you also know that this mission is specially assigned by my superiors, and there is no chance of anything going wrong. But I also know that all the brothers have worked hard on this trip. Let's do this, Mr. Xu.  Give me a face, brother, this mission is done, everyone has this number!" At this point, Jiang Zhiqing stretched out his palm and spread his fingers.  "That's great!" The foreman was overjoyed when he heard this. Even if he had deducted it just now, each person would only be given two or three taels of silver at most. And this Master Jiang was given five taels of silver as soon as he opened his mouth, so why should he be such a villain?  Thinking of this, the foreman pretended to be embarrassed again and said with a smile: "How can I have the nerve to let Mr. Jiang spend money?" "It doesn't matter, as long as this mission is done!" "Okay!" The foreman was overjoyed, and he looked at the sky.  , shouted loudly to the workers who were working: "Okay, okay, everyone has a rest at noon, have lunch and then work!" The workers responded and walked to the shade to rest, and soon the meal was ready  When the white rice and braised pork were delivered, they were still of good quality. The workers immediately rushed forward, but they also knew that the food was enough and it was no longer as disorderly as yesterday.  Yu Zhiheng sat on the ground, lowering his head to eat. There were bursts of laughter behind him. It was obvious that the workers were in a good mood. The generous food and wages made these easily satisfied people smile.  At this time, Li Su took a big bowl filled with rice and braised pork and started eating.  Yu Zhiheng suddenly felt that something was wrong. This seemed to be the sixth or seventh time that the other party had served rice.  "Li Su, which bowl of rice is this for you?" "The seventh bowl, probably!" Li Su, who was chewing food in his mouth, spoke with a somewhat unclear accent.  "Why did you eat so much today?" Yu Zhiheng asked worriedly. The workers used the big bowls that farmers used to drink. Although manual workers generally have a good appetite, they usually only eat four or five bowls.  This is amazing. Li Su is not a big eater on weekdays, but eating seven bowls at once is really scary.  "It's rare to have such a good meal once in a year. I finally encountered it this time. Of course I have to eat enough!" Li Su replied while eating. Suddenly, maybe because he got distracted while talking while eating, he stretched out his hand to cover his mouth.  His stomach turned pale.  Yu Zhiheng hurried forward and slapped the other person on the back, and asked loudly: "What's wrong with you? Are you okay?" But Li Su's face became more and more ugly, and he fell to the ground, rolling in pain, as if  Something was tumbling in my stomach.  Yu Zhiheng pressed him to the ground and shouted his name loudly, but Li Su's did not answer. The muscles on his face twitched, obviously enduring severe pain.  "What's wrong with Xiao Li?" "What happened?" The workers who were eating gathered around, facing the pain on the groundLi Su was struggling, and people were helpless.  "Is it a fever?" "No, everyone has eaten this stuff and they are all fine. How can I save someone with a stomachache!" "Get out of the way, what's going on!" Jiang Zhiqing pushed aside the crowd,  After squeezing in, he thought everything was going smoothly, but he didn't expect that something like this happened, and his face turned green.  "Are the rice and meat clean?" Jiang Zhiqing turned around and shouted sternly at the foreman.  "No problem! The rice comes off the boat, the pigs are killed here, and the meat is fresh!" The foreman was about to cry: "Mr. Jiang, so many people are eating from the same pot.  Everyone is doing well, who knows what happened to him! " "Go and call a doctor!" Jiang Zhiqing shouted. He knew that nothing could go wrong at this time, otherwise the imperial court had just banned the import of Burmese rice.  According to the order, if he is caught red-handed, Chen Zaixing will never let him go.  "Yes, yes, I'll call the doctor right away!" The foreman rolled away and crawled away.  Jiang Zhiqing stood up and shouted to the workers: "Dear fellow workers, I have sent someone to ask for the doctor. Once the doctor comes, everything will be fine. Everyone, go eat and rest. It is not good for the patients to be crowded here."  !¡± The workers dispersed docilely, and Jiang Zhiqing breathed a sigh of relief. He pointed at Yu Zhiheng who was squatting next to Li Su and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to work anymore this afternoon. Take care of him here.¡±  Nodding, with the help of two workers, Li Su was carried to the shade of a tree and lay down.  While Yu Zhiheng fanned him, a groan came to his ears. The young man's face had turned pale, sweat was sliding down his cheeks, his abdomen was slightly bulging, and his breathing was getting weaker and weaker.  Seeing this young man who usually talked and laughed like this, Yu Zhiheng's heart twitched.  About an hour later, the foreman led a doctor to the dock.  The doctor stretched out his hand to feel Li Su's pulse for a while, looked at his pupils, asked about what happened before the illness, and stood up.  The uneasy Yu Zhiheng asked: "Doctor, what disease does Xiao Li have?" "He is not ill, his stomach was broken by eating too much!" The doctor slowly took the wet towel handed over by the foreman and wiped the patient who had just replaced him.  Li Su's right hand diagnosed: "It's gone. Gastric juice flowed out from the burst stomach and corroded the internal organs. Get ready to take care of the funeral!" Yu Zhiheng knelt on the ground. He could no longer hear the doctor's words clearly.  Looking at the dying Li Su lying on the ground, life was slowly passing away from the young man's body. What took his life was not poison and weapons, but the braised pork and white rice he dreamed of.  "Uncle Zhiheng, we unloaded so much rice today, how many people should be fed! If all this rice belongs to us, we will never go hungry in this life, and we can eat as much as we want, that would be great!" Yu  Li Su's voice echoed in Zhiheng's ears, and suddenly he felt moisture in the corners of his eyes, and tears flowed from his eyes.  "This is for this young man!" A piece of silver ingot fell in front of Yu Zhiheng. He raised his head and saw the foreman standing in front of him: "Does he have any other family members?" "No, Xiao Li fled from northern Jiangsu.  Yes, his parents have already died in his hometown!" "Then let's build a coffin for him, don't go into the ground naked!" The foreman reached out and pinched the hard part on his waist, thinking to himself: "I would have known that he had already died at home!  There is no one left, so I don¡¯t even need to give you these five taels of silver. It¡¯s a bargain for Yu Zhiheng!¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Xu Tou!¡± Yu Zhiheng replied somewhat numbly.  "No need to thank me, it was all paid for by that Mr. Jiang. He is a kind person!" The foreman praised with his tongue: "It's also Xiao Li who is not lucky. He can die from a full meal!" He shook his head and left.  .  Yu Zhiheng knelt in front of Li Su, watching the young man's breathing getting faster and weaker, his eyes fixed on the sky, his lips slightly opening and closing, as if he was saying something.  Yu Zhiheng had seen dead people, and he knew that this was a sign that life was about to disappear. He quickly leaned down and wanted to hear the last words.  "Meat is so delicious. It would be great if I could eat it every day!" These were the last words of this young man.  By five o'clock in the evening, all the rice had been loaded and unloaded, and the workers received their wages and left one after another.  Yu Zhiheng received his and Li Su's wages, and returned to his residence with two helping workers with Li Su's body. The workers left, leaving only Yu Zhiheng and Li Su's bodies in the house.  The wages and the five-tael silver ingot were placed next to the corpse. Yu Zhiheng sat next to the corpse and looked at the corpse lying on the ground. After a long time, he sighed: "Eat meat every day, hey!" Houde Bank Headquarters, night  Already a deep, spacious conference room?There were only two people sitting, but they were Chen Zaixing and Liu Zhiping, playing chess across the Wenping table.  At this time, there was a slight sound of footsteps outside the door. The visitor did not dare to disturb him when he saw this, but just stood quietly by the chessboard.  First of all, I would like to thank my book friends Kumu Huangxue and Agou's Stupid Bear for their rewards. Today, the popularity of this book has finally climbed to the bottom of the classification list. This is due to everyone's support. All Weber can do is to write carefully.  Publish good books.  I don¡¯t care too much about titles such as great god or mid-level god, but I hope that my books will receive due evaluation and rewards.  At any time, good is good and bad is bad. Although game guides and novels have something in common, they are not the same thing.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 72 Invasion of Ryukyu

    I don¡¯t know how much time passed, but Liu Zhiping suddenly laughed and said: "Mr. Chen, why don¡¯t we just make peace with this game?" "Mr. Liu gave in!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile. He looked at Jiang Zhiqing beside him and asked  "How are things going?" "Sir, this batch of 3,500 tons of dry grain has been loaded into the warehouse!" "Yes!" Jiang Zhiqing glanced at Liu Zhiping and said solemnly: "  Master, the total cost of this matter is-" "That's it!" Chen Zaixing interrupted his subordinate's report: "Since I have entrusted this matter to you, you just have to handle it well. It doesn't matter how much it costs.  As long as we can get through this line, it's enough!" "Yes, sir!" Jiang Zhiqing bowed and retreated.  Only Liu Zhiping and Chen Zaixing were left in the lobby.  Liu Zhiping glanced at the other party with interest and asked: "Mr. Chen, you told me to wait and see what happens. How long do you plan to wait?" "As long as it takes!" Chen Zaixing smiled: "Time is on our side.  Here, didn't Mr. Wang ban the import of grain? That would be better. He banned it and others couldn't ban it. I have been farming these 3,500 tons of rice for two months, and the price is at least 40-50% higher than now.  How can there be such a good deal in the world? Three months later, the next season¡¯s rice will arrive from Myanmar. A few more batches will be shipped in. His grain law is clearly designed for me!¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Liu Zhiping heard this!  He burst out laughing: "Good morning, Chen Fusheng. Fortunately, you went to school a few years ago. If you had started doing business from the beginning, how would there be a way for old guys like us to survive?" "What Mr. Liu said, if you hadn't read it,  Mr. Liu¡¯s face, how could it be so easy to get in?¡± Chen Zaixing smiled and said, ¡°If Mr. Wang loses, he loses because he has too many enemies. He is only one person, but he has to block the wealth of so many people with his own strength.  The wisdom of the world must lose in the end. "Haha, what do you think Mr. Wang will fall for in the end?" Chen Zaixing smiled: "In my opinion, it's probably the national debt!"  On the sea, more than a dozen warships painted gray were sailing. The bows of the ships hit the waves, turning them into white foam. A group of seagulls used the updraft from the sterns to glide over the ships, swooping down from time to time, fighting to be surrounded by the waves.  The propeller at the stern lifts the fish out of the water.  The commander of the Japanese squadron, Yuhiro Ito, looked proudly at the warships behind him. These can be said to be the essence accumulated by Japan over the past thirty years of reform, especially more than three years ago, when Britain and Japan signed a secret treaty, and the British sent Japanese troops to Japan.  As military consultants, naval officers also provided low-interest loans and sold obsolete warships to the Japanese government at low prices, which greatly increased the strength of the Japanese navy.  "Your Excellency, Commander, we are still four nautical miles away from Naha. We will arrive in twenty minutes!" "Very good! Tell Nogi-kun to prepare the troops on the Tokyo Maru and Hokoku Maru for landing." Ito Yu  Heng nodded reservedly. As a Satsuma clan official, he had been interested in the navy since he was a child. During the Tokugawa shogunate period, he studied artillery at Hideryu Kawakawa's school. Later, he entered Katsu Kaishu's Kobe Naval Training Center and worked with Sakamoto Ryoma and Mutsu Munemitsu.  Learn to sail together.  Joined the army during the Sa-British War.  Participated in the Boshin War.  After the Meiji Restoration, he joined the government navy and served as captain of Ry¨±jo, Fuso, Hiei and other ships.  , was awarded the title of rear admiral in 1886.  He became the first director of the Ministry of the Navy and the president of the Naval University. He is a famous young man in the navy. This time he was appointed by the new Prime Minister Kaoru Inoue as the commander of the task force that invaded the Ryukyu Islands. As a rear admiral, he unified command of the naval squadron and  Army detachment, its high-level attention is evident.  "Yes, Your Excellency!" The officer who reported the news gave a straight military salute and ran quickly to the bottom of the bridge.  Yuhiro Ito picked up the telescope again and began to observe the Ryukyu Islands where the sea level was gradually rising in the distance.  "We Satsuma people are here again, but this time, we won't leave once we come!" Ito Yuheng secretly swore in his heart.  Ryukyu, also known as the Nanxi Islands.  Also known as Ryukyu and Okinawa, it extends about 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) southwest from Kyushu Island in southern Japan to the northeast of Taiwan. It is the dividing line between the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea.  The total land area is 3,090 square kilometers, including 55 large and small islands, divided into three larger island groups: the Amami Island Chain in the north, the Okinawa Islands in the middle, and the Sakishima Islands in the south.  Due to its special geographical location, Ryukyu serves as a transit point for trade between Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. Its trade is developed and it is known as the "Jinjiang of all nations".  In the fifth year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1372), Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty sent his envoy Yang Zai to Ryukyu. At that time, Ryukyu had three kings: the King of Zhongshan, the King of Shannan, and the King of Shanbei.  King Chadu of Zhongshan first received the edict and immediately sent his brother Taiqi to come to China with Yang Zai to express his vassal status.  Zhu Yuanzhang, Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, named him the king of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Then the Shannan King Chengchadu and the Shanbei King Pannizhi successively paid tribute to the Chinese emperor in the following year.  At that time, Ryukyu's "three mountains were separated" and fought against each other.  After Ming Taizu learned about it, he sent an edict: "The envoy returned from the sea and saidThe three kings of the world fight against each other, abandoning agriculture and maiming human lives.  I can't bear to hear this.  " Therefore, they were asked to "accord my will, calm down the troops and support the people, and use the country to support the country." As a result, the Ryukyu Kingdom became a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. Since then, a close monarch-minister relationship has been established between China and Ryukyu. In 1609  In 1668, the Japanese lord Satsuma sent troops to invade Ryukyu and made it his own territory. However, after Dashun regained Taiwan in 1668, King Shoji of Ryukyu sent a secret envoy to ask for help from the then Dashun court.  , and dispatched a fleet. Due to China's strong national power, the Tokugawa shogunate strictly ordered the Satsuma domain to withdraw its troops from Ryukyu Island, and Ryukyu became a vassal state of Dashun again. Dashun established a supervisory office in Ryukyu and left fifty soldiers to garrison it. This relationship became  This continued for hundreds of years, until the end of the 19th century. Shuri, Ryukyu Royal Palace: "Your Majesty, the Japanese pirates came in more than ten giant ships and came ashore at Naha Port. Hundreds of Japanese soldiers were already heading towards Shuri.  The border is coming, please make a decision early!  " The palace was already in chaos. The already somewhat old Ryukyu King Shantai stared at the officials kneeling on the ground wearing Hanfu and Usha official hats. "Here, what should we do?  "Shangtai was already in chaos at this time. For the monarch of this small country, his life was very leisurely and comfortable. Since Ryukyu is located at the junction of the Philippine Sea and the East China Sea, it has been a transit point for trade between Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia since ancient times. In addition,  The land itself is fertile and the products are rich. The king can earn a lot of income without heavy taxes. In addition, under the vassal system of Dashun, there is no need to worry about external troubles and internal troubles. It can be said that the king had a lot of troubles and sorrows in his long first half of his life.  Rare. ¡°Father, let me lead the palace guards to fight against the Japanese pirates!  "Prince Shang Yuan on the side shouted loudly. This young man's facial features were quite similar to Shang Tai's, but he was half a head taller and his expression was much more heroic. "Your Highness, the palace guards are all untouched, how can they fight with the most vicious people?  Fight against the Japanese pirates?  Absolutely not!  "The official kneeling on the ground shouted loudly when he heard this. As the municipal shipping officer of Naha Port, he had some dealings with Japanese ronin and the navy, and he also knew who the palace guards who were used as guards of honor were.  Virtue, of course, it is clear that the prince taking these guards to fight the Japanese army is just to die. "My child, the Cai Qing family is right!  Shang Tai also woke up: "Aiqing, what do you think we should do now?"  " "Your Majesty, the Japanese pirates are tyrannical and our troops are not strong enough to compete with them. However, Ryukyu has been a Chinese vassal state since ancient times.  What happened today, you should rush to the Supervisor¡¯s Mansion as soon as possible, report this to the Supervisor, and ask the imperial court to send troops!  "    "good!  Hearing this, Shang Tai nodded repeatedly: "Quickly prepare the sedan, go to the Supervisor's Mansion immediately, and inform the Supervisor that there are Japanese bandits!"  "Four hours later, Major General Nogi Nogi stood in the Ryukyu Palace, his military shoes walking on the smooth floor, making a creaking sound. He looked at the messy surroundings contemptuously, and picked up a gilded shoe from the ground.  After appreciating the golden beast-headed incense burner, a Japanese officer quickly walked into the hall, gave a military salute to Nogi Nogi, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, the whereabouts of the King of Ryukyu have been found!  "    "explain!  "Nogi Nogi put the incense burner back on the ground and turned his eyes to the officer. "Your Excellency, as soon as Ryukyu King Shang Tai got the news of our army's landing, he took his wife and children and fled to Dashun's supervisor in Ryukyu!  "    "snort!  Stupid Ryukyu people!  Nogi Nogi sneered: "Do they think they can hide under the wings of the Chinese like before this time?"  ridiculous!  " "Issue an order for the soldiers of the First Brigade to immediately surround the Supervisor's Mansion in Dashun. The king and prince must not be allowed to escape!  " "Yes, Your Excellency!  " "Also, inform Ito-dono of the Navy to blockade the ocean from the sea. The Ryukyu royal family cannot escape from the sea!  " "Yes, Your Excellency!  "The officer touched his heels and gave a military salute to Nogi Nogi, then turned around and ran outside, "What, Nogi asked me to block the ocean?  "On the warship, Yuhiro Ito had a frosty face. As the two feudal lords that made the greatest contributions to the Meiji Restoration - Choshu and Satsuma, even if the relationship between the two cannot be said to be incompatible, they are far from close. After defeating  After the common enemy, the shogunate, the internal fighting between the two continued into the Meiji government. The navy controlled by the Satsuma clan and the army controlled by the Choshu clan were at odds with each other in many aspects such as funding and power.  The first time troops were dispatched to Ryukyu, Ito Yuhiro became the commander of the dispatch fleet, which made the Choshu faction of the army extremely dissatisfied, especially Nogi Nogi, who was looking for every opportunity to cause trouble for the opponent. "Baga, the horse manure of Choshu.  It's too much. This time the commander of the squadron is His Excellency Ito, and he actually dares to issue an order to his superior!  "A naval officer's face flushed red, he stretched out his hand and pressed the handle of the knife and shouted: "If he dares to speak like that in person, I will kill him with one knife!  ?Éì Aidong Youheng stretched out his hand and patted the shoulder of the naval officer, and said, "You go back and tell Nomu: Please act as a plan to act as a scheduled plan, encircle the supervisor's house, capture the Ryukyu royal family and escort it to the boat, try to try to try to try to try  Don't use force. As for naval operations, I, Ito, have given the order, so there is no need to labor your nobles!" After the orderer got off the bridge, the naval officer asked angrily: "Your Majesty, Commander, why are you so polite to Nogi?  , these army dungsters will think we are afraid of them.¡± I went to bed last night and looked at it on my mobile phone. I have already rushed to the front. Thanks to the book friend Lolicon, there is nothing more to say, honestly.  Codeword.  There is another update at noon.  In addition, I would like to recommend a music video, "Forward, Dawalishi", a graduation project of a Beijing Film Animation girl, the future generations are formidable!

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 73 Send Troops

    "Kinoshita, you don't understand this!" Yuhiro Ito lowered his voice: "Since Mr. Inoue ascended the throne of Prime Minister two years ago, the funding in the Congress has been biased towards our navy, not to mention the special needs of the British.  The loan was designated for the purchase of old warships of the British Navy. Faced with this situation, the big bosses of the Army Choshu Domain had long been dissatisfied, and secretly asked Inoue-kun to rebel. This time he sent troops to Ryukyu.  We must do it well as the first step in the Asia-Europe policy. As long as we do it well, the navy will naturally benefit the most. "Do you understand?" "My subordinates understand!" The naval officer had a look of realization on his face:  "The overall situation is the most important thing!" "Just understand! Kinoshita-kun, you immediately lead the two ships 'Naniwa' and 'Fuso' to block the route from Ryukyu to Taiwan. You must not let the Ryukyu royal family escape!" "Yes, Ito  Your Excellency!" Hanjing, Imperial Palace, Wenyuan Pavilion.  It was already early in the morning. Jiang Qingyue, who was on duty that day, yawned and stood up. She was going to take a nap first.  At this time, there was a rush of footsteps outside, and a man with a pen pushed the door in and said urgently: "Mother, there is an emergency call from Fuzhou, something happened in Ryukyu!" "What?" Jiang Qingyue reached out and took the message, opened it and took a look.  , his face changed drastically: "Quickly inform Madam Lin, and let the people below prepare, and the ministers in the cabinet should also inform you." "Yes, Madam!" The man gave Jiang Qingyue a slight blessing with his pen, and then withdrew.  Got out.  Jiang Qingyue sighed, put the message back on the desk, and sighed: "What an eventful time it has been!" As soon as it dawned, the leaders of the Dashun Empire gathered in Jiying Hall and began to discuss how to deal with the Japanese invasion.  "Ms. Jiang, please repeat the message to your husband-in-law!" "Yes, Queen Mother!" Jiang Qingyue bowed slightly to Queen Mother Deng and said in a deep voice: "Eight days ago, Japan sent more than ten large ships to invade Ryukyu.  Our supervisor and fifty soldiers were surrounded by the Japanese. After disarming everyone, the Japanese put them on a ship and sent them back to Taiwan. According to what the supervisor said afterwards, the incident happened suddenly and the King of Ryukyu fled to Taiwan with his royal family.  In the supervisor's house, there is a huge disparity in power between the two sides. The King of Ryukyu and the royal family are now under Japanese control. "Idiot!" Wang Qinian cursed in a low voice outside Zhulian: "There must have been signs of the Japanese invasion in advance, but he didn't notice it."  During the invasion, the king of Ryukyu and the royal family had obviously fled to him. Even if the king couldn't take him with him, he could at least bring his son or daughter back! It's ridiculous that he was captured without firing a bullet. " At this point, Wang Qinian stood up and asked Deng!  The Queen Mother saluted and said: "I dare to punish this person severely, as a warning to those who come after me!" Queen Mother Deng nodded slightly: "What Mr. Wang said is true, but the most important thing now is how to respond!" "Send troops!" Wang Qinian  He loudly replied: "The Japanese are provocative first, so the only way is to send troops. Ryukyu regards China as its parents and is very respectful. If I, Dashun, ignore it, what will the many vassal states think?" "What does Empress Lin think?  "Queen Mother Deng turned around and asked.  "I think what Mr. Wang said is true. The Japanese have been raising troops and building ships over the years, and have also allied with the British. They have long coveted our empire. This invasion of Ryukyu is just a test. If we are weak, I am afraid that in the future  North Korea and Taiwan will both become the targets of the Japanese!" "Yeah!" Empress Dowager Deng nodded, and she felt relieved when she saw that the heads of the inner and outer courts were in agreement. After all, Japan was not that powerful compared to Dashun.  From a historical and realistic perspective, Japan's opponent is far inferior to Dashun in terms of military and national strength, so it should not be difficult to deal with it.  "Does Mr. Wang have a strategy?" "Empress Dowager, I think it is best to use early national power to control the military affairs of Taiwan and Ryukyu, and Fujian to control the military envoys, and use large troops to attack them, forcing the Japanese to retreat quickly!" Lin Wanqing laughed!  He said: "What Mr. Wang said is true!" Apparently in this regard, the leaders of the inner court and the outer court have reached a consensus, that is, to overwhelm Japan with sufficient strength as soon as possible and solve the problem before it is fully fermented.  These two experienced politicians saw that Japan's invasion of Ryukyu was not a simple incident. There were shadows of other powers behind it. Only by solving the problem quickly can other countries not get involved.  Chance.  "Everyone, if we want to send troops, where will the money come from?" A voice suddenly interrupted Wang and Lin's discussion.  Everyone turned around, and it was Hu Keqin, the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, who was speaking. He stood up and asked: "Ryukyu hangs alone in the sea, more than two thousand miles away from China, and the Japanese have more than ten large ships. The Nanyang and Beiyang fleets  I'm afraid that if we have to go out and spend a lot of money, I will declare in advance that the money of the Ministry of Finance has been almost spent. The most I can squeeze out is more than one million taels, and the more money will be counted on me.  " Hearing the question of money, everyone in Jiying Hall frowned. The two events three years agoAfter the attack, Dashun's treasury was completely empty, and he still owed a lot of debt.  After Hu Ke's hard work in the past three years, things are finally getting better, but now there is another war and the navy has to be dispatched, which will cost even more.  How can we fight without money?  "Ms. Hu!" Empress Dowager Deng asked softly: "Is the national treasury really so poor?" "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, you know the situation of the national treasury clearly. It can only increase by one to two million taels at most every year. There is a little bit of water there.  I am afraid that we will lose money due to the drought, and the old minister has seized more than one million taels from here and there. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can replace him with someone else. The old minister is incompetent!  Xiao, he said he was about to resign.  "Of course the Ai family can trust Mr. Hu's words!" Queen Mother Deng replied a little embarrassed, and she frowned.  This battle must be fought, and since there is not enough money, it will definitely be too late to collect taxes. Now it seems that there is only the last way.  She looked at Hu Keqin and asked: "Hu Shangshu, it seems that the only way is to issue more national bonds!" "The Queen Mother Shengming!" "Issuing national bonds is indeed the best way!" Everyone in Jiying Hall agreed,  In their view, issuance of national bonds is the only way out now.  "Queen Mother, I think this should be carefully considered!" A voice seemed abrupt among the crowd of approvals.  Everyone turned around, and it turned out that the person speaking was Hu Keqin, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue.  I saw him stroking his beard and said in a deep voice: "Queen Mother, I am not against the issuance of government bonds to raise funds. It's just that the total number of bonds issued over the years has been more than nine million taels. Since the old debts are repaid and new debts are issued, the total amount of new debts is  It was more than the old debt. In fact, the court not only failed to repay the debt, but also borrowed more and more. The old minister was always a little uneasy. Now that he had to issue new debt, how much should be issued and how much interest should be set so that there would be no mistakes. I hope the court would be able to do so.  The constitution cannot be like now, without preparation on weekdays, and then mess up like a headless fly when it comes to spending money. After all, as the ancients said, the trust of the country is a precious treasure! " Empress Dowager Deng listened to Hu.  After Keqin said these words, he couldn't help but secretly nod his head and sighed: "Mr. Hu is indeed a seasoned advocate for the country. Let's do this. I will let Mr. Hu take charge of the issuance of national bonds this time. We must work out a charter for Haosheng."  It will be an example for future generations!" "Your Majesty, if you want me to take charge, I can do it, but I have a condition!" "Condition?" Queen Mother Deng said with interest, "Please tell me, Mr. Hu!  My deputy!¡± ¡°Shen Hongmao?¡± ¡°Yes, this person was in charge of the Hanyang Iron Works and the Machinery Bureau. Not only did these factories not need subsidies from the court, but they also made tens of thousands of taels of silver every year. This shows that he is a man who dares to do his job.  "Commander, if the old minister is responsible for the national debt, please ask Her Majesty the Queen Mother to hand this person over to the old minister as his deputy!" "I see, then I will accept Mr. Hu's request!" "Thank you, the Queen Mother, for your permission!" Two days later, Shanghai.  Liu Family Mansion.  Chen Zaixing was leaning on the sofa, teasing a green-feathered parrot on the shelf nearby. The parrot was quite clever and could imitate the words so well that it made the maids standing next to them laugh.  "Mr. Chen, Mr. Chen!" Liu Zhiping's voice came from outside. Chen Zaixing sat up and saw Liu Zhiping walking into the hall quickly, holding a newspaper copy in his hand. He was always happy and angry.  The color's old face was full of excitement.  The maids in the room quickly bowed to him and saluted: "Master!" "Go down, everyone!" Liu Zhiping waved his arms impatiently, walked quickly to Chen Zaixing, and whispered: "Mr. Chen, seriously  You guessed it!" "You guessed it?" Chen Zaixing was stunned when he heard this. He has been staying at the Liu Family Mansion in Shanghai. Although the Liu Family Mansion is not as grand as the Burmese Palace in Mandalay.  , but when it comes to the collection of cultural relics and comforts that have existed in Jiangnan for thousands of years, Mandalay cannot enjoy it, especially the "three unique features" of the Liu Family Mansion that are famous throughout Jiangnan - cooks, gardens, and Pingtan Kunqu opera.  , which made Chen Zaixing full of praise. The more than two months he spent in Shanghai made him feel a little happy and reluctant to miss his childhood.  "The imperial court is indeed going to issue more national debt! It seems that Japan is invading Ryukyu and is going to use troops!" At this point, Liu Zhiping couldn't help but clasped his hands together and prayed: "Buddha and Bodhisattva bless, Buddha and Bodhisattva bless!" Chen Zaixing then woke up.  He came, but was dumbfounded by Liu Zhiping's behavior: "Uncle Liu, I'm afraid it's not appropriate for you to ask Bodhisattva for this matter! No matter what, people will die in wars, and Buddha and Bodhisattva are compassionate, so I'm afraid they won't agree to your request.  "Please!" "Haha, Mr. Chen, you don't know. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas also have to build golden bodies and erect pagodas. I, Liu Zhiping, spend a lot of money on this during the holidays.  Alms, how could they refuse my request???¡± ¡°This¡ª¡± Chen Zaixing was speechless as he was refuted by Liu Zhiping¡¯s words. It was not that he had never read Buddhist scriptures, and he knew that the other party was completely wrong, but he remembered that whether it was Burma or Dashun, the monks  Seeing the money, I feel guilty about opening my mouth to refute. "Since the imperial court is going to issue new national bonds, do you have any plans?" "Mr. Chen, don't worry, the person in charge of the issuance of bonds is Hu Keqin, the Minister of Civil Affairs.  , if it comes to running the country, even ten of me can't compare to him, but if compared to doing business and money matters, he is not as good as me.  Don't worry, as long as the court wants to issue new national bonds, I will definitely be able to get the job done for you and make a lot of money!  " "Then I'll just wait for the good news from Uncle Liu!  ¡± The second update today. I will go to work later. I hope everyone will continue to support Weber.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 74 Little People

    On the third floor of Shanghai Houde Bank, the government bond trading hall was full of noise. Speculators covered in oil and sweat were shouting at the top of their lungs and waving their right hands in gestures. Many people's voices were hoarse without even realizing it.  The reason is simple. Since the morning, the trend of national debt has been declining, and now it has even fallen below the par value.  It turns out that although Shanghai is not one of the five capitals of Dashun, its superior geographical location and the strong industrial and commercial surroundings made it quickly become a de facto financial center and industrial and commercial center.  Therefore, the actual place where Dashun issued treasury bonds was not in the capital Hanking but in Shanghai. The reason is very simple. Only in Shanghai can there be enough money to purchase treasury bonds.  Dashun's treasury bonds generally have a five-year term, with an annual interest rate of 4.5%. The principal and interest will be returned together at that time, without compound interest.  As an investment product with extremely low risk guaranteed by national credit, it is actually quite good for ordinary people.  But five years is a very long time, and if you need it urgently, there will be a problem of not being able to withdraw cash.  Therefore, after the emergence of treasury bonds, a treasury bond market quickly appeared in Shanghai, allowing those in temporary need to liquidate treasury bonds.  Generally speaking, the selling price of treasury bonds will be higher than its face value, and the closer to the debt repayment time, the higher the price, because additional interest income can be obtained on the date of repayment, and the treasury bond is even with its face value.  There is only one possibility if they all fall below. Someone is selling a large amount of government bonds in the market, and money in the market is extremely tight.  Ma Xingxing looked up with sweat profusely and looked at the treasury bond quotations written in chalk on the blackboard on the wall. The price of the one hundred and two national bonds due in July 1893 had now fallen to only ninety taels. There was blood on his forehead.  There was a layer of sticky sweat on his face, which made him very uncomfortable.  Ma Xingxing wiped the sweat from his forehead, then stretched out his hand to squeeze the national debt in his arms. It was still hard.  This is his twenty years of hard work!  But he was very unwilling to lose one-tenth of his money in vain.  Ma Xingxing is from Ningbo. He has more than 100 acres of mulberry fields in his hometown, and he can be considered a wealthy family.  However, he was not the eldest son in his family. Although he had studied for several years when he was a child, he could only write and do calculations. According to local customs in Ningbo, he went to Shanghai to make a living at the age of fourteen. He started working as a small worker in a relative's grocery store.  Naturally, his hard work was not enough to tell outsiders. By the time he was thirty-five years old, he had become the second shopkeeper of a cloth shop, which was considered to be outstanding.  At this age, you have to think about getting married. A few days ago, someone from his hometown sent a message saying that they had made a good marriage arrangement with him and asked him to go back as soon as possible.  Although Ma Xingxing was happy, he was also a little troubled. Almost all of his savings over the years had been bought into national bonds, totaling one hundred taels. He only had a few scattered silver coins around him, but what if he could spend all the money he spent on getting married?  He also wanted thirty taels. Such a large amount of money could not be borrowed, so he had to go to the national bond market to sell the bonds first.  Originally, Ma Xingxing thought that he would suffer a small loss at most and just give up the interest money, but he did not expect that he would even lose one-tenth of his principal.  "How could this happen? It's not usually like this!" Ma Xingxing muttered to himself. He stared at the blackboard on the wall, as if this could change the numbers on it in his favor.  "Are you going to sell it or not?" A person from behind pushed Ma Xingxing hard: "If you don't want to sell, get out of the way and don't block my way!" "Who doesn't want to sell it? Think about it!" Ma Xingxing said forcefully.  He went back and squeezed the person behind him back.  "Stingy guy, I'm telling you, something big has happened! This national debt will continue to fall. If you don't sell it, you won't even be able to sell it at this price!" The man behind sneered, as if to confirm what he said, a man in red  The bank clerk in a vest walked towards the blackboard, wiped off the price on it with his hand, and started writing the price in a scratch.  Immediately there was a sound of hope in the crowd, and Ma Xingxing stretched his neck and stared at the chalk in the clerk's hand.  "One hundred and two countries' bonds due in July 1893 are worth 85 taels!" After the clerk finished writing, he shouted to the crowd and walked out.  There were cries of disappointment in the hall, and cheers from a handful of people who were agents of the short sellers.  "How could this happen? Five taels are gone in one fell swoop!" Ma Xingxing could hardly believe his eyes. In the blink of an eye, one-twentieth of his savings were lost.  At this time, the man's voice came from behind him: "Well, what I said is right, you fell!" Ma Xingxing turned his head fiercely and stared at the person who spoke, but this man looked like a rogue.  The man looked at Ma Xingxing without fear and replied loudly: "What are you doing? You want to fight! It's not me who made you lose money. If you had listened to me and taken action earlier, you wouldn't have lost money.  , It¡¯s true that a dog bites Lu Dongbin and doesn¡¯t recognize a good heart.¡± Ma Xingxing lowered his head like a deflated rubber ball.  The other party was right. It was not the other party who made him lose fifteen taels of silver. If he listened to him, he could at least recover part of the loss.  At this time, there was a sound from the crowd.    "It's out, it's out again!" Ma Xingxing raised his head in surprise, and saw the bank clerk wearing a red vest walking out again. He came to the blackboard, reached out and wiped off the chalk words on it, and wrote it again.  "Eighty taels!" Ma Xingxing almost went crazy. This blow overwhelmed the last line of defense of the crowd's psychology. People rushed to the booth selling treasury bonds like crazy, waving the bonds in their hands and shouting loudly  Betrayed.  Ma Xingxing was stunned for a moment and had already been squeezed to the back. Then he squeezed in as if he had just woken up from a dream, waving the debt in his hand and shouting: "I want to sell, I want to sell." Twenty minutes later  , Ma Mars finally squeezed to the booth, he gasped and shouted to the clerk at the booth: "Sell the one hundred and two countries' bonds due in July 1893!" The clerk gave him a cold look.  , took the bond in his hand, checked the authenticity, took out a stack of banknotes and threw them to Ma Xingxing. Ma Xingxing picked up the banknotes, counted them and asked hurriedly: "Isn't that right? Why are there only sixty?"  "It's now at this price, do you want to sell it or not?" the clerk replied in an impatient tone, throwing out the treasury bond: "Give me the banknote and get out of the way."  Blocking the road behind!" Ma Xingxing was stunned. He looked back at the crowded crowd behind him. With a smile on his face, he handed back the national debt: "How could that be? I'll sell it, I'll sell it!  "You don't have a clear mind!" The clerk sneered, put the debt aside, and said loudly: "Next!" A few minutes later, Ma Mars squeezed out of the door of Houde Bank, and he looked at the people who were squeezing in.  The crowd touched the banknotes in their pockets again. His twenty years of hard work had been reduced by almost one-third. While losing money, he also lost something.  Ma Xingxing looked at the turbid water in the Huangpu River opposite, and muttered: "How could this happen?" Deyuelou "I would like to propose a toast to Mr. Liu!" A middle-aged man with a round face raised his wine glass and laughed loudly.  : "My little brother has heard about Liu Gong's methods in the past, but I have never seen it with my own eyes. Today I saw with my own eyes Liu Gong's scheming and rain-turning methods. Sold from one hundred taels and ninety taels, and sold from six  Fifteen or fifty taels of food, a lot of money in and out, almost two million taels of silver in one day. I, Liu Wu, have never dreamed of making money like this!" A man in a sapphire blue robe!  The old man raised his thumb and said, "Don't say that you, Xiao Liu, have never heard of it. Even I, Mr. Chen, have never heard of it! Everyone knows that I, Mr. Chen, have been fighting with him, Liu Zhiping, for half my life.  I have never convinced anyone, so today I can only say 'convinced'!" "Yes, yes!" Everyone at the table was full of flattery. It turns out that these people are all well-known figures in Shanghai's financial circle.  Liu Zhiping worked together, and it was their masterpiece in the government bond trading market on the third floor of Houde Bank during the day.  "I appreciate it, I appreciate it!" Liu Zhiping just touched the wine glass lightly, bowed to everyone, and said with a smile: "There are a lot of things in the past few days, so I am shallow, please forgive me.  "What did Mr. Liu say? You are a senior, and your body and bones are very important!" Then Liu Wu quickly smiled and said: "We, the juniors, still rely on you for advice!" "Exactly, exactly!"  In response, many people secretly scolded Liu Wu for being so thick-skinned. He was also over forty, so it was fine to call him senior Liu Zhiping, but there were several people around the same age as Liu Zhiping at the table.  He was also connected to become Liu Zhiping's junior, but at this time he couldn't open his mouth to defend himself, so he could only curse Liu Wu in his heart for being shameless.  "Haha!" Liu Zhiping smiled: "I invite you all to come here today. In fact, there is one more thing that I want you to help me with." At this point, he paused: "Actually, it can't be said to be a helping hand. This is also the case for the entire Shanghai.  Matters in the industrial and commercial world. "Liu Wu was the first to jump up and responded loudly: "Since Liu Gong has spoken out, I, Liu Wu, will put it down here. If you want money, give money, and if you want people, give people, no problem!  "At this time, people all over the table responded with words. These people had just taken a share of Liu Zhiping's hype on the national debt, and now they saw that there were benefits to be reaped. They hurriedly expressed their stance, fearing that they would be pushed out late.  "Brother Zhiping!" The old man surnamed Chen in a royal blue robe said with a smile: "Can you tell us the whole story first?" "That's natural!" Liu Zhiping said with a smile: "Mr. Chen is still like this.  Prudence is worthy of being a model for us in Shanghai's financial community! " "Haha, Chen's family runs a bank, and the elders in the family have taught him that although some businesses are profitable, they cannot be done!" At this point, the old man said  His eyes showed a cold light: "Some of the silver is boiled in potion. Eating it will spoil your stomach!"

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 75 Speculators

    The table suddenly became cold, and everyone couldn't help but look at each other. Although the career of this old man named Chen was not as big as Liu Zhiping's Houde Bank, he was more prudent and down-to-earth, and he was also a first-class big shot. After his reminder, everyone  I immediately thought of Liu Zhiping's ruthless tactics. Could it be that this time he gave them a little sweetness first, and then set up a trap for them to take advantage of?  "Haha, Mr. Chen, you are still so careful. Anyway, I will explain the whole thing clearly, so that everyone will not worry in vain!" Liu Zhiping said with a smile: "You should know that the Japanese sent troops to Ryukyu not long ago.  The Ryukyu royal family detained all of us, the supervisor of Dashun, in an attempt to annex them, right? " "Of course you know. I heard that the imperial court has sent envoys to ask the Japanese to withdraw from Ryukyu and release the royal family.  You won't agree!" "The Japanese are so bold in a small country, how dare they resist destiny?" A middle-aged man was stunned, with a look of disbelief on his face.  "Think about it, I heard that this time the Japanese army had more than ten ships and thousands of soldiers, and it cost a lot. If they were withdrawn with an edict, wouldn't all these expenses be thrown into the water?" Liu Wu interfaced  Said: "That's true. We have also dealt with the Japanese. It's just a word - poor. For a dozen taels of silver, he would even sell his own sister! If such a large sum of money is lost like this, what's the point?  I felt so distressed that I had to cut myself in the belly!" Liu Wu's words immediately caused the whole table to burst into laughter. Even the old man surnamed Chen, who had been sitting upright, burst into tears and pointed at Liu Wu out of breath.  "Well, you narrow-minded Liu Wu, the Japanese don't take their own girls as seriously as you said, right? I'm afraid you are the only one who can tell such an immoral joke all over Shanghai!" Liu Wu said loudly: "Mr. Chen  , that¡¯s not necessarily the case! Look at the brothels in Shanghai and Guangzhou where there are no Japanese bitches. Even in Southeast Asia, Luzon, Sabah, Sarawak, and Annan, there are even local ones everywhere!  We can't beat them, everyone is well-informed, Liu Wu is not making this up, is it?" This was a black-faced man who said: "Liu Wu, we are not as well-informed as you in this regard, or are you?  Please explain to us the activities of Japanese women!¡± ¡°Yes, you, Liu Wu, are the best in this regard!¡± There was a burst of laughter at the table. It is not surprising that since Japan¡¯s Meiji Restoration, the Japanese government  They began to spend a lot of money to subsidize domestic enterprises, introduce technology, and encourage exports.  At that time, Japan's more competitive industries, such as the silk and cotton textile industries, all overlapped with Dashun. Over the years, the trade war has been a life-and-death battle. Naturally, these bankers had nothing good to say about these bitter enemies.  Liu Wu was also having fun, so he imitated the storyteller and emphasized: "In that case, I will show my shame. If all the judges are satisfied with what I heard, I will give you some tea money!" At this point, he said to everyone  They bowed together and said loudly: "These Japanese women, in terms of figure and appearance, have nothing to offer, they are better than the barbarians in Luzon and Sabah. Their faces are painted as white as dead people. If it is midnight,  Li suddenly saw that she was frightened to death. Her only advantage was that she was gentle and carefree, and she had no temper at all. "At this time, someone else interrupted: "Brother Liu, you are so understanding.  , I must have seen a lot!" "That's natural, if any brother is interested, I will show him the way!" Liu Wu was already proud when he said this.  Suddenly, he glanced at Liu Zhiping's face, and found that there was already a bit of color on the other person's face, and he couldn't help but scream secretly.  This old man mentioned that the Japanese invaded Ryukyu and clearly had other motives. He said so many nonsense, which clearly messed up his situation. He was a man of shame and jealousy. No one who offended him in the business world would not be ruined by him.  Don't try to talk happily and cause yourself an unreasonable disaster.  "Okay, everyone, don't forget about business. Please continue talking, Mr. Liu. After today's event is over, any brother who is interested can come back and become my boss!" Liu Wu spoke to Liu Zhiping.  Flattery.  "This guy knows what's going on!" Liu Zhiping sneered in his belly, but with a smile on his face: "That's fine, I'll finish the story quickly and let this guy come up and talk about something more interesting!" He coughed.  He said: "Everyone, just now Liu mentioned that the Japanese invaded Ryukyu and seized the Ryukyu king. The imperial court will definitely send troops. And the money spent on sending troops is like running water. Everyone knows the financial situation of the imperial court.  There is no money left, so the imperial court will definitely issue debts on a large scale. Everyone understands it!" Everyone at the table showed a knowing smile. What Liu Zhiping did was a serial plan. He first sold off the national debts in his hands and sold them.  The price was set low, and then the low price was used to secretly earn money, making a huge profit.  At the same time, as a result, the price of government bonds on the market has fallen miserably, and the court hasWhen new government bonds are issued, if they buy them at a lower price, the profits will be lost.  Liu Wu was the first to jump up and shouted loudly: "Liu Gongduan's good plan, who has the most money in Shanghai, it's not us. Let's do it, let's settle the plate here tonight, 30% off, the imperial government's national debt  The highest number is this, and it¡¯s up to each company to keep it lower! "It turns out that the imperial government does not issue government bonds directly to the public, but jointly issues them through several large banks, and usually there is a discount as the bank's reward.  .  For example, if one million silver treasury bonds are issued at a 15% discount, the court will actually only receive 950,000 taels of silver.  In the past, the highest discount on Dashun's government bonds was 25% or 20% off. Liu Wu suddenly raised the discount to 30% off, which was really evil.  "Yes, the court is in a hurry to spend money at this juncture. They don't have the confidence to compete with us on discounts. Besides, the price on the market is this, so it's not our fault." "Exactly, I think the 30% off price is still a bit high. In the end,  How about lowering the price, like 40% off?" Another fat man's face showed a greedy look.  "Don't be too greedy. This is the debt of the imperial court. If you offend the adults in Hanjing, you will be in a lot of trouble!" "What's wrong with the court? Doesn't the court want to use money? If you offend, you can still ransack our house."  ? If nothing else, once we close down, the whole of Shanghai, no, at least two-thirds of the factories south of the Yangtze River will have to close down. Millions of workers will have no food and no jobs. Will the government pay for them?  That¡¯s right, the imperial court is a piece of shit, adults are a piece of shit, they come up with moths all day long to torment us. The edict banning the import of grains not long ago is nonsense. Now the price of rice in Shanghai has doubled. When the price of rice rises, wages will rise.  They have to follow the increase. Colleagues who run factories complain that if the price of rice goes down, they can¡¯t bear it. If the price of rice goes up, the workers deserve to die. How much more wages will be paid every year at this price of rice?¡± said the speaker!  He also had a share in Yuxing Cotton Mill. The fat on his face trembled, and he was obviously extremely heartbroken.  "There is no result if you argue like this. Why don't you let Mr. Liu say something and decide on the tone!" "Yes, let Mr. Liu speak!" "I agree, Mr. Liu's words have the most weight at this table!" "  Since your colleagues have trusted Liu, let me say it shamelessly!" Liu Zhiping picked up the tea cup and drank some water to moisten his throat, and said solemnly: "As Liu said, just take this plate!  "40% off!" "What?" "How can this be done?" The people at the table are all well-known figures in Shanghai's financial world. They have extraordinary faces and hearts. But hearing that Liu Zhiping offered this price is a big deal.  I couldn't help but be stunned.  If it is according to what he said, if the imperial court issues five million taels of national debt, it will actually get only two million taels. As soon as these banks change hands, they will already have three million taels in hand. Even if no one buys it, the banks will take the national bonds.  In hand, based on the national debt interest rate of 5% per year, the actual interest rate is 12.5% ??annual interest, which is considered a pretty good deal.  Although this profit is huge, it is still a bit soft.  While sipping his tea, Liu Zhiping replied: "Why not? The price of government bonds on the market is less than 50% off now. We must make some profit through the first hand, and 40% off is considered a conscientious price!" "That's true.  , but the current Xianggong Wang Qinian is a strong leader, and he will definitely not agree to it. " "Since he doesn't agree, we will hold off. The court is waiting to send money, and we are not waiting to spend money.  When the price comes up, we just have to agree!" Liu Zhiping sneered: "Everything in the world can't be left to that Mr. Wang!" The table fell silent, and people exchanged glances.  There was excitement in both shrewd eyes.  Liu Zhiping put the tea cup on the table and said in a deep voice: "It's not that I, Liu Zhiping, don't have a loyal and patriotic heart, and deliberately made things difficult for the imperial court on the matter of national debt. But everyone has also seen the ban on grain imports this time. The imperial court  Some of them don't care about the life and death of our industrial and commercial community. They maliciously raise the price of rice for the benefit of the rent-collecting landowners. If we don't drive these people out of the court and let people who really know how to govern the country take power, the future will be ruined.  This kind of thing will only happen more and more. I, Liu Zhiping, am saying this. This time, I am not only trying to make money, but I also want to get rid of that Wang Qinian. Who agrees with me without him?  ? Who objects?" At this point, Liu Zhiping slowly raised his right hand.  "I agree too!" Liu Wu looked at the people around him, gritted his teeth and was the first to raise his hand.  "I agree too!" "I agree!" Everyone at the wine table raised his right hand. Finally, the old man surnamed Chen looked at the arms on the left and right, sighed, and raised his own arm.  "Very good, since everyone can work together, then things can be done!  "Liu Zhiping raised his glass and said: "I won't say more. As long as everyone works together, Dashun will definitely be our world!  " Hanking, train station. The train station was heavily guarded. Passengers in a hurry looked at two rows of guards armed with rifles in surprise, isolating a corner of the platform from the rest of the station. A few curious passengers just poked their heads over there.  An officer carrying a sword came over and shouted loudly. The passengers ran away in fear, creating a small whirlpool in the turbulent flow of people. "Hu Gong, Mr. Shen!"  "Wang Qinian picked up the wine glass on the tray beside him and raised it to Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao: "I wish you all the best on your trip and come back as soon as possible to raise funds!  " "Don't dare!  Hu Keqin hurriedly raised his glass in response: "My dear husband, I'm so old!"  " "Yes, the envoys to Japan have already set off, but the military affairs must be prepared, and the warships and soldiers must be prepared, so that the envoys can successfully negotiate!  So you must pay close attention to money matters!  "Wang Qinian whispered, with a rare look of worry on his face. "I understand!  Hu Keqin nodded solemnly: "It may take up to ten days, or it may take up to seven days. I will definitely get this done!"  "    "Well!  Wang Mou will send you two off!  " At this point, Wang Qinian took a step back and bowed deeply to Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao, forcing the two of them to get out of the way quickly, not daring to accept such a great gift from him. "Thanks to the book friend Xin'an Riverside for the reward. I heard from my friend this afternoon  This book has been classified and recommended! Thank you for your support. There will be another update at 9pm!

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 76 Fundraising

    In the train compartment, Shen Hongmao looked at Wang Qinian's slowly shrinking figure on the platform and whispered: "Mr. Hu, Mr. Wang seems to be particularly concerned about our trip to Shanghai this time!" "Yeah!" Hu Keqin looked a little sleepy.  , he closed his eyes slightly: "The way to govern is to win people first, and then money. At present, there is a conflict with Japan, the troops and horses have not been moved, and food and grass go first. Naturally, Wang Xianggong attaches great importance to it!" At this point,  His eyes suddenly opened: "Actually, I specifically asked the Queen Mother for your trip to Shanghai this time!" Shen Hongmao was stunned when he heard this, and then he bowed his head and said thanks: "Hu Gong values ????such a thing, I am ashamed to be a low-ranking official!"  " "You don't have to be humble!" Hu Keqin waved his hand: "I want you out of justice. There are not many young people in the country like you who understand economics. I won't go to Shanghai this time.  Who should I choose? To be honest, Wang Qinian is pretty good in other aspects, but he is a bit narrow-minded. You are Wu Hanmin's student, so he won't be able to put on your shoes, but you definitely won't be able to make an exception.  , only I can open this mouth!" After hearing Hu Keqin's words, Shen Hongmao didn't know how to answer for a while, and then he whispered in a low voice: "Thank you, Mr. Hu!" "Thank you, I don't have to.  Okay, this is justice, not personal favor!" Hu Keqin made a gesture, and the servants left the carriage.  "During the two years when you were the Minister of the Ministry of Works, you did a lot of tricks!" "Mr. Hu, actually, actually -" Shen Hongmao was about to defend himself, but Hu Keqin patted his hand and said with a smile.  : "I know that whenever this court wants to do something, it will offend a lot of people, and all those tricks will be ignored. I saw several government-run steel plants, machinery bureaus, shipyards, and shipbuilding investment promotion projects around Hanking during your tenure.  The situation has improved a lot. In previous years, each company would have to pay hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. But in the past two years, not only has the compensation been less, but the Steel Factory and the Steamship Merchants Bureau have also made money. Let's talk about it.  What's going on?" "Thank you, Mr. Hu!" Shen Hongmao bowed deeply: "Mr. Hu, you know these factories are run by the government, and they are actually run by yamen. The people inside are thinking about how to serve Shangguan well.  It¡¯s not about how to run the factory well. The accounts inside are in a mess, and no one cares about it. As a result, it becomes the pocketbook of officials. " "Then how do you solve it?" "It's very difficult.  Simple, first clear the plates, find out how much equipment, manpower, and materials are in the factory, and register them all. Then remove all unnecessary redundant employees, replace them with people who are familiar with the industry, and sign an agreement with them to stipulate how much profit should be turned over each year.  , and the rest belongs to them. In this way, if the management is good, they will naturally benefit, and these people will naturally operate carefully, and the situation of the factory will also improve! " "That's it! No wonder there are so many discounts for you.  !" Hu Keqin nodded: "Do you know what the most serious crime against you is?" "I don't know!" "Sold the new steel-making furnace that the imperial court spent a huge amount of money to buy at a low price.  This is a weapon of the military and has evil intentions! " "This -" Upon hearing this charge, a layer of cold sweat broke out on Shen Hongmao's forehead. This charge can be big or small. It can mean a reduction in salary, or a prison sentence.  It is not impossible to lose his head. It seems that he has really offended those people, and they are trying to kill him.  "I'm wronged!" Shen Hongmao slid down from his seat and bowed to Hu Keqin.  "Master Shen, please get up!" Hu Keqin helped him up casually: "Don't worry, I have suppressed the fold, but what is going on?" "Mr. Hu, that's what happened!" Shen Hongmao whispered.  He recounted that it turned out that he was the one who took the lead in selling the two Bessemer converters imported from the UK to Chen Zaixing.  "Although these two Bessemer converters are advanced, they cannot be used in the ironworks at all. There is no type of ore, factory buildings, and funds. They can only be left in the open space to be exposed to wind and rain. Although they were imported back then,  I spent 800,000 taels of silver, but if I had to buy it as scrap metal, I might not even be able to sell it for 20,000 taels of silver. Chen Zaixing was willing to pay 50,000 taels of silver, so he finally made some money back!" "It turns out!  So! Although what you said makes sense, it is still a bit exaggerated. After all, Chen Zaixing is the same year as you and you want to avoid suspicion. Moreover, this iron factory is a weapon of the military. What is he going to do with it?  "No?" "Mr. Hu, I have an idea. I don't know whether I should say it or not." "There are only two of you here. What are you afraid of?"  All the Machine Bureau is sold!" "What?" Hu Keqin could hardly believe his ears. He pointed at Shen Hongmao with a trembling finger and asked, "You, say it again!"bsp; Facing the other party's staring gaze, Shen Hongmao became bolder and said in a deep voice: "Sell all government-run factories such as the ironworks, shipyards, and machinery bureaus to private individuals, at least sell a considerable part of the shares, and let private individuals take over.  "Business!" "Absurd!" Hu Keqin interrupted Shen Hongmao sharply: "These are military weapons. How can they be sold to those profit-seeking merchants? Master Shen, you must consider your status when speaking.  It's unworthy of a minister!" "Mr. Hu, it's precisely because those merchants are profit-seekers that I want to sell all these factories to them. Now the court is short of money, but these factories are in short supply now.  Not only can these people not help the court share its worries, but they also ask the court for hundreds of thousands or millions of taels of wasted money every year. However, this money has not produced better ships and cannons, and most of them have gone to those corrupt officials.  This is the treasure of the common people in the pockets of dirty officials! " "Then sell them all? That doesn't make sense!" At this time, Hu Keqin's attitude became obviously weak, and it was obvious that Shen Hongmao's last words were deeply affected.  It touched his heart.  "Why not? At least these millions of taels of silver are saved every year. What's more, those people have to pay taxes when they buy a factory and start working. The court can make a fortune. I'm afraid it will cost more than two million taels of silver every time.  With two silver dollars and so much money, how much benevolence can the court do!" "These people can run the factory?" "Why not? At least the situation will be much better than that of the corrupt officials in recent years.  Several of the factories were operated by merchants. They worked hard and paid the court money, and they also made a lot of money. They were much better than the remaining factories. If the factory became their own, it would only be their own.  Better? " "It's just an ordinary factory. Can ordinary businessmen such as ironworks and shipyards do it?" Seeing that the other party was a little shaken, Shen Hongmao quickly persuaded: "Mr. Hu, this time Chen Zaixing bought the two converters.  Just to build the steel plant and the Burma Railway. If he succeeds, then others can do it too!" Hu Keqin thought for a long time and nodded slowly: "Put this matter aside first.  Let's go, what are your thoughts on going to Shanghai this time? " "This?" Shen Hongmao was stunned: "I remember that the past few government bond issuances were underwritten by several big banks, such as Houde and Renyi.  Just give them a discount. Everything went well. There were no problems in the previous periods. There should be no problems this time. " "Yeah!" Hu Keqin nodded: "Maybe it's because of his age.  I've been feeling uneasy lately, just because I'm afraid something will go wrong. After all, the court is waiting for the money!" "Mr. Hu, it's the court's business anyway, so those banks don't dare not do their best," Shen Hongmao said with a smile.  Hu Keqin sighed: "I hope so!" Two days later, at noon, in the back hall of the Yamen of the Shanghai Governor's Envoy's Office.  Four banquet tables were lined up. On the table were the finest Tan's shark's fin banquets. One table cost three taels of gold. Those sitting around the table were all well-known figures in Shanghai's industrial and commercial circles, especially in the financial world.  It was time to eat, but all these big shots were sitting upright, with serious expressions, not even moving their chopsticks, as if the shark fin feast on the table didn't exist.  "The Minister of Household Affairs, Mr. Hu who participates in political affairs, and Mr. Shen, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, are here!" Following the prolonged announcement, the people at the wine table stood up and walked towards the two dressed men who walked in quickly from the entrance.  The man in purple official robe gathered his trousers and bowed down.  "Grassmen (students) have an audience with the two adults!" "Fellow elders, please get up! Please get up!" Hu Keqin, with a smile on his face, helped the person closest to him up and said with a smile: "I invite you all to come here today because I have something to do.  Please, there is no need to be so formal!" Everyone sat down one after another. The leaders at the table exchanged glances. Liu Zhiping was the first to stand up and said with a smile: "Mr. Hu, let me take a guess.  This trip is to raise funds from the Shanghai industrial and commercial community for the Japanese invasion of Ryukyu? How about I make a statement first and pledge 8,000 taels from Houde Bank? " "Since Liu Gong has spoken out, we can't  We¡¯re lagging behind, but our business is not as big as Liu Gong¡¯s, so let¡¯s give out four thousand taels!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll give out three thousand taels!¡± For a moment, the wine table was filled with enthusiastic pledges, and Shen Hongmao couldn¡¯t help but feel secretly happy when he saw this!  , leaned towards Hu Keqin, and lowered his voice: "Hu Gong, after all, the people's support can be used!" But after he finished speaking, he found that something was wrong with Hu Keqin. Although his face was smiling, the muscles in his cheeks were constantly tightening.  The twitching seemed a bit like extreme anger.  "Sir, are you okay?" Shen Hongmao stretched out his hand and pulled Hu Keqin's sleeve.  "Shu Jia, these Shu Jia!"How dare you play tricks on me!  Taking advantage of the opportunity to go to the toilet, Hu Keqin vented in a low voice. "A joke?"  "Shen Hongmao didn't come back to his senses for a while, and couldn't help but cast an inquiring look at the other party. "These guys clearly know that we are here to issue national bonds this time. Now that we have paid this money, they won't have to buy me again later.  I'm afraid the lion will open his mouth later!  If you don¡¯t believe it, we¡¯ll find out later when we get in!  "    "ah?  "Shen Hongmao couldn't help but opened his mouth in surprise. A moment later, Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao returned to the hall. Everyone had written the amount they had just donated on a piece of paper and presented it. There were everyone's signatures and private seals on the back.  As long as you use this picture, you can withdraw money from Houde Bank. Okay, this is the second update today. Weber's update speed is definitely not comparable to that of the great gods, but he is trying his best.  Book friends are right to criticize. Advertising and publicity these days are also part of a writer¡¯s ability. The smell of wine is also afraid of the depth of the alley, not to mention that the wine may not be fragrant! Let¡¯s put it this way, Weber now has about 800 collections, and its popularity is probably in the category.  Ranked around 10th or 11th. I hope that with the promotion of the category in the past few days, I can have a collection of 1,200 by the end of the month, and the popularity of the category will climb to the top seven or eight. I hope everyone can support me. Thank you in advance, Weber  .

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 77 Discount

    Liu Zhiping said respectfully: "My lords, the total is 127,500 taels of silver! Although it is a little less, it is also a small tribute from our Shanghai industrial and commercial community. Please accept it on behalf of the court!" Hu  Keqin's face was as dark as water. He glanced at the film, put it aside, and said coldly: "In that case, I won't be cold-hearted about you. The Japanese invaded Liuqiu, and the imperial court wanted to send troops. If the soldiers and horses move, the Japanese will  Since the imperial court has insufficient expenses, it decided to issue five million yuan of bonds between the two countries in Shanghai!" Liu Zhiping asked: "But I don't know how to calculate the interest, debt period, collateral, and discounts?" His voice was cold at this time, his back straight, and his whole body was full.  Wu Fangcai looked like he was groveling.  "The annual interest is 4% and a half, and the repayment is due in five years. The discount is just like in the past few years, 10% off!"  A wry smile appeared on his face, and he looked at the people behind him: "It's impossible to be virtuous under this condition. I don't know who can take care of the troubles of the imperial court." "Mr. Liu, neither can we!" "Where we are!  You know, money is very tight!¡± ¡°It¡¯s even more difficult for me, money is very tight!¡± ¡°Mr. Liu, I¡¯m asking you to lend me a loan, but I can¡¯t handle this errand from the court.  "Looking at the businessmen below, Hu Keqin's heart was extremely cold. He had also considered that there might be some trouble along the way, but he did not expect this situation. Looking at the attitudes of these businessmen, it was obvious that he had not thought about it before he came.  They have reached an agreement, and the leader is Liu Zhiping of Houde Bank.  Seeing the impasse, Shen Hongmao quickly interjected: "Mr. Liu, the price was the same the year before, the year before, and last year. Why was it OK then but not now?" "Mr. Shen! Times have changed, so naturally the price is different!  "Liu Zhiping replied in a deep voice: "Do you know how much you could buy for a five-year 100-year bond due in July 1903 in Shanghai's government bond market six days ago?" "How much?" "Forty?  Two, it ended up being forty taels!" Liu Zhiping's cold voice echoed in the back hall: "Master Shen, think about it, with the current price of national debt, how can we sell the national debt at a 10% discount?  The bank has eaten it, but who can come up with five million taels of silver at once? "How could this happen? How could the national debt fall like this?" "I don't know, otherwise our virtues will be different this time?  I wouldn't have lost so much money in this matter. However, according to my speculation, it was because of the high food prices in Shanghai some time ago that factories had to pay more rice subsidies to workers, which led to tight money in the market and many people sold government bonds to raise cash.  It caused the national debt to plummet!" Shen Hongmao was completely confused by the opponent's series of reasoning. Although he was talented, neither the various schools of thought nor the Confucian classics could help him at this time.  Although he felt there was something wrong with what Liu Zhiping said just now, he couldn't tell what was wrong.  In the end, he had to look to Hu Keqin for help.  "Mr. Liu, what kind of conditions do you think we need to underwrite national debt?" "This -" Liu Zhiping showed a troubled look on his face: "Mr. Hu, the money supply in Shanghai is tight at the moment, so it is really not the case to issue national debt.  In my opinion, it would be better to wait for two to three months before issuing national debt, and the conditions would be much better." Now even Shen Hongmao could see that the other party was playing hard to get, and used troops to fight.  It's not business, so there's no way to delay. He was about to scold the other party when he heard Hu Keqin's voice beside him.  "When the imperial court deploys troops, there is no time to delay!" "Then, the national debt on the market has rebounded a bit now, reaching 50%. However, if another five million taels are issued all at once, it will definitely fall again. But this is the imperial court.  I will act responsibly and give you a 50% discount, but the interest will be increased to 5% per year. I wonder what you think?¡±  A million taels of bonds!" Hearing this, everyone else in the hall breathed a little heavier. Seeing that such a large deal was concluded, it didn't count the interest. When the government bond market returns to normal, the deal will be made.  It's a profit of five million taels, but I don't know how much such a big piece of fat Houde Bank will leave to others. When I think of this, many people's eyes are red.  "Sir, please rest assured. I, Houde Xing, can find a way to raise half of it, and others will raise the rest. Within fifteen days, all the money will be raised." At this point, Liu Zhiping turned around and asked everyone: "Everyone  , I have issued a military order to Mr. Hu, you can¡¯t overthrow me then!¡±"Okay! Liu Gong said, what else can't be done!" "You have to grit your teeth to deal with the affairs of the imperial court!" Everyone did not expect Liu Zhiping to be so generous this time, spitting out half of the fat for everyone to share, and their morale immediately increased.  Six or seven minutes later, the commotion almost lifted the roof of the back hall.  Twenty minutes later, the merchants all retreated, and only Liu Zhiping and Shen Hongmao were left in the back hall. Shen Hongmao, who could no longer hold himself back, said loudly: "Master Hu, why did you agree to those guys? They are clearly blackmailing the imperial court!"  "I know, but I have no choice. The court needs to get the money immediately!" "Then arrest these guys and ask them to pay them out!" "No!" Hu Keqin replied: "These people also have backers behind them.  , and they acted like they were willing to donate from the beginning. If we detain people, we will only ask them to contribute 700,000 to 800,000 taels at most, and then the issue of bonds will come to nothing. The money in the bank is not in the vault.  , but in circulation. If it is used forcefully, the result will be that more than half of the enterprises in Shanghai and even Jiangnan will close down, and millions of workers will be unemployed and take to the streets. Then the imperial court will not need to send troops to Ryukyu. It will be too late to deal with these unemployed workers!  " Shen Hongmao sat down frustrated. Only now did he understand why those people expressed their willingness to pledge money in the first place. It turned out that they wanted to retreat in order to make progress in the future. He still had too little contact with them. He sighed: "Is it possible?  Is there no way to deal with these guys? Just let them blackmail you?" "It won't happen this time!" Hu Keqin sighed: "At least I can't help it, the court is too anxious, otherwise it will take a while to turn around.  !" Shen Hongmao nodded. Only now did he understand the terrifying and abominable nature of these bankers. They were like leeches. Whenever they had a chance, they would attach themselves to people and suck their blood clean.  At night, Shen Hongmao sat alone at the table, eating a few dishes of side dishes and drinking wine. He originally came to Shanghai this time and prepared to use his strength to handle the errands properly, but he did not expect that he would end up with nothing.  As for the consequences of fighting back, if these bond issuance conditions were reported back to Hanjing, the crows at Yushitai would not be able to scold them bloody.  "Master Shen, there are guests outside asking to see you!" The servant's voice suddenly came from outside the door. Shen Hongmao raised his head, already half drunk, he tried to open his eyes wide and asked: "Who is it? He's gone!" That servant  After a moment's hesitation, the silver ingot he just got in his arms played its due role.  "Master Shen, that guest said that his surname is Chen, that he is from Burma, and that he is your friend!" "What, it's Chen Fusheng, why did he come to Shanghai!" Shen Hongmao's drunkenness disappeared all of a sudden, and he stood up.  : "Please come in!" After a moment, the servant led a man in black in. It was Chen Zaixing. Shen Hongmao walked down the steps in surprise and asked: "Is it really you? Aren't you a royal husband in Myanmar?  ? Why are you here in Shanghai? " "What's wrong with Mr. Wang? You can't come to Shanghai? I came to Shanghai to discuss a business. I just heard that you were here, so I came to see my old friend!"  Walking into the house side by side, they happened to see the wine bottle and side dishes on the table, and said with a smile: "You have a drink at night, how elegant are you? I don't think I will have a drink tonight!" "Brother Fusheng has been in Myanmar in the past few years.  It¡¯s expensive, as long as you don¡¯t think my wine is sour and my food is bad!¡± ¡°What did Brother Nian say? Is this the kind of person I am, Chen Fusheng?¡±  If you think the wine doesn't taste good, that's my problem!" Chen Zaixing sat down and called the servant to get another set of bowls and chopsticks.  Seeing his old friend's enthusiastic look, Shen Hongmao couldn't help but feel warm in his chest. He couldn't help but want to have a drink with his old friend to soothe the pain in his chest.  The two of them drank a few glasses of wine, and the strange feeling of not seeing each other for several years gradually disappeared, and the atmosphere gradually became lively.  Shen Hongmao asked casually: "Fu Sheng, what business are you doing in Shanghai this time?" "It's just some goods from Myanmar. The Yunnan-Myanmar Railway has not been built yet, and bulk goods still have to go by sea. In fact, I do it every year  Come to Shanghai once or twice." When Chen Zaixing said this, he asked: "What are you doing in Shanghai this time? I just saw you drinking alone, and you looked depressed. Could it be that things are not going well?" Shen Hongmao didn't answer immediately.  , just drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, Chen Zaixing did not rush him, he just helped the other party fill the glass. Shen Hongmao picked up the wine glass, but did not drink, and suddenly said bitterly: "These greedy silverfish!" Chen Zaixing pretended  He looked puzzled and asked: "Silverfish? Where do you start talking about this?" "Brother Fusheng, you don't know something!" Shen Hongmao then invaded Ryukyu with the Japanese, and the imperial court sent troops but lacked military spending.?We had to issue more treasury bonds, but these banks took the opportunity to charge sky-high prices and increased the discount on treasury bonds to 55%.  Finally, Shen Hongmao said bitterly: "In the past, I heard that these businessmen took advantage of people's dangers and took away people's property. I didn't believe it. Today, I have really seen it. They even dare to extort money from the imperial court. Is there anything else they can't do?  ¡± When there are no referrals, I look forward to getting referrals, but when the referrals come, I worry about the slow update speed. It¡¯s really worrying!  During the period of sealing and recommending, there will be two updates a day!  It can't be compared to those fast shooters. I hope everyone will continue to support this book and Weber, collect, reward, and recommend it!

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 78 Reasons

    Speaking of this, Shen Hongmao found that Chen Zaixing just looked at him with a smile and did not express his position. He couldn't help but was stunned and asked: "Why don't you say anything, Fu Sheng? Could it be that you already know about this?" "Haha!" Chen Zaixing smiled slightly.  With a smile, he did not answer Shen Hongmao's question directly, but asked: "Do you know why Shanghai's national debt fell so sharply this time?" "Why?" "Thanks to the imperial court's ban on grain imports!" "What, that and  What does the plummeting national debt have to do with it? " "Brother Shen, let me tell you the truth, Shanghai's food prices have been falling in the past two years. The main reason is the large import of Burmese rice, and the largest Burmese rice importer is my company.  Hua Company! So far this year, Shunhua Company has imported 250,000 tons of rice, including 150,000 tons in Shanghai." "What?" Shen Hongmao was shocked and stared blankly.  Looking at the old friend in front of him, it was as if he was meeting each other for the first time.  "What's wrong? Myanmar has abundant land, a large amount of free land, and a suitable climate, which can produce three crops a year. In the past, because the land belonged to the nobles, farmers had no motivation to open up wasteland and cultivate it. In recent years, after the land was distributed to farmers,  The canal is newly built, and the grain is abundant every year. It is very cheap, so it is natural to find a market to sell it. Shanghai is the largest economic center and port in Dashun. What problem does it have for me to export to Shanghai? " "That's it!" Shen Hongmao nodded!  : "Then what does this have to do with the sharp drop in the national debt?" "Brother Shen, Shanghai is densely populated, and all the rice it needs needs to be supplied from nearby villages. With the import of Burmese rice, the price of food will naturally fall, and the wages of workers will  , the living burden of citizens has also been reduced. However, after the imperial court banned the import of foreign grains, the price of rice in Shanghai rose three liters a day. Workers had to raise wages, and factories opened increased costs. Naturally, money was tight in the market, and the national debt naturally fell.  Come down!" "That's it!" Shen Hongmao couldn't help but sigh.  A sneer appeared on Chen Zaixing's face across from him. He came here to implement his next plan, and he had to convince Shen Hongmao first.  It turns out that the recent plunge in national debt was somewhat related to the ban on food imports, but the main reason was that banks joined forces to sell short. However, Shen Hongmao did not understand the inside story. Chen Zaixing deliberately muddied the water in order to realize his next plan.  "Brother Shen, if we go back like this this time, I'm afraid Xianggong Wang will have a hard time with it, right?" Chen Zaixing asked in a low voice.  "It's nothing more than personal gains and losses. It's just that the imperial court was already tight on money. Now that it has such a heavy debt, I'm afraid, I'm afraid -" At this point, Shen Hongmao couldn't help but sigh again.  "Well, even if Mr. Wang lets him go, the Yushitai can't let him go. Mr. Hu is old anyway, so he can just go back to his hometown to take care of his old age. But Brother Nian, you are in the prime of spring and autumn, but you are implicated in this matter. It's really  It's such a pity!" When Shen Hongmao heard this, he couldn't help but feel sad. He studied hard for more than ten years and won the Jinshi. The ups and downs along the way are really not enough for outsiders to know. Now he is only a few years away from the cabinet.  There is only one step left, but we encounter such an unreasonable disaster. How can we bear it?  But in front of Chen Zaixing, he couldn't show it, so he had to force a smile and said: "Well, at most, like Brother Chen, go for a walk outside the territory, maybe it will be a different world!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "Brother Nian, I still want to  There is a way, I wonder if you are willing to take it?" Shen Hongmao looked at the other party in confusion: "There is another way? What do you mean?" "What if the banks in Shanghai are willing to increase the discount on the national debt to 65%?  , or 30% off, I wonder if Brother Nian has paid the job?" "65% off, 30% off?" Shen Hongmao couldn't help but perked up after hearing this. Although this discount is much lower than in previous years, it is still lower than the 50% discount just now.  The 50% discount is still a considerable discount. If you take into account the specific situation of this year and the urgency of fundraising, it is barely acceptable.  Shen Hongmao glanced at Chen Zaixing and asked in disbelief: "Fu Sheng, what do you mean? Could you possibly persuade the bank to make concessions?" "I'll tell the truth! I have had many negotiations with Houde Bank in Shanghai over the years.  There are many business dealings between the two parties, such as the import of Burmese grain and tin ore, which are all done with the Liu family. If I insist on speaking out, Houde Bank will have to give me a favor! " "That's great!  "Shen Hongmao was overjoyed when he heard this, but he was also a man who had been in officialdom for many years, and he immediately understood the implication of Chen Zaixing's words: "If I insist on speaking!" Obviously, this mouth is not that easy to speak.  Shen Hongmao quickly calmed down: "Then under what circumstances would you say this?" Chen Zaixing replied decisively: "Lift the ban on food imports! Only in this way can I say this. Only in this way, be virtuous.  SilverOnly then are they willing to make concessions, and they can compensate for this loss in other ways!  " " Lift the ban?  But this ban has just been issued!  Shen Hongmao couldn't help but be stunned when he heard this: "Where does this put the court's face?"  " "Other than that, I have no other choice!  " "Resurrection, think about it again if there is any other way!  " "Brother Shen, it's not that I don't help, but in business, you also know these businessmen. If you want them to relent, you must offer benefits in exchange. You let me ask them to make concessions in vain.  ,How can this be?  " "Resurrection, even if Mr. Hu and I agree, we will never pass the test of Mr. Wang. You don't know his strong character. Even when the late emperor was in power, he dared to go to the bull's neck. What's more,  Not to mention the character of Queen Mother Deng now, who can do anything to her?  " "Then the only way is to let Mr. Wang step down!  "    "What?  "This is the second shocking news that Shen Hongmao has heard today. He looked at the smiling Chen Zaixing dumbfounded. Every word they talked about was quickly reversed and connected in his mind. Suddenly, in his mind  A light flashed in his mind. ¡°Chen Fusheng, is this what you came here for today?  "Shen Hongmao stood up. "Yes, I came to you today just to drive Wang Qinian out of office!  "Chen Zaixing looked at his excited friend with a smile. "Is it because Wang Xianggong banned the import of grain and hindered you from making money?  Chen Fusheng, I never imagined that you have turned into such a profit-seeking villain!  " "Yes, but not entirely!  Chen Zaixing ate a chopstick of food happily: "Actually, Prime Minister Wang's ban on grain imports not only did not prevent me from making money, but actually made me earn more."  Because after the ban was promulgated, the price of food in Shanghai skyrocketed. As long as I spent tens of thousands of taels of silver to bribe a few corrupt officials, I could smuggle the food in and sell it at a high price. I still made a profit after all.  More, speaking of which, I would also like to thank Xianggong Wang.  " "You¡ª¡ª" "You may be wondering why I have to drive him out of office?  The reason is very simple. Wang Qinian didn¡¯t block my way of making money. If I, Chen Zaixing, were the only person who blocked my way, I would take that way. There are so many ways to make money in the world, I can¡¯t afford it.  Can't get along with him?  What Wang Qinian blocked was a group of people, the entire Shanghai citizens and the entire Jiangnan industrial and commercial owners.  The price of rice has increased, so factories have to issue more rice stickers and workers have to buy grain at higher prices.  And today Wang Qinian will say that low prices hurt farmers and ban the import of rice, but tomorrow will he say that cotton prices have fallen and ban the import of cotton?  How can this continue?  So it¡¯s not me, Chen Zaixing, who wants him to step down, but many people who want him to step down!  " After hearing Chen Zaixing's words, Shen Hongmao fell silent. The whole world in his heart was suddenly overturned. He had never thought that such a group of guys, who were called merchant villains in Confucian classics, would dare to deal with them.  The court ministers were dictating and even dared to interfere in the court's political situation. He should have jumped up and shouted at his friend's fallacy, but Shen Hongmao did not do so because he knew in his heart what a huge force there was behind Chen Zaixing.  , this force even controls the lifeblood of the imperial court. ¡°Brother Shen, what I say next may be a bit treasonous.  Currently, 40% of the imperial court's annual taxes come from Jiangnan, and even more if income from national debts, loans, etc. are included.  No matter how reasonable what Wang Qinian did was, he was wrong when he offended the Jiangnan area and hurt the interests of so many Shanghai business owners. His mistake was that the imperial court was now inseparable from Jiangnan, even more so.  These factory owners and bankers!  That¡¯s all I have to say today. Please decide for yourself what to do!  " Having said this, Chen Zaixing stood up, bowed his hands to Shen Hongmao, turned around and left. Shen Hongmao was sitting alone at the table. He was the only one left in the room. The sound of a watchman's banging was heard outside.  , the room became even quieter. Suddenly Shen Hongmao stood up and swept the wine bottles and cups on the table to pieces. The servant who heard the sound stretched his head out of the door and saw Shen Hongmao's murderous face.  He looked over, shivered in fear, and shrank back, "The rituals and music have collapsed, the rituals and music have collapsed!  " Early the next morning, in the back garden of the Prime Minister's Mansion. Hu Keqin was taking a walk along the garden path after finishing two sets of boxing in accordance with the habit he had developed over the years. He must get up every morning, and then he would either walk or practice boxing.  Exercise for half an hour and then have breakfast, and then start the day's study and work, which will not change no matter whether it is windy or rainy. Therefore, Hu Keqin, who is nearly sixty years old, still maintains very strong energy to shoulder the important task of Hu Keqin.  After finishing the walk, I felt that it was almost time. I was about to go back for breakfast, but I sawA person walked over not far away, it was Shen Hongmao.  Hu Keqin was about to say hello, but he saw the other person's eyes were full of red threads, his face was pale, and he looked like he hadn't slept all night. He couldn't help being startled, and stepped forward and whispered: "Master Shen, why are you doing this?  "Looks like you didn't have a good rest last night?" "Mr. Hu, Chen Zaixing came to see me yesterday!" Today's second update, the popularity list is terrible, and I almost got kicked out, but the recommendation list is still very good, which is a mixed blessing.  Anyway, thank you all for your support!

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 79 Conditions

    "Chen Zaixing, he is also in Shanghai?" Hu Keqin was stunned when he heard this: "What's the matter?" "He said he was willing to persuade Liu Zhiping of Houde Bank for us to make concessions on the discount on national debt, but he  There is a condition." "Condition?" Hu Keqin looked at Liu Zhiping's face and couldn't help but asked in a deep voice: "What condition?" "Overthrow Mr. Wang, make others the prime minister, and abolish the ban on grain imports.  !" When Hu Keqin heard the truth, he was not as calm as Shen Hongmao had been before. The wrinkles on the old man's weathered face became denser. Shen Hongmao looked at the other party's face expectantly, but deep down he didn't know that he should expect the other party to agree.  Or immediately reject Chen Zaixing's conditions.  After a while, Hu Keqin made a decision: "Tell that Chen Zaixing that I want to meet him tonight, and let him decide the location!" "Yes, Mr. Hu!" Shen Hongmao bowed and replied, but he didn't know if he was happy or happy.  disappointment.  As soon as the sky darkened, two people walked out of the back door of the Shanghai Imperial Envoy's Palace. The two people walked around and looked around. Their movements were quite mysterious. As soon as they left the alley, an unmarked carriage approached. The two  People got on the carriage, and in a blink of an eye the carriage disappeared around the corner not far ahead.  On the carriage, Shen Hongmao and Hu Keqin had cold sweat on their foreheads. It was obvious that these two people were still very unfamiliar with this kind of secretive operation.  There were two people sitting opposite, it was Chen Zaixing and Liu Zhiping. Chen Zaixing took two hot towels and handed them over, smiling: "Brother Shen, Mr. Hu, thank you for your hard work!" Shen Hongmao took the towels and snorted coldly.  He made a sound and said nothing, but Hu Keqin wiped the sweat on his face and said with a wry smile: "You two don't have to be polite. Master Shen and I are on the begging side, so we may have to suffer some hardships!" "Master Hu was joking.  !" Liu Zhiping said with a smile: "You and Master Shen are both noble people. This time it was Liu who was abrupt. There will be more to rely on in the future. After this incident, I will definitely have some thoughts." Shen Hongmao sneered.  He shouted: "Mr. Liu, don't be too humble. We have seen your abilities in the past few days. There is no need to worry about your intentions. You just need to have some conscience later! Don't bully others too much!" "Yes!  "You will have your heart and conscience!" Chen Zaixing said, "I will dare to make a decision for Liu Gong. As long as you two can overthrow Xianggong Wang and abolish the grain ban, we can give up 10% of the national debt discount!"  ?" Shen Hongmao and Hu Keqin looked at each other, and Hu Keqin said with a smile: "Xiangong Wang is a trusted minister of the late emperor, and has the trust of His Majesty the Queen Mother. How can he be brought down just because he wants to be brought down?" This old man is so old in his career.  As soon as he started talking, he planned to complain first and then explore the opponent's trump card.  Liu Zhiping coughed: "Mr. Hu, in fact, we invited you here today to show our sincerity, but we are not bargaining with you for doing business. Let me tell you the truth, I will give you 10% of the money."  Liu Zhiping plans to use Houde Bank, so even if the business is in vain, it doesn't matter if you two don't want to, you can just watch and see how long the 'stubborn husband' can stay there!  At this point, Liu Zhiping stepped on the floor and said in a deep voice: "Stop!" The carriage stopped immediately. Liu Zhiping stood up and bowed his hands to Shen and Hu: "You are a businessman, you are rude."  Please forgive me!" After that, he turned around and got out of the car.  "The old man is quite fiery!" Chen Zaixing looked at Liu Zhiping's back and smiled, loudly shouting to the driver outside: "Get to the back door of the Prime Minister's Mansion!" At the corner of the street at the back door of the Prime Minister's Mansion, Shen Hongmao  He and Hu Keqin got off the carriage. Chen Zaixing poked his head out of the carriage, raised his hands to the two of them and smiled: "Mr. Hu, Brother Shen, please forgive me for being abrupt today!" Shen Hongmao and Hu Keqin looked at the carriage going away,  Sighed.  "Hu Gong, do you think they still have some trump cards that they haven't used yet?" "Yeah!" Hu Keqin nodded. He also felt this way, but he had no clue. In his decades of career experience, he had never  Having encountered such opponents, although Liu Zhiping and Chen Zaixing did not hold any official positions, they had huge power with the huge wealth in their hands, and could even compete with the imperial court.  At this time, a passage suddenly flashed in his mind: "Nowadays, those who are willing to compare themselves with the honors of rank and salary, and the entry of nobles and cities, are called 'Sufeng'". Thinking of this, he couldn't help but shook his head and sighed: "The ancients  If you are sincere, I will deceive you!" Seeing Hu Keqin's behavior, Shen Hongmao hurriedly asked. Hu Keqin sighed and thought of "Historical Records".  Shen Hongmao listened to the explanation of "The Biography of Huo Zhi" and finally sighed: "Look at Chen and Liu. Although they have no official positions, they have hundreds of millions of assets. Just like Tao Zhugong, Wushi and others, they can compete with princes.  If you take this as an ordinary businessman, you will be humiliating yourself.?Now I understand why Chen Fusheng resigned from his job just after returning from Mongolia!  " Shen Hongmao couldn't help but be startled when he heard the words. He couldn't help but remember that when he first became a doctor in the Ministry of Industry, he was ambitious enough to make a career in the government-run factory in Dashun, but he was frustrated in front of the intricate yamen.  Xue Xue finally waited until he became the minister of the Ministry of Industry and was able to make concessions to carry out reforms in a few factories. Although he achieved some achievements, he still offended many people. Shen's own mistakes piled up like a mountain. If Hu Keqin hadn't secretly protected him,  I was afraid that I would be thrown into confusion long ago, and the achievements I had worked so hard to achieve would be wiped out. Chen Zaixing had told himself a few years ago that he would build the Yunnan-Burma Railway, steel plants, and machinery.  When he entered the bureau, he was still skeptical. But now, in only three years, his steel plant has produced iron, the railway exploration has been completed, and other preparations have been completed. Comparing the two sides, the gap is simply  Don¡¯t make excuses. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to be like the other person to make a career?  "A thought suddenly flashed through Shen Hongmao's mind, but he quickly pushed the thought out of his head. "Two adults!  An urgent call from Hanking has arrived!  "A voice woke up Shen Hongmao from his deep thoughts. He looked up and saw Hu Keqin taking the copy of the message from an attach¨¦. He took out his pince-nez reading glasses from his arms and began to read the contents of the message carefully.  . ¡°What is the content of the telegram?  " "Master Shen, see for yourself!  "Hu Keqin handed over the message and sighed helplessly. "Xiangong Wang asked about the national debt!  After reading it, Shen Hongmao couldn't help but said: "At this juncture, he is still in a hurry to press for money. He really doesn't know the importance!"  "It's no wonder that he was invaded by the Japanese. The Japanese invaded Ryukyu, and the Western barbarians were surrounding them. Naturally, the sooner they understood it, the better. But sending troops requires money. The Prime Minister has a heavy burden in that position!"  "Having said this, Hu Keqin sighed: "Master Shen, I'm a little tired, so I'll go back to the house to rest for a while!  " " Mr. Hu, do what you want!  "Shen Hongmao hurriedly gave it away. Looking at Hu Keqin's bent back, Shen Hongmao couldn't help but worry secretly whether the nearly sixty-year-old man could withstand this kind of pressure. "Do we really want to agree to their request?  But even if you agree, you may not be able to bring down Mr. Wang?  " Zhabei District, Shanghai. The word Zhabei comes from the two sluices on the Suzhou River (Wusong River). In the fifth year of Emperor Shizong of this dynasty (1670), a sluice was built on the Wusong River near today's Fujian Road Bridge, which was later called  In the 17th year of Emperor Wenzong's reign (1735), another sluice was built in Jinjiawan (near today's Xinzha Road Bridge), three miles west of the old lock. Later, it was called the new lock due to the incoming ships from the Wusong River.  In the past, trade was booming, and two markets were formed around Laozha and Xinzha. Xinzha Market was the main shipping center for shipping in the lower reaches of the Wusong River. Many factories were built in this generation because of the convenience of transporting goods, and workers were there.  Houses were built on the surrounding open space, forming a large settlement area for workers. Zhabei District has become synonymous with worker gathering areas. There was a sound of whistles in the distance, coming from several textile factories such as Yuxing Cotton Factory and Dafa Weaving Factory.  It was time to get off work, and groups of exhausted workers poured out of the factory door and walked to their residences not far away. The taverns and grocery stores on both sides of the factory door became lively, and the shopkeepers shouted loudly to the workers.  They know that today is the time when the factory pays wages, and it is also the time every month when the workers' poor pockets can only be a little bigger. They must not let it go. Yu Zhiheng walked out of the factory door tiredly.  His arms were so sore that he couldn't even lift it up. After the last incident of carrying rice and holding someone to death, maybe in order to seal his mouth, he was quickly sent to another forging factory and changed from a porter to a forger.  This can be regarded as a great benefit. Compared with porters, blacksmiths have higher technical skills and higher wages. But the problem is that Yu Zhiheng has just passed away and is still in the stage of being an apprentice.  Every day he had to pour water for the master early in the morning, and he had to pack up the tools before leaving after work. The factory workshop was suffocatingly hot, with dense metal powder flying in the air. Yu Zhiheng was so busy that he couldn't even straighten his waist.  , before he had time to process the first batch of forgings, another bundle was jinglingly thrown at his feet. He had to clamp up the horned blanks that were burned to a snow-green color, and then put them into the wide-open vise.  , there are iron products, cast iron and steel everywhere. If you want to deal with them, you have to work hard and don't even think about drinking a sip of water. Only by squeezing all the strength out of your bones can you get wages.  Lao Yu, come over and take a sip to relieve your fatigue!  "A rough voice came over. Yu Zhiheng turned around and saw a head popping out of the tavern. It was his old colleague Yu Pao from the transportation team. He was an alcoholic and usually only had a few coins in his pocket.  If you have any spare money, you must use the bad wine in the tavern to get yourself drunk.?Thanks to book friends Kumu Huangxue and Agou's Stupid Bear for the tip. I just got off work and there will be another update tonight. Please forgive me!  I hope everyone will continue to support Weber. I want to collect, recommend, and reward anything!  The troops are chasing you, Alexander!

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 80 The Fuse

    "Forget it for today, my tired bones are about to fall apart. Let's do it next time!" Yu Zhiheng waved his hand: "Ah Pao, you should also drink less. The price of rice has risen so much now that I have to keep the porridge for my wife and son.  "Money!" "Drink a few more sips when you're tired, warm up your bones!" Yu Pao ran out of the tavern, grabbed Yu Zhiheng's arm and pulled it inside, saying: "What's the matter, go get it."  Why does the repairman look down on the troublesome fellow? After a few glasses of old wine, all the troubles will be gone. Let¡¯s talk about tomorrow. If you have wine now, you will be drunk today!  They were workers wearing ragged felt hats and ragged clothes, and their nostrils were filled with the strange smell of bad wine and sweat.  For these people who have been numbed by the heavy mechanical labor of thirteen or four hours a day, using the inferior wine in the cup to stimulate their nerves can make them feel that they are human beings, not those rumbling machines in the factory.  An accessory to the rumbling machinery, this was the only little bit of fun they had in the day.  "Here, have a drink!" An earthenware bowl was placed in front of Yu Zhiheng with a bang. Yu Pao picked up the jug and filled it first for himself, then for Yu Zhiheng. While pouring the wine, he said: "This  I just stared at the bartender and scooped out the wine from the vat, but it wasn¡¯t mixed with water. Come on, Lao Yu, let¡¯s have one!¡± Watching the other party drink all the wine in the pottery bowl, Yu Zhiheng also picked it up.  Bowl, he took a sip of wine, and a strong bitter smell hit his forehead. Yu Zhiheng almost spit out the imported wine, and he put the bowl back on the table.  "What kind of wine is this? Why does it taste like this?" "It doesn't matter what the taste is. If it's intoxicating and can burn your intestines, it's a good wine!" Yu Pao replied casually. He looked at the bowl in front of Yu Zhiheng that only had a little drink, and asked:  "Lao Yu, you don't want to drink?" "No!" "Then give it to me, don't waste it!" Yu Pao grabbed the wine bowl and drank it in one gulp. Looking at his intoxicated appearance, it seemed as if the bowl was filled with fine wine.  Jade liquid is average.  "Ah Pao, drink slowly!" Yu Zhiheng saw Yu Pao getting another bowl for him and quickly tried to dissuade him. He was a little scared when he saw the other party's appearance.  "Don't stop me, this little drink is nothing!" Yu Pao laughed loudly: "It's hard to have a drink, why don't you hurry up, then you are still a man?" "Ah Pao! Ah Pao!" At this time, it was outside.  There was a woman's voice, and Yu Pao's expression suddenly changed. Just as he was about to stand up and find a place to hide, a disheveled woman entered the hotel with two five or six-year-old children, and happened to see Yu sitting at the table.  Pao immediately rushed over and cursed loudly: "You bastard, you come to drink again. My money and my child's rice money haven't been paid yet!" As he said this, he grabbed Yu Pao's arm and wouldn't let go.  "Let go, you stinky bitch!" Yu Pao tried his best to pull his arm back from the woman's hand, while being careful not to spill the wine on the wine bowl in his right hand.  "You drink, you drink! Drink to death! Even if you don't care about me, you have to do it for the sake of the children, right? They are all the children of your Yu family!" The woman argued loudly while pulling Yu Pao's arms hard  The arm, and finally the woman's body hit the bowl in Yu Pao's hand, and the wine spilled all over the floor.  "You bitch, get out of my way!" Yu Pao, who was distressed and drunk, pushed his wife away with all his strength. The unprepared woman fell to the ground. Desperate for life and her husband, she jumped up and cried:  "Okay, you drink. If you drink again, I will jump into the Suzhou River. I can't even drink porridge. The child is screaming from hunger all day long! I can't live this life!" "I'll just jump into the river! Am I not serious?  You have to work in the factory for thirteen or four hours every day, you can¡¯t even lift your arms, you can¡¯t even earn enough money to eat porridge, and you¡¯re not even allowed to drink, so what¡¯s the point of living?¡± Yu Pao groaned angrily!  He sat back on the bench with a groan, and poured himself another bowl of wine: "I just want to drink, you go dance!" "You're so good!" The woman rushed out of the hotel in despair, and said again to the side  Yu Zhiheng, who couldn't stand it anymore, stood up and reached out to take the wine bowl aside: "Ah Pao, go and bring your wife back, it's so outrageous!" "Lao Yu, ignore her, a woman, just cry.  Hang yourself! Just go back and smoke a few times!" Yu Pao took a sip of wine nonchalantly, and then there was a sound of people outside.  "Someone is coming! Someone jumped into the river!" Yu Pao's face immediately turned pale. He rushed out of the door quickly, and Yu Zhiheng also rushed out. The two rushed to the river, only to see a woman's head.  She was floating in the water, and she saw that she was wearing the same clothes as Yu Pao's wife who had just rushed into the tavern.  "Quick, get into the water and save people!" People hurriedly looked for the boat, and men who knew how to swim quickly took off their clothes and got into the water.  Yu Pao didn't look as careless as before. He jumped on the shore and was about to rush into the water. Yu Zhiheng hurriedly stopped him. He knew that this Yu Pao was a mountain man.As a human being, if you enter the water, you will sink, and you will not be able to swim at all.  Twenty minutes later, the woman was fished out of the water, but it was too late. There were no signs of life on the young woman's pale face. Beside her were two immature children.  Yu Pao knelt beside the corpses of his wife and children, his eyes dull, as if the god of death had taken away life from his body.  Waves of whispers came from all around: "The woman jumped into the river, why did the two children also fall into the water?" "It seems that the woman jumped into the water with the two children, and they drowned together!" "Ah? Why, this woman is crazy  "Sick?" "Where is it? My husband is drinking and there is no food in the house. The mother can't bear to leave the two children to starve and freeze, so she just takes them down there!" "That's not true!  It¡¯s your husband who¡¯s doing the evil thing, right? This whole family was destroyed in one go!¡± ¡°Get out of the way, everyone, don¡¯t crowd together. What happened?¡±  Coming over, they saw the crowd gathered and took off short black wooden sticks from their waists.  The people dispersed, revealing the bodies and Yu Pao behind them. Seeing that it was not a gathering of people making trouble, the patrolman safely inserted the wooden stick back into his waist, walked over, and began to ask the tavern owner who was watching the excitement what happened.  .  Yu Zhiheng stood aside and watched all this quietly.  He knew that it wouldn't be long before the patrol officer from the patrol room would take away the three corpses and Yu Pao. After asking about the situation, Yu Pao would be released. Maybe the patrol officer could also get a few taels of silver from the tavern owner.  .  The two corpses, the older one and the younger one, will be rolled up casually with a reed mat and buried in a mass grave behind the hilltop, just like the ones that appear on the roadside every day.  No one cares about the names of the mother and son or why they died, because this kind of thing is too common.  In just a few more days, people will forget about this unfortunate family, as if they never appeared in this world again.  "It's all gone, it's all gone! Let's go do your own thing!" The patrols had figured out the situation, and they began to shout loudly, and people scattered in all directions, sighing softly from time to time.  Yu Zhiheng also left with heavy steps. He had never felt as tired as he did today, a kind of tiredness that came from his bones, so he decided to return to his residence and have a good sleep.  Yu Zhiheng's residence is a four-story house. This kind of building made of adobe bricks, lime mortar and wood is very common in the local area. It was built by land speculators on the purchased land and rented to workers.  The construction of this kind of house is crude and crude, and the distance between the houses is so close that even a woman can easily jump from one house to the next house. As for sunlight, fire protection, air circulation, etc.  It's even worse. The only advantage of these houses is to cram as many workers as possible into the smallest possible place to get enough rent, and Yu Zhiheng's residence is on the top floor.  Yu Zhiheng opened the door, and a wave of heat rushed out of the room. The August sun in Shanghai turned the small room into a big steamer.  But the exhausted Yu Zhiheng couldn't care so much. He fell on the bed and fell asleep.  I don¡¯t know how much time passed, but Yu Zhiheng heard a fierce knock on the door. He struggled to open his eyes and saw the face of a coworker appearing outside the window.  "Brother Yu, get up quickly!" "What's the matter?" Yu Zhiheng got up and randomly found some clothes to put on him.  "The price of rice has increased again. Go buy some and stock up, otherwise you won't have anything to eat at the end of the month!" "What, the price of rice has increased again!" Yu Zhiheng suddenly woke up, and while putting on his shoes,  He dug out the pocket under the bed and asked, "How could this happen? This is the third time this month!" The worker outside the door explained: "There is nothing I can do. The gentleman at the rice shop said that the imperial court ordered a ban on the import of foreign rice. Cao Cao  The gang has blocked the canal again to prevent rice from coming from northern Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu. It¡¯s so noisy. Let¡¯s go! It¡¯s going to be closed soon!¡± ¡°Hurry up!¡± Yu Zhiheng heard this and picked up his pocket.  He rushed outside, and as soon as he got downstairs, he saw people rushing to buy rice in twos and threes on the road, and he couldn't help but quicken his pace.  The two of them turned two corners, and there was a rice store in front of them. From a distance, they could see a crowd of people. Hundreds of people had surrounded the rice store, and they were all buying rice.  Seeing that something was not going well, the manager of the rice store did not remove all the door panels as usual, but only two door panels. The waiters inside the door all had sticks in their hands to prevent people from outside from rushing in. It was not like this.  When doing business, it's like guarding against thieves smashing into the store.  When Yu Zhiheng saw such a long queue and didn¡¯t know how long it would take, he couldn¡¯t help butI was in a hurry, but the rice shop was selling rice very slowly. It took me half an hour to finish a business. I wonder if I would be able to take my turn when it closes at night?

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 81 Riot Part 1

    "Why don't you remove all the door panels? How long will this drag on!" A voice suddenly burst out from the crowd, and then more people responded: "Yes, quickly remove the door panels!" "Did you hear that?  "Get off the door!" "Get off quickly!" The guys in the store looked at the shopkeeper with panic. They had never encountered this situation before.  A young waiter timidly replied: "How about the shopkeeper, let's put down two more door panels! Otherwise it will be difficult for so many people to rush in!" "No!" The well-informed shopkeeper shook his head: "  As soon as the door is opened and people rush in, something bad will happen! You have never seen the behavior of the previous Emperor Zhezong during the Great Famine. Just like this, if those people from outside rush in, the store will be damaged, how can we do it?  It's hard for everyone to live! " "What the shopkeeper said is that those guys outside are hungry and anxious, and they can't tell where they are when they rush in," a waiter agreed.  "Then what should we do?" "You all listen to my orders, Dazhu and Erzhu, you two are strong, so get ready for me. When you hear me shout 'close the door' later, you will put up the door panel.  The rest of the people waited for them to close the door, then put up the pillars against the door, and then moved some furniture to hold it up." At this point, the shopkeeper asked in a low voice: "As long as these poor guys can't break in,  Everyone is rewarded with twenty kilograms of rice and a drop of cash! Do you understand?¡± ¡°I understand!¡± The shopkeeper¡¯s reward worked, and the guys¡¯ voices suddenly became louder.  The shopkeeper winked at the shopkeeper, walked out, bowed to everyone, and said with a smile: "Dear elders, elders! It's not that the shop doesn't want to open for business, it's just that there are too many people in front of the door.  I'm afraid that if the door is fully opened and everyone rushes in, it will be bad!" "Then how can you be willing to lower the door panel completely?" asked the man at the front.  "Let's do it like this. Everyone, take a few steps back and get out of the way. How about asking the shop to bring out some rice and just do business outside?" "Okay!" The man responded and turned around and shouted: "  "Everyone, take a few steps back and make some room!" "Step back a few steps!" The crowd began to retreat slowly, and the shopkeeper cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Thank you all, I'll have the rice delivered right away!"  "After that, the shopkeeper turned around and walked in.  Before everyone understood what was going on, they heard a clang and the two door panels were closed, followed by a sound of hard objects hitting each other.  The shopkeeper behind the store door was giving instructions loudly: "Quickly, move the counter over here, block the door, and the table, block the door! These poor devils still want to fight with me, they are not very good at it!"  " "Damn it, I was tricked by that stupid shopkeeper! " Someone in the crowd finally woke up and realized that they had fallen into the other party's trap.  The angry people rushed forward, and the thick door panel shook violently under the impact of countless fists and shoulders. The shopkeeper in the rice store shouted in horror: "Everyone, resist it, you must resist it, as long as this time  If you survive, everyone will be rewarded with double the reward!¡± The guys in the rice shop tried their best to hold the door panel, and the roars and bangs coming from outside the door were frightening. They knew very well that if the door was knocked open, everyone in the rice shop would  No one will end well.  ¡°Hurry up and ask the government to send patrol police and soldiers!¡± a guy shouted loudly.  The shopkeeper stamped his foot: "Why did you forget this!" He shouted to the guys: "Whoever has a way, who can sneak out and invite people from the government!" "Shopkeeper, you are confused,  Our store is surrounded by people outside! ""What can we do? What can we do?" The shopkeeper was running around in circles, but a waiter next to him suddenly got the idea and shouted: "We can go to the attic.  If you set a fire, the government will definitely come if there is smoke! Anyway, the walls of our rice store are made of bricks, so it is not easy to set it on fire!" The shopkeeper couldn't care less for a while and shouted: "Yes, yes.  ! Go to the attic and light a fire!¡± The shopkeeper¡¯s call for help aroused the violence in the besieging crowd. The angry people began to attack various shops around them, rob the goods inside, and set fire to them.  The scope of the riot soon spread to the entire street, and the land in Zhabei District, which had long been soaked with poverty and injustice, burned violently like a bundle of dried pine wood.  The door of that rice store has been knocked open by the crowd, and the guys in the rice store were beaten to death.  Excited people rushed into the shops and took away everything they could. A bag was broken on the roadside and snow-white rice was scattered everywhere. However, the people who not long ago regarded food as extremely precious showed no mercy.  trampled from above.  "How come?"How?  "Yu Zhiheng looked at the crowd around him with some confusion. He walked to the rice bag, carefully picked up the white rice on the ground, and wanted to put it back into the bag. "Lao Yu, don't waste your energy, there are good things hidden inside.  !  Go ahead and take it, look, I got this!  "His companion excitedly revealed a cylinder wrapped in red paper from his arms, and the luster of silver dollars was revealed from the torn hole. "A whole hundred Ying Yang!  I will never be able to save so much money in my lifetime. I will go back to the countryside to get a wife tomorrow!  This man was already grinning from ear to ear: "Lao Yu, you can go in too, maybe you can make a profit and get a hundred eagles, so you don't have to sleep alone at night!"  " "This, this -" Yu Zhiheng was stunned. The companion pushed him hard and said with a smile: "Go quickly. The accounting room was just smashed open. If you go to play, it will be gone!"  "After saying that, he ran towards his home. Yu Zhiheng walked into the door of the rice store with some trembling. Bags of rice were stacked against the wall, but no one paid attention. Crazy people were smashing every box and drawer.  Looking for valuables, there were several corpses lying on the floor. He didn't know whether they were rice store clerks or people who were crushed to the ground and trampled to death. Yu Zhiheng took two steps forward and suddenly saw a very solid iron jujube.  He knew that inside the wooden door was the counting room and cash box of Midian. The door was open. Yu Zhiheng hesitated for a moment and walked in. As soon as he entered the door, he saw a body lying on the ground with his eyes wide open.  A line of blood that has solidified into black extends from his right temple to his chin. It is the rice store manager just now. Behind him is the iron cash box. Apparently he was beaten to death while trying to protect the rice store cash box.  Behind the deceased, four or five men were frantically searching every corner of the cash box to see if there was any property left behind by the previous group of robbers. Someone heard Yu Zhiheng's footsteps and looked back.  He glanced at them and continued their work. Yu Zhiheng walked to the deceased, sighed, knelt down on one knee and closed his eyes for the deceased. Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao were sitting in the pavilion in the back garden of Shanghai.  I was chatting with Zhang Zhi, the chief envoy of Shanghai, over tea. Suddenly, a subordinate came running along the path. After entering the pavilion, he bowed and said: "Sir, something happened over there in Zhabei!  " Zhang Zhicheng frowned. He was in the middle of a chat with Hu and Shen. He didn't want to be bumped into by this ignorant subordinate. He snorted coldly: "If something happens in Zhabei, it will be handled by Mr. Liu, the prefect.  , go down!  " Shen Hongmao on the side felt something was wrong. He smiled and said: "Master Zhang, business matters are important. Let's talk about this case next time!  " Seeing this, Zhang Zhicheng knew that the conversation could no longer go on, so he had to stand up with a smile and said: "The people below don't know anything, I'll go take a look before talking!  Mr. Hu and Mr. Shen, please help yourself!  " Zhang Zhicheng and the subordinate went down to the pavilion. His face turned cold and he asked: "You have been doing this for many years, so why are you so ignorant? I am narrating a story with the adults from Hanking today, and you dare to disturb me and say,  What happened!  " The official was already covered in cold sweat after being reprimanded by Zhang Zhicheng. He quickly bowed and apologized: "I am ignorant, and I hope you will forgive me. It's just that there was a riot in Zhabei today. Thousands of workers rushed to the street and saw  They rushed into the shops on the roadside, robbed them, and set fire to them. A whole street was already on fire!  "    "What?  This time it was Zhang Zhicheng's turn to sweat on his forehead: "Thousands of dollars of work?"  There are so many?  Have patrol police been sent to suppress it?  " "After Master Liu learned about it, he immediately sent hundreds of patrol officers to suppress it, but the number of thugs was too great and they could not resist it.  The villain is asked to come here to ask for instructions from the adults to mobilize the elite soldiers of the standard camp!  " "Okay, I will order the Biao camp to dispatch immediately!  "Zhang Zhicheng ordered repeatedly. Originally, Shanghai was just a capital city in Southern Zhili Province. However, due to the rapid economic development in modern times, its economic strength was far better than that of Jinling Prefecture, the capital of Southern Zhili Province. Therefore, the imperial court was here alone.  A Chief Envoy Department was established to strengthen management. This Chief Envoy actually had overlapping powers with the original Shanghai Governor Liu. Although they were higher in rank, they had no direct subordinate relationship, and the relationship between them was quite subtle.  The only thing that surpasses Magistrate Liu is that he also has a standard battalion as a mobile force, so at this time, Magistrate Liu of Shanghai will send someone to ask for emergency help. Zhang Zhicheng was just about to start, when he suddenly remembered Hu and Shen who were still drinking tea in the pavilion.  Although these two people have no special mission on this trip, Hu Keqin is one of the cabinet ministers, and Shen Hongmao is also the minister of the Ministry of Industry from the third rank, and they are both influential figures in the court. Now the matter is so troubled.  You can't hide it, so why don't you tell them the truth now and go out together to quell the chaos? Even if the court does blame it in the future, there will be a tall man who can bear it. Thinking of this, Zhang Zhicheng shouted: "Wait a minute.  Yes, I¡¯ll come as soon as I go!  "After that, he turned around and walked quickly towards the pavilion.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 82 Under the Riot

    While Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao were talking, they suddenly saw Zhang Zhicheng coming in again, his face already covered with a layer of frost. In the midst of surprise, they saw Zhang Zhicheng bowing to the two of them: "I'm telling you two adults,  Thousands of thugs had just set fire to and looted in Zhabei District, and the patrol police could not stop them, so Magistrate Liu sent someone to ask for help! " "What?" Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao stood up together. Hu Keqin responded quickly and asked in a deep voice.  "Then why didn't Mr. Zhang send out the Biao camp immediately to suppress it?" "The official has already ordered the Biao camp to be sent out, but Xianggong Hu is an important minister of the imperial court and well-known in the world. The official wants to invite Mr. Hu and Mr. Shen to go together. Once they come, the official can  I can use the reputation of the two adults to overwhelm the mob, and secondly, I can ask the two adults to bear witness for me!" Hu and Shen immediately understood what the other party meant. It turns out that according to Dashun's system, the chief envoy serves as the local official!  The chief officer does have the power to use field troops such as Biaoying, but this power is restricted by complicated procedures. In this situation, of course, it is too late to complete the procedures. In order to prevent being impeached by the official, Zhang Zhicheng  I want to drag Hu and Shen together.  "That's fine!" Hu Keqin nodded: "Without further delay, let's set off immediately!" Shanghai, Hongkou District, Liu Family Mansion.  This mansion was originally built by Liu Zhiping's grandfather. As the Liu family's wealth continued to accumulate, the Liu family's ancestors also built the 12th floor, another village and the Peacock Pavilion in the garden, with halls, pavilions, pavilions and rooms, and the structure  fine.  In the evening, lanterns and colorful decorations were put on, and elegant gatherings such as music gatherings and calligraphy gatherings were added.  On Lantern Festival night, various fireworks and cannons are set off in Hongyinxuan, presenting a wonderful scene of fireworks.  There are also orchids, chrysanthemums, plum blossoms and other extravaganzas.  At that time, it was praised as one of the ten scenic spots in Shanghai.  On this day, Liu Zhiping was staying at home with Chen Zaixing and several other friends from Shanghai's financial world, drinking tea and watching a movie, while talking about some interesting business stories. As they were talking in the alley, the housekeeper of Liu Mansion suddenly hurried in from outside.  , with a panic look on his face, he walked to Liu Zhiping, leaned over and whispered a few words.  Chen Zaixing saw Liu Zhiping's face change slightly: "What's going on? There are hundreds of guns at home. If it's not enough, just take my film to Magistrate Liu's Yamen and dispatch a team of patrolmen!" "Master, this is  The situation is different this time! The poor people from more than a dozen factories in Zhabei District have taken to the streets. I'm afraid there are not tens of thousands of people. Governor Liu has already sent out all the patrol police. I'm afraid they can't take care of this place!  Useless things!" Liu Zhiping stood up abruptly: "On weekdays, everyone's chest is so loud when they want money, but at critical times, they can't help it!" He snorted coldly and bowed his hands to everyone.  : "Everyone, it's not a coincidence that today, poor people from outside took to the streets. I'm afraid there are tens of thousands of people. I'm afraid it won't be safe on the road if you go back now. Why don't you just wait at my house. If you can trust someone like Liu, why don't you send your family?"  Take it too!" Those people couldn't help but turn pale when they heard what the housekeeper just said, and they all nodded. Only Chen Zaixing smiled and said: "The dozen Sikh soldiers I brought back this time have all been on the battlefield.  Call them here now and let Mr. Liu do whatever he wants!" "Well, you won't be so polite as Xusheng!" After a while, a dark-skinned Sikh man with the appearance of an iron tower came to Chen Zaixing, and Chen Zaixing ordered him in Chinese:  "Lieutenant Anand, lead your people to guard the door of Liu Mansion immediately. No one can enter the house without this master's permission!" "Yes, sir!" Anand gave Chen Zaixing a military salute and followed the order.  , a group of Sikh soldiers with black cloth headbands, daggers on their waists, and rifles with bayonets on their shoulders ran quickly towards the gate.  Looking at their neat backs, Liu Zhiping showed a trace of envy on his face and whispered: "Resurrection, I thought that since the ninth generation of the Liu family established themselves in Shanghai Huating, nearly two hundred years of painstaking efforts have already been achieved in Shanghai."  It is the support of Mount Tai, but now it seems that it is just a dream!" Chen Zaixing was so smart that he immediately understood the meaning of the other party's words, stood up and said with a smile: "Mr. Liu, there are no absolutes in things in this world. In fact, Brother Liu  Didn't this trip to Myanmar open up a new world for the Liu family? As for domestic affairs, I think as long as we work together, things will get better and better! " "Haha! Please call me my nephew!"  Liu Zhiping also stood up and whispered: "From now on, the Liu family and the Chen family will support each other for generations, just like one family!" Today, the neat bluestone pavements on Tiantong Road no longer have the gorgeous carriages and carriages of the past.  Neatly dressed pedestrians were replaced by densely packed angry workers in ragged clothes and haggard appearance. At the front of the worker team was a middle-aged man in his 40s, waving a bamboo stick in his hand while singing and dancing:  "The rich marry their wives and take concubines, while the poor have their wives and children scattered; the rich have a lot of fish and meat; the poor have nothing to eat but rice bran. Today we will turn the world upside down and make all the poor happy!" As he sang,The crowd outside responded loudly and rhythmically. Whenever he encountered a rice shop, cloth shop, or other shops, the man would stop, point his bamboo stick, and sing repeatedly: "Today I will turn the world upside down.  Let all the poor be happy!¡± The crowds sang in unison and rushed into the store, grabbing everything inside.  At this time, a group of police officers in black suddenly emerged from the other end of the street. In the blink of an eye, they had blocked the three to four feet wide Tiantong Road. Lord Magistrate Liu, who was wearing official robes, took a look.  The crowd rushing towards them turned back to look at Hu, Shen and their boss Zhang Zhicheng not far behind them. Their yellow faces turned pale.  "Jin San, shout quickly and tell these mobs to disperse quickly, otherwise they will be severely punished!" Magistrate Liu ordered in a low voice to the fat man wearing a big hat and wearing black Magistrate Liu.  It turns out that the patrol leader's surname is Jin, and he comes from a third-generation family. He has a round waist and thick arms, and looks like a butcher. I heard that his ancestor was a refugee from the Northeast, and he took over his job in the Yamen when he was fourteen or fifteen years old.  The errand here is the most ruthless and ruthless. People who know him well call him Mr. Jin to his face, but behind his back they call him Mr. Jin San.  "Yes, sir!" Jin San bowed his body, then ran to the front of the team, took a trumpet made of iron sheets, and shouted loudly to the crowd not far away: "You all listen to me, Mr. Liu Zhifu  Order, disperse quickly, otherwise don't blame Mr. Jin San for being rude!" Jin San's shouts had no effect, and the crowd continued to flow in under the guidance of the middle-aged man waving a bamboo stick.  Jin San gritted his teeth and quickly returned to Magistrate Liu, bowing and saying: "My lord, they are stubborn, please show me how to deal with them!" Magistrate Liu looked at the mob dozens of meters away.  , gritted his teeth, and said in a low voice: "You let the patrol officers hold on, and I'll go ask the superior officer for instructions first!" "Yes, sir!" Jin San bowed, ran back to the team quickly, and shouted:  "Everyone, cheer up. Your superiors have ordered you to stay on standby!" Magistrate Liu lifted up his official robe, trotted up to Hu, Shen, and Zhang, raised his hands in salute, and said, "Three gentlemen, the mob is so large in numbers.  If we only use patrols, we may not be able to withstand it, so please send out the Biao Battalion to suppress it." Zhang Zhicheng looked back at Hu and Shen, and saw that there was no expression on their faces, he said solemnly: "This is Shanghai.  In the center of the city, in a prosperous place, these are just ordinary people looking for food. It is really unreasonable to send out the state's economic masters. There are also more than 300 patrol officers under the command of Lord Magistrate Liu, so it is best to wait and see the situation! "  "Master Zhang!" Magistrate Liu raised his head and was about to continue arguing, when he saw a sneer on the corner of the other party's mouth, and his pleading words immediately got stuck in his throat.  I usually give the Chief Envoy a few stumbling blocks, but I didn't expect that I would get retribution today. The other party obviously wanted to see my joke.  Thinking of this, he sighed, turned around and left quickly.  By the time Magistrate Liu returned behind the patrolmen, the crowd had already moved to a place only ten meters away from the human wall formed by the patrolmen. The nervous patrolmen kept looking back, waiting for orders from their superiors.  Jin San asked: "Sir, what did the Chief Envoy say?" "Huh! What kind of economic master can't come out lightly? It's clearly a public revenge for private revenge. Look at my joke!" Liu Zhifu sneered: "Send the order,  Let everyone load their bullets and let them disperse immediately, otherwise they will fire a warning shot in the air and then open fire!" "Yes, sir!" After receiving the confirmed order, Jin San quickly bowed and ran back to the team.  Inside, he shouted loudly: "Load the bullets. Mr. Liu Zhifu has given the order. As long as these thugs dare to come near again, they will shoot!" "Ah! Third Master, really shoot!" An old patrolman asked in a stupefied voice:  "There are so many people in front of us. If a row of guns were fired at them, hundreds or thousands of people would die! Third Master, you have to think about this!" "What's the matter, your legs are weak? You eat so much food and wine on weekdays.  In the stomach?" Jin San's eyes widened, and he cursed fiercely: "If you don't fucking shoot according to Master Liu's order, I will kill him later, even if he is killed by the mob!  Have you reached the poor guy at the front? I'll hit him first!" Seeing Jin San's vicious look, the old patrolman couldn't help but tremble. He knew Jin San's methods.  Jin San snorted coldly, pulled out his pistol, and shouted loudly: "I count to three, if you poor guys don't get out, I will kill you!" After that, he took two steps forward and aimed at the one in the front.  The middle-aged man waving the bamboo stick counted loudly: "One, two, three!" But the middle-aged man seemed to be undecided. He still waved the bamboo stick as usual and sang loudly: "Today we are going to do this.  The world is turned upside down and the poor people are happy! " First of all, I would like to thank Qianli Jiahe Book Friends for the reward. I just checked the results and the popularity list is in jeopardy. I hope everyone will support me.  Full of book friendsLike Blood 2013 said that I didn¡¯t add semen to him. I really didn¡¯t see it. There are many posts in the discussion forum. It¡¯s not convenient for me to surf the Internet during working hours. It¡¯s normal for me to miss it. Please forgive me. I have already added semen!  If you think this book is good, I hope you will continue to give me valuable support.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 83 Fire

    "I'll kill you!" The angry Jin San pulled the trigger, and two bullets fired from close range hit the middle-aged man's chest, knocking him flying out. Jin San showed disdain on his face.  He fired a shot into the air and ordered loudly: "Fire!" With the sound of the gunshot, choking white smoke burning with black powder spurted out from the muzzle of the gun, blocking the sight of the patrolmen. A burst of white smoke came from the opposite side.  The exclamations and screams of the crowd were heard as roars by the patrolmen who had no battlefield experience. Many of them pulled the bolts of their guns and fired until all the bullets in the magazine were exhausted.  As the white smoke gradually dissipated, we saw corpses scattered everywhere on the street opposite. The air was filled with the groans of the injured and dying. Through the remaining white smoke, we could see groups of people dozens of meters away.  Groups of ragged people were fleeing in panic.  Jin San proudly walked up to the middle-aged man's corpse, kicked him and sneered: "If you, a poor man, still want to change the world, if you don't eat your leftovers honestly, I will send you back to the west!" Not far away,  Hu Keqin's face suddenly changed when he heard the intensive gunshots: "Oops, shots have been fired, send someone to stop it quickly!" "I'm afraid it's too late!" Shen Hongmao's face didn't look good either. He now regretted that he shouldn't have spoken just now.  The chief envoy Zhang Zhicheng was allowed to watch the fun.  "Whether it's too late or not, hurry up and stop the situation from escalating!" Hu Keqin stamped his feet. Zhang Zhicheng on the side was also a little panicked. He didn't expect that things would get to this point, so he hurriedly said: "Two adults, please don't worry.  , I'll go and see for myself right away!" Soon, Zhang Zhicheng led a team of soldiers to escort Hu and Shen to the intersection. They saw corpses everywhere on the street. There were probably more than a hundred people. Hu Keqin was desperate.  He closed his eyes and murmured in his mouth: "How could this happen? How could this happen!" "Report to Mr. Zhang, the mob has been dispersed by the lower officials!" Magistrate Liu proudly reported to Zhang Zhicheng.  Shen Hongmao on the side finally couldn't bear it anymore and shouted loudly: "Who asked you to shoot!" Magistrate Liu looked at Shen Hongmao and Hu Keqin who were standing next to Zhang Zhicheng in casual clothes with some surprise. Zhang Zhicheng on the side quickly introduced: "  This is Mr. Shen, the Minister of Civil Affairs, and next to him is Mr. Hu, the governor who participated in the political affairs and the Minister of Household Affairs. Both of them came from Hanjing on business and lived in my house. We happened to meet at this time today and came together.  "These words were like thunder in the ears of Magistrate Liu. He swayed and almost sat down. He quickly bowed and said: "I didn't know that you two adults are here. I hope you will forgive me for offending you just now.  !" Shen Hongmao ignored his answer and asked directly: "Who asked you to shoot just now!" "This, this!" Magistrate Liu looked at Zhang Zhicheng standing aside, as if he saw a life-saving straw, and shouted  He shouted: "Master Zhang, you can't blame me for this. I just asked you to borrow troops -" "I was afraid that you would use force indiscriminately, so I refused to lend you the soldiers of the Biao camp!" Zhang Zhicheng interrupted Liu.  The prefect's defense: "These people are also citizens of the imperial court. How can they shoot randomly like you? Even I can't help you this time!" "You, you, you-" Prefect Liu was so angry at Zhang Zhicheng.  He couldn't even say a complete sentence. Only now did he understand why Zhang Zhicheng refused to lend him troops just now. His feelings were because these two Shangguan from Han Jing were watching, but he was kept in the dark and lost.  Clean, thinking of this, Magistrate Liu sat down like a deflated rubber ball.  "Alas! Lord Magistrate Liu! Don't say any more!" Hu Keqin opened his eyes: "Here comes, take away his official robe and gauze hat, take him down to listen. This time, several of us will be involved.  Zhezi apologized to the court!" "Yes, sir!" On the way back to the Chief Envoy, Shen Hongmao approached Hu Keqin and asked in a low voice: "Mr. Hu, do you think there is something strange about this matter?"  "Yes, not long after Chen Zaixing and Liu Zhiping raised interest rates to bring down Mr. Wang, what happened this time? Could it be that they deliberately fanned the flames and forced us to accept his request?"  "It shouldn't be possible, right?" Hu Keqin frowned and said, "This matter is so big that even I don't know how to end it. Then Liu Zhiping is just a businessman, how dare he risk the disapproval of the world?  "Liu Zhiping doesn't know how to do such a thing, but it's not necessarily the case with Chen Zaixing. I was not an ordinary character at the same age. He was bold and thoughtful. You see, when he encountered the British invasion in Burma, ordinary people  They all hurriedly returned to their country to seek refuge, but he seized the opportunity to make a plan and managed to find a way out of the cracks. He is now the husband of the Burmese king. There is really nothing that ordinary people in Dashun can do against him. Why do you think it is impossible for him to do this?  Such things?" Hu Keqin thoughtAfter a while, he finally nodded: "What you said makes sense, but it's all speculation now, and we still need to find real evidence!" "Then if it's really them who did it?" "If it's really these people behind it.  Damn it, that's a national traitor!" Hu Keqin's half-closed eyes suddenly opened, and two rays of light shot out: "Then I will fight for my life, but I will understand these national traitors for the Queen Mother!" Shen Hongmao has been in the officialdom for many years!  , and instinctively lowered his head to avoid looking directly into the other person's eyes.     Zhabei District.  There was a particularly gloomy atmosphere hanging over the entire workers' residential area at this time. The doors and windows of the houses on both sides of the street were tightly closed, the windows were nailed with wooden bars, and the doors were blocked with heavy objects. The streets were empty and there were few pedestrians.  The roar of machines no longer came from several factories by the river, and the entire factory area was dead silent, as if something was about to happen.  Yu Zhiheng crossed the street in surprise, with a bag of rice on his shoulder. This was part of the trophies he got from the rice store yesterday. He planned to use this as a gift to Yu Pao to comfort the unfortunate man.  .  After crossing two streets and turning another corner, Yu Zhiheng finally arrived at his final destination. Yu Pao's residence was a large, messy courtyard. Most of the residents in this courtyard had several children like him.  workers. Normally at this time, the whole yard would be full of children playing around, but today the yard was empty but there was no one there, and it was so quiet that it was so quiet.  Yu Zhiheng walked to the door of a room and knocked hard twice. There was no movement inside the door. He frowned and knocked twice more. There was a slight sound of a child crying inside the door, but no one came.  Open the door.  Yu Zhiheng had no choice but to knock on the door at another house, but there was no answer at this house as before. Just when Yu Zhiheng was about to knock on the third house again, a middle-aged man's voice came from behind: "Who are you? What are you doing?"  Knocking on doors everywhere!" Yu Zhiheng turned around and saw three men standing behind him. The two young men behind him were holding wooden sticks in their hands. The leader was staring at him fiercely, his eyes filled with anger.  hostility.  "I'm Yu Pao's friend, come and see him! There's rice in the bag, it's for him." Yu Zhiheng took a step back and put the rice bag on his shoulder on the ground.  The leading man looked at the rice bag on the ground, then looked at Yu Zhiheng suspiciously, and replied coldly: "Go back! Take the rice back too, Yu Pao is gone." "Not?" Yu Zhiheng  He asked in surprise: "I sent him back when he was drunk more than a month ago. This is the yard. Did he move?" "Yes, he used to live here!" The man emphasized in an emphatic tone, "Once  "These two words: "But he is no longer here. He was shot to death by the patrol on Tiantong Road this morning, right at the front of the team!" At this point, the man's face showed a trace of emotion.  Smile: "So he is gone, and there is no need for your rice! He will never need it!" "Patrol police? Tiantong Road? At the front of the team?" Yu Zhiheng was drunk and confused: "Can you tell me what happened?  "Is it something?" "You don't know what happened this morning?" "I don't know. I worked in the factory for fourteen hours straight yesterday. I'm a forger. You know the work is very tiring. I fell asleep as soon as I went to bed.  Just like a dead pig!" "It's no wonder that you are a blacksmith!" The middle-aged man's eyes showed a gentle light: "This is hard work, and you can't do it if you are not a real strong man.  Sit down and I'll tell you everything!" At this point, he turned around and cursed in a rude voice to the two young men behind him: "You two guys are still holding sticks in your hands.  Why don't you go home and boil some hot water? Guests are coming!" The two young men hurriedly dropped their sticks and bowed to Yu Zhiheng.  The middle-aged man patted Yu Zhiheng on the shoulder and said with a smile: "They are all my sons. The children's mothers died early. It was me who raised them up, and they ended up like this bear. My name is Xu Dacheng, and you!"  "My name is Yu Zhiheng!" Yu Zhiheng followed the middle-aged man into the yard, opened a door at the corner, and entered the room. Two young people were cleaning up the messy table.  Xu Dacheng sat down on the bench next to the table, patted the bench next to him, and said with a smile: "Sit down! Brother Zhiheng, don't blame me for being so cruel to you just now. You are the fourth group to inquire today.  The person who was involved in Pao's matter could tell from the first few glances that he was not a serious person, so I thought you were also a piece of shit, so I offended you, please forgive me!" At this time, a young man came up with a chipped sea bowl, and said  After pouring some water in, Yu Zhiheng felt a little thirsty. He took a few sips and asked, "Brother Dacheng, you said just now that Yu Pao was beaten to death by the patrol. What happened?" "You know?"Was it about grabbing rice yesterday?  " "I know, I got this half bag of rice back from the rice store!  ¡± Thank you book friends for your pure four-eye tip. There will be another update tonight. Thank you all for your support!

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 84 The Truth

    "It's good to know. You also know that the people living in our area are poor people. They work and eat every day, and stop talking when they stop. But the price of rice has risen rapidly during this period, and many people have been forced to make it difficult. This  As soon as the rice store was no longer robbed, more and more people gathered, and the trouble became louder and louder. Eventually, thousands of people walked along the street, smashed and robbed the stores when they saw them, and the riot continued all the way to Tiantong Road.  "I see, what happened next?" After hearing this, Yu Zhiheng's face gradually turned pale. He was a man who had experienced war. After coming to Shanghai, he just wanted to have a stable life, but he didn't.  Thinking that if he doesn't look for trouble, trouble will come to him.  "Later? The government sent soldiers to fight with volleys of guns! No matter how many people you have, you can't beat the government's guns. Dead people are lying all over the street. That Yu Pao seems to have something wrong with his brain. He can't take a gun by himself.  The bamboo stick was at the front, singing and dancing, but he was beaten to death from the beginning. The people who came to him just now were probably government scoundrels, and they were probably trying to get Yu Dang! " Hearing this, Yu Zhiheng couldn't help but sigh.  He breathed: "Brother Dacheng, it seems you don't know yet. There is a reason why Yu Pao is like this." After saying that, he told the story of the day when Yu Pao and he were drinking in a tavern and had a conflict with his wife. As a result, his wife took him away.  The incident of two children committing suicide by jumping into the river was revealed one by one.  "So that's what happened. No wonder he is like this. It's so miserable!" Xu Dacheng whispered after a while. Obviously what Yu Zhiheng said just now gave him a great impact.  "Uncle Yu was driven to death by the world, along with his wife and two children!" A young man interrupted loudly.  "Shut up! Do you want to die?" Xu Dacheng cursed fiercely.  "It's true. The price of rice is rising rapidly, but the factory doesn't even issue rice stickers. Uncle Yu's little wages are not enough for the family to eat porridge. Isn't this forcing him to rob? The court will use foreign guns.  Beating, isn¡¯t this a death sentence?¡± ¡°I also heard that the court banned the import of cheap Burmese rice, which is why the price of rice has risen so fast!¡± Another young man said: ¡°Those who died at the gunpoint were  In fact, all the people were killed by this ban. If they were not shot to death, they would be starved to death! " "Shut up, are you two Sangmenxing going to kill me as well?" Xu Dacheng said fiercely.  He stood up and said, "When you have nothing to do, go outside and chop firewood. Stop spitting here!" The two young men were subdued by their father's angry shouting and walked out without saying a word.  Xu Dacheng returned to the table and said a little embarrassedly: "Brother Zhiheng, these two children have no rules and made you laugh!" "Brother Dacheng, what you two children said is not unfounded." Yu Zhiheng paused for a moment.  After hesitating, it was best to tell Xu Dacheng about being hired to help unload rice at the dock that day. In the end, Yu Zhiheng whispered: "What we unloaded that day should be the banned imported Burmese rice, otherwise there is no need to be special."  "That's weird. According to you, after shipping so much rice, the price of rice in Shanghai should be falling? Why is it still going up?"  "In my opinion, there are two possibilities. First, the rice that came in last time was too little, which was not enough to stabilize the rice price in Shanghai; there is another possibility!" At this point, Yu Zhiheng's face became gloomy: "Those  The rice that was brought in illegally was not sold, but was hoarded for profit! "It must be the second type! These damn profiteers!" Xu Dacheng slapped his thigh with a look of admiration on his face: "  Brother Zhiheng, you are knowledgeable. You can see the twists and turns inside. We rough guys will only be bullied by those black-hearted guys!" "Don't say that, I only found out after I went back and thought about it for a long time!"  Zhiheng looked at the sky outside, stood up and said goodbye: "It's getting late. I have to work the night shift later, so I'll go back first. I'll leave the rice here with you to save you the trouble of moving it around!" "What's going on?  Okay?" Xu Dacheng was about to refuse, but Yu Zhiheng patted his shoulder and said in a low voice: "I brought these rice home from the rice store yesterday. I didn't spend a penny. I was alone. You  There are a lot of mouths in the house, so let¡¯s stay and eat!¡± After that, he handed over his hands and went out.  Xu Dacheng was stunned for a moment, then hurried up and said loudly: "Brother Zhiheng, thank you so much. You two have no eyes, please give your Uncle Yu a break!" Yu Zhiheng was walking on the way home, his thoughts  Wan Qian, since he saved his life on the battlefield more than three years ago, the only thing he has been thinking about is to find a place to make a living and make a living with his own strength, and just treat the past as if it never happened.  .  But Yu Pao's death and the riots tore his head out of the sand, exposing the cruel reality before his eyes: the vast cotton plantations of Shanghai and Tianshan, bustling with traffic and brightly lit, had no trace of anything.  The difference is that the vast majority of people work hard all day long, but their income can only barely survive, while a small group of peopleStanding on the pyramid, relying on the blood and sweat of most people, he lived a life of luxury and lust that ordinary people could not imagine.  The only difference between the two is that in the cotton plantations, the slaves are bound by chains and shackles; while in Shanghai, the workers are bound by invisible shackles composed of hunger and despair. Although the workers have freedom, they only have  The freedom to choose between going into a factory and starving to death.  Suddenly, Yu Zhiheng stopped, looked at the Suzhou River flowing calmly not far away, and roared to the sky: "Why is this world so unfair everywhere? Why?" Shanghai Government Envoy's Mansion.  It was already late at night, but Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao had not rested yet. They were looking at the documents in front of them attentively. At the foot of the steps, Fatty Jin San was standing with a bow, sweat falling from his fat cheeks and falling on the bluestone ground.  It's already soaked in a big puddle.  Hu Keqin finally finished reading the paperwork in front of him and sighed tiredly. He took off his reading glasses and pressed his temples.  Shen Hongmao on the side sighed and asked in a deep voice: "Jin San!" Jin Sanpang hurriedly sang a promise and responded: "Young man is here!" "How are you investigating the situation of the mob at the front?  "Tell me, sir, I already have some clues!" Jin Sanpang wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied cautiously: "That guy's surname is Yu Mingpao. He is a porter at Yuxing Cotton Factory. He is already married.  He had two children and was fond of drinking. A few days ago, he beat his wife while drunk, and his wife jumped into the river with her two children and died. He must have been stimulated and went crazy. " "It turns out!  So!" Shen Hongmao frowned, and Jin Sanbei's answer was not what he wanted.  Shen Hongmao considered his words and continued to ask: "Jin San, do you think there might be another inside story?" "Is there another inside story?" Jin San was stunned. As a patrol leader, he was not unfamiliar with Shen Hongmao's questions.  Generally speaking, if the Shangguan is not satisfied with the results of his investigation, he will ask similar questions, and he will seize the opportunity to re-report a result that satisfies the Shangguan. But the problem is that this gentleman today has never called  I have met someone who doesn¡¯t even know the basics except that he¡¯s from Hanking. How should I answer so as not to cause trouble for myself?  Jin Sanpang couldn't help but hesitate.  "You are stupid, please enlighten me!" Jin Sanpang finally decided not to take the risk of guessing. The two adults from Hanking just frowned at the scene, which made Master Liu tremble with fear.  A small frown on the brows of such a big man can put him in danger. He would rather appear incompetent and stupid than make random guesses.  "Is there someone behind it?" Shen Hongmao finally lost his temper and stood up suddenly and said loudly.  "Why does this adult from Hanking sound so guilty? Could it be that he wants to start a big prison?" Jin Sanpang's mind was spinning, and sweat was pouring from his forehead.  Despite his shrewdness, he didn't know how to answer for a moment. After all, if his guess was true, it would be a dead end for an ant like him to get involved, and any big shot could easily kill him.  "Master Shen, please take a rest first, and then let me do it!" Hu Keqin finally couldn't stand it any longer. He coughed and said to Jin San, "Jin San, just say whatever you want.  Tell me everything about this time from beginning to end!" "Yes, Sir!" Jin San breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to fall into this whirlpool. He calmed down and calmed himself down.  He explained to the workers how he figured out Yu Pao's identity and sent people to Yu Pao's residence to confirm it.  Finally, he said in a deep voice: "Sir, in order to prevent mistakes, I sent my subordinates who did not know each other to go to Yu Pao's residence, and the rewards they received were the same. Yu Pao is just a drunkard on weekdays.  There is no prestige among the workers. If someone was behind this incident, it would not be this person. Besides, if someone was behind the instigation, they would usually spend some money to buy it off, but neither Yu Pao nor his family had any money afterwards.  The property was found, and there was no sudden gambling or squandering in the few days before his death, so the villain thought that there was no one behind this person, and this riot was completely accidental." At this point, Jin San continued.  Six or seven people were called in from outside. They were all spies who were going to inquire about Yu Pao's situation.  He climbed from a "public servant" to the head of the patrol. He was already very shrewd and capable, and he knew that this matter was of great importance, so he did his job flawlessly.  , "Well! Everyone, go down!" Hu Keqin nodded after listening to the spies' report. At this time, he had already ruled out the possibility that this riot was instigated by someone behind the scenes.  He looked at the fat man in front of him with a greasy and sweaty face and a mediocre appearance, and asked in a low voice: "Jin San, do you think this riot happened completely by chance?"

 Volume 4 Leviathan 85 Chance and Necessity

    Jin Sanpang wiped his sweat and said respectfully: "Replying to the old man, from what I can see, it is yes and no!" "Yes and no? How do you say this?" "Sir, the fuse of this riot is the book.  It's because the rice prices in the rice stores have increased, and the workers, out of resentment, smashed the stores to grab rice. To be honest, this kind of thing happens a lot in Jiangnan every year when there is a shortage of food. But this time it happened to happen in Shanghai, where workers.  Once it breaks out, the natural scale will not be comparable to that in the counties below!" Hu Keqin nodded with satisfaction: "Well, you are saying it is a coincidence, so how can you say it is not a coincidence?" "Sir, Shanghai and  The small counties below are different. Water and land transportation are concentrated and transportation is convenient. Even if there are floods and droughts, surplus grain from other places will be transported in. Naturally, grain prices will gradually drop. In addition, although the workers' wages are not high, their daily wages are low.  They all have living money, unlike in small places where there is no place to go if there is a flood or drought, so the possibility of such a large-scale riot is very small." When Jin Sanpang said this, he suddenly stopped.  "Why don't you go on? But it doesn't matter!" "Yes, Sir." Jin Sanpang gritted his teeth and said loudly: "This riot was because the imperial court banned the import of grain, and speculators took the opportunity to raise the price of rice. Factory owners  Because he was resentful of the imperial ban, he refused to distribute rice stickers to the workers. As a result, the workers had been grudges for a long time, and the robbery of the rice store was just a trigger!" Jin Sanpang finished what he said in one breath, then lowered his head,  Waiting for the coming storm.  But as time passed, there was still silence in the house.  Just when Jin Sanpang couldn't bear his temper and wanted to raise his head to see what was going on, he suddenly heard a sigh in his ears.  "Oh! You go down and go to the accountant to collect the reward of fifty taels of silver!" Jin San was stunned, and hurriedly gathered his clothes and bowed: "Thank you, sir, for the reward!" When Jin San left the house, Hu Keqin's face slowly showed  He gave a wry smile: "Hongmao! You and I have been reading books about sages for decades, but I never expected that our knowledge is not as good as this little patrol leader!" Shen Hongmao said unconvincedly: "Mr. Hu! This is just a one-sided statement!  Besides, who knows if there may be someone behind the scenes that you and I haven¡¯t noticed!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, what if someone is really behind the scenes?¡± Jin San has a saying: Yes and no!  The ban has hurt too many people. So many people have grievances in their hearts. Sooner or later, it will happen. Even if it doesn't happen this time, it will happen next time. What difference does it make if there is someone behind it? " Shen Hongmao couldn't help but feel dumb when he heard this.  , he had to admit that what Hu Keqin said made sense. After a moment, Shen Hongmao asked in a low voice: "Then what should we do now?"  ! ¡± Hanking.  It was already dark, and Wang Qinian was sitting at his desk, reviewing stacks of documents sent from various places.  At this time, the sound of a clock came from outside. He raised his head and saw that the hands of the clock were already pointing to eight o'clock.  Wang Qinian stood up, stretched, and asked Qi Zhiti opposite him in a deep voice: "Master Qi, has there been any news from Master Hu from Shanghai?" "Not yet!" Qi Zhiti raised his head: "Maybe.  There must have been some delay!" "We have been there for more than ten days!" Wang Qinian frowned: "He should know the importance of it. The Ryukyu matter cannot be delayed. Guo Quan has already gone to Zhenhai. If the warship moves,  , the money is indispensable!" Qi Zhiti said with a smile: "Haha, Mr. Wang, don't worry! Mr. Hu is an old minister, and he knows the importance of it. Let me make a bet with you.  A telegram will be sent by noon tomorrow!" Wang Qinian nodded and sighed: "I hope so! Hey, Mr. Qi, let me tell you from the bottom of my heart, this Pingzhangjun state affairs position is really good.  It¡¯s very difficult to sit down. I¡¯ll grit my teeth and hold on for another two years. As soon as the emperor comes to power, I¡¯ll resign and go back to my hometown to retire!¡± As he was talking, an official from outside quickly walked into the room and whispered: ¡°Two gentlemen.  Sir, there is an urgent call from Shanghai!" "Oh, as for Cao Cao, Cao Cao will be here!" The tiredness on Wang Qinian's face immediately disappeared. He took the telegram and said with a smile: "Master Hu's work is quite reassuring. Look at the money.  The problem is finally solved!" He was joking as he opened the telegram and copied it. When he opened it, his expression immediately changed: "What, Shanghai riots, please lift the ban on food imports!" "Riots?" Qi Zhiti was also surprised.  , stood up from behind the table, took the copy from Wang Qinian's hand, and read in a low voice: "Thousands of people gathered without shouting. The leader was named Yu Pao, and he was a servant of Yuxing Cotton Factory. He stood up with his arms.  Holding a bamboo stick in his hand, he led the crowd to swear an oath to the gods, and thousands of people responded to his call, killing people and destroying houses¡ª¡ª" Qi Zhiti's face turned pale as he read this, and he continued toHe said: "How could this be so? How could this be so?" "Huh!" Wang Qinian was so angry that he could not speak. He naturally knew that with the riot, the matter of the national debt would be ruined. Maybe it would be repaid.  The court had to pay to appease him. If something like this happened at this juncture, Hu Keqin would certainly be unlucky. As the prime minister of the court, he couldn't shirk Ping Zhangjun's state affairs.  "Ms. Wang, Mr. Hu is saying in his heart that the industrial and commercial circles in Shanghai are very indifferent to the sale of government bonds and are demanding that the discount be reduced to 50%. What should we do?" "A group of rebellious officials and traitors without a king or father!" These words are almost  It was squeezed out from Wang Qinian's teeth: "How dare you take advantage of this moment to threaten the imperial court! Mr. Qi, how do you think we should deal with it?" "This -" Qi Zhiti's tongue seemed to be knotted, and he faltered, and his mind was like  After weighing things up like lightning, Hu Keqin's letter clearly wanted to focus on appeasement and give up on holding the workers involved in the matter accountable. At the same time, he abolished the ban on grain imports in exchange for concessions from the business community and raised money as soon as possible.  But this ban was just launched by Wang Qinian. If it was abolished within two days, where would the court's and his Xianggong Wang's face go?  In the end, he decided not to take a stand yet.  "Ms. Wang, I think this matter is of great importance. It's not something you and I can decide here. It's better to report it to Her Majesty the Queen Mother first and then make a decision after discussion!" "That's fine!" Wang Qinian snorted coldly, and he also  He knew that Qi Zhiti was avoiding expressing his support for him, but after all, the other party was also a member of the cabinet and his status was similar to his own. He was unwilling to express his stance and he could not force him now.  But no matter what, you have to persevere.  "The matter is urgent, let's go and report it to Her Majesty the Queen Mother now!" There was silence in Yanying Hall.  Behind the bead curtain, Empress Dowager Deng was looking attentively at the telegram copy in her hand. After a while, she handed the copy to Lin Wanqing aside and asked in a low voice outside the curtain: "My lords, what do you think should be done?"  "Response?" Wang Qinian stood up with a loud voice and said loudly: "Your Majesty, I think we should investigate thoroughly, find out the culprit behind it, and punish him severely!" Empress Dowager Deng frowned and asked: "That Qi.  Sir, what do you think?" Qi Zhiti replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, it is better to listen to Mr. Hu's opinion on how to deal with it. After all, we are not in Shanghai!" "What Mr. Qi said is true!" Empress Dowager Deng frowned.  Shu Zhan said: "Then send some to Shanghai, add Hu Shangshu as governor, and let him have full authority to handle the matter!" "Yes!" After Empress Dowager Deng disappeared from behind the bead curtain, Wang Qinian and Qi Zhiti walked out of Jiying Palace.  , as soon as the two people walked out of the palace door, Wang Qinian whispered: "Master Qi, what do you mean?" "What do you mean?" Qi Zhiti turned around: "Ms. Wang, I am just speaking out of my heart!" Wang Qinian (Enter)  Taking a step forward, he lowered his voice and threatened: "Public minded? Those silverfish launched a riot, but you gave in to them. Is this called public minded?" "Sir Wang, I just suggest that you leave it to Mr. Hu to handle it. As for how to deal with it, Mr. Hu is more knowledgeable than you and me.  "Clear!" Qi Zhiti was unusually tough at this time: "Now is not the time to be angry!" "You!" Wang Qinian's face suddenly turned green, and a green vein appeared on his neck, obviously he was extremely angry.  .  Qi Zhiti didn't say much. He cupped his hands and turned around to leave.  Wang Qinian stared at the other person's leaving back, and after a long time he cursed angrily: "You villain!" Ninomaru, Pine Pavilion, Imperial Palace, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan.  This magnificent granite building was built in the early seventeenth century.  In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who defeated the Western Army led by Ishida Mitsunari in the Battle of Sekigahara a few years ago, became the General of the Conquest of Barbarians, the leader of the samurai family, and the de facto supreme ruler of Japan.  Then, as a general, he issued an order to the daimyo across the country, asking them to spend money and labor to build castles.  This castle is surrounded by low but very wide granite walls and a water-filled moat. Inside, the general himself and nearly 80,000 guardsmen live - the Japanese call them flags.  After the Akechi Restoration, it became the capital of Japan, and Edo Castle became the palace of the emperor.  Inoue Kaoru held her breath and knelt on the ground. Behind the gauze curtain six or seven meters away from him was the supreme ruler of the Japanese Empire¡ªEmperor Meiji.  Although Inoue Kaoru has ascended to the highest position of Prime Minister and is one of the few elders since the Akechi Restoration, he still feels a little uneasy in front of this "revealing god".  "After all, this is the family that has ruled Japan for thousands of years. Maybe this is the power of blood!" Inoue Kaoru couldn't help laughing at herself in her heart.  "Inoue-san, how is the entry into the Ryukyu Islands?" A gentle and mellow voice came from behind the gauze curtain. ?Inoue Kaoru, who had been prepared for a long time, replied loudly: "Your Majesty, the special fleet led by His Excellency Ito has occupied the main island of Okinawa. The Ryukyu royal family is under our control and is now under house arrest in a safe place in Tokyo." Thank you.  After receiving rewards from Qianli Jiahe and Shun Feng Ni Shui, I looked at the recommendation votes again, and all I could see was tears, ugh!  There are tears in my eyes!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 85 Favor

    "Well, very good! The Ryukyu royal family must be treated as befitting their status, do you understand?" "Yes, Your Majesty!" Inoue Kaoru lowered his head and touched his forehead to the tatami to show his respect for the emperor's order.  respect.  "Then the next step is to talk, right?" "Exactly, Your Majesty!" Inoue Kaoru raised her head and replied loudly: "The next task is to talk to the Chinese envoys to force them to accept that Ryukyu has accepted our Empire of Japan.  The reality of asylum. But even if it is a meeting, we must be prepared for war! " "War with a big country like China?" The voice behind the curtain became dazed, as if the confidence of the owner of the voice was wavering.  "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I have made all preparations. The British have promised that as long as there is a conflict between Japan and China, they will definitely intervene and never let the Chinese dominate East Asia!" Inoue Kaoru's voice suddenly became high-pitched.  stand up.  "Allies are unreliable, Mr. Inoue! The same goes for the British! Only with the determination to die can we survive in death!" "Yes!" Inoue Xin's head lowered again.  "Mr. Inoue, come here!" Inoue Xin raised his head in confusion, and when he saw the palace minister beside the gauze curtain nodded slightly to him, he moved forward two steps and sat upright again.  "Come here some more!" Emperor Meiji's voice came from behind the curtain again.  Inoue Kaoru moved forward a few more steps. At this time, he was only more than one meter away from the gauze curtain. This was when the gauze curtain was opened, and a middle-aged man wearing a white kimono and a black hat came out and spoke with  The folding fan in his hand tapped Inoue Xin's shoulder twice, and whispered: "Inoue Qing, please do everything!" "Hai!" Inoue Xin fell to his knees on the ground, tears could not help but flow from his eyes.  Welling up in his eyes.  Twenty minutes later, Inoue Kaoru came out of the palace and boarded his carriage. His face had returned to the dullness and arrogance typical of big shots. However, deep in his heart, His Majesty the Emperor was so special just now.  The impact of the encounter has not completely faded away, and his heart is filled with the urge to do something to repay His Majesty for the special encounter.  Suddenly the carriage stopped, and voices came from outside. Inoue Kaoru frowned, and was about to ask, when the door was opened, and Kuroshima Jin got in, and took out a telegram from his arms,  In an excited voice, she said: "Sir, there is urgent news from Shanghai!" Inoue Xin looked at his somewhat rude secretary, but did not reprimand him. He took the telegram, opened it, and his hands immediately started to tremble slightly.  There were only eleven Chinese characters written on the message: "A riot broke out in Shanghai, with many casualties." Inoue Xin's eyes were immediately blurred by a layer of tears. He suddenly clasped his hands together, raised his head and prayed to the sky: "  The Empire of Japan is indeed a country protected by eight million gods. The destiny is mine! " "Yes, Your Excellency!" Jin Kuroshima, who was already in tears, looked at Inoue Kaoru: "In this way, the Chinese will not be allowed to do anything.  Don't give in. There is no way to fight externally when there is such a large-scale riot in the country!" "No!" Inoue Xin suddenly came to her senses: "China is a big country, and the enemy's territory, population, and financial resources are ten times that of ours!  As mentioned above, we cannot expect the enemy to die on his own, but must rely on our own efforts. Mr. Kuroshima, please immediately send someone to inform Mr. Ito and tell the task force to be on heightened alert. We must not relax and fall into the trap of the Chinese.  ! ¡± ¡°Hai! ¡± Zhejiang, Zhenhai.  This place borders Zhoushan Islands to the east, Ningshao Plain to the west, Hangzhou Bay to the north, and is separated by a strip of water from Shanghai. It is the northern gate of Ningbo City.  In addition, Beilun Port in the south has deep water and small waves, so it is an important military port in Dashun.  Beside the dock, Zao Guoquan was dressed in black robes and looked like he was about to embark on an expedition. Behind him were the ironclad "Jingyuan", the "Qingdao" and the freighter "Risheng". He was about to board this warship.  Lead approximately two thousand soldiers to Taiwan.  The person who saw him off was none other than Batu, his old acquaintance in Myanmar. He has now been transferred to Zhenhai, Zhejiang as the commander-in-chief.  I saw Batu cupping his hands and saying: "Sir, the Japanese in Ryukyu are very cunning, and they have been planning for Ryukyu for a long time. You have a heavy responsibility, so take it seriously!" Zao Guoquan smiled bitterly: "Zhenwu, the Japanese  I'm not afraid. Although I've heard that the Japanese are training troops and building ships in recent years, it's quite encouraging, but after all, the country is small and the people are poor, and it's not as vast as Dashun, with a vast territory and deep accumulation. But this kind of diplomatic things all have to be behind the scenes.  Only the words of soldiers have weight, and the money from the imperial court has not yet come down. Whether it is warships or infantry and artillery units, a sea of ??money will be poured out every time they move. But now I don¡¯t even see a dime. How can I talk about this?  ?¡± Hearing Zao Guoquan¡¯s complaints, Batu could only sigh. Ordinarily, the authority granted by Zao Guoquan was very large., it can be said that he has control over both the land and water armies from Chaozhou in the south to Zhenhai in the north, but the problem is that as long as the army moves, money is needed.  The navy needs repair money, coal money, sailor money to go to sea, and the army also needs departure money, reward money, and so on. Without these money, the army cannot move. How can it drive the Japanese out of Ryukyu?  "My lord, don't worry too much. There are people in the court who know the importance. Money will come around after a while!" Batu comforted in a low voice.  Zao Guoquan gave a wry smile, shook his head and sighed: "Hey, war and negotiation are just like doing business. Whoever takes action first will have the advantage. The Japanese have already occupied Ryukyu and captured the royal family in their own hands. They have already taken it.  Go first, if we delay and let other forces get involved, it will be even more troublesome. Hey, at this time, I thought of Chen Zaixing. To be honest, he is better than us in dealing with the Japanese.  Both are better!" Hearing Zao Guoquan mention his old friend, Batu also had a smile on his face: "Yes, he is the best way to resurrect him. The British in Myanmar suffered a lot back then!" "  By the way, what has Chen Fusheng been doing all these years? I heard that he resigned from office after returning from Mongolia? " "Well, do you remember that he married the regent princess of Myanmar?  The eldest princess became his wife and became the royal husband of the Kingdom of Myanmar. Now his business is doing great. I heard that he has built a steel factory in Kunming, Yunnan, and is ready to start building a railway from Mandalay to Kunming!  "Really?" Zao Guoquan couldn't help but exclaimed: "What a great Chen Zaixing. No wonder he resigned again. It's great that he has such a good job waiting for him. I heard him say that he wanted to build Yunnan and Burma.  Railway, I thought he was just joking, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be true!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Batu sighed: ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t think Chen Fusheng resigned entirely because of the eldest princess.  , but he wanted to do something, but there were some things that were difficult and impossible to do in the court, so he resigned. To be honest, I have had some thoughts over the past few years. There are some problems with the military system of our court.  If you don't change it, I'm afraid there will be big problems in the future!" After hearing this, Zao Guoquan asked with interest: "Problem? It's still early, Zhenwu, can you tell me?" "Sir, do you remember when we went there?  What's the matter with Myanmar? There are only more than 20,000 people at most, and the southern part of the imperial court is a bit nervous. And I, Dashun, have a population of 40 million. On the other hand, England only has a total of more than 60 million people, but look at them.  There are so many territories in the world. Even if the vassal states can recruit soldiers, their own soldiers will probably not be less than 500,000 or 600,000! I heard that the Russian population in the north is slightly more, probably 10 million people. Army  But it is said that there are more than one million. Isn't it a big problem in comparison? " "Yes! What you said makes sense, but our government is recruiting soldiers, and recruiting one soldier requires one soldier's salary, plus the current equipment and medicine.  Troops and ships cost a lot of money, and the court is in short supply, so it can¡¯t raise many soldiers! Besides, if we don¡¯t fight, wouldn¡¯t raising so many soldiers be a waste of money?¡± ¡°Then why not follow the example of France and Russia and adopt conscription?  system, the army only retains officers, capable sergeants and artillerymen, while rural soldiers are recruited from local youths and train locally for one or two years. If something happens, the existing soldiers will be recruited into the army. In just half a month, millions of soldiers will be recruited into the army.  Everyone is ready. In this way, the court can save money on raising troops, and once the war starts, it will not be in a dilemma because of lack of money!" "What you said makes sense!  "Zhao Guoquan nodded slightly: "But this matter involves a lot. Not to mention you and me, I am afraid that even the princes and queen mothers in the court may not be able to do it.  Think about it, these more than a million soldiers have been trained, and they are scattered among the people on weekdays without anyone to restrain them.  Once an unscrupulous person manipulates it, the disaster will be huge!  " Batu nodded: "What Mr. Zao said is true!  But everything in the world has its pros and cons, and the pros outweigh the cons or the cons outweigh the pros.  Nowadays, when countries are at war, the whole country works together and uses all their brains and treasures in order to win. However, our Dashun only has hundreds of thousands of standing troops, while tens of thousands of people stand by and watch. If it is a war between small countries, it is nothing more.  , if it is a nationwide war, if it is not his opponent, the Jiashen disaster may happen again, and then there may not be heroes like Emperor Taizong to turn the tide!  " After hearing what Batu said, Zao Guoquan couldn't help but change his expression. The Jiashen Disaster that Batu just mentioned was about the invasion of Youzhou by Emperor Taizu of this dynasty in 1644, and the former Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself on Meishan.  He committed suicide, thinking that the matter was settled, but he did not expect that Wu Sangui surrendered to Dorgon, the regent of Donglu. Emperor Taizu had no choice but to lead his troops north, and fought against Wu Sangui and Donglu. The battle was not favorable and many soldiers died.  Abandoning Youzhou and returning to Xijing, the Donglu troops pursued them. The king's army was defeated in repeated battles. Most of the areas south of the river were owned by the Donglu. Even Emperor Taizu died in Xiangyang with an arrow in his hand.  , in ?In the First Battle of Yangyang, the Donglu army was repulsed, and China almost sank.  Even so, the two emperors Taizong and Shizu of Dashun fought hard for decades before they defeated the Donglu and won in the Ancestral Temple.  It is said that Emperor Taizong left a stone tablet in the ancestral temple before his death. The tablet details the disasters of Jiashen, how his ancestors conquered the world through hundreds of battles, and the difficulties of starting a business.  Before every emperor in Dashun succeeds to the throne, he must recite the inscription in the ancestral temple. I don¡¯t know whether this rumor is true or false, but it is widely circulated among the officials and people of Dashun. This shows how important the disaster of Jiashen is in the hearts of the people of Dashun.  Heavy.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 86m Shang 1

    After a long time, Zao Guoquan sighed and said: "Okay, after this incident in Japan is over, I will write to the court." "Thank you, Mr. Zao!" Batu was overjoyed when he heard this, and said repeatedly: "Morning  Your Majesty is loyal to the country, the court is very lucky, and the world is very lucky!" As he spoke, he bowed down to him.  "That's all, Lord Batu, no courtesy!" Zao Guoquan stretched out his hand to support Batu, shook his head with a wry smile and said: "Hey, don't say it too early. Only future generations can comment on whether this kind of thing is good or bad.  It¡¯s great! A certain family only wants to be known in the history books of future generations as being frivolous in state affairs and causing trouble for thousands of years!¡± A nobleman like him who has been passed down from the beginning of the dynasty and is a famous general in this dynasty, as long as Dashun does not  After all, there is no need to worry about wealth and power. It can be said that the only thing to worry about is the reputation of future generations in the history books.  At this time, there was a sound of footsteps behind him, and an officer quickly came to Zao Guoquan's side and gave a military salute: "Commander, it's time to sail the ship!" Zao Guoquan nodded and turned to Batu:  "The time has come, let's just say goodbye!" "I wish you a safe trip to the East China Sea and a smooth journey!" Just as the warship on board Zhao Guoquan was sailing to Taiwan, Zhabei District, Shanghai, the largest worker in the south of the Yangtze River and even the entire Dashun  Subtle changes are taking place in the residential area. Police patrols with live ammunition, workers with white gauze wrapped around their arms, rows of closed shops, and heavily guarded factory gates all indicate what happened not long ago.  It's just the prologue of a drama, far from the end, let alone the ending.  The main hall of Liu Zhifu¡¯s Mansion in Shanghai.  It is already September, but the weather is not cool at all, but a bit hotter. The entire lobby is as if it is placed in a big steamer, stuffy and hot.  Magistrate Liu, who was sitting at the bottom, picked up the tea cup on the coffee table and took a big sip. The cup was filled with Kuding tea, which is the best way to relieve the heat. But as soon as the tea was in his mouth, it seemed to turn into sweat, and it leaked out from his back.  His inner clothes had long been soaked with sweat and stuck to his body. The cicadas on the old locust tree in the courtyard were scratching his heart, which was indescribably uncomfortable.  He secretly glanced at the superior officers from the corner of his eyes, and saw that they were all wearing official robes and gauze hats, with serious expressions on their heads, sitting upright.  He had the lowest official position here, and he had just caused trouble, so he had to curse his mother in his stomach and grit his teeth.  "My lord, my lord! A telegram has arrived from the capital of Han Dynasty!" An official ran in quickly, and the officials in the hall immediately became more energetic. The imperial court's decree came down, and they wanted rewards and punishments. What would happen next in the civil uprising?  The disposal is all clear.  Magistrate Liu, who was feeling uneasy, couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief. At least there was a result, which was better than suffering with his heart hanging in mid-air all day long.  Hu Keqin stood up tremblingly. Being in such tight clothes in this kind of weather was a big burden for a man of his age. Shen Hongmao on the side saw clearly and quickly stretched out his hand to support the opponent's elbow.  For a moment, he was pushed away by the other party.  Hu Keqin bowed and reached out to take the message. He bowed three times in the direction of Hanking before opening the message and taking a closer look.  After a while, Hu Keqin handed the message to Shen Hongmao on the side. After reading it, Shen Hongmao handed it to Zhang Zhicheng on the side. After all the highest-ranking officials in the three halls had read it, Hu Keqin said in a deep voice: "Everyone, Shanghai.  It is an important place in the country, and the wealth in the world is four out of ten. It is really our fault that something like this has alarmed the Queen Mother and the Emperor. It is really God's fault that the Queen Mother does not consider the old minister to be incompetent and give him the title of governor to deal with the riot.  Thank you for your kindness. Please cooperate with me to handle the next thing! If it is done, I will have the nerve to ask the Queen Mother for you.  No way¡ª" At this point, Hu Keqin's voice suddenly stopped.  Everyone in the hall couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief when they heard this. It seemed that the imperial court planned to put aside the past matters and let them perform meritorious service. If the mission was done well, all the past things would be wiped out. If it was done,  If it is smashed, then of course the front and back accounts will be settled, and everything will be over.  This result is much better than they previously imagined.  "Please rest assured, sir, we will do our best to handle the court's errands well." After Zhang Zhicheng said this, he turned around and faced the local Shanghai officials below, and said in a deep voice: "I will say the ugly things in front of you now.  If someone makes another mistake this time, there is no need for the imperial court to issue an order. He should find a rope to find out first, so as not to have an ugly separation of his wife and children!" All the local officials in the hall couldn't help but tremble. The meaning of Zhang Zhicheng's words was very clear. If this time  No matter who had the problem, even if the court did not punish him, he would still have his wife and family separated and his family destroyed. With his official position as chief envoy to Shanghai, it was not easy to deal with these officials under his jurisdiction.  "Yes, I will do my job sincerely!" Hu Keqin nodded, pointed at Magistrate Liu, and asked: "Mr. Magistrate Liu, are you dear?Civil officials, what do you think we should do to calm down the situation now?  " When Magistrate Liu heard that he had been called, he hurriedly stepped out of the queue, saluted Hu Keqin, and said: "Master Shangshu, as the following officials have seen, in order to calm the situation, two things must be done first: First, take the rice  Secondly, let the factories start operating. As long as the workers have food to eat and work to do, the situation will naturally calm down.  From now on, it is easy to say whether the culprit is investigated or let go; if this stalemate continues, these common people have no means to fight and live together in one place, something big will happen.  Hunger and cold give rise to a ruthless heart!  " Hu Keqin nodded, thinking to himself that this Magistrate Liu was a capable official. He had been in a hurry before and was caught off guard to cause such a big incident. After calming down a little, he immediately grasped the key. Fortunately, the court allowed him to plead guilty and meritorious service. If not,  Ask Three Thousand Twenty-One to take it down first. Once the newcomers get familiar with the situation, they may be in trouble. "Master Liu, what do you think should be done to stabilize the price of rice and get the factory started?"  " Magistrate Liu couldn't help but perked up when he heard this. He knew that as long as he was happy to serve Hu Shangshu, he would be able to keep his black gauze hat. If he was lucky, he might be able to advance to the next level. That would be a blessing in disguise. He  He quickly cheered up and replied cautiously: "Tell me, your lord, the rice industry association regulates grain prices. The factories in Zhabei are mainly engaged in spinning and weaving, and some are engaged in machinery and forging. However, these factories are also mainly involved in textile factories.  In my opinion, all we need to do is invite a few directors from the Rice Industry Association and the Textile Trade Union and let them take action, and it will definitely work!  " Hu Keqin glanced at Shen Hongmao who was standing aside, and when he saw the other person nodded, he turned around and said in a deep voice: "Okay, Mr. Liu, you will invite several directors from the two guilds tomorrow. I will personally  Give them a feast!  " In the evening of the next day, the back hall of the Shanghai Prefecture was brightly lit. There were only two tables in the back hall of Nuo Da, and there were less than twenty people at the two tables. The tables were full of wine and food, but the people on the tables were  He didn't even stretch out his chopsticks. What's more, the atmosphere in the hall was very strange. The people at the two tables looked at each other coldly, as if they were jealous enemies. Suddenly, a person stood up from the table on the left.  Come, take the wine glass and walk towards the table next to you, smiling as you go: "Oh, why does this person here look so familiar? Isn't this Mr. Huang, the boss of Yuxing Cotton Factory?  Nice to meet you!  " Fatty Huang stood up. The muscles on his face twitched twice to show that he had laughed. He raised his glass symbolically and replied: "It's Zhong Zhengchun from Cathay Rice Store. Mr. Huang runs a small business. How about it?  What kind of boss is this? Zhong Zhengchun praises him greatly!  " "Boss Huang is joking, your Yuxing Cotton Factory has 10,000 spindles, which is second to none in the whole of Jiangnan, Jiangnan, and the whole of East Asia. If you call this a small business, then there are probably not many people in Shanghai who dare to call it a big business."  Are you home?  " Fatty Huang snorted coldly. He really didn't want to talk to the person in front of him. Due to the rapid industrial development in Shanghai and even the entire Jiangnan region in recent years, a lot of land in the countryside has been converted to grow more profitable cash crops and vegetables.  The output of grain has been greatly reduced, and the insufficient part of the required grain must be transferred from other places. This person relied on his family's relationship in Caobang to force foreign grain merchants to work within his scope, thus raising the price of grain.  Obtained excess profits, thereby raising the minimum wage paid to workers by the factory owners represented by Fatty Huang. Therefore, the relationship between the two parties became increasingly bad, and there were frequent conflicts. This time, if it had not been for Hanking.  At the banquet hosted by the big shot, I¡¯m afraid he has already turned around and left. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Boss Huang say anything? Could it be that he looked down on us rice traders?  Haha, but to be honest, there are big deals on the table here, so naturally they look down on us who are just trying to earn some hard-earned money!  "When Zhong Zhengchun said this, he suddenly lowered his voice and said: "But no matter how big the business is, you have to eat rice, and you have to eat the rice trafficked by us mud-legged people!  "    "you!  " Fatty Huang was furious when he heard this, but before he could get angry, Zhong Zhengchun had already returned to his desk. At this moment, a prolonged communication sound suddenly came from outside: "Master Hu, Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Mr. Gong Zhengchun  Mr. Shen, the minister of ministry, has arrived!  "The people at the two tables immediately stood up and bowed to greet each other at the entrance of the back hall. Fatty Huang suddenly felt that someone was staring at him. He turned his head and saw the shopkeeper Zhong looking askance at him.  With a sarcastic smile on his face, a burst of anger couldn't help but roll over his chest, "Shameless villain!  " At this time, Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao came into the hall one after another. Both of them were dressed in Tsing Yi today. Hu Keqin's face was full of smiles. As he walked into the hall, he cupped his hands to the people at the tables on both sides and said with a smile.  : ¡°No need to be too polite, no need to be too polite!  He and Shen Hongmao walked to a small table at the top, bowed their hands to everyone, and said with a smile: "You are all leaders in Shanghai's business community. I invite you here tonight just to share the worries of the imperial court!"  ¡±  Thank you to Mainland Xunqi and stainless_lotus for the reward. I hope you can recommend and collect it!  Also, are there any book friends who would like to fill in a small role? As long as they are not afraid of receiving lunch boxes or going to difficult places, you are welcome!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 87m Shangzhong

    "I am willing to share the worries of the imperial court!" Everyone responded in unison.  "Okay, okay! Everyone, please take a seat!" Hu Keqin said with a smile: "For the sake of convenience, there is no distinction between superiors and subordinates here, and there is no distinction between officials and civilians. After all, the court is not just the court for me, Mr. Hu, but also the court for everyone.  This is the entire court in Shanghai. Please speak freely. I will put it here. Anyone who speaks is not guilty. "After hearing what Hu Keqin said, everyone at the wine table felt like it.  They all screamed inwardly that they were all human beings. What Hu Keqin said in a high-sounding way was actually just two words: "I want money!". The biggest trouble for the court now is that it has no money, and businessmen like them have money.  So what the court asked them to do was to pay.  But when people have arrived in this place, it is impossible to run away. The only way is to be coy and coy. Delay as much as you can, rely on you as much as you can, and just send it away with less blood. Anyway, it has been impossible to deal with the government for hundreds of years.  It¡¯s nothing more than these means.  Hu Keqin glanced at everyone, as if he could read everyone's thoughts. He said straight to the point: "Everyone should know what happened in the past few days. Hundreds of people were killed and injured, dozens of shops were smashed, robbed and burned, and factories were shut down.  , the store is closed. Her Majesty the Queen Mother was also shocked when she heard about it. The situation is still very tense. You are either a big factory owner or a rice shop owner. What do you think is the top priority to alleviate the situation? "  At this point, everyone understood what Hu Keqin meant. The factory owner's table just paid it back, while the rice shop owner's table couldn't help but curse in their hearts. This was obviously asking them to lower the price of rice, and they couldn't help but  The small amount of working capital comes from bank loans, and the interest rate is not low. If you cannot earn high profits, let alone make money, you may lose money. Hu Keqin's request is like cutting off the flesh from your body.  How to do it.  "Ms. Hu, I think the top priority is to get the factory started." At this point, Fatty Huang glanced at the people at the table proudly: "At the same time, let the price of rice drop a little. As long as the workers have something to do and food to eat,  No one will make trouble, and even if someone makes trouble, it won't cause any trouble!" "Okay, okay, okay!" Hu Keqin praised loudly. He thought it would take some effort to bring the conversation to this point, but he didn't expect it.  This person had spoken out for himself from the beginning. Even though Fatty Huang was short and fat in stature and had a vulgar description, he was now a lot more friendly in Hu Keqin's eyes.  "I wonder what this person's surname is? Where is he from? What is his business?" Fatty Huang quickly bowed and replied: "My surname is Huang, and my first name is Zhonglian. I am from Ningbo. I opened a yarn factory called Yuxing yarn."  Factory!" Hu Keqin praised the other party's name: "Zhong Lian, good, good, this is a good name! He is a righteous man who helps the court solve problems! He is no worse than Lu Lianzi!" "Thank you for the compliment!  ! The villain deserves it!" Fatty Huang quickly bowed and thanked him: "I'm willing to start work when I go back tomorrow, but I just want to ask your permission for something!" "Sir, I'm sorry!  In factories, both cotton and yarn are flammable, and factory equipment can easily catch fire, so we are most afraid of fire. But now that the riots have just subsided and people are still uncertain, if a mob gets involved and sets fire to the factory, the consequences will be disastrous!  The reason why the villain temporarily closed the factory!" "That makes sense!" Hu Keqin nodded and asked, "What do you want?" "The villain wants to set up a factory protection team!"  : "The number of patrol police is too small, and they don't understand the situation in the factory. They will not fight to the death when encountering thugs. The villain wants to select some brave and loyal workers from among the workers to form a factory protection team to protect the factory.  The machines and warehouses inside are not allowed to be invaded. " "Very good!" Hu Keqin nodded: "This is a good thing for the country!" "Thank you, Mr. Hu!" Hearing this, Huang Zhonglian was overjoyed.  Having such a factory protection team is extremely useful in suppressing internal workers' resistance and attacking competitors. With Hu Keqin's words, he can let go and do something big.  After Hu Keqin saw Huang Zhonglian sit down, he turned his eyes to the other table and said with a smile: "I wonder if the boss of Mihang has any suggestions?" Zhong Zhengchun at the other table was cursing Huang Zhonglian who just spoke.  He stood up and replied: "Sir, our colleagues at the table just discussed it and decided that in order to understand the worries of the court, all rice shops in Shanghai will reduce the price by 10% starting tomorrow!" When he said this, the muscles on his face twitched, and his heart  Severe pain.  "10%?" Hu Keqin frowned. He was very dissatisfied with the other party's answer, but he also knew that this kind of thing cannot be forced. Otherwise, no matter how low you lower the price of rice, they can simply close down and stop selling.  On the contrary, it will make the situation worse.  "This director, as far as I know, the price of rice in Shanghai is very low."?The amount over there is at least one and a half times more, maybe 10% less!  "Shen Hongmao sneered. Zhong Zhengchun shuddered slightly. He didn't expect that Mr. Shen, who had been silent all this time, actually knew the price of rice in Zhenjiang. He hurriedly smiled and said: "Sir, you don't know something. The price is not calculated like this. Do you want to  I think the rice from Zhenjiang is shipped to Jinling, and the rice from Shanghai is mostly shipped from Zhejiang and Zhejiang. The rice from Zhejiang and Zhejiang is much more expensive.  Moreover, the freight, losses, risks, loading and unloading, inventory, capital and interest, and various miscellaneous expenses on the road are already at a loss for us to give up this achievement. If adults want us to give up again, then we rice shops will have to close down.  !  " "Yes, a villain is just a small business, and he really can't afford to lose money!  " "I didn't make much money to begin with. Two of my shops were burned down a few days ago. All the money and rice were robbed. Several workers were wounded and killed. The compensation for injuries and injuries alone was a large sum of money.  If the price of rice is lowered again, the villain will have no choice but to hang himself!  " "Sir, you saw it too!  "Zhong Zhengchun smiled bitterly and cupped his hand to Hu Keqin who was looking up: "It's not that the villain doesn't do his best, it's really beyond his power.  To be honest, even this 10% is just a small person who dares to agree to the two adults here. After returning home, I don¡¯t know how much effort it will take to talk to my colleagues.  Let's do this, if the villain gives in one more step, if he gives up another half of the rice line in his name, no matter how much more he has, it will be gone!  " Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao looked at each other, and they could see the worry in each other's eyes. Unexpectedly, what they were most worried about had happened. These businessmen were all stubborn and forced themselves to use force. But this kind of  Can the price of rice be lowered by force? A question arose in the minds of both Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao: "Sir, if the colleagues here are really unwilling to lower the price, I have an idea!  " At this time, a voice came from the table next to him, and all eyes turned around. It was Huang Zhonglian who spoke. He saw a proud look on his face, and he was completely unaware of the more than ten direct comments on the table next door.  A devouring gaze. ¡°Oh?  Do you have any idea?  Hu Keqin looked at Huang Zhonglian and asked, "You run a cotton mill, how can you lower the price of rice?"  " "Exactly, the villain has a batch of rice on hand, about 3,500 tons.  If the Lord agrees, the villain is willing to sell it at half of the current price, that is, 50%. I wonder if the Lord will agree?  " "Fifty percent?  Hu Keqin almost didn't believe his ears. He stood up and asked tremblingly: "Where did you get so much rice? How can you sell it at such a low price?"  " "My lord, you don't know. These are Burmese rice imported this year. I originally planned to sell them to the workers of our factory, so as to save some rice."  But unexpectedly, as soon as the rice entered the warehouse, the court issued a ban on the import of foreign rice. The villain did not dare to touch the rice, so he could only pile it in the warehouse.  "Speaking of this, Huang Zhonglian paused for a moment: "Actually, after deducting the storage fee of the warehouse, this 50% price villain still made a profit of one or two cents!  ¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes suddenly focused on Huang Zhonglian. Even Hu Keqin, who was sitting at the top, couldn¡¯t help but exclaimed in surprise. He naturally didn¡¯t believe Huang Zhonglian¡¯s statement that the rice was sold to the workers of the factory.  , after all, even if there are thousands of workers in Yuxing Cotton Mill, 3,500 tons of rice will be enough for them to feed them for several years. A factory owner will not spend so much working capital on hoarding food. But the important thing now is not Huang Zhonglian.  Whether the words are true or not, the important thing is that the sudden appearance of this batch of low-priced rice is an extremely favorable opportunity for those who ask the rice industry association to reduce the price. ¡°Director Zhong, how much are you willing to reduce the price now?  "Suppressing the ecstasy in his heart, Hu Keqin turned around and asked. "This, this -" At this time, Zhong Zhengchun was already in a state of confusion. He instinctively turned his eyes to Huang Zhonglian at the next table, who was looking at him with a playful look.  Anger suddenly rushed to his forehead, and in desperation he shouted loudly: "My lords, Huang Zhonglian violated the imperial ban and secretly imported grain from Burma. Please punish him severely!  " Huang Zhonglian sneered and replied: "Zhong Zhengchun, didn't you hear clearly just now?  My dear, this rice comes from Burma, but it was all decided before the imperial ban was promulgated. It is all piled up in the warehouse without being touched at all. How can you say that I violated the ban?  If you two adults don't believe it, you can check the documents. There will be no problem.  " "Stay here!  Hu Keqin stretched out his hand to stop the quarrel between the two, and said in a deep voice: "You two, the court has already issued a decree. Considering the people's livelihood in Shanghai, the decree has been temporarily suspended. Director Zhong should not dwell on this issue."  "This news from Hu Keqin is like the last straw that breaks the camel's back, completely overwhelming the nerves of the people on the rice row table. They know very well that this means that the food channels they control will become worthless, even if that damn thing  The 3,500 tons of rice mentioned by Fatty Huang are all false, and the cost is only the current price of rice.One-third or even less of Burmese rice will soon pour into Shanghai, and all the stockpiles in their hands will be lost, and banks will not be kind to them because the grain bank's funds cannot be withdrawn.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 88 meters below

    "Brother Zhong, how about we give in too!" "Yeah, let's give in a few percent, give Fatty Huang some benefits, take back his rice, and take advantage of the fact that Burmese rice hasn't entered the market yet, so let's start with what we have on hand.  Just throw out the goods and make less money!¡± ¡°Brother Zhong, the situation is stronger than others, let¡¯s give in today!¡± The rice merchants at the rice store table can¡¯t care so much at this time.  Hu Keqin whispered to persuade Boss Duan under his nose, while Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao were just drinking and eating, pretending not to see the movement on the table, while the factory owners at the next table were whispering.  Casting gloating glances at this side, these rice bugs, never imagined that you would be here today.  Zhong Zhengchun's forehead veins were already exposed, and he whispered: "Then how much do you think we want to reduce it?" "Well, that fat man said that it can be reduced to 50% and still make a small profit, we are afraid that we will have to reduce it to 50%!  " "That's ridiculous!" a lean man said, "It's almost as good as what he said. Is he a rice merchant or we are rice merchants? He's going to extort such a huge sum of money from us just by talking nonsense. What a dream!"  "Well, how much do you think it should be reduced?" "In my opinion, it can be reduced to 70% at most, and no more will be enough!" "Seventy percent? Mr. Hu is fine tonight. He is the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs and has an imperial order.  Yes. We pushed him hard just now, for fear of irritating him. If we push him harder now, we might end up in prison tonight if he gets angry! " "This -" This  The lean man suddenly became speechless upon hearing this, and the businessman's deep-seated fear of the government once again took over.  "No need to say more, I have decided to reduce it to 80%!" Zhong Zhengchun's voice interrupted everyone's discussion, and a rice merchant replied with some fear: "Brother, is this a little less? If it is really that  Fatty Huang has 3,500 tons of rice on hand. As long as we survive these days, all our goods will be lost as soon as the Burmese rice comes in. We will also offend the government.  There is only one way to die. ¡°What are you afraid of!  I've considered all of this!  A sneer appeared on Zhong Zhengchun's face: "Think about it, even if Fatty Huang has so much rice on hand, all the rice shops in Shanghai are in our hands. If we are forced to close the rice shops, is it possible that he is yellow?"  Can a fat man still deliver rice to other people's homes?  Don't forget that Xianggong Hu is here to appease the situation. As long as the workers are not allowed to get into trouble, he will agree to any conditions.  " After listening to Zhong Zhengchun's words, everyone's eyes couldn't help but brighten. As he just said, so many rice stores in Shanghai are under their control. Even if Huang Zhonglian's warehouse really has so much rice, they can't skip the rice stores they control.  Terminal channels enter the rice vat of Shanghai citizens. In other words, as long as they control this bargaining chip, Hu Keqin must agree to their request. ¡°In fact, this 80% is already our bottom line!  "Zhong Zhengchun continued: "We seem to have a lot of profit, but there is still bank interest, Caobang's management along the way, losses, and inventory. After all, there is not much money left.  You must know that our good life these years cannot be separated from "Sumi Bu Ru Shanghai". Without the help of Caobang, we are nothing!  " After hearing what Zhong Zhengchun said, everyone at the table nodded. Seeing that he had convinced his companions, Zhong Zhengchun couldn't help but perked up. He stood up and bowed deeply to Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao, saying: "Two adults, little one.  After discussing it with colleagues at the meeting just now, we decided to take another big step forward and decided to sell it at 80%!  " The faces of Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao suddenly became ugly. They thought that with Huang Zhonglian's statement, the people in Mi Xing's guild would be more sensible, but they didn't expect that this person would be so stubborn. " If you don't drink a toast, you will have to drink a fine!  Shen Hongmao cursed secretly in his heart and said in a deep voice: "Director Zhong, why is it that Mr. Huang's family can give in 50%, but you are only willing to give in 80%?"  " "Sir, the little people in the rice store buy rice from Zhejiang and Zhejiang, while Huang Dongjia buys rice from Burma. The costs on both sides are different, and the prices are naturally different.  Zhong Zhengchun replied in a deep voice: "As long as I am not afraid of punishment from adults, the villain is actually losing money when the price of rice has been reduced to 80%, so the villain just spent a lot of effort to persuade his peers to lower the price!"  " "Yes, sir!  " "We have tried our best!  " Others at the rice business table hurriedly agreed. Shen Hongmao couldn't help but feel secretly angry. He suppressed his anger and said coldly: "You said it can only be reduced to 80%?  Okay, you can buy Boss Huang's rice tomorrow and sell it at 55% of the current price, giving you half of it as profit. Is that enough?  " "Please forgive me, my lord, and forgive me for not being able to obey my orders!"  "Zhong Zhengchun replied in a deep voice. "What did you say?  "Shen Hongmao could hardly believe his ears. &nbsp"My lord, please forgive me for not being able to obey my order!" Shen Hongmao was already shaking with anger. He laughed angrily and asked, "Okay, tell me why you can't obey your order?" "My lord, if we take Boss Huang's  Burmese rice is sold in the store. Since the price of Burmese rice is much lower, most customers will only buy Burmese rice. Then our rice will not be sold. We have more than 200,000 kilograms of rice in the warehouse.  If we can't sell it, this loss cannot be compensated by half of the profit. Secondly, our rice bank has many years of cooperative relations with many local rice banks and large landowners in Zhejiang and Zhejiang. In many cases, we took the rice and signed the contract, which stipulated that the rice should be sold within a certain period of time.  If we pay for the rice after two months, if we follow your method, we will not be able to pay these old friends. In this way, it will only damage the reputation of our rice bank, but it will only hurt these landowners and farmers.  Big!" After hearing these words, Shen Hongmao's eyes almost burst into flames. Although the other party's tone was soft, his attitude was very firm, and there was a hint of threat in the other party's words, because the landlords in Jiangnan  The social class has always had great potential power in the court. If you offend them, you may suffer endless consequences.  "Eighty percent is eighty percent!" A subtle voice came from Shen Hongmao's ear, and then he felt a tap on his arm.  "Eighty percent is 80%!" Hu Keqin stood up from his chair and said with a smile: "You have shared the country's worries, I would like to thank you in advance!" After saying that, he raised his glass to the two tables and drank it all in one gulp.  Then he said: "I am getting old and my energy is declining, so I will take my leave first. You must drink a few more glasses of wine tonight, and you will not come home until you are drunk!" After that, he tugged on Shen Hongmao's sleeves and said to him first.  As he walked out, Shen Hongmao was stunned and quickly followed him.  "Congratulations to you two adults!" Following the protracted voice of the officer outside, the businessmen on the tables on both sides hurriedly stood up to see each other off.  "Evil thieves, bastards, and silverfish!" As soon as he left the back hall, Shen Hongmao could no longer suppress the anger in his chest and cursed loudly: "How dare these bastards be so domineering, do they still take the imperial court seriously?"  "Lord Shen, calm down!" Hearing a deep voice from behind, Shen Hongmao turned around and heard Hu Keqin say in a deep voice: "Today's matter is actually too easy for us to think. Let these rice  How can it be so easy for merchants to spit out the fat in their mouths? But -" At this point, Hu Keqin suddenly stopped, and Shen Hongmao, who heard the hidden meaning, asked in a low voice: "Master Hu, what do you think?  Isn't that right? " "Well, don't you think there's something wrong with that Huang Zhonglian? Why does he own so much rice in a spinning mill? Is there someone behind him? " Shen Hongmao?  His forehead also wrinkled, and a name immediately flashed in his mind - "Chen Zaixing". No wonder, his old friend is now in Shanghai, and the rice came from Myanmar. Is there a close connection between the two?  What about contact?  He raised his head and glanced at Hu Keqin, and both of them immediately understood that the other wanted to go together.  Hu Keqin said with a smile: "It's already late at night, and I can't hold my body any longer. Why don't we go back and have some rest? Let's talk about the rice price later!" "That's fine, I'll send you off to Master Hu!"  Shen Hongmao bowed his hand to Hu Keqin knowingly.  Looking at Hu Keqin's retreating back, Shen Hongmao said to himself in a deep voice: "Chen Fusheng, Chen Fusheng, how many things have you intervened in?" Late at night, the Liu family mansion.  The furnishings in the room are very simple, and there are no decorations on the walls. There are several rosewood armchairs. Chen Zaixing and Liu Zhiping are sitting next to the coffee table. There is a person standing below them. It is Huang Zhonglian, the boss Huang.  He was saying something with gestures and gestures.  "So, Zhong Zhengchun is willing to give in at most 80%?" Chen Zaixing asked in a deep voice after listening to Huang Zhonglian's story.  "Exactly, Mr. Chen. Thanks to your clever idea, you two didn't see the expression on the face of the man named Zhong at the wine table today when he heard that I was willing to give half the price of rice! Hey! His whole face turned green immediately.  ! Just didn't spit out the bile!" Huang Zhonglian was already very happy. It was obvious that today's incident made him very angry: "A lot of people at his table have actually let go, but the one named Zhong is stubborn and insists on it.  Let go!" At this point, Huang Zhonglian showed a hint of sympathy towards the other party.  "It doesn't matter, anyway, today we have forced out the imperial court's intention to contact the ban. Everything else is just trivial matters!" Chen Zaixing smiled: "This Zhong Zhengchun must have thought that all the grassroots rice shops are in their hands. Even if Burmese rice can  The import can't pass their level! That's why he's so stubborn!" At this point, Chen Zaixing sneered and said to Liu Zhiping on the side: "I'll ask Mr. Liu to smash this hard walnut.  "Liu Zhiping"He said: "It's easy to say, it's easy to say. My nephew, if you open your mouth, I will naturally let you be driven!" "I dare not!" Chen Zaixing smiled: "Many people in these rice banks rely on bank loan funds for their working capital.  Yes, you just need to find a few that are about to expire, and urge repayment. Just open a gap, and the rest is easy! ¡± Thanks to the book friend stainless_lotus for the reward, the classified promotion is about to end!  The current collection is about more than a thousand years old, which is not as good as the previous one but more than the lower one. If book friends think this book is good, I hope you can help me recommend it. Thank you in advance, Weber!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 89 Ending

    "Sure enough!" Liu Zhiping said with a smile: "My nephew, you are behind the scenes, but you control so many people in Shanghai like puppets, and the waves in the Yangtze River push the waves ahead!" "Mr. Liu is joking, if it weren't for you,  With all your help, what kind of trouble can my nephew make?" When Chen Zaixing said this, he turned to Huang Zhonglian and said in a deep voice: "The villain is here!" Huang Zhonglian straightened his back quickly.  "I will send ten guards back with you later to guard the warehouse. There must be no problem with the rice these days. Do you understand?" Huang Zhonglian slapped his chest loudly: "Mr. Chen, please don't worry. When I go back, I will  Immediately move the bedding to the warehouse and select the twenty most trustworthy people. As long as the villain is alive, nothing will go wrong! " "Okay, it's getting late. Factory owner Huang, go back and rest!" Chen Zaixing said.  After getting up, Huang Zhonglian hurriedly got up and left, waiting until the other party went out.  Chen Zaixing suddenly laughed and said: "Uncle Liu Shi, this guy is very interesting!" "Well, in the words of Sichuan people, this person is 'a pig-like person with a shrewd inside'. If you underestimate him, you will definitely suffer a big loss!  "That's right!" Chen Zaixing nodded and suddenly shouted outside: "Zhiqing, Zhiqing!" "Master!" Jiang Zhiqing, who was standing outside the door, ran in: "What's going on right now?"  Go to the telegraph office and send a telegram to Yangon, asking Gillings to ship five thousand tons of rice immediately! " "Yes, sir!" Liu Zhiping frowned and asked, "Is Gillings that British person?  Don¡¯t you have a bad relationship with the British? ¡°Why do you ask him to help you transport rice?¡± ¡°No one can compare with the British when it comes to shipping. My relationship with them is not a joke!  Not very good, but as long as there is money to be made, the British will not bother to care about you. This Gillings has cooperation in many aspects of tin mining, teak, etc. There is no problem!" "That's good!" Liu then!  Zhiping suddenly coughed violently. Chen Zaixing hurriedly patted him on the back a few times. It took a while for Liu Zhiping's cough to subside. He sighed feebly: "Hey, age is not forgiving. In this world,  You young people." Chen Zaixing patted Liu Zhiping on the back and said with a smile: "Uncle Shi is joking, there are still many things that Qingyang and I want Uncle Shi to mention!" Liu Zhiping waved his hand: "Xian.  Nephew, you don¡¯t need to comfort me. Since my family knows about my family affairs, no one in our Liu family has lived past sixty. Now I am fifty-seven. I have been dizzy these days. It must be that the time for resurrection is approaching.  , I plan to call my son Qingyang back from Myanmar and leave the Houde Bank in his hands. He is better than me and will definitely carry forward this business!" The next night, in the back hall of the Ningbo Guild Hall.  Zhong Zhengchun was sitting on a rosewood armchair, tapping the armrest nervously with his right hand, as if waiting for something.  Like other cities in Dashun at that time, Shanghai's grain industry was basically monopolized by businessmen from one place.  This lucrative industry is basically run by Ningbo businessmen. The first one or two successful people help their fellow villagers who later come here, and the latecomers bring new fellow villagers here. The friendship between them is further strengthened by the friendship between the villagers and party members.  Alliance, other foreign businessmen, under the pressure of their competition, had to go bankrupt or quit.  After more than a hundred years of hard work, this industry is no more than the private property of Ningbo people in their eyes.  At this time, a middle-aged man hurriedly walked in from outside, but it was Ma Xingxing. There was still a faded bruise on his right cheek, as if he had just been beaten. He bowed towards Zhong Zhengchun and lowered his head.  He said in a low voice: "President, it's almost time, but there are still six or seven families who haven't come!" "Well!" A green light flashed across Zhong Zhengchun's face. He stood up and whispered: "It's almost time, no.  We won¡¯t wait for them! Lao Ma, what¡¯s the matter with the injury on your face?¡±  "I told the waiter to hit the door. It was a bruise. The swelling has gone down!" "Well, I heard that you were going to have a wedding in the past few days," Zhong Zhengchun said with a smile on his face.  He smiled kindly: "Work hard, let's work together to get through this. Your wedding will be held here when the time comes, and everyone will have a lively and lively life, and go away the bad luck!" Ma Xingxing hurriedly bowed and thanked: "Thank you very much.  President!" "Thank you, it's all from my hometown party!" Zhong Zhengchun patted Ma Xingxing on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Let's go, otherwise those people will have to wait." "Yes!  Following Zhong Zhengchun out of the inner room, he saw dozens of chairs in the flower hall filled to capacity.They were all the owners of Shanghai Rice Shop. When they saw Zhong Zhengchun coming out, they hurriedly stepped forward to greet him.  "Oh, I haven't seen Zhong Zhengchun for many days, and he looks better and better!" "Zhong Zhengchun, I wonder if there is any news about Xiao Ke's incident last time?" Zhong Zhengchun looked at the people around him with a smile on his face.  They bowed together and walked towards the chair in the middle.  "My fellow colleagues, I invite you all to come here today because of a major event that affects the life and death of our Ningbo rice merchants!" Zhong Zhengchun paused here before continuing to speak loudly: "I don't dare to be alone, so  Please come and discuss countermeasures!" The flower hall suddenly became quiet. Zhong Zhengchun coughed and said in a deep voice: "Everyone knows that we Ningbo people have been in the rice merchant business in Shanghai for more than two hundred years.  During the reign of Emperor Shizu, our ancestors came to Huating to make a living with only a pole, two baskets, and a few sacks. After several generations of hard work, there are now more than 60 Ningbo rice shops in Shanghai, with three shops.  There are more than a hundred people, and there are five to six thousand people eating this bowl of rice. Everyone is here today because of the blessings of their ancestors!" At this point, Zhong Zhengchun turned around and looked at the painting hanging in the middle of the hall behind him.  The middle-aged man carrying a pole with several sacks in baskets on both sides bowed deeply, and the rice merchants in the hall quickly bowed to the portrait.  "But now someone wants to destroy the jobs our ancestors left for us! They want our Ningbo rice merchants to lower the price, or sell other people's rice!" "What?" "Lower prices? Which dynasty's law is this? In this market  One is willing to buy and the other is willing to sell. Even the emperor has nothing to do with it! " "Is it someone from the government? We have a lot of taxes, donations, and officials. They even have to do this.  No matter what, this just doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± There was a sudden discussion in the flower hall, but the rice merchants who participated in yesterday¡¯s dinner with Zhong Zhengchun did not speak, and just watched indifferently.  Seeing that he had finished talking, Zhong Zhengchun reached out and patted the armrest a few times, stood up and said: "Two adults came from Hanking and said that the situation in Shanghai is tense now. Let us understand the difficulties of the court and give us a few cents more.  I discussed it with several directors and agreed to give it a 20% discount and donate some silver. But the man from Yuxing Cotton Factory who went with me said that he had a lot of Burmese rice and was willing to sell it at half price.  ¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°This yellow fat man doesn¡¯t follow the rules anymore!¡± A voice interrupted Zhong Zhengchun¡¯s voice, and a yellow-faced man in his forties stood up: ¡°He runs a yarn factory, but he  You put your hands in Mi Xing's side, are you tired of living? " "That's right, Fatty Huang, tomorrow I'll find some brothers to understand his three swords and six holes, and also set up rules to avoid those who are short-sighted.  You bastard is stretching his claws everywhere!" A man in a silk gown rolled up his sleeves, looking like he was about to take action.  "Everyone, please calm down, everyone!" An older rice merchant turned around and asked: "Zhong Zhengchun, when Fatty Huang said that, is it true that there is so much Burmese rice? Or is he lying? Also, Hanking  "What did the two adults who came here say?" Everyone's ears immediately stood up. It was just Fatty Huang, but the two adults from Hanking were very important. After all, they were also officials!  Represents the imperial court!  "Those two adults!" Zhong Zhengchun considered the words and said, "What those two adults mean is that either we reduce the price of rice to 50%, or they help buy Burmese rice and give us half of the profit.  "That Mi Shang looked a little nervous, and there was a layer of sweat on his forehead: "Then what did you say, President?" "Of course I refused!" Zhong Zhengchun said with a smile, "That's it if I agree.  After destroying our Ningbo people¡¯s jobs, how can we face our ancestors in hell?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, you can¡¯t agree to this even if you die!¡±  There was a burst of applause on the street, and the rice merchants were excited.  No wonder they are so excited. Whether it is price reduction or the sale of Burmese rice from Fatty Huang, it will shake the pricing power of the Rice Traders Association, and this is the life and livelihood of these businessmen and the source of wealth.  The old rice merchant asked worriedly: "Zhong Zhengchun, will you cause trouble if you reject the two adults from Hanking in person like this?" "It doesn't matter!" Zhong Zhengchun said loudly: "I am here today.  This is why we have called you all. As long as we don't let go, no matter how much Burmese rice we have, we can only pile it up in the warehouse and cannot sell it. As long as the stalemate continues, the two adults will have no choice but to give in.  As long as the others don¡¯t give in, the Shanghai industry will still belong to us Ningbo people!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±p; "Yes, as long as it belongs to us Ningbo people, I will be willing to go to jail!" "Everyone, let's make a promise first. No matter who is in jail for this matter, no one can do anything in his shop. If he has a son, he will wait.  When his son grows up, he will give it to his son. If he doesn¡¯t have a son, he will either be a son-in-law or adopt one from his brother. In short, he can¡¯t cut off his incest. " Zhong Zhengchun looked at the businessmen below with a smile and talked loudly. The attitude of the fellow villagers made him very happy.  Satisfied, as he had expected in advance, in the face of pressure from the government, the fellow villagers did not give in, but united around him.  First of all, I would like to thank Nunnally Senhu for the reward, Fanzi Weber would like to say hello to you!  Secondly, the classified recommendations are over, and I have also ended the days of double updates. There is nothing I can do, Weber's coding is slow, and if this continues, there will be no manuscripts saved soon. I have to keep some precautions to prevent interruptions during vacations. Please forgive me!  Please continue to support this book and Weber!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 90 Destruction

    "Everyone, it's better to choose a day than to hit it. Let's make an oath in front of the portraits of our ancestors now. If anyone breaks the promise, he will not be allowed to enter the ancestral hall after his death!" "Yes!" "But there are still a few families who haven't arrived yet, right?  , how about we wait first?" There was an objection from the crowd.  "They are always late for such important things. If you ignore them, then we will punish them with a few delicious shark fin feasts!" "Yes, yes, and a few more stewards!" This suggestion suddenly aroused the excitement of the whole room.  With roars of laughter, the rice merchants moved their chairs to clear an open space for the oath of alliance to be sworn together.  While I was busy, there was a sudden sound of footsteps outside, and several middle-aged men appeared at the entrance of the flower hall. They were the rice merchants who came late.  There was a burst of laughter from the crowd.  "Hey, speaking of Cao Cao, Cao Cao is here. Brother Yu, you shouldn't be late tonight!" "Brother Yu, it's not too late to come. It's okay if you haven't left the oath, but the money for the three tables of shark fin banquet is indispensable. Just treat it as  It¡¯s a penalty for being late!¡± ¡°There are also a few servants. I won¡¯t agree without this!¡± This last one caused a burst of laughter.  However, under the relaxed atmosphere, no one noticed that the faces of these fellow villagers who came late were pale, as if they were suppressing something.  "Just come, just come!" Zhong Zhengchun finally breathed a sigh of relief. The thing he was most worried about finally didn't happen: "Everyone must swear to advance and retreat together. You guys need to tidy up your clothes and pay homage to your ancestors later."  Kowtow to worship!" "Yes, I'm sorry, we won't take part in the oath!" "What?" Zhong Zhengchun almost thought there was something wrong with his ears. He stared at the leading rice merchant and asked, "What did you say just now?  What, I didn¡¯t hear clearly!¡± The rice merchant raised his head, took a deep breath, and replied in a slow and clear voice: ¡°A few of us have already purchased Burmese rice, and the price has been reduced to 50%.  I won¡¯t take the oath!¡± There was silence in the flower hall. This time everyone heard clearly what the rice merchants said. The rice merchants looked at their latecomers with indescribable eyes.  Even shed tears.  "F*ck!" The man who just said he was going to stab Huang Fatty three times and six holes rushed forward and knocked the man who had just spoken to the ground with one punch. At this time, the person next to him hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed him.  , the man who hit the person kicked the other person with all his strength, and cursed: "I betrayed my ancestors, let me go, I have to kill you today!" The man who was beaten stood up from the ground, and two lines of blood flowed from the ground.  There was flow from his nostrils, but he didn't wipe it: "I came here today to tell you the news. If you want to fight, come here and do it. If the beating is over, I will leave." "Yu Laoqi, I will fuck you ten times."  Eight generations of ancestors!" The man who hit someone yelled while struggling when he heard this.  Zhong Zhengchun had already recovered from the initial blow. He took a chair from the side and said, "Yu Laoqi, sit down and talk. What's going on? Tell me everything!" Yu Laoqi was stunned.  He sat down and replied: "Houde Bank sent someone over and said that unless we agree to sell Burmese rice and reduce the price to 50%, the loan will not be extended and we have to pay it back immediately. If we don't have the money, we will raid our shop and let them  Our business is closed!" At this point, Yu Laoqi burst into tears: "My money is all on the goods, where can I get the money to pay off the loan?" Zhong Zhengchun said in his heart!  Immediately feeling cold, he raised his head and asked the remaining rice merchants: "Is this the same with you?" "Yes!" Those people nodded numbly.  The flower hall immediately fell silent, and only the angry cry of Mr. Yu was heard. These shrewd businessmen all understood how terrible it is for a businessman to suddenly withdraw the loan. This is almost synonymous with business bankruptcy. As long as the news  When the news comes out, the supplier, the proprietor who rents the shop, and other business partners will all swarm in and demand the money they owe. Even the most successful businessman will be swallowed up by such a wave.  Faced with such a threat, they have no other choice.  ¡°Yu Laoqi, how much money are you short of? Our guild will collect it for you first!¡± The man in brocade shouted loudly.  Yu Laoqi shook his head in despair: "It's useless. Liu Zhiping has already spoken. Anyone who refuses to lower prices or sell Burmese rice will have to take out a loan! We are here just to convey the message for him. You should go back  I will receive the news later. Liu Zhiping from Houde Bank said, "Which other bank in Shanghai will lend us money? If you can raise the money for me, what about other people here?"  Bank money!¡± Hearing Liu Zhiping¡¯s name, the expressions of everyone in the flower hall changed slightly.The name Liu Zhiping seemed to have a magical power, sucking away everyone's courage.  These grain merchants know very well that a highly seasonal industry like grain trafficking requires a large amount of liquidity in a short period of time and is absolutely inseparable from the support of big banks.  Liu Zhiping not only directly controls Houde Bank, but more importantly, several of the largest banks in Shanghai have formed an alliance, and he is the leader of this alliance.  It is impossible, let alone impossible, to refuse the request of such a big shot.  President Duan suddenly asked: "Did Liu Zhiping tell you the reason for doing this suddenly? Our Mihang Guild has cooperated well with their family over the years? His family is from Jiaxing, and they are relatively close to us in Ningbo.  "Why did you suddenly turn your back on him today?" "We've already asked, but Liu Zhiping just didn't answer. He just said that the conditions have been set, and it's up to us whether he goes or not."  Said: "In the end, he said, if we want to blame ourselves, we should blame ourselves for blocking other people's way. If we are smart, we should get out of the way. There will be a chance to meet again in the future! If we ask him again, we will let him see us off!" "Blocking other people's way.  "Zhong Zhengchun frowned. The meaning of Liu Zhiping's words was clear, but he was still confused. Who is this "other"?  Those two adults from Hanking?  Fatty Huang?  Or someone else?  Who is this powerful man with so many magical powers that Liu Zhiping, who is firmly at the top of the financial world in Shanghai, can do things for him?  Thinking of this, Zhong Zhengchun suddenly felt severe pain in his temples.  "Zhong Zhengchun, it's getting late. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave first!" Suddenly a voice interrupted Zhong Zhengchun's thoughts. He looked up and saw a rice merchant over fifty years old looking at  Looking at himself, with a hint of pleading in his eyes, Zhong Zhengchun was hesitating whether to retain the other party, when another person next to him interrupted: "President Zhong, I remembered that there is an urgent matter at home, and I need to go back to handle it right away. How about you  "Yes, I also remembered something. How about we come here tonight?" The businessmen all remembered that they had something urgent to do tonight, and rushed to say goodbye to Zhong Zhengchun, just like the floor of the flower hall.  There are several barrels of gunpowder barrels with fuses buried underneath, which may send everyone to the west at any time.  Thinking of the determination shown by these same people just now, Zhong Zhengchun suddenly felt like laughing.  "Ha, ha, ha!" The sudden laughter shocked everyone. The businessmen looked at Zhong Zhengchun who was out of breath with laughter. The businessmen closest to him instinctively stepped back a few steps.  They want to take a few steps to create a distance, which makes them feel safer.  "Let's go, let's go! Let's all go!" The laughter suddenly stopped, and Zhong Zhengchun's voice echoed in the flower hall. The businessmen looked at each other for a few times, and then disappeared silently and quickly.  Soon, only Zhong Zhengchun, Ma Xingxing and a few people who came with Yu Laoqi were left in the flower hall.  Zhong Zhengchun glanced at them and said coldly: "Why are you staying here? Didn't you bring Liu Zhiping's words with you? Why don't you leave?" Yu Laoqi lowered his head and said: "Well, we still want to ask  Ancestor, please say hello before you leave!" Zhong Zhengchun snorted and pointed to the portrait on the wall: "The portrait is on the wall, you can do what you want!" Yu Laoqi and the others walked to the portrait and knelt down.  On the ground, he solemnly kowtowed to the portrait on the wall seven or eight times, prayed a few words in a low voice, then got up, bowed to Zhong Zhengchun a few more times, and then left.  At this time, only Zhong Zhengchun and Ma Xingxing were left in Nuo Da's flower hall, which looked particularly weird compared to the dozens of chairs scattered in the hall.  Zhong Zhengchun found a chair and sat down. He happened to see a few wine cans placed next to the portrait and asked casually: "What are those?" Ma Xingxing quickly replied: "They are all the best Shaoxing Nuerhong.  It was originally intended for the oath meeting!" "Oath?" Zhong Zhengchun sneered: "Bring it over!" Ma Xingxing was stunned, but he still brought a can of wine and took another cup.  Zhong Zhengchun started drinking, while Ma Xingxing stood aside to wait on him.  Zhong Zhengchun drank two drinks and suddenly said: "It's boring to drink alone, why don't you sit down and have a few drinks together." "Yes!" Ma Xingxing got another set of bowls and chopsticks and sat down to drink with him.  At first, Ma Xingxing wanted to say a few words to explain to the other party, but he couldn't think of how to explain it for a while. However, he saw that the other party, Zhong Zhengchun, drank faster and faster. He drank one drink, and the other party drank at least three drinks, so he hurriedly whispered  "President, please drink slowly, this wine has a lot of stamina!" "It has a lot of stamina? Can it surpass Liu Zhiping's money?" Zhong Zhengchun suddenly answered without thinking.  Ma Xingxing was at a loss for how to respond when the other party reached out and patted his shoulder twice: "Old Ma, you are a good person." "President, I just did what I should do!" Ma Xingxing was a little embarrassed.  ??, he gritted his teeth and advised carefully: "President, in fact, everyone has no choice. We who are in the grain business cannot do without the bank, so don't blame them. Don't drink this wine. Drink it for your health."  It's terrible. How long will it take for you to live in the future? " "No, I don't blame them!" Zhong Zhengchun shook his head: "I'm just a little tired." At this point, he took out a bunch of keys from his waist.  , handed it to Ma Xingxing: "Go to the back room and open the closet closest to it. There are two hundred pieces of silver in it. Bring it here!" "Yes, President!" Ma Xingxing took the key.  Ten minutes later, when he returned to the flower hall with two bottles of silver, he only saw a person hanging in the air, his face covered by messy hair. Judging from his clothes and figure, it was Zhong Zhengchun.  "President! President! What's wrong with you?" Ma Xingxing hurriedly dropped the silver dollar, rushed forward and managed to get the man down from mid-air. When he brushed aside his messy hair, he saw that it was Zhong Zhengchun.  He stretched out his hand and touched it. His hands and feet were still warm, but his breath had long been cut off.  First of all, I would like to thank all the book friends for their generous rewards. A week is a new beginning, and I have to start over again. Please click, collect, recommend, and reward. The results are worrying!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 91 Packing

    "Someone is coming, someone is coming! Someone has hanged himself here, help!" The shrill cry for help echoed over the Ningbo Guild Hall. Ma Martian tried hard to shake Zhong Zhengchun's body, as if this could save the life of the deceased.  It was normal, but the body temperature in his arms was getting cooler little by little, and the signs of life were disappearing little by little.  Finally, more than half an hour later, a doctor came to the flower hall under the guidance of the gatekeeper of the guild hall. However, the doctor only used his right hand to feel Zhong Zhengchun's pulse, then opened his eyelids and looked at his pupils, then shook his head and sighed.  "This gentleman has passed away." The doctor stood up, took the wet towel handed by the servant and wiped his hands: "It's better to prepare for his funeral! After death, mourning and honor are also very important!" Ma Mars Station  Standing up, he instinctively took out three silver coins from his arms and handed them over: "Thank you for bothering me at night, doctor!" The doctor took the silver coins and immediately had a smile on his face: "It doesn't matter, doctors are like parents!" He added  After chatting for a few words, he stood up and left.  Ma Xingxing sent the doctor off and returned to Zhong Zhengchun. Suddenly, he found a corner of white silk exposed under the body, which seemed to have a few black and red words written on it. It should have fallen from Zhong Zhengchun's body just now.  Underneath the body.  He quickly took it out and took a look, only to see a dozen words written in blood: "You are a good person, those silver coins are for you, the guild is gone, I can only die to apologize to my ancestors!" The handwriting was round and correct.  It was Zhong Zhengchun's usual handwriting. It must have been written by biting off his finger just before hanging himself.  Liu Family Mansion.  With a lamp like a bean, Chen Zaixing and Liu Zhiping were sitting across from each other on a catalpa tree. Black and white were intertwined on the chessboard. Both of them frowned. They only made a move after a while. It was obvious that the battle was in full swing.  "Mr. Liu, Master!" Jiang Zhiqing leaned down and whispered: "All the members of the Shanghai Rice Industry Association have arrived, except for the president Zhong Zhengchun. They are all waiting outside!" "Yes!" Liu Zhiping nodded.  He nodded, but his eyes did not leave Catalpa Ping at all. He was playing with several chess pieces in his hand. Suddenly, he stretched out his hand and placed a piece on Catalpa Ping.  Chen Zaixing, who was on the opposite side, was stunned when he saw this. He responded with a move, and Liu Zhiping immediately made a move. These moves were different from before. They were played very quickly. It was not like the long test that took a long time to make a move before, but it was like playing fast chess.  .  "Forget it, this world is Uncle Shi!" Chen Zaixing suddenly pushed the catalpa tree and sighed: "Uncle Shi is more experienced, but my nephew is still far behind!"  You're a little better than me. It's just that you were upset when you heard what happened outside, and that gave me the opportunity to take advantage of you!" Liu Zhiping said with a smile: "As the saying goes, 'Everything in the world is like a chess piece.' Things in this world are like black and white.  , in many cases, the competition is not about strength, but about ability and character. My dear nephew, you still need to think hard about these two aspects!" "Thank you, Uncle Shi, for your advice!" Chen Zaixing stood up and said  "What's the hurry? Let them wait! We can talk later!" "Uncle Shi said yes!" Chen Zaixing nodded in admiration. It is indeed not a coincidence that Liu Zhiping became a leader in Shanghai's business community.  Zhi, just trying to figure out how to play with people's hearts is what he has to learn all his life. Fortunately, he and he are in the same boat, otherwise things would not be so easy.  The reception room of the Liu Family Mansion was packed with people. Dozens of rice merchants were standing or sitting. The cup of tea in front of them had been drained and added with water. After adding water, it had long been washed out and tasteless, but these rice merchants still took a sip.  When they drank it, it was not that they were thirsty, but that the fire in their stomachs was rising.  "Oh, it's my fault for keeping you all waiting for so long. Please forgive me! Please forgive me!" Liu Zhiping walked in from the door with a smile on his face.  Chen Zaixing wore a green robe and followed Liu Zhiping.  "Mr. Liu, you are an elder in Shanghai's business community. We are all juniors in front of you. It is not natural for juniors to wait for their elders!" "That's right, that's right, don't say just wait for this moment, even if you wait a day and a night, it's right!" "  The villain is usually afraid of disturbing Mr. Liu's purity, so he rarely comes to visit, so I apologize to Mr. Liu first. "The rice merchants stood up quickly. No matter what they thought in their hearts, they put smiles on their faces and bowed to Liu Zhiping.  .  Chen Zaixing watched everyone's performance from behind, and couldn't help but think to himself: "These people are afraid that they want to eat Liu Zhiping alive, and even smile on their faces. If they don't take this opportunity to completely dismantle the guild."  I'm afraid there will be many hidden dangers in the future!" Liu Zhiping sat down on the main seat, and Chen Zaixing stood beside him. He was wearing ordinary clothes, and he seemed to be just an ordinary servant in the mansion, and the rice merchants were not there either.  Take him seriously.  Mi Shangqiang, the older man at the head, said with a smile: "Mr. Liu, you sent Yu Laoqi to send us a message. We came over immediately after hearing it. Please alsoShow me!  " "Actually, it is simple to say, there are only two requirements, first: reduce the price of rice to 50%; second, sell Burmese rice.  I think you all know this, right?  " "This, Mr. Liu!  The leading rice merchant considered his words and said with a smile: "Our purchase cost is not low. It is really embarrassing to drop it to 50%. Can we discuss it?"  As for Burmese rice, our association has been selling Liangzhe rice for so many years. It would be inconvenient to switch to Burmese rice all of a sudden!  "    "inconvenient?  Liu Zhiping smiled slightly and shouted outside: "Liu Yunping!"  " "Master!  "A capable middle-aged man walked in. Liu Zhiping asked: "How much money does this person have with our bank?  " "Sir, this owner owes our bank a total of 2,400 taels of silver for one year. The interest is calculated based on the annual interest rate. The collateral is four of their stores. The loan is due in two months.  .  " Hearing what Liu Yunping said, the rice merchant's face changed drastically, and he hurriedly said: "Mr. Liu!  Mr. Liu!  I didn't mean that, that's not what I meant!  Liu Zhiping, however, seemed not to have heard at all, and ordered to his subordinates: "Tell this owner that due to the operating reasons of their store, Houde Bank will not renew the loan after it expires. Please ask him to  Repay the principal and interest within the deadline, otherwise you will be sorry!  " "Mr. Liu!  Mr. Liu!  I really didn¡¯t mean that!  Really do not have!  "The rice merchant was almost crying. He threw himself to the ground and crawled towards Liu Zhiping on both hands and feet. There was an extra pair of legs in front of him. When he looked up, it was Liu Yunping who said to him with a big smile:  "My boss, you just heard our master's instructions. Please step back and prepare for repayment as soon as possible. Please remember that the deadline is fifteen days later, otherwise only the government will see you!  "Having said this, Liu Yunping stretched out his right hand and made a "please get out" gesture. Looking at the slumped back of the rice merchant, everyone couldn't help but shudder. They were done with eliminating this person, even if he went to sell the goods now  , I am afraid that he may not be able to repay the bank loan and interest. The reason is very simple. At this time, everyone knows that he is going to sell goods, and they will keep the price low. One hundred taels of silver can be sold for ten dollars.  Thank God for two. In the end, I had to lose all my shop and belongings before I could pay off the money. Seeing that a prosperous rice merchant was reduced to a beggar on the street in the blink of an eye, everyone felt the rumors about Liu Zhiping.  The ruthless means in his hands "Everyone, please speak clearly today!"  The Rice Trade Association can no longer exist. If you accept Liu¡¯s conditions, more than 60% of the rice sold in the store must be Burmese rice, and your store must give up 30% of the shares to Mr. Chen, and the price will be paid in Burmese rice.  .  "Liu Zhiping pointed to Chen Zaixing on the side: "Then you can continue to open your business, and you can also get support from me and Mr. Chen.  Otherwise, it will be the same as the one just now. At most, I will just open a few rice banks if I am overwhelmed. It will only be more trouble!  Who supports and who opposes, please stand up!  " There was silence in the reception room. Finally, a rice merchant raised his hand and replied: "I accept it!  "His voice was like a signal, and all the rice merchants raised their hands to express their support. "I support it too!  "    "support!  "    "support!  " Soon, the last rice merchant also raised his hand, and Liu Zhiping showed a satisfied smile on his face: "Very good, in this case, we are a family, Yunping, come and count the sales of their stores with all the owners.  The price of the shares.  " "Yes, sir!"  "Liu Yunping bowed respectfully to Liu Zhiping, then walked up to a rice merchant, handed over a brush and notepad filled with ink, and said with a smile: "This boss, please also write down 30% of your store's shares.  The required amount of silver!  " The rice merchant was holding the brush in his hand, but his arms couldn't help shaking. It was as if what he was holding was not a bamboo pipe, but a heavy burden. Liu Yunping on the side smiled and said: "This boss must not write about Shao Shao.  Otherwise, it won¡¯t be worth the loss!  " After hearing Liu Yunping's words, the rice merchant shook his wrist and almost dropped the ink. He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes and wrote down a number. He put the pen aside, turned his head away, and stopped looking at the next page.  "Thank you so much, boss!  "Liu Yunping sang a promise, walked to the next rice merchant, handed over the pen and paper, and said with a smile: "This boss is in trouble!  " Chen Zaixing stood next to Liu Zhiping, watching the rice merchants write down the prices on the books, but there seemed to be a fire burning in his heart. He naturally knew that at this time, the rice merchants could only sell their shares at the lowest price, otherwise  The person just now is a lesson for them. These rice merchants have many small shareholders. Even the shop owners often only have 60 to 70% of the shares. If they sell 30% to themselves at once, plus they control more than 60% of their supply, it is equivalent to  Talk about ShanghaiThe food supply of Dashun and even the richest and largest city in the Far East has fallen into his own hands.  When he thought of this, Chen Zaixing was filled with uncontrollable excitement.  Thanks to the book friends Raccoon and stainless_lotus for their tips. The popularity system of Chuangshi requires a high level of activity among book friends, so even if there are many people reading the book, the author will get very little support if they just read the book. Now I finally  I understand that just coding is not enough.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 92 Agreement

    Nearly an hour later, Liu Yunping returned to Liu Zhiping, holding the book in his hand. Liu Zhiping glanced at the book and nodded slightly to Chen Zaixing.  Chen Zaixing took the booklet and handed it to Jiang Zhiqing who was standing aside. He bowed his hands to the rice merchants and said with a smile: "Xiao Ke's surname is Chen Zaixing, and his courtesy name is Fusheng. He is from Hanjing, Shunhua Company, which imports Burmese rice."  I am the chairman of the board. From now on, you and I will be a family. Please forgive me if I have offended you before!" At this point, Chen Zaixing took the cup of tea presented by Jiang Zhiqing: "I didn't prepare well today.  I'll apologize to you all with tea instead of wine. Three days later, Xiao Ke will occupy the top floor of Deyue Building. Please be sure to show your respect!" At this point, Chen Zaixing drank the tea in one gulp.  After being tossed around for a long time, the rice merchants were still in the mood to talk to Chen Zaixing, so they bowed their hands and said goodbye without saying anything. Liu Zhiping was nearly sixty years old, and he was a little tired after all the hard work, so he would go to rest.  Suddenly, only Chen Zaixing and Jiang Zhiqing were left in the house.  Chen Zaixing took the booklet from Jiang Zhiqing, flipped through two pages, and said with a smile: "Zhiqing, do you think this matter is going well?" Jiang Zhiqing followed Chen Zaixing this time and saw that he was behind the scenes, whether it was Hanking  The big officials who came here were all from the intricate rice trade guild, and they were all manipulated by him. They were already extremely impressed and responded quickly: "My master is very clever. Seeing that the Shanghai Grain Market is already in the pocket of the adults, the villain  I'm really impressed. " "It's nothing, it's just taking advantage of the situation and getting twice the result with half the effort!" Chen Zaixing walked to the coffee table and sat down and suddenly asked: "Zhiqing, I remember you are from Shanghai?" "  Let me tell you, I am from northern Jiangsu, but I fled to Shanghai when I was only three years old, so I can be considered a Shanghainese!" "That's it!" Chen Zaixing nodded: "The ancients said, 'If you don't return home if you are rich, you will travel at night like a rich man!'  You have worked under me for more than three years, and you are doing things well. I can't stay in Shanghai for a long time. You are also a local and familiar with the situation. I will leave the Shanghai rice shop to you this time!" Jiang Zhiqing!  Hearing this, he was overjoyed and quickly knelt down and kowtowed: "Thank you for your cultivation, Master!" "Get up!" Jiang Zhiqing stood up and whispered: "Young people are very humble, so please give me some advice." "These rice merchants are all old people.  Now that you are in business, you don¡¯t need to worry about the actual business. In fact, the main thing is to take care of two things. The first is to ensure that more than 60% of the rice in these rice shops comes from us; the second is to ensure that more than 60% of the rice in these rice stores comes from us;  Check their accounts frequently to prevent them from playing tricks. If these two points are stuck, you won't be afraid of these Ningbo guys playing tricks. " "Yes, sir, you must be careful when doing business!" "Also, Shanghai.  It is the economic center of Dashun. You should move around here more and sort out the big and small things here and the prices of important commodities every Friday, and send them via telegram. I will be useful! " " Yes, I will do it well, little one! " Shanghai  The government envoy's office.  It is already the first watch, but the Green Yan Pavilion where Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao live is still brightly lit.  In the room, Hu Keqin, Shen Hongmao, and Zhang Zhicheng sat opposite each other, all with sad faces, and they sat speechless.  Hu Keqin suddenly sighed: "Hey, I came here originally to raise money, but I didn't expect to encounter this kind of thing. Needless to say, now I can't raise money, and I can't even appease one party. I really feel ashamed of the emperor and the emperor."  "The Queen Mother!" Zhang Zhicheng hurriedly tried to persuade him: "Master Hu, don't say that. At least the factory has basically opened now, and Factory Owner Huang has sold a lot of rice. The situation has finally stabilized a lot, sir."  You'd better not be too worried!" After hearing Zhang Zhicheng's words, Hu Keqin's face became a little brighter and nodded: "That's right, otherwise I might not be able to see Her Majesty the Queen Mother when I go back this time.  This yellow factory owner has come up with so much rice to solve our urgent needs. We must praise him and set an example!" "Don't worry, Mr. Hu, I will remember it!" While the two were talking, there was a rush from outside!  With the sound of footsteps, a servant came in, presented a letter, and whispered: "There is a letter, it is for Mr. Shen!" Shen Hongmao was stunned, took the letter, opened it, and frowned slightly.  Hu Keqin asked at the side: "Mr. Shen, how come someone is sending you a letter so late?" "Mr. Hu, please read it!" Shen Hongmao handed the letter over. Hu Keqin took the letter and read it, and his brows immediately widened.  "What? Those rice merchants agreed to reduce the price? Great, is this letter written? Eh? Why is it not signed? Is someone playing tricks on us?" Hu Keqin raised his head and asked.  "No, it should be true!" Shen Hongmao's face turned ugly: "I recognize this handwriting. It was written by Chen Fusheng himself." "Chen Fusheng? He"How can we get rice merchants to lower their prices?  Didn¡¯t he go to Burma to become a royal husband?  Why is he meddling in everything?  "Hu Keqin asked in surprise. "I don't know too well, but didn't he say last time that he came to Shanghai to do grain import business and asked us to lift the grain import ban? In my opinion, it happened this time.  He was causing trouble behind his back.  "    "well!  "Hu Keqin sighed: "I'm getting older and I don't understand these things anymore.  Now that the matter of reducing rice prices has been accomplished, the next step is the matter of national debt. Let us finish this matter as soon as possible and return to Hanking!  " "Yes, Mr. Hu!"  "Shen Hongmao stood up, but looked at the night sky outside the window. He didn't know what he was looking at. Hanking. Wenyuan Pavilion. "Sir, this is the third urgent letter asking for money this week!  "Jiang Qingyue sat in front of the writing desk, looking at the documents in front of her. Her two beautiful thin eyebrows were almost twisted into a few characters. "It's no wonder that Mr. Zao is so anxious, the military situation  It has been almost a month since the Japanese invaded Ryukyu, but they only have less than 4,000 soldiers in Taiwan, and there are not ten ships, but only two iron-clad ships. If it were me, I would be very anxious!  " "The longer the time, the more disadvantageous it becomes. The deeper the Japanese roots are in Ryukyu, the greater the possibility of foreign intervention.  It took Mr. Zao less than six days to get from Hanking to Taiwan, but when he arrived in Taiwan, he could only wait because he had no money.  This cannot continue.  "Jiang Qingyue stood up and said, "You can help me take care of this place. I'll go find Lin Niangniang to discuss it!"  "    "yes!  " Jiang Qingyue left Wenyuan Pavilion, got on the Chengyu, and went all the way to Lin Wanqing's residence. When she arrived at the residence, she asked someone to tell her. After a while, she heard laughter coming from inside: "Sister Jiang family,  What kind of wind has brought you here today? Come in quickly. What else are you spreading among your family?  "While speaking, Lin Wanqing had already walked out of the door with a happy face. She grabbed Jiang Qingyue and pulled her inside: "Come in quickly, it's windy outside!  " Jiang Qingyue stepped to the side unaccustomedly, and slightly distanced herself from the other party: "Your Majesty, I came here tonight to discuss Ryukyu with your Majesty.  " "Oh, it's about Ryukyu!  The smile on Lin Wanqing's face faded: "Then come in and talk!"  " After the two of them entered the house, Lin Wanqing asked the maids to leave the house and asked in a deep voice: "What's the matter? There are changes in Ryukyu?  " "Look, this is Mr. Zao's telegram!  Jiang Qingyue handed over the telegram: "This is the third telegram this week. Mr. Zao seems to be very anxious!"  " Lin Wanqing also heard the implication of Jiang Qingyue's words. She looked at the telegram and said: "Are you saying that I am afraid that there will be many nights and long dreams, and that a third party will intervene?  " Mr. Zao didn't say it directly in the telegram, but I felt that he was also in the army. He had a lot of dealings with Western devils in Annan and Burma. He has more experience in these matters than us. He sends out three contents a week.  The telegrams are almost identical, which can only show what he is worried about. We all know the Japanese soldiers and ships, and Mr. Zao also knows that there is no need to do this.  " Lin Wanqing nodded: "You make sense, what do you mean?  " "Hurry up and send the troops and ships to Mr. Hayao to understand the situation in Ryukyu. Otherwise, if things get serious, I'm afraid there will be big trouble!  "Jiang Qingyue's last three words were pronounced very hard. "But whether you want soldiers or ships, you need money, and it's not small money. It costs at least three million taels from the beginning.  Lin Wanqing showed a troubled look: "The cabinet is in charge of money matters. Mr. Hu has already gone to Shanghai, but -" "Mother, we can't delay it any longer!"  Jiang Qingyue's tone increased: "The problem in Ryukyu cannot be delayed. We would rather give in to domestic matters first, get the money and understand the affairs in Ryukyu, and then go back to deal with the country."  Lin Wanqing quickly weighed the pros and cons in her mind and nodded: "You're right, but you and I have said a lot about this matter. Let's find an opportunity to discuss it with Mr. Wang tomorrow!"  " "Mother, no!  "Jiang Qingyue suddenly reached out and grabbed the other party's arm: "Master Zao's telegram will never be sent only to us, it must also be sent to him, but why doesn't he even make any move now?  "Thank you to book friend stainless_lotus for the tip. There will be another update tonight! "What do you mean -?  " "Either Wang Xianggong has nothing he can do, or he has a method and he doesn't want to use it!  The only plan now is to overthrow the cabinet!  " "Yi Xiang, overthrow the cabinet?  Lin Wanqing's face changed drastically: "Sister, are you kidding me?"  " "Mother, if something big happens in Ryukyu, Mr. Wang will definitely step down as prime minister, but it will be too late to say anything at that time.  Ryukyu is located at a hub, and the Japanese are wild and wild.??, I have trained troops and built ships over the years, and I don¡¯t know what his intentions are. This time is just a test. If he succeeds, I¡¯m afraid we will have troubles in the southeastern sea area from now on!  " Lin Wanqing hesitated for a long time, and finally whispered: "Sisters from the Jiang family, it's not that my sister is unwilling to help, it's just that we are too big at this time. Although we have power, we are in a low position. Wang Xianggong is the minister of the imperial court, and the Queen Mother is  I have great trust in him. Although what you just said is reasonable, it is just your conjecture. Based on these, you will be dismissed. I am afraid that you will not be able to get through with the Queen Mother!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 93 Ito Hirobumi

    "Okay!" Jiang Qingyue sighed in disappointment.  Lin Wanqing hurriedly comforted: "Girl from the Jiang family, maybe things are not as bad as you think. Maybe Mr. Hu will raise the money back in Shanghai soon." "I hope so!" Jiang Qingyue stood up.  "It's getting late, so I won't disturb my wife's rest. I'm leaving!" Lin Wanqing said loudly: "Come here, bring me my green peacock-woven cloak!" She took the cloak and helped Jiang Qing.  Yue put it on and said with a smile: "Sister, you are weak and the wind is strong at night, so you must worry! Come on, let me put it on for you." "Thank you, my lady!" Tokyo, Japan, Prime Minister's Residence.  In the office, Inoue Kaoru was sitting behind a heavy mahogany desk, looking a little nervous. She glanced at the wall clock on the side wall from time to time, as if she was waiting for something important.  The hour hand had passed the four o'clock mark, but there was no movement outside the door. Inoue Kaoru took out a cigar from the drawer, cut off the end and the end, and took out a match to light it, but for some reason, he struck four or five times in a row.  Every time, there was no rowing.  Inoue Xin cursed angrily and tried again. This time he finally lit it. He was about to put the cigar over when the office door was suddenly pushed open.  Inoue Xin raised his head and was about to scold the rude guy, but when he saw the appearance of the person coming, he was stunned.  His personal secretary, Hitoshi Kuroshima, stood at the door with tears in his eyes and looking very excited.  "Your Excellency, it's successful, we've succeeded!" Inoue Xin couldn't help feeling ecstatic. He forced himself to restrain his ecstasy and asked in a deep voice: "What's successful? Please tell me in detail!" "The negotiation was successful. In Belfort, London  Sir, he has agreed to our request and asked the Empire of Japan to issue 10 million pounds of treasury bonds in the London government bond market with the guarantee of the Bank of England. The proceeds will be used to purchase weapons, ammunition and warships. "At this point, Kuroshima Jin suddenly shouted.  Said: "Your Excellency, be careful with your hands!" "Hands? Oops!" Inoue Xin glanced at the other party blankly. Almost at the same time, he felt a sharp pain in his right hand and hurriedly threw away the match that had burned his fingers.  Kuroshima Jin hurriedly stepped forward and asked: "Sir, is your hand okay?" "It's okay! It hurts!" Inoue Xin responded incoherently, and said while shaking his hand: "This is really gratifying! This is great!  Explain that destiny is on our side, on the side of the Empire of Japan! " "Yes, Your Excellency, Prime Minister, destiny must be on our side, on the side of the Empire of Japan. The national destiny of the empire must be like the rising sun, soaring into the sky.  ! ¡± Yokohama, Fugui Building.  "This month is unusual. It shines through the colorful clouds. When you ask where it comes from, the answer is not easy." A man dressed in white silk casual clothes, a black hat, and holding a black-handled folding fan sang and danced.  Her movements are vigorous and graceful, and she is not familiar with ordinary Japanese dance, but she looks like a king commanding everyone.  Opposite her, Ito Hirobumi lay on his side on the tatami, watching the dance of the female dancer opposite, tapping his thigh with his right hand, and taking a sip of sake from time to time, which was very relaxing.  It turns out that after the Meiji Restoration, Ito Hirobumi often had fun with prostitutes in Shimbashi, Tokyo.  Later, in order to avoid being noticed by others, he asked his favorite Akura to open a teahouse Fukiro in Yokohama. Fukiro became a secret place for the newly rich in the Meiji period to have fun.  After being ousted from the prime ministership by Kaoru Inoue, Ito Hirobumi simply spent most of his time in this wealthy building, living a luxurious and leisurely life.  Although Ito Hirobumi was known for his calmness and stability in politics, in his private life, he maintained the Japanese samurai's style of being indifferent to property, bohemian, and loving the virtuous.  He once asked in a letter to his son that after his death, his son should give 100,000 yen from his inheritance to his wife Umeko. However, when he died, people were surprised to find that his entire inheritance added up to less than 50,000 yen.  Ten thousand yen, but in the end the emperor took out one hundred thousand yen from his own pocket to fulfill his promise.  Compared with the rich estates that other Meiji patriarchs left to their descendants, the legacy that Ito Hirobumi left to his son was very shabby.  At this time, there was a rush of footsteps outside. A young man opened the paper door, took two steps on his knees, and whispered: "Your Excellency Ito, there is important news over there in Tokyo!" "It's so boring!" Ito  Bowen sighed: "Is anything so important that you can't even let me listen to a little song here?" "Your Excellency!" The young man said in a deep voice: "Your Excellency Shan County specially sent someone to deliver it.  , The person who came said he must let you see it as soon as possible!" "No wonder, it's that annoying guy!" Ito Hirobumi sat up: "Let him come in, there is no way to do such a rude and boring thing!  That guy is the one who can do it!" The young man didn't dare to answer, nodded and walked out. After all, no one in Japan dared to answer.Apart from His Majesty the Emperor, I am afraid that the only person in front of me who calls Aritomo Yamagata, "the number one person in the military", "that rude and boring guy" is the only one in front of me. For a backward person like me, even a simple interface will cause trouble.  of.  "Akura, rub your shoulders for me! Even if you leave Tokyo, you still can't escape these things. Is this the fate of men?" Ito Hirobumi sighed and took the letter from the young man's hand.  Akura carefully knelt down next to Ito Hirobumi, and while rubbing Ito Hirobumi's shoulders, he smiled and said: "Haha, that's because Ito-dono is a big shot that even the Lord of Yama Prefecture can't live without!"  Can't live without the county? Let's forget it!" Ito Hirobumi sneered as he opened the letter: "I would rather go to the hut with that adult without bringing toilet paper and wipe my butt with my hands.  The sword is tied around his waist (to prevent others from sneaking up on him when he goes to the toilet). "Hearing what Ito Hirobumi said, Akura couldn't help but smile and said, "Haha, Mr. Yamagata is so pitiful when Mr. Ito said that.  Let's go!" At this time, Ito Hirobumi had already opened the letter and started reading. After a while, a wry smile appeared on his face: "It seems that I was right about this Yamagata this time. His behavior is still as ugly as ever!  "What's wrong?" A Cang asked doubtfully.  "With the encouragement of Lord Inoue, the Bank of England is finally willing to guarantee the issuance of national debt by the Empire in London." Ito Hirobumi replied coldly: "At this juncture, Yamagata told me the news. Isn't he just shouting:'  There is a patch on the buttocks of Inoue-kun's pants, Ito-kun, please come over and do something about it. '" Hearing Ito Hirobumi's condescending words, Akura couldn't help but cover his mouth and laughed again, and the young man on the side asked in confusion: "  Your Excellency, if what is said in the letter is true, the Bank of England will not only obtain a large amount of funds by issuing national debt to guarantee the empire, but in order to ensure that the national debt is repaid, the British will also fully support the empire in the struggle between the empire and the Chinese.  It¡¯s a great thing!¡± ¡°You are still young!¡± Ito Hirobumi sighed: ¡°It is true that the empire can get a lot of money by issuing national bonds in London, and the British will support the empire in our disputes with the Chinese.  It's not that the Empire gets a lot of money from London so the British support us, it's that the British support us that makes us borrow money in London. " "What difference does it make?  There is a difference. From the beginning, the British supported the empire in order to check, balance, attack, and weaken the Chinese. That is why everything happened next. In other words, the empire was just a dog of the British in East Asia, used to deal with China.  A human dog. Think about how you would treat your dog. "Dog?" The young man turned pale at Ito Hirobumi's harsh metaphor. He thought for a while and asked in a low voice: "Damn it."  , Stork cooking?" "That will happen in the future." Ito Hirobumi sneered: "With China's land area and national power, the empire does not have to worry about this for a while, but even if the hunting dog catches the prey, it can only eat a little internal organs.  Good meat and skin will be taken away by the owner, and once he is seriously injured in the fight with the prey, the owner will not hesitate to kill the hunting dog and take its meat and skin to compensate for the feed he paid earlier! "  "Your Excellency, you must quickly warn the Prime Minister!" The young man stood up suddenly.  "Do you think that Yamagata and I have figured it out, and Inoue-kun will be kept in the dark?" Ito Hirobumi said with a smile: "You are too underestimated us old people, Inoue-kun is gambling on the fate of the country!  "Having said this, Ito Hirobumi stood up with a wry smile on his face: "But for a small island country like Japan, gambling is the only way to survive at this time! Even if the meat and skin are taken away by the owner,  But there are always bones that can be chewed, broken into pieces, sucking the marrow inside, gnawing away the residue in the gaps between the bones, making oneself stronger bit by bit, waiting for the opportunity-" His voice became smaller and smaller, and in the end it was almost no more than a whisper.  .  "Is that the only way?" The young man lowered his head.  "That's the only way?" Ito Hirobumi turned around, his eyes flashing with fanaticism: "Isn't this enough? When have we been qualified to stand on the same stage as that neighbor in thousands of years? Now we can stand in Dashun  The opponent's position is already successful. This is the fate of the empire. Either defeat Dashun and suck the nutrients from his corpse to become the master of East Asia, or just like the cherry blossoms, die after blooming in the most gorgeous way!  That's right! Your Excellency, we have no choice, and the empire has no choice!" The young man nodded fiercely, then scratched his head in confusion and asked, "Why did Mr. Shanxian tell you all this?  Does he want to join forces with you to block the agreement???  " "Haha, this is not something you should consider, Akiyama-kun!  "Ito Hirobumi stood up and patted the other party's shoulder: "These are matters for us old men, and your brain should be used in more necessary places.  " "Yes, Mr. Ito!  " A few minutes later, the young man left the room. Ito Hirobumi walked to the window, quietly looked at the moon in the sky, and said to himself: "Yamagata-kun, you have already begun to prepare for possible defeat, but  Why should I be your puppet?  Am I so anxious to board that leaky ship with its torn sail?  You underestimate me too much!  ¡± ¡°Please recommend, please collect, my position on the ranking list is in jeopardy!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 94 Bodhi Temple

    Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.  It is located at the southernmost tip of Japan, in the south of Kyushu Island. It is composed of the Satsuma Peninsula and the Osumi Peninsula and many isolated islands. Since it is the closest to the East Asian continent and the Korean Peninsula, it has been closely connected with China, South Korea, Ryukyu, and the Asia-Pacific since ancient times.  Countries in the region have very frequent exchanges.  Western culture was introduced to Kagoshima in the 16th century, and the famous "Taneshima Musket" in the history of Japan's Warring States Period belonged to this place. The Shimazu clan lord who controlled the entire Kagoshima at that time actively learned Western advanced military technology and became a powerful force known throughout Japan.  Name.  Satsuma Domain, one of the two powerful feudal lords that promoted the Meiji Restoration, is located here. It can be said to be a blessed place that guides Japanese culture.  The Shimazu Family Bodhi Temple was originally the family temple of the Shimazu family who had guarded the Satsuma domain for generations. Although the Shimazu family had lost its real power after the restoration of the "registration restoration" and the "abolition of the domain and the establishment of a prefecture", after all,  The centipede is dead but not stiff, and the power of the Shimadzu family that has ruled Kagoshima for hundreds of years is still there.  In addition, as the birthplace of the Restoration, many of the heroes of the Restoration were born in Satsuma and have been retainers of the Shimadzu family for generations, so this place still has a very high status in the eyes of the people of Kagoshima Prefecture.  On weekdays, pedestrians walking around Bodhi Temple instinctively keep quiet when passing by. People on horses or sedans will dismount their horses and sedans when passing the door to show respect for the old masters of Kagoshima.  However, the Shimazu Bodhi Temple these days is different from the past. There are soldiers wearing big caps and white leggings and khaki military uniforms guarding the intersection. The bayonets on the rifles on the soldiers' backs emit a dazzling and cold light. They are so far away.  You can hear the gruff and majestic commands unique to the army.  Pedestrians passing by couldn't help but instinctively quicken their pace, and when they were far away, they cast curious eyes on the temple: Is there any big shot coming to the temple to offer incense?  In the back hall of Bodhi Temple, there is a tea room, where the aroma of tea is fragrant.  An old monk carefully served tea to the guests in front of him. The green tea liquid flowed into the tea bowl, like jasper.  The old monk made a gesture, and the guests silently picked up their tea bowls and sipped the tea soup.  "How is it? Your Majesty!" "The tea is good, the utensils are good, and the people are better!" The tea drinker put down the tea bowl and sighed. He saw that he had a white beard and eyebrows, wearing a purple robe and a black gauze hat. It was the King of Ryukyu Shoutai.  .  "What about the Crown Prince?" The old monk turned his eyes to the young man aside. The young man was the Crown Prince of the Ryukyu Kingdom, Naoyun. His face was full of resentment. He put the tea bowl in his hand on the tatami and sneered:  "I think it's just ordinary, far less good than Dashun's tea!" The old monk smiled and said: "Dashun's tea is naturally excellent. It's just that you are here now, the prince, and Dashun is thousands of miles away. No matter how good it is,  You can¡¯t drink tea either!¡± Shang Yun stiffened his neck and retorted: ¡°I can¡¯t drink it today, but I can¡¯t drink it tomorrow. I¡¯d rather drink boiled water every day than drink your Japanese tea!¡±  Son, stop talking!" Shang Tai whispered to his son, turned around and smiled at the old monk: "Master, my child is still young and doesn't know how to speak. Don't be the same as him!" "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter!  !¡± The old monk said with a smile: ¡°Your Excellency, the prince, is so energetic that I, as an old man, can only envy him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good!¡± Since Shang Tai was captured by the Japanese army, he was transported back to Japan.  Being imprisoned in this temple, he was worried all day long, for fear that the Japanese would kill him and his son. Today, the abbot of Bodhi Temple invited himself and his son out to taste tea. He was careful to avoid angering the Japanese and wanted to take advantage of them.  It was extremely frustrating to find external information in just a few words.  "Father, don't forget that Dashun is the parent state of our Ryukyus!" Shang Yun could no longer suppress the anger in his chest. He stood up suddenly, opened the door and rushed out, leaving only the old man in the house.  Monk and Shangtai.  "Master, please forgive me!" Shang Tai apologized quickly.  The old monk waved his hand: "I am already an outsider. Naturally, I have to get rid of the poison of greed and hatred. Your Majesty, please rest assured. As a digression, do you know where you live these days?"  "I don't know!" The old monk smiled and said: "Your Majesty must have heard of Shimazu Bodhi Temple in Kagoshima, this is it!" Upon hearing this, Shang Tai's face changed greatly, and after a while, he smiled bitterly and said: "So this is Shimazu Temple.  I have heard of Bodhi Temple for a long time, but I have never seen it with my own eyes. I never thought that I would be imprisoned here!" It turns out that Kagoshima, where Shimadzu is located, is located at the southern gate of Japan and has been connected to China, Ryukyu, Korea and other places since ancient times!  For a long time, the Shimazu clan often sent troops and pirates to invade and plunder the Ryukyu Kingdom, while the Ryukyu Kingdom used China as its protector to resist Japanese invasion.  In 1624, the Shimazu clan took advantage of the weakening power of the Ming Dynasty to invade Ryukyu. The Ryukyu prince Shouchi, who was only 12 years old at the time, was taken to Shimazu as a hostage and imprisoned in the family temple of the Shimazu clan lord.  .  At that time, Shangcheng, who was not willing to be the hostage of the enemy, was killed several times.They fled, but were all captured because there was no one to help. It was not until Dashun unified the Central Plains that he received a letter from the envoy of the Ryukyu Kingdom and sent an envoy to the then Tokugawa Shogunate to request the Shimazu Domain to withdraw its troops and release Shang who was imprisoned in Bodhi Temple.  Under pressure from the Tokugawa shogunate, the Shimazu clan had to withdraw its troops from Ryukyu and release Nancheng.  Shang Cheng left his wife married in Japan and the three children he gave birth to and returned to Ryukyu. This story was widely circulated among the Ryukyu royal family. Bodhi Temple was synonymous with prison and place of shame in their dictionary.  "Your Majesty, I am not mentioning this to humiliate you!" The old monk said solemnly: "What the old monk means is that no matter what the outcome of the matter, survival is the most important thing. You must know that the Ming Dynasty was in decline at that time, and it was difficult to deal with the Donglu.  He was so busy that he couldn't care about Ryukyu, which was far away overseas. But who could have imagined that only thirty years later, Dashun would be so prosperous, conquering the east and west, and the country would reach far beyond the Han and Tang Dynasties, and Shimazu could be defeated by a single imperial edict.  "Where is the release?" After hearing the meaningful words of the old monk, Shangtai couldn't help but feel moved. He looked at the old monk again and asked in a low voice: "Thank you, elder, for the advice. Shangtai dares to ask, are you a monk?"  His former identity?¡± The old monk smiled slightly and said, ¡°The old monk¡¯s lay name is Shimazu Tadayoshi, and Shimazu Hisamitsu is my father!¡±  He was surprised. If he hadn't heard of the name Shimazu Tadayoshi, Shimazu Tadayoshi and Shimazu Hisamitsu were both familiar to him.  Shimazu Tadayoshi was the last feudal lord of the Satsuma Domain, and he commanded the Satsuma Domain army, which was the main force in the Boshin War.  Later, he became the governor of Kagoshima Domain. Although he was later dismissed and only became a member of the House of Nobles, he was also a celebrity during the Meiji period; Shimazu Hisamitsu was the half-brother of the previous governor, Shimazu Saibin. After Saibin died  Later, according to his legacy, Hisamitsu's son Tadayoshi succeeded him as the lord of the domain. As the father of the country, Hisamitsu held real power. In 1874, he was promoted to the left minister.  These two men controlled the Satsuma Domain, the most powerful domain in the world at the end of the Tokugawa period. Later, the world-famous Saigo Takamori, Okubo Toshimichi, Yamamoto Gonbei, Oyama Iwa and others were once their domain officials.  Ryukyu and Japan are very close to each other, and there are many business contacts. As the king of Ryukyu, Shang Tai naturally hears the names of these two people often.  "It turns out to be His Highness! Xiao Wang is disrespectful!" Shang Tai quickly bowed and saluted.  "Your Majesty, you don't have to be like this!" The old monk stretched out his hand to support Shang Tai: "I have been weak and sick since I was a child. I was sent to Bodhi Temple to be a monk at the age of five. I have been facing the ancient Buddha of Qingdeng since I can remember. I have never been a warrior for a day. You call me like this  I'm really embarrassed! In the eyes of the world, compared to my brother and father, I am a useless person, but now my father was depressed because he was driven back to Kagoshima by the emperor a few years ago.  And died, and my brother is now seriously ill and dying in bed. The Satsuma Domain they were proud of and fought for their whole life no longer exists, but I, a useless person, is still alive and well.  . In fact, the reason why I invited you to drink tea today is not for anything else. I hope you can endure it and live happily like me, so that you can see the future. Compared with the Ryukyu Kingdom, Japan is a big country.  It is also a big country. The fate of a small country is not determined by itself, so you only need to wait quietly in this temple like your ancestors. This is the most beneficial choice for you!¡±  After saying this, Shangtai couldn't help but remain silent. After a long time, he bowed to the other party and said, "Thank you for your advice, master!" Shanghai, in the open space outside Yuxing Cotton Factory.  "Everyone, stop crowding, stop crowding, take your time, everyone has a share, everyone has a share!" A foreman with a tin trumpet stood on the cart and shouted loudly.  People in old felt hats were huddled together, all workers rushing to buy rice.  A dozen specially selected men with round waists and thick arms holding short sticks tried their best to push the crowds away, but they continued to retreat under the increasing pressure.  Behind them were seven or eight Indian soldiers with black cloth turbans. The bayonets on the rifles in their hands were shining brightly in the sun. These Indian soldiers did not feel panic because they were surrounded by so many people. Some even  The rifles had not been taken off their shoulders. It was obvious that they were all veterans who had experienced real battlefields.  Yu Zhiheng looked at the crowded crowd in front of him with some hesitation. He had also just received the news that there was cheap rice to buy here. Although he still had enough rice at home for more than two months, looking at the current situation, it would be better to save more food.  There is nothing wrong with that.  But when he arrived at the location and saw so many people, he couldn't help but hesitate to squeeze in again.  "Brother Zhiheng, brother Zhiheng!" Hearing someone calling his name, Yu Zhiheng turned around and happened to see Xu Dacheng. The two sons carrying rice behind him were smiling broadly at Yu Zhiheng.  With.  Regularly asking for rewards, collections, and recommendation votes!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 95 decimeters

    "Why, are you here to buy rice today?" Xu Dacheng wiped the sweat from his forehead.  "Originally, yes, but seeing so many people -" Yu Zhiheng pointed to the crowd in front of him.  "Don't worry, just look at me, brother!" Yu Zhiheng patted his chest, turned to his two sons and shouted: "You two bastards, please go home. Don't wander around on the way. If something goes wrong,  What's the problem? I won't break your legs!" "Yes!" The two brothers bowed their bodies and ran towards home. Xu Dacheng grabbed Yu Zhiheng's arm and said  He squeezed into the crowd and shouted: "Borrow the road, borrow the road!" His strong arms immediately opened a path, which immediately aroused a lot of curses from the crowd.  "Brother Xu, this is not good!" Yu Zhiheng was also a little embarrassed in the face of the scolding.  "It's okay, I have an uncle and brother among the people who put the rice. Why are my brothers so polite?" Xu Dacheng smiled nonchalantly, pushed away the last few people in front, and shouted to the person opposite who looked about sixty-seven percent similar to himself.  The man shouted: "Brother Ninth, a friend of mine wants to buy rice!" "Easy! How much do you want to buy?" "Forty pounds!" Yu Zhiheng replied hesitantly, "Why don't you buy more?" The man asked, "This is  The price of rice brought by Chen Dashan from Myanmar is only half of the previous price. Buy more and save it. You won¡¯t be afraid of insects if you throw in two garlic heads!¡± Yu Zhiheng touched the money in his arms, gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Then  Just seventy kilograms! " "Okay, seventy kilograms of rice, it belongs to my brother!" The man took the bag from Yu Zhiheng's hand, handed it to the person behind him, stuffed another bamboo board, and pointed to the side.  Open a table: "Just go over there and pay and receive the rice!" Yu Zhiheng looked in the direction of the other person's finger and saw two men dressed as storytellers at the table talking in various ways. He heard them even though they were still far away.  He shouted in a singing voice: "Mr. Chen Dashan is so kind! A big ship brings Burmese rice, and the price is only more than half. Everyone, big and small, has enough to eat!" Although it doesn't rhyme, it sounds smooth.  Yu Zhiheng walked to the table in a daze and handed the bamboo board over. When he saw it on the other side, he shouted: "70 kilograms of rice, eighty-seven coppers per piece. Thank you for your patronage!" Yu Zhiheng hurriedly handed over the money.  After returning the change, he handed over the full rice bag.  Yu Zhiheng carried it out, only to feel that the weight was heavier than expected.  "How about it? The portion is not small, right?" Xu Dacheng from the side looked over.  "Thank you, Brother Xu. It seems to be a bit more!" Yu Zhiheng knew that the other party should be doing it for Xu Dacheng's sake.  "Haha, you don't need to thank me. I heard that the owner of the rice seller specially asked me to have enough portion. I would rather have more than less. I heard that the rice shipped outside is full plus three. Be careful.  The people below are really kind-hearted!" Yu Zhiheng was stunned when he heard this and asked, "Is Fatty Huang showing kindness? I also came from Yuxing Cotton Factory. He was not such a person before."  !" Xu Dacheng spat disdainfully: "How is it possible that Fatty Huang can do such a good thing? Didn't you hear what the storyteller sang just now? The owner of the rice seller this time is Chen Dashan.  , he worked hard to fight off the British and save the vassal state of Burma, and then shipped so much cheap rice from Burma for poor people like us to eat. However, in order to make money, the shady bosses of the rice shops paid for it.  The treacherous ministers in the imperial court confused the emperor and issued a decree banning the import of grain, so the price of rice in Shanghai rose so high. However, thanks to the loyal ministers who came from Han Dynasty, they reported the situation here to the emperor, and the emperor ordered it to be abolished.  We can only eat such cheap rice after the ban. This is thanks to Mr. Chen Dashan and that loyal minister! "" Mr. Chen Dashan? Save Myanmar?" When Yu Zhiheng heard this, he couldn't help feeling that something was wrong.  Putting down the rice bag, he asked: "Brother Xu, do you know the name of Chen Dashan?" "Name? It seems to be Chen something?" Xu Dacheng scratched his head and smiled sheepishly: "Hey,  I heard it just now, but now I can¡¯t remember anything. Hey, I just eat and do things every day, and I can¡¯t remember anything!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother Xu, think about it slowly!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!  Xu Dacheng suddenly patted his thigh: "The storyteller also said that Chen Dashan also led troops to defeat the Mongolian Tatars and married a Burmese princess. He was just like the great hero in the drama. It is really amazing"  "Is it him?" There was a bitter taste in Yu Zhiheng's mouth, and he couldn't help but think to himself: "I didn't expect it was that person! So many brothers died at his hands, but now they are eating his cheap rice, really  Things are so funny!" Suddenly, a slap on the shoulder woke Yu Zhiheng up. He looked up and saw onlyXu Dacheng looked at himself strangely.  "Brother Zhiheng, what are you thinking about? Why did you ignore me when I called you? Didn't you hear me?" Yu Zhiheng smiled covertly: "No, I just wanted to think about who the great benevolent person you mentioned is.  Sir." "You know?" Xu Dacheng's eyes widened in surprise.  "Well, if what you said is right, it should be Mr. Chen Zaixing." "Yes, that's the name! Look at my brain, I forget everything I hear." Xu Dacheng smiled and said, "Brother Zhiheng,  Mr. Chen has done so many good things, God will surely bless him and he will live a long life and have many descendants!" "Yes!" Yu Zhiheng nodded numbly.  The Imperial Envoy¡¯s Mansion, the Back Flower Hall.  Hu Keqin, Shen Hongmao, Chen Zaixing and Liu Zhiping were sitting opposite each other. Originally, Hu and Shen were sitting at the top, while Chen and Liu were sitting at the bottom.  But Chen and Liu were smiling happily, while Hu and Shen had sad faces, as if they were sitting in the wrong place.  Finally, Hu Keqin sighed and said: "Mr. Chen and Mr. Liu, thank you both for this matter!" "The common people dare not take credit!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "If Mr. Hu hadn't written to the court asking for the lifting of the ban,  Even if I have the will, I can't do it." Liu Zhiping also responded: "Yes, this matter is mainly due to the two adults adapting to the situation. Mr. Chen and I just happened to meet each other and did our duty as subjects!" "Hu  Keqin looked at the two people across from him with happy faces, but felt unspeakably depressed in his heart.  Although it seemed that he quickly put down the riots and stabilized the situation when he came to Shanghai, the imperial court also issued a decree to praise him.  But he knew in his heart that he had always been manipulated by the two people in front of him. Whether he succeeded or failed, it was just a part of the other party's huge plan.  Hu Keqin shook his head slightly, trying his best to drive this feeling out of his mind, and asked: "In addition to thanking you for your contribution, I invite you two to come here today. There is also another matter, the national debt. This matter can no longer be postponed.  Well, Mr. Zao has been in Taiwan for a long time. One day a telegram was sent, asking for soldiers and ships. But there is no money to get the soldiers and ships. For the sake of the court, you must fulfill them!  " Liu Zhiping and Chen Zaixing looked at each other and said with a smile: "It's easy to say, since Mr. Zao also had a relationship with my nephew in Burma, it's easy for them to talk to each other! The court wants money, so let's sign now,  The money will arrive at noon tomorrow, Mr. Hu, do you think it's okay?" "Okay, okay!" Hearing this, Hu Keqin was overjoyed. He didn't expect Liu Zhiping to be so cheerful this time, and said repeatedly: "This mission is done.  , I will definitely report to the imperial court and praise Mr. Liu greatly. A foreign minister cannot escape." But Shen Hongmao on the side was not fooled by this kindness. Not long ago, Chen and Liu refused to give in on the national debt discount.  He has not forgotten the scene.  He coughed lowly: "Mr. Liu, I would like to ask first, what is the discount on the national debt?" Liu Zhiping picked up the teacup and took a sip. He slowly stretched out the five fingers of his right hand and turned his palm over.  , smiled and said: "That's the number!" Shen Hongmao didn't understand the meaning of these common gestures among businessmen, and asked anxiously: "How much is this?" "Fifty-five percent off!" "Can you give in a point or two?" Liu Zhiping did this this time  He didn't complain like last time. He smiled slightly and asked, "How satisfied do you think Mr. Shen is?" "Of course I won't discount it!" Shen Hongmao thought secretly, but he also knew that this was impossible.  After pondering, he whispered: "It used to be 20% off or 85% off. Even if there is some chaos this year, how about another 10% off, or 30% off?" Liu Zhiping and Chen Zaixing looked at each other, smiled slightly, but did not answer.  .  "Master Shen, your conditions are not impossible to agree to, but what about our previous conditions?" Chen Zaixing asked.  "What conditions?" Shen Hongmao's face suddenly turned pale, and he gritted his teeth: "This is impossible. The appointment and dismissal of ministers in the imperial court is not something you two should get involved in." "Then there is no way!" Chen Zaixing drawled his voice.  , he stood up and walked out. When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and turned around and said: "But Mr. Shen, if this drags on, do you think Wang Xianggong can be content with his position?  "After that, he laughed and walked outside.  "Resurrection, please stay!" Hu Keqin, who had been silent all the time, finally spoke. He stood up and said, "It's still very early. If you have something to say, why bother leaving in a hurry?" Chen Zaixing came back and sat down with a smile.  It was as if he had already expected that someone would say something to save him.  At this time, Shen Hongmao also recalled the profound meaning of Fang's words just now: as long as this drags on, the imperial court will have no money to pay for the seizure.? Ryukyu's military expenditure, if Ryukyu is annexed by the Japanese, the crime of "losing the vassal state" alone will be enough to make Wang Qinian step down, which is tantamount to meeting Liu Zhiping's requirements.  Liu Zhiping said: "Mr. Hu, Mr. Shen! We are just doing business. In fact, we don't care who is our husband. It's just that it's unbearable for people like Wang Xianggong to ban the import of grain at every turn. It's okay to ban the import of grain this time.  Yes, anyway, the country produces food, which is more expensive at most. But if the import of foreign specialties is banned next time, many factories will have to stop production. I guess the court doesn¡¯t want to see such a situation, right? " Thank you, book friend, trainee police officer,  Rewards for passing by, Jiayu, and stainless_lotus.  I have a question. I have already written about a third of this book. Do you hope that my next book will be about the Three Kingdoms period, Jingkang in the Northern Song Dynasty, or complete the biography of Zao Manxiong's "Xinshun"?

 Volume 4 Leviathan 96 results

    "That's natural!" Hu Keqin nodded.  "Actually, it is not that there are no understanding people in the court this time. For example, I heard that Mr. Shen argued hard with reason in the court, but Wang Xianggong insisted on going his own way, leading to this result. Even if Wang Xianggong can still be content this time  His position cannot allow him to do this again, right? Also, it cannot be said that the riots in Shanghai this time are not the fault of improper government governance, so I think some changes should be made to prevent similar things from happening again next time.  " After hearing what Liu Zhiping said, it seemed that he no longer insisted on Wang Qinian's dismissal. Hu Keqin couldn't help but feel secretly happy and quickly asked: "Mr. Liu, please tell me!" "This matter in the court is not for us to do business.  If you dare to comment, Hu Gong will naturally report it to Her Majesty the Queen Mother after he returns. But I have many ideas about Shanghai's municipal administration, such as the location of docks, dredging of waterways, municipal management, and distribution of taxes.  There are deficiencies in many aspects. For example, if the prefect consulted the opinions of our business community before taking action, he would not go to the point of shooting. " "What do you mean?"  If there are major municipal issues with respected gentry as directors, it will be much better if the prefect consults the wise people before implementing them! " "Gong Liu's suggestion is not too much!" Hu Keqin nodded!  , In fact, Liu Zhiping¡¯s ideas were very representative at the time. Since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the power of the gentry has continued to expand, while the central power has continued to retreat under the pressure of the power of the gentry. If they can¡¯t get them at the grassroots level,  Without support, grassroots officials are unable to implement their own ideas.  Liu Zhiping's suggestion was just to extend this power to Shanghai, which in Hu Keqin's view was just a matter of course.  "In that case, let's discount the national debt by 75%!" Liu Zhiping laughed loudly when he saw Hu Keqin agreeing.  After several discussions with Chen Zaixing in the past few days, he decided not to insist on Wang Qinian stepping down as a condition for increasing the national debt discount, because after this incident, even if Wang Qinian does not step down, his trust will be greatly weakened, and it will be difficult to do this again.  This time he made a similar decision.  Insisting that Wang Qinian step down is too sensitive, and it is difficult for Hu Keqin to accept it. Even if Hu Keqin is really forced to force Wang Qinian to step down, he will probably settle accounts with them after he comes to power.  Instead of doing this, it is better to step back and ask for the management rights of Shanghai, the economic center city of Dashun, and obtain sufficient benefits. After all, Liu Zhiping is a businessman, and the main purpose of a businessman is to obtain generous and stable profits in business.  , what better business than controlling the largest and richest city and port in Dashun?  Now that the matter has been settled and both parties have achieved a satisfactory result, the atmosphere in the room suddenly relaxed and a warm smile appeared on everyone's face. After all, those who can reach this point are not simple scholars. Previously,  It's okay to fight for profit and lose blood. Now that the errands have been completed, there is no point in ruining the atmosphere with a black face.  Hu Keqin ordered the food and wine to be placed in the back hall, and invited Chen and Liu to have a banquet together until the banquet was over.  Shen Hongmao asked in a low voice: "Mr. Hu, are you really going to agree to their request? This is simply ridiculous. Chen Zaixing doesn't care. This Liu Zhiping should be put in a cell instead of becoming a director of the Advisory Board.  " "Master Shen!" Hu Keqin's face showed a look of fatigue, which made his face look a little older.  "Now Dashun is like a chronically ill person, and the medicine of tiger and wolf cannot be used!" "Then let this guy continue to be rampant?" Shen Hongmao asked back: "Mr. Hu, haven't you seen it clearly these days? What is Liu Zhiping doing for him?  If you can make money and make a lot of money, what else can you not do? If you let him continue like this, how many people will be killed by him? " "Master Shen, we are ministers of the imperial court.  Maintain this situation. Now that the court wants to fight and needs money, we have to find money as quickly as possible. As for what you just said, it is beyond our control!  Isn't it the duty of the imperial minister to easily defeat the enemy?" Hu Keqin raised his head fiercely, his eyebrows tensed, his eyes widened, and Shen Hongmao did not give in to him.  After a while, Hu Keqin finally turned his head, and the tired expression on his face returned to the tiredness not long ago: "Master Shen, what you are talking about is the responsibility of the imperial minister. Wang Xianggong also did the same, but the result  You've seen it, now that the world is in decline, some of the principles in the books don't work!" "No matter what, I will report this matter to the Queen Mother after I return to the court!" "This belongs to the ministers!  It's my duty! I have no objections." At this point, Hu Keqin sighed: "The current condition is that one shin is as big as the waist, and one finger is swollen.?As big as stocks, three to four out of ten of the world's taxes come from Shanghai. If Jiangnan is included, only fifty to six out of ten.  Liu Zhiping is deeply involved. If there is any movement, his whole body will be affected by one move. Even if Her Majesty the Queen Mother knows the truth, I am afraid that the big thing will be reduced to a trivial matter, and the trivial matter will be reduced to nothing.  " After hearing what Hu Keqin said, Shen Hongmao could only remain silent. What the other party quoted just now was a famous line from Jia Yi's "Public Security Policy" in the Western Han Dynasty. The situation in Dashun at this time was also similar. Although Shanghai and its  The Jiangnan area where it is located is not geographically large, but it accounts for a large proportion of Dashun in terms of taxes. It was precisely with the wealth of Jiangnan that Dashun was able to put down the large-scale peasant uprising in the mid-19th century.  At the same time, it also repelled the invasion of foreign enemies, maintained control over its vast territory and numerous vassal states, and even expanded in some directions by relying on its expanded military advantages over the border peoples after its military reforms. But as a later generation.  According to the views expressed by historians in his works, this kind of expansion and control was certainly a blessing for the Chinese nation, which was later dominated by the Han nation, because it was the control in these last few decades that provided the basis for later generations.  The vast territory that China occupies provides strong evidence that the majority of the local residents are Han nationality. However, for the Gao family as the imperial royal family, it was exactly the opposite, because these external expansions in the last years of the empire consumed a lot of money.  The wealth resources of the empire destroyed the already precarious fiscal balance. In order to draw more financial resources to restore the balance, the imperial family and bureaucrats had to make concessions to the emerging bourgeoisie with the greatest wealth and give up part of their power in exchange.  . And it was these concessions that intensified the grassroots divisions within the empire and the larger-scale external expansionary war, and finally led to the destruction of the empire. Therefore, in his paper, a conscientious young historian in the 1930s.  What he wrote: If after the empire put down the internal peasant rebellion in the mid-19th century, it did not send troops to conquer those unstable foreign barbarians and vassal states, but instead made a certain strategic contraction and stayed within the scope of the mainland, then  The rule of the empire will be more stable, and Dashun will not be involved in the devastating world war at the beginning of the twentieth century. Even China today will be ruled by a benevolent and wise descendant of the Gao family.  Compared with those greedy and shameless careerists and demagogues, this may be a better ending. Of course, for Zao Guoquan, who is in Taiwan at this time, he naturally has no way of knowing who will be the next generation.  The conscientious young historian criticized the imperial policy during this period. However, as the second-rank deputy general, commander of the military in Taiwan and Fujian, and the de facto plenipotentiary ambassador to solve the Ryukyu issue, what he considered at this time was to use all means.  Use military or non-military means to force Japan to withdraw its troops, release the kidnapped Ryukyu King, and restore the Ryukyu Kingdom to its original status. As an experienced general, Hayakon Kwon understood Japan's invasion of Ryukyu from the beginning.  It was not an accidental event, but the prelude to a long-planned expansion by the enemy. Therefore, he did not even send an envoy to Japan before making full military preparations. But what made him anxious was that Japan invaded Ryukyu.  , almost a month has passed, but the troops he needs have not yet been fully prepared. If through his efforts, some troops have been mobilized from various places along the coast of Fujian and Zhejiang, there is already one in Keelung Port, Taiwan.  There is a detachment of about 7,000 people for the attack on Ryukyu, but the navy is another matter.  Both warships and sea-going ships carrying armies are far behind. What is parked in Keelung Port now is just a bunch of old and new ships with different speeds. It is still far from a fleet that can complete the mission.  Zao Guoquan was well aware of this, but he had no choice. The tight finances of the Dashun court could only provide enough support for the navy, a "gold-swallowing beast", not to mention the purchase or construction of various new warships.  , even the repair and training of existing warships are difficult to guarantee. Naturally, such a navy cannot compare with Dashun's well-trained army.  On the other hand, many civilian ships temporarily mobilized from various shipbuilding bureaus are in much better condition. Both the proficiency of the sailors and the completion level of the ships are much better than those of warships. After all, Dashun's prosperous maritime trade requires a large number of ships. Although  The imperial court was unable to pay enough for the time being, but China Merchants Bureau, which was one of the government-run enterprises, still used its own advance to mobilize a considerable number of ships to support this operation.  As the second largest port on Taiwan Island, Keelung Port is also located at the northernmost tip and closest to Ryukyu, and it has become the main port of call for this operation. ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? We would like to thank the book friend stainless_lotus for the reward, it seems that it comes every day during this period, and I can only repay it by writing a book seriously. ?????????????????????????? Everyone basically thinks that we should write Xinshun, so how about not doing this, because it¡¯s meaningless to talk about empty versus empty. During this time, I wrote a few thousand words at the beginning of these, how about you choose?  Sooner or later it will have to be given to the editor anyway.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 97 Battle of Keelung 1

    Keelung was called "Chicken Coop" in ancient times.  In the 17th century, the Spanish and the Dutch successively occupied Keelung and used "Dajilong Island" (today: Heping Island) as a base to colonize northern Taiwan, which was the beginning of the development of chicken cages.  Afterwards, the Zheng Dynasty drove the Dutch colonists out of Taiwan.  In 1665, Emperor Dashun Shizong, who had driven the Manchus out of Shanhaiguan, sent his troops across the strait to recover Taiwan.  After Dashun regained Taiwan, due to the sparse population on the mainland after a long period of war and the severe miasma in Taiwan, Keelung's development was very slow until the early 19th century.  In view of Keelung's superior port location and nearby coal mines, Dashun built the port here.  With the widespread use of steam ships in maritime transportation, Keelung Port's unique geographical location and status as a coaling port have become increasingly important.  By 1885, Dashun finally began to build a military port, forts, warehouses, ship repair yards, coal mines and other equipment in Keelung, preparing to build it into an important naval base.  But due to lack of funds.  By 1891, many facilities had not been completed, and even early Guoquan himself only lived in a local red brick church left by the Dutch colonists.  On the evening of August 17, 1891, Feng Kaigui walked quickly towards the church door. He had not seen him for several years. His face was more calm. Due to his great achievements in Burma, his official career had been prosperous over the years and he had climbed to the top.  He holds the high position of the fourth rank. When Zao Guoquan came to Taiwan this time, the first thing he did was to transfer this capable veteran to his subordinates and entrust him with the important position of guarding Keelung Port.  At this time, there was a look of anxiety on his face, and it was obvious that there was something urgent.  "Lord Feng!" The captain of the guard standing at the door of the church obviously knew this popular man under Marshal Zao. He stepped forward, gave a military salute, and asked: "Do you have something urgent to ask to see the Marshal?" "Yes! For me!  I'll pass it on, I have something important to report!" "No, the commander-in-chief has an explanation. Mr. Feng, you can come and see me. No need to pass the message!" The guard captain's attitude was very respectful: "Commander, this point should be behind the church.  Take a walk in the garden to eat, you can just go there!" "Thank you!" Feng Kaigui didn't show any politeness at this time and went straight to the garden.  He was very familiar with the environment here. After turning two corners, he saw a middle-aged man strolling in the dusk ahead.  He hurried up and bowed down and said: "Commander, Keelung garrison Feng Kaigui has a military report!" "It's Kaigui!" Zao Guoquan turned around with a happy smile on his face: "No need.  You're being polite, we're all our own people, it's easy to talk!" "Yes, Marshal!" Feng Kaigui said solemnly: "I just received a telegram. The crew of a cargo ship that just landed at Tamsui Port said that they were killed by a man at sea last night.  The British ship intercepted the ship. The British ship first asked them to stop the ship with a flag signal, and then sent sailors on board to inspect. The sailors discovered the mines and ammunition on the ship, and announced that the waters near Taiwan and Ryukyu were demilitarized zones, and  Notice of banning arms shipments to Keelung Port. "Then what?" Zao Guoquan looked confused: "What happened to the cargo ship? How did you know the news?" Feng Kaigui also looked dumbfounded:  "Then the British released the freighter. The freighter was afraid of being discovered again by British warships, so they disembarked from Tamsui Port. The mines and ammunition are now in Tamsui Port, and it may take more than ten days to arrive."  "Eh? What's the plan of the British?" Zao Guoquan frowned. Judging from the British's sudden blockade of Keelung Port's arms, it should be to attack Taiwan or prevent Dashun from regaining Ryukyu, but this level of blockade  It's too easy. Don't they know that there is more than one port in Keelung in Taiwan?  "Commander, no matter what, I think we should step up our defenses. The British are obviously favoring the Japanese this time. According to what I see, all forts should be on alert immediately. Cargo ships should leave Keelung Port as soon as possible, and warships should be ready to light fires at any time.  Prepare for battle." "Well, be prepared!" Zao Guoquan nodded: "Just do what you say!" "Yes!" Feng Kaigui was about to turn away, but suddenly stopped: "Commander, the problem is  The dozen or so warships in the fleet do not belong to me, so¡ª¡ª" "I understand!" Zao Guoquan nodded: "Kaigui, go about your business first, I will take care of the fleet's affairs.  "That humble post is gone!" Looking at Feng Kaigui's leaving figure, Zao Guoquan also had a look of worry on his face. As a leading general, what he fears most is the lack of coordination between the top and bottom.  But the problem is that the dozen or so warships in Keelung Port are not only old and new, but also belong to the two major systems of the South and the North. The various intricate relationships between them are even more troublesome.  Although Zao Guoquan was a minister appointed by the imperial court, he still had a headache from the navy he had never encountered before.  "Come here, inform the navy's ship leaders that I will host a banquet for them at noon tomorrow!" "Yes, Marshal!"   On the sea outside Keelung, seven or eight warships have anchored and are gently undulating with the waves. This is a detachment belonging to the Far East Squadron of the Royal Navy. The main force of this squadron is a "Nelson" class  It is composed of a "Shannon" class armored cruiser, and there are four other warships in the fleet that serve as auxiliary functions such as liaison, coal transportation, and shallow water gunboats.  The earliest imaginary enemies of these two types of armored cruisers were the famous armored cruiser "Admiral" launched by the Russians in the 1870s. After all, Russia was relatively poor and had a huge army. It was unable to have a large number of troops like the United Kingdom.  Ironclad ship.  However, Russia has never believed that it should lag behind in the fight for hegemony. Therefore, how to achieve greater naval combat effectiveness under a relatively limited budget has become the main problem faced by the Russian Navy. The naval community in the 19th century still believed that: win the fleet decisive battle, and then  Suppressing the enemy in the port and not being able to maneuver is the serious way to win.  Therefore, in order to obtain stronger combat effectiveness, it is necessary to maximize the number of ships that can participate in fleet decisive battles. For the British, of course, a group of armored ships is enough. The Russians found another way to let the cruisers originally known for their speed also wear iron armor.  Of course, the armor of the armored cruiser is much thinner and the coverage is much smaller. However, there is a big gap in the cost of the cruiser and the armored ship. The Russian army can rely on quantity to counter the enemy's quality.  Since the original missions of British cruisers were escort, reconnaissance, notification and display of force, all of which were low-intensity missions, British cruisers of the same era suddenly fell behind Russian armored cruisers in terms of protection and firepower. Since there was no armor in the waterline area  With it, the enemy's explosive bullets will cause extremely terrifying killing effects.  Because the cruiser itself has the characteristics of good navigation performance and long endurance, if the Russian armored cruiser is used to attack British shipping all over the world's oceans, none of the British cruisers escorting the shipping will be able to confront it alone, and the ironclads will not be able to pursue it.  superior.  From the 1970s to the early 1980s, the armored cruisers built by the Royal Navy were required to be at least equal to similar enemy ships in terms of firepower, protection and speed, and even required to win, so that they could annihilate enemy ships in one fell swoop in the defense of trade routes.  .  The "Shannon" class came into being, and its first ship was sent to the slipway in 1873.  The "Shannon" class armored cruiser has a displacement of 5,670 tons. In order to be able to serve at foreign naval stations, the Shannon class has a draft of only 6.78 meters. The Royal Navy's cruisers must have a shallow draft to adapt to ports of varying depths in various places.  Her waterline was covered by a 9-foot-tall wrought-iron armored belt covering the entire length of the ship, 8-9 inches (203-228mm) thick amidships and thinning to 6 inches (152mm) aft, making  Her hull was almost immune to most explosive shells of the time.  As for armament, her main gun is the Woolwich 10-inch 15-caliber front-loading rifled gun (weight 18 tons) MKII.  The main weapons include seven 9-inch (228mm) 14-fold MKIV front-loading rifled guns.  Although it cannot compete with the main armored ships, it still has weapons with sufficient power in the Far East.  But it also has weaknesses. Since the armor belt and powerful firepower take up most of the tonnage, the "Shannon" class armored cruiser has to make sacrifices in coal bunkers and engines, so its speed and maximum range using steam engines are not ideal.  .  The fast battleships of the Russians and the French, which were covered with wrought iron armored belts on the waterline and could sail at astonishing speeds, posed a huge threat to the British's countless routes to maintain the empire on which the sun never set.  Britain responded immediately and built its improved "Nelson" class shortly after the launch of the "Shannon" class.  As the successor of the "Shannon" class, the hull of the "Nelson" has been enlarged, reaching 7400-7600 tons, retaining the angle of attack and sails for supplementary power. Its weapons are the same as those of the "Shannon" class.  However, the enlarged hull accommodates more advanced engines and larger coal bunkers. This allows the "Nelson" class to escape from the opponent at a faster speed when encountering an ironclad ship with stronger firepower, and then pursue the enemy.  When attacking a fleet, being able to catch up with the opponent is extremely important for a squadron whose main tasks are search, escort, and display of force.  Although more advanced high-speed cruisers have begun to appear in the Royal Navy's battle lines, these slightly outdated warships were still very intimidating on the East Asian ocean in the early 1890s.  Colonel Jefferson stood on the bridge of the flagship "Steadfast", looking proudly at his fleet and the sailors on the mast who were lowering the sails. The hot subtropical afternoon sun shone through the gaps in the sails and illuminated his wrinkles and scars.  The expression on his face made this old sailor who had been floating on the sea for nearly forty years feel comfortable in his bones. This brought a kind smile to his face, which was extremely rare for him.  Andrei started working as a trainee on the ship at the age of fourteen.  Jefferson has been floating on the water for thirty-eight years, six months and seventeen days. During this long period of time, he has been wallowing in an unreliable and dangerous environment. There is only one thing separating him from the unpredictable eternity.  Thin oak planks.  Fair enough, Andre.Colonel Jefferson did not have the wisdom and foresight necessary for a great general, but he did not lack tenacity and courage. He was strict but fair to his sailors. His many years of naval career gave him rich maritime experience and an astonishing understanding of naval doctrine.  All this earned him a good reputation among sailors and junior officers, which is why he was able to become the commander of this detachment. Now there is only a small gap between him and a general of the Royal Navy.  The old man had never been as eager to advance as he was now.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 98 Battle of Keelung 2

    Jefferson turned around and saw a patch of brown at the end of the sea level.  As an old sailor, he knew very well that that was the destination of this operation-Keelung Port.  Although the order given to him by his superiors before departure did not allow him to attack this important port on Taiwan Island, it only asked him to blockade the nearby ocean and prevent more troops and military supplies from being transported to this port, and delay it as much as possible  The Chinese used this as a time to attack the Japanese who invaded Ryukyu.  However, after carefully considering the number of fleets he owned and the scale of the goal he wanted to achieve, Colonel Jefferson finally believed that directly attacking the port, destroying all warships and other ships, and setting fire to the supplies in the warehouse was the only possible way to achieve the goal.  The reason is simple. China's coastline is too long, and he has too few ships. There are only seven ships in total, and the remaining one has been sent by him to perform other tasks. In an era without radar and radio, it was impossible to rely on just a few ships.  To block such a long coastline, I am afraid only the Almighty God can do it.  What Jefferson is waiting for now is the people who are going to conduct reconnaissance. He needs to get detailed information before launching an attack, but the reconnaissance people and ships have been out for a day and a half, and there is no response at all.  Jefferson's nose twitched nervously, which was a sign that he was about to get angry.  He took out his pocket watch, took a look at it, and complained loudly.  "Damn, it's already four o'clock! These sluts have been out for a day and a half. These guys must have gotten under the skirt of some whore. I swear to God, if there is no satisfactory explanation, I will  Their backs were whipped like mutton chops in the market!" At this point, Jefferson slammed his thick fist on the railing in anger and shouted down: "Harry, bastard, I am!  Where are the tea and biscuits? Come on, have they been eaten by the devil?" Soon there was a sound of heavy footsteps below, and a young man in a student uniform climbed up the stairs and spoke in English with an Irish accent.  Answer: "Excuse me, Your Excellency Commander. But please believe me, the devil will not eat these biscuits and tea, because they are too unpalatable!" Jefferson snorted and sat down on the wicker chair under the parasol.  His heavy body made the chair creak.  He took the tin pot of milk and poured it into the black tea cup, and whispered: "Okay, I have to admit, you kid is right. I have been chewing navy biscuits for more than thirty years. Those quartermasters  They should all have solid cannonballs tied to their feet and kicked off the gangplank into the sea. I don't know where they found the flour to bake these cookies. It tastes like bricks and I suspect the ingredients are similar.  , which contains as much flour as dust. The sad thing is that you have to eat this thing for decades, so the sailors have bad teeth!" At this point, Jefferson opened his mouth to the students, revealing his uneven gums.  .  Harry quickly refilled Jefferson's tea cup and replied with a smile: "Yes, these biscuits are terrible, but that's okay. We can always handle it, right?" The boy's cheerful look and answer made Jefferson  Very satisfied, he nodded with satisfaction: "You are right, Harry, although the situation is very bad, we can always handle it all, which is why we stay here. Okay, you can  "Going down." "Yes, Commander!" Harry stood up straight and gave the other party a military salute in high spirits.  Jefferson¡¯s right hand gently crossed the brim of his hat, and he looked at the young man¡¯s leaving figure. The conversation just now made him feel better.  "Yes, it is indeed difficult, but the situation will always get better. The good guys of the Royal Navy can always defeat their opponents. You should relax a little and enjoy the afternoon sunshine!" At about nine o'clock in the evening,  The people who were sent out to investigate Keelung finally came back.  Jefferson summoned them immediately. He was satisfied to see the sweat and stains on the commander, Captain Thomson, which showed that his men carried out their orders seriously. However, Jefferson did not feel satisfied.  Showing it, because he had always believed that as a man and as an officer in the Royal Navy, showing emotion was a sign of weakness.  "Your Excellency, Commander, according to your order, we started to conduct a serious reconnaissance of Keelung Port yesterday." Captain Thomson stood in front of a map and explained: "At the beginning, we drove the 'Queen'  'The hydrology and topography of Keelung Port were measured on the periphery of Keelung Port, and the main forts built by the Chinese defenders were marked. This port is located in the north of Taiwan Island, at the entrance to the city. It is a naturally formed sheltered bay with most of the rivers on both sides of the bay.  It is a towering cliff, and the terrain is extremely dangerous. Using the promontory cliffs protruding into the harbor and the shallow waters along the coast, there are strategic positions that can be defended almost everywhere in the harbor. Forts can be seen everywhere, but  Most of the forts should have been built a long time ago.It is not suitable for modern artillery.  In order to confirm this, several soldiers and I took a small boat ashore last night and carefully surveyed a considerable number of forts, which confirmed this. Most of the forts have not been modernized and some have been abandoned.  However, the defenders have built 15 bunkers on the cliffs around Keelung Port, and built a fort on a low land inside the harbor where it is easy to land. This is a fortress-style fort with a total of 4 gun ports facing the sea.  There are four 170mm fortress guns, each of which has additional armor protection. Next to this fort is the road leading from the sea to the Keelung Coal Mine.  The newly arrived commander of the port garrison built two new forts at Baimi Weng and Xiandongbi, the key points in the harbor. He also selected an old earthen fort to expand next to the lowland fort that was conducive to landing.  Very big.  I believe that if they were given another two to three months, it would be impossible to attack this port from the sea.  Colonel Jefferson did not answer immediately, but quietly looked at the situation map that had been marked. A few minutes later, he knocked the fort equipped with five cannons with his knuckles and said, "Let's move this fort  Name it 'D' Fort. This is the key to defense. You are right, Captain. Time is running out and we must launch an attack immediately.  What about warships?  Do you know the berthing situation of ships in the port?  "Captain Thomson's face showed a blush of shame: "Please forgive me, the Chinese sentries are very tight, it is difficult for us to get close to the berthing area. The only thing that can be confirmed is that there are many ships in Keelung Port and they are very mixed.  Probably not ready yet!  " Jefferson frowned slightly, but he did not rebuke his men. His many years of military career told him that it was very difficult to conduct reconnaissance in a completely unfamiliar country. Thomson's men had huge differences in appearance, skin color, language and local people.  The difference is that if you enter the port area for reconnaissance, you will easily be discovered by the locals and inform the defenders. This is tantamount to warning the defenders to be on guard. Maybe the defenders already know your arrival at this time. ¡°You have done a good job.  , Captain Thomson!  Jefferson's voice became gentle: "You can go down and rest now!"  " "Yes, Your Excellency, Commander!  " Jefferson stood next to the map and thought about it for a long time. Finally he raised his head and ordered the adjutant beside him: "Let the captains come to the Steadfast!  "Keelung Port, church. The place that was originally a chapel has been transformed into a banquet hall. The host of the banquet has not yet arrived. A dozen commanders and captains of the warships are sitting around the wine table, bowing their heads.  A thin man with a yellow face cleared his throat and asked in a low voice: "Everyone, who knows the reason why the commander invited us here tonight?  " "Huang Qiandai, you are from Nanyang and you are considered a local snake. You don't even know it. Who of us from the north know?"  "A burly man opposite him smiled. He was the commander of the ironclad "Jiyuan" coming from Lushunkou. His surname was Li De Sheng. The navy in Dashun is actually divided into two systems, the north and the south. On weekdays,  There are many conflicts here, and this time when ships were mobilized from various places, all kinds of conflicts were immediately revealed. "Master Li, you have been here very frequently these days, Marshal Zao.  The Marshal also relies on you very much and obeys your advice. Everyone knows that you are a popular person here, so naturally you know more than I, Mr. Huang!  " Li Desheng was a little annoyed by the other party's strange words. He sneered: "The commander-in-chief is a minister of the imperial court and the commander-in-chief of the military forces in Fujian and Taiwan. Naturally, we have to serve him carefully. There are great rules in Nanyang, and Lianda  Even Shuai's orders can be ignored, but Mr. Li is ignorant!  " Li Desheng's words immediately caused a burst of laughter. If you observe carefully, you will find that almost all the officers who laughed were from the north, but there was a look of dissatisfaction on the faces of the south. Especially the yellow pipe belt, which was originally  His yellow face turned a little blue, and he snorted coldly: "Ignore the military order!  Mr. Li has such a big hat, Mr. Huang cannot afford it.  I would like to ask, who is Commander Xiang Jinde, who wants to push all our ships to the south outside, and you can hear them coming from inside.  Did you come up with this idea?  " Li Desheng sneered and replied: "Yes, it was me!  But what I said is that there are many rocks outside, and it would be difficult for a large ship to move when it stops there, so it should be allowed to stop inside.  Who told you that the boat in the south is small?  ¡± Thank you to book friends Deadwood Huangxue, Sailwind and Stainlesslotus for their rewards. It¡¯s another new week, and I hope everyone will continue to support Weber!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 99 Battle of Keelung 3

    "You are using your power to bully others!" Huang Guandai stood up angrily, his right hand already pressed on the hilt of the saber at his waist. The people next to him quickly reached out to pull him. Li Desheng sneered and replied: "Don't pull him, I, Li Desheng, am empty-handed."  To deal with him, let¡¯s see how good Mr. Huang¡¯s skills are!¡± ¡°The commander is here!¡± At this moment, a message came from outside, and the people at the wine table hurriedly stood upright to welcome Zao Guoquan.  arrival.  Zao Guoquan walked in wearing casual clothes and a reserved smile on his face.  As soon as he reached the table, he pressed his hands down and said with a chuckle: "Sit down, all sit down! I invite you all to come tonight just to talk about personal friendships, there is no need to be so nervous!" "Thank you, Commander!" The generals seemed not to have heard.  After Zao Guoquan's words, they all sat down with their backs straight, as if they were being inspected.  "Zhao Guoquan nodded slightly: "You are all the pillars of the navy, and you all know my mission this time. You cannot do without the navy. If there is anything I did not considerately, please forgive me.  !  " Although the Huang Guan leader was thin and small, he had a very bad temper. In addition, he was only a temporary errand under Zao Guoquan. When he heard this, he simply replied loudly: "The commander-in-chief is very considerate, but he has always been  It's not good for a snake to be headless. We have more than a dozen ships coming to several places, but there is no commander. This is not good!  " Zao Guoquan frowned. He naturally knew this truth, but these days he only let himself serve as fleet commander, and did not choose a professional commander from among these captains. The reason is very simple, the internal relations of the fleet  It is complicated and full of contradictions. No matter who is appointed, many people will be unconvinced. It is better to leave the seat empty for the time being and observe it slowly for a while. Unexpectedly, it was revealed here today. It seems that the contradictions in the Navy have intensified.  It¡¯s impossible to cover it up. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. ¡°Master Huang is right. Who do you think should be the commander of the fleet?  " "Reporting to the commander-in-chief, the subordinate thinks that Lord Qian Shuitingqian, the commander of the gunboat "Jinjiang", is highly skilled in military affairs and is popular with the public, so he should be made the fleet commander!  " As soon as the yellow man finished speaking, a sneer came from across the wine table. Everyone looked to where the sound came from, and saw a sarcastic smile on Li Desheng's face. It was obvious that he was the one who made the noise just now.  Huang Guandai was furious and shouted: "Li Desheng, what do you mean?  " Li Desheng stood up and said with a smile: "It's not interesting!  I just laugh when I think what some people say is funny!  "    "you¡ª¡ª?  "Huang Guandai stared angrily. Fortunately, he still remembered that Zao Guoquan was there, otherwise he would have drawn his sword again. "What am I?  I don't know whether Mr. Qian Shuiting is military proficient or not, but the 'Jinjiang' is just an iron-hulled wooden ship with a displacement of less than a thousand tons. The pipes of this small ship can also be used as fleet commanders to command here.  A dozen cruisers and ironclads?  I, Li Desheng, have been eating on the water for decades, and this is the first time I hear such rules!  " "Okay, let's put the commander's matter aside for now!  "Zhao Guoquan finally spoke, otherwise he would see a fight between these naval officers from the north and south on the table. He really didn't have much to do with these officers who were transferred from all over the world and had nothing to do with him. After all, warships are not  Like the Army, it is too professional and it is difficult to find a replacement, and this is really not the time to change generals on the spot. ¡°Yes, Commander!  "The officers sat down, Qian and Huang glared at each other, but they still didn't dare to say anything else at the wine table. Zao Guoquan looked at the tense leaders at the wine table and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.  He said that when he was in Myanmar at the time, although Chen Zaixing and he seemed to be at odds with each other at first, they later cooperated quite well. Not only did they repel the British, they also took the opportunity to control most of Myanmar, which was a great victory.  Today, these naval officers are obviously his subordinates, but they are making a big fuss. Thinking of this, Zao Guoquan's interest has already dimmed. He said a few perfunctory words.  After three rounds of drinking, he said he was a little tired and left the banquet. When the leaders saw that the atmosphere was not right, they also left one after another, and the banquet ended hastily. Just as Zao Guoquan was trying to use the banquet to mend the rift between his navy generals.  At the same time, Colonel Jefferson and his subordinates spent a sleepless night on the bridge of the armored cruiser "Steadfast". The British naval officers compared the topography of the port and the strength of their own warships to formulate the second plan.  Due to the large number of reefs inside Keelung Port, Colonel Jefferson vetoed the night raid plan from the beginning. He was more worried about the Chinese old warships and the 170mm fortress guns hidden in the water.  After all, according to past test data, the artillery on the enemy's fort is unable to penetrate the armored belt on the British armored cruiser.With some intelligence, Jefferson finally made an extremely brave, or reckless, battle plan.  On the next morning, the British fleet sailed directly into Keelung Port on the grounds of requesting to add coal and water. Since the flagship "Steadfast" and another "Shannon" class armored cruiser had a deep draft and could not approach the shore, they  Jefferson planned to place the two most powerful and heavily armored warships at the intersection of firepower of several forts that had been discovered, or at a location where all the forts could be bombarded at the same time.  The reason why Jefferson dared to do this was mainly because he believed that these two warships had 8-9 inches of armor and 4 Woolwich 10-inch 15-caliber front-loading rifled guns (weight 18 tons) MKII and 7 9-inch (228mm)  ) 14x caliber MKIV front-loading rifled cannon, and six 20-pound rifled breech-loading cannon.  These two powerful warships, under the control of the heroic sailors of the Royal Navy, will definitely be able to destroy the enemy's defenses on the fort in a very short time. What's more important is that the position of these two armored cruisers can park at the berth.  All the Shunjun warships were blocked in the port, while the two warships with the shallowest draft were responsible for bombarding the enemy forts with mortars close to the shore and sending the Marines ashore. Jefferson planned to occupy the most important fort in order to achieve  In an attempt to attack the enemy ships from both sides in the port, the remaining warships served as flank cover.  At 8:30 the next morning, the British fleet entered Keelung Port like a group of migrating sturgeons. Jefferson stood at the highest position of the bridge in high spirits and saw towering cliffs like city walls on both sides of the river.  On the wall fort, the enemy defenders looked panicked, and he felt an inexplicable pleasure in his heart.  At this time, a young officer ran onto the bridge and reported loudly: "Your Excellency, Commander, a Chinese ship sent us an inquiry using a semaphore, asking us to tell us the reason for entering the port." "Answer them, just say  The fleet is short of coal and fresh water and requires entering the port to replenish it! " "Yes, Your Excellency, Commander!" A few minutes later, the officer boarded the bridge again and loudly reported: "The Chinese replied, this is a strategic military location of China.  Now is an extraordinary period, requiring us to withdraw from the port and go to the nearby Tamsui Port to replenish fresh water and coal. ""Answer them, the Royal Navy of the British Empire has the right to replenish fresh water and coal at any necessary place whenever necessary.  After collecting fuel and fresh water, our fleet is about to leave. And let all the sailors enter the combat position. If the Chinese fire, they will fire back and sink them! " "Yes, your Excellency, Commander!" "The sudden action of the British fleet.  The Chinese defenders in the port were panicked. Neither Feng Kaigui, who was responsible for commanding the defenders on the shore, nor the naval officers on the warships were determined enough to fire on these uninvited guests. After all, everyone knew that the British were the undisputed leader on the sea.  Master, Dashun is in trouble now. It is not a wise decision to fire recklessly and add a new enemy.  Therefore, all the officers on the Dashun side reacted almost unanimously. They asked their soldiers to prepare and at the same time sent liaison officers to ask for instructions from their superiors.  Like many battles in history, both sides in the Battle of Keelung Port accused the other side of firing the first shot, and that their side fired back after being suddenly attacked.  But if third-party historians from a more impartial position believe that it is not so important who fired the first shot, since the battlefield is inside Keelung Port, the British should be the instigator of this war. After all, in this  With special morale, a detachment of the Royal Navy's Far East Squadron went to the desolate port of Keelung to add coal and fresh water. This was not a very convincing excuse for provocation.  At about 9:30 in the morning on August 17, 1891, Jefferson ordered a signal to be hung at the end of the beam and girder of the flagship "Steadfast", ordering all ships to prepare for battle.  Five minutes later, as the guns on the "Steadfast" fired, other warships in the British fleet also began to fire, and the Shunjun warships on the fort also began to fight back.  On the shore, I didn't get on the boat, but was still weighing anchor in the hectic life, and I didn't have time to fight back.  Seeing this situation, Colonel Jefferson made the decision to modify the plan. He asked the "Steadfast" and another armored cruiser to continue bombarding the defenders on the fort, while the remaining warships serving as diversions attacked those who were lighting fires.  A Shunjun warship weighing anchor.  Captain Jefferson followed his own habit and stood on the bridge, watching the British sailors on the deck using the Woolwich 10-inch 15-caliber front-loading rifled gun (weight 18 tons) MKII and 9-inch (228mm) 14-caliber MKIV front-loading rifle.  The cannon violently bombarded the enemy fort not far away.  Since the "Steadfast" is parked too close, and the main battery of Keelung Port is located on the flat land by the sea, the enemy can be hit by flat fire, so the two sides are like two knights fighting hand-to-hand, both holding daggers at each other.  He stabbed randomly on his body, and the hit rate was astonishingly high.  Jefferson on the bridge could even hear the whizzing sound in his ears from time to time. He knew very well that it was the Chinese firing from the fort.He heard the sound of small-caliber Gatling gun shells passing by, but he still stood upright on the bridge so that the sailors on the deck could see his commander's figure during the battle.  "Mondays are the most annoying. Everything has to be recalculated, and I am suddenly kicked out of the category popularity list. I have no choice but to ask for rewards, recommendation votes, collections, etc.!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 100 Battle of Keelung 4

    Just two minutes into the battle, two shells hit the side of the "Steadfast". The violent vibration almost knocked Jefferson down, but he stood firmly. Soon the officer on duty reported to him in panic that a shell  It was bounced off the armor belt, and another shell penetrated the iron armor and was blocked by the internal oak lining. And judging from the shape of the shell, it should be a shell much larger than the 170mm caliber. Obviously Thomson  The captain's reconnaissance results yesterday were wrong. The enemy on the fort has artillery with a larger caliber, which can completely pose a threat to the "Steadfast".  "Keep fighting, my boy!" Colonel Jefferson looked into the officer's eyes: "War is not a game of chess. You have no way of knowing how many chess pieces the enemy has. Tell the sailors that old Jefferson is watching them, and so is the Queen.  Look at them, for the sake of the saints, and continue bombarding until the Chinese are destroyed or the water covers our heads!" "Yes, your Excellency, Commander!" The officer calmed down and saluted Colonel Jefferson.  Just run down the steps quickly.  Jefferson looked at his leaving back, made the sign of the cross on his chest, and whispered a prayer.  The main fort was already in a mess.  The battle has been going on for about ten minutes, and the remaining forts have been destroyed by British artillery fire, leaving only the strongest main fort.  All the artillery fire on the two British armored cruisers was concentrated in this small place with a radius of only a few hundred meters, that is to say, 8 10-inch and 14 9-inch guns against 6 170mm guns and 2 240mm guns.  In this battle of disparity in strength, soldiers continued to fall on the fort. Steel and fire destroyed the walls made of red bricks and logs, tearing apart the flesh and life behind them. However, the fort continued to fight back until 9  At 0:47, a shell hit the north side of the main battery, and a raging fire broke out. Two minutes later, the gunpowder magazine of the battery exploded violently, and the main battery stopped firing.  When he saw that the gunfire from the main battery finally fell silent, Jefferson finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although the artillery battle was not long, his own side also paid a heavy price. The "Steadfast" alone was hit by five large-caliber shells.  One main gun was destroyed, more than 20 sailors were killed or wounded, and the losses on other warships have not been counted.  Jefferson took out a handkerchief from his coat pocket, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and ordered: "Send the signal for the Marines to board the main battery. Also, the Steadfast will turn its guns to deal with those enemy warships!"  " 120 Marines, under the command of Captain Thomson, took these three sampans and sailed to the shore. The shallow-water gunboats "Villa" and "Baya" served as fire support tasks, while the flagship "Steadfast" and other  A "Shannon"-class armored cruiser turned its gun muzzle to the Shunjun warships still struggling at the berth, and opened fire to bombard these busy enemies.  Most of the Shunjun warships that are still using old-fashioned steam engines have not yet fired up. It takes a long time for those old-fashioned steam engines to completely cool down and ignite and start up, not to mention that there are enemies bombarding you with cannons at the same time.  Even if there are several successfully launched warships, due to the lack of unified command, they often rush directly to the exit of the port, hoping to rush to the open ocean to avoid being blocked in a narrow berth and passively beaten, but in doing so  The result was that they were sunk by those two terrifying armored cruisers. As time went by, the battle situation became more and more unfavorable to Shunfang.  At about 10:30 in the morning, a Union Jack flag was finally raised at the main fort in Keelung Port. The British Marines who occupied the fort found a 170mm gun that had not been blown up by the defenders, and some  Surprised by the intact shells, Captain Thomson immediately ordered his men to move the artillery in the direction of the Shunjun berth, and began to fire at the remaining Shunjun warships.  On the "Jiyuan", the gunfire was rumbling, and the deck was covered with a mixture of blood and fine sand sprinkled to prevent slipping. The leader, Li Desheng, with smoke stains on his face and a sword in his hand, loudly yelled at the sailors.  Among the more than a dozen warships in charge, he was the one who managed the military more strictly. He slept on the ship last night, and most of the sailors were also on the ship.  The "Jiyuan" is also the one with the thickest armor and the most powerful firepower among these warships. Therefore, as soon as the British made a surprise attack, he responded quickly. However, the ignition speed of the old steam engine was astonishingly slow. It was not until just now that the "Jiyuan"  Light a fire and get rid of the dilemma of sitting and being beaten.  However, Li Desheng did not order to rush out of the port. Firstly, he also saw the fate of those who escaped in front, so it was better to stay. After all, there was still a fort for cover.  The second is that the remaining ones are all from the north, and they usually have good personal relationships. If he ran out alone and couldn't explain to his superiors when he returned, it would be better to stay and fight to the death.  "My lord, my lord! Oh no, the fort has been lost!" A sailor shouted to Li Desheng in panic.  "What!" Li Desheng's expression changed drastically. He turned around and saw a Union Jack flag rising slowly over the main fort.  "What can we do?" Li Desheng's heart suddenly became confused. If the fort was in the hands of Shunjun, he could still fight to the death.if.  Now he can be said to have fallen into a desperate situation. The British ships not only have strong firepower and thick armor, but also have the advantage of attacking from both sides. It is only a matter of time before his side is sunk.  "Sir, look, the white flag has been raised over the Chengyuan!" an officer shouted again. Li Desheng looked up and saw that a white flag was raised on the mast of a small warship not far away, and the artillery fire stopped.  .  "Wen Laosan, you weakling, I'll fuck your eighteenth generation ancestor!" Li Desheng couldn't help but cursed in anger. The cowardice of his companions made him extremely angry. He turned around and ordered to his subordinates: "Give the order, send the signal,  Let other active warships follow me and rush out of the port! " "Yes, sir!" At this moment, a grenade fired from the enemy ship hit the deck of the "Jiyuan" with a violent blast.  Lang rushed into the open command room, and there was chaos inside.  When the officers regained consciousness, they found that their pipe belts had fallen to the ground. They quickly helped Li Desheng up and let him lie half on the captain's chair. He had already fallen into a semi-conscious state.  , blood was pouring out from the terrible wound on the chest. The width of the wound was so large that the squirming internal organs could be vaguely seen inside.  "Sir, please wake up quickly, you can't sleep!" The first mate tried his best to block the wound with everything he could find, while shaking Li Desheng's head violently to prevent him from falling into that fatal drowsiness.  Finally, Li Desheng's eyes slowly opened, but from his pupils that had lost focus, it could be judged that he could no longer see anything at this time.  "Speed ??up, rush out, rather die than surrender!" "Yes, sir, rush out, rather die than surrender!" The first mate felt a sharp pain tearing through his chest, and he closed his eyes hard to avoid tears.  welled up.  "Pass the command from the general, speed up, rush out, rather die than surrender!" The first mate's voice was deafening, as if the "Jiyuan" also felt the anger of her masters, gasping for breath, exiting the port  It rushed in the direction, and several other movable warships also followed it, as if following a mother's child.  On the bridge of the "Steadfast", Captain Jefferson looked at the battlefield with great satisfaction. He could now proudly announce that the victory was determined. The fort had been occupied. Half of the enemy's warships had been sunk or destroyed, and the remaining  Being sunk is just a matter of time, and the rest is too simple. Although there may be many intact enemy armies on the shore, as long as they are within the range of naval guns, the small army of the British Empire can  The team is invincible.  After destroying several warehouses, the Chinese will not be able to attack Ryukyu for a long time. The only thing they can do is to strive for a decent defeat at the negotiation table.  Colonel Jefferson could almost hear the solemn music of the investiture ceremony in his ears, and he could swear to God that this was not an auditory hallucination.  "Death struggle!" When he saw the "Jiyuan" rushing toward him, a sneer appeared on Jefferson's face. It was obvious that these Chinese people were desperate, so they took this stupid action that was no different from committing suicide.  , shooting a warship with a ten-inch caliber cannon at this distance is as sure as holding a revolver to the belly and shooting. It is impossible for these old Chinese warships to withstand large-caliber shells.  He ordered in a low voice to the officer on the side: "Tell the gunnery commander to replace all the guns with solid bullets and aim at part of the enemy's waterline. Fire at a distance of 600 meters!" "Yes, your Excellency, Commander!" Black smoke  Rolling out of the chimney of the "Jiyuan" showed that the warship's horsepower had been increased to the maximum. The bow broke through the waves, and shells continued to fly by, but the ship's speed still did not slow down. Li Desheng was half lying on the seat.  , his face was pale, and he was murmuring from time to time. It was obvious that he had entered the last stage of his life.  Suddenly, a row of red light flashed from the muzzle of the British ship in the distance, and then there was a violent vibration on the hull of the "Jiyuan". Li Desheng was also thrown off his seat and fell.  Fall to the ground.  The sudden shock woke him up. He opened his eyes suddenly and asked, "What's wrong? Did you rush out?" "Sir, three bullets were hit near the waterline, which tore a big hole. The cabin entered  Water!" A frightened sailor rushed in and shouted.  "Order to pump out the water!" "Sir, the water came in too fast, the hole was too big, and it's too late to pump out the water!" The first mate, who had just become the acting captain, bit his lip. He had already felt the tilt of the ship's hull. He didn't need to see it with his own eyes.  Knowing how fast the water was entering, it was obvious that escape was impossible.  He gritted his teeth and suddenly heard a weak voice calling his own: "Yunhe, Yunhe!" There were so few recommendation votes today that I burst into tears and asked for all kinds of things!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 101 Battle of Keelung 5

    He lowered his head in surprise and saw Li Desheng's eyes opened, and he was struggling to sit up from the ground. He quickly leaned over and hugged him: "Sir, don't move around, be careful to tear the wound!"  "Leave me alone, I can't do it anymore." Li Desheng said with his last breath: "Crash into it, aim at the enemy's flagship and hit it!" The first mate was stunned and immediately understood what the officer meant. He gritted his teeth and said,  Shouted loudly: "Give the order, continue to pump water, speed up, direction, enemy flagship!"  " On the bridge of the flagship of the "Steadfast", there was already chaos. Facing the "Jiyuan" that was rushing towards us at full speed, the British ships fired all their guns, beating the opponent like a lit paper lantern, but  This did not slow down the speed of the "Jiyuan" at all. The distance between the two sides had shortened to only seventy or eighty meters. A few British officers with good eyesight could even see that the rear of the "Jiyuan" was busy putting out the fire.  "You bastard, it's too late to turn around, come on!"  "Captain Jefferson used his many years of experience to accurately judge that it was too late for us to avoid it. After all, the "Steadfast" had a larger displacement, and there was also an angle of attack installed on the bow of the ship for collision, so he could just hit it head-on. With the violent blow,  In the shock, Jefferson fell from the bridge like a heavy sandbag. His forehead hit the oak deck hard and he fainted immediately. ¡°Commander, Commander!  " With the violent shaking, Jefferson slowly woke up. While regaining his consciousness, he also felt a sharp pain in his arm. He frowned in pain, only to find that his right forearm was partially twisted into  "Your right arm is broken, Commander. Please hold on, the doctor will be here soon!"  "The officer on the side said loudly. "Damn it!  "Jefferson gritted his teeth, pushed his men away with his good hand, and stood up. He saw that the bow of the "Steadfast" was in a mess, and a huge hole appeared at the waterline on the right side of the bow, and the sea water  It is rapidly pouring in. Not far from the "Steadfast", the shunjun ship that just collided with our own is sinking rapidly. The water is almost flush with the deck of the other side's ship. The shunjun ship on the ship is sinking rapidly.  The sailors were jumping into the sea, looking for opportunities to escape. Two British gunboats were approaching them, and the British sailors on board were shooting at the enemy forces struggling on the water. "Your Majesty, Commander, there are already four.  The enemy warship escaped. When the enemy ship collided with ours just now, the situation was very chaotic, so-" the British officer said this, and his voice became smaller. "Okay!  "Colonel Jefferson impatiently interrupted his subordinates' report: "It doesn't matter how many small boats escaped. Anyway, there is no way the Chinese can take back Ryukyu with these small boats!  Now you immediately ask the two gunboats to stop playing the game of shooting waterfowl and move closer to the side of 'Steadfast'.  Also, get Old Tom from the damage control department over here, I want to know how bad the situation is!  " "Yes, Your Excellency, Commander!  " Two minutes later, a short, fat man with soot and oil stains on his face came to Jefferson. Jefferson interrupted the other person's salute and asked directly: "Old Tom, tell me now, what is the situation of 'firm'?  How bad?  " "Too bad!  "Old Tom rubbed his garlic nose and added a stain on his face: "The breach made by the Chinese was very large, and the speed of pumping out water was much slower than that of incoming water. In order to prevent the hull from tilting, I  The only option is to fill the watertight compartment on the opposite side. However, the stability of the Steadfast will be greatly reduced. The waterline may only be a little more than half a meter away from the deck. A single salvo and a big wave will capsize the ship.  "    "I see!  "Jefferson nodded. He thought for a moment and ordered to the first mate on the side: "Pass my order. Except for the most necessary personnel, all other sailors and officers should retreat to other ships. Also, let'  The Djibouti came to tow the Steadfast out of Keelung Port. After the other ships bombarded the munitions depot in Keelung Port, they assisted the Marines who came ashore to retreat!  " "Yes, Your Excellency, Commander!  "The young officer ran away quickly. Jefferson turned around and looked at Old Tom, with a rare soft expression on his face: "Old Tom, I'm sorry, you and your people must take the greatest risk to insist on staying.  On the ship, I must try my best to save the ship, at least not to let it sink in Keelung Port, which may fall into the hands of the Chinese.  " "You don't have to explain anything to me, I understand, Colonel!  Old Tom nodded calmly: "Sailors are meant to die at sea!"  "After that, he gave Jefferson a military salute and disappeared on the deck. The next day, that is, on the evening of August 18, 1891, the "Resolute" armored cruiser sank about 30 nautical miles northeast of Taiwan due to wind and waves.  At the surface of the ocean, the engineer was also connected to the sinking of the "Steadfast".??Special.  Captain Tom and seven sailors.  At about five o'clock in the afternoon that day, accompanied by a small group of soldiers, Zao Guoquan boarded the original site of the red brick chapel that was his residence. Since the chapel was within the range of the British naval gun, the battle had just begun.  He was escorted to a safer place by soldiers sent by Feng Kaigui.  Zao Guoquan looked at the unrecognizable building in front of him in pain. Under the bombardment of grenades and incendiary bombs, this church was now only a ruin. The air was filled with the unique smell of burning animal leather.  Several guards couldn't help covering their noses with their sleeves.  Zao Guoquan suddenly pushed open the half-remaining door and walked into the ruins. He had just taken a few steps when he suddenly stumbled and almost fell to the ground. The guard who followed quickly reached out to hold him up, but before he could speak,  When he spoke, he was pushed away by the other party.  Zao Guoquan touched the ground twice and picked up a broken piece of wood. It was the object he tripped over just now. When he looked carefully, he saw that it was the cross that was originally hung on the wall. Now it was half burnt, but it was still  You can clearly see the shape of the crucified Jesus. After this unlucky "Son of God" was crucified on the cross by his companions two thousand years ago, today he was grilled with grenades and incendiary bombs by his devout followers.  Zao Guoquan looked at the fragment, angrily pushed it to the entourage behind him, and walked back into the ruins.  Twenty minutes later, when Dong Zao Guoquan walked out of the ruins, although his face was still ugly, it was no longer the frightening livid color just now. Several of his confidants exchanged glances, knowing that they had already reported the war situation.  It's time.  "Commander!" Feng Kaigui walked out of the ranks, bowed to Zao Guoquan, and said in a deep voice: "We have just calculated the approximate losses. Among the twelve warships, except for Beiyang's 'Yun Heng' and 'Wu Sheng'  The three ships "Yuntian" and "Yuntian" rushed out of the port. The current situation is unknown, and all of them have been lost. Among them, the "Chengyuan" flew a white flag and was captured by the British. The others were either sunk or severely damaged by the army's forts.  It was destroyed, with 745 soldiers killed and wounded, 17 cannons, 60,000 shi of food stored in the warehouse, 4,000 men's clothing, 250 tons of cooking oil, and some ammunition were all burned by the British.  " Feng Kaigui's voice became softer and quieter, and in the end, it was no different from a mosquito.  "Where is the cargo ship!" "Report to the commander, fortunately, Li Guandai of 'Jiyuan' risked his own life at the critical moment and rammed his ship into the enemy's flagship, frightening the enemy chief away. The cargo ship and passenger ship parked in another berth suffered no losses!  " Hearing that the freighter and passenger ship were not damaged, Zao Guoquan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He took a few steps away and looked towards the ocean in the distance. Under the light of the setting sun, he could clearly see a ship near the port.  The top of the small mast is exposed out of the water, which is where the "Jiyuan" sank.  "Commander!" Feng Kaigui threw himself to the ground: "Your humble position and incompetence have led to the defeat of the king's division. I hope the commander will punish you severely!" After saying this, he kowtowed repeatedly.  "Come here, write it down!" Zao Guoquan summoned the secretary and dictated loudly, "|At about eight o'clock this morning, the British fleet invaded our Keelung Port. There were dozens of giant iron-clad ships, more than a hundred small ships, and their masts covered the sky.  , bullets rained down, and thousands of British barbarians pretended to attack in small boats. Our forts were smashed, and many warships were damaged. The defenders motivated the soldiers with loyalty and fought bloody battles with the British. The battle was full of thieves and corpses until one o'clock in the afternoon.  Xu, Li Desheng, the leader of the "Jiyuan", saw the critical situation of the battle and rammed his ship into the enemy's flagship. The British chieftain's liver and gallbladder were shattered and he could not support himself, so he fled in large numbers, killing and wounding more than a thousand British thieves. Four enemy ships were severely damaged and cleared.  No calculation. However, we also suffered a lot of casualties, all the warships were destroyed, and the clothes, stores of food, and ammunition were all destroyed by artillery fire. I begged the superiors to send them quickly to pay the soldiers!" Feng Kaigui couldn't help being surprised and happy when he heard this.  This excerpt dictated by Guo Quan completely erased the fact of defeat, turned a British raid on the port into a landing battle, and turned a disastrous defeat for our side into a victory in a hard-fought battle to repel the enemy. Naturally, he was guilty of this.  He took it away.  He couldn't help but feel grateful and ashamed in his heart. He threw himself to the ground and said loudly: "I'm humble and incompetent. Thank you for your protection, Marshal!" "Master Feng!" Zao Guoquan sighed, walked to the other party and patted his shoulder.  The voice said: "Go to Tamsui Port immediately. The three boats that rushed out should have gone there. You must be on the same page with them, otherwise -" At this point, Zao Guoquan stopped talking.  "I understand, I understand!" Feng Kaigui immediately jumped up from the ground and loudly said: "I will set off immediately, sir, please rest assured, there will never be any mistakes!" Shanghai, Liu Family Mansion.  Chen Zaixing and Liu Zhiping were sitting at the long table, reading newspapers from major newspapers in Shanghai and imperial newspapers, and having breakfast.  The well-trained servants were silently placing exquisite meals on the table and removing the finished dishes. ? ?Thanks to book friends trainee police officer and Jiangnan deyu for the reward. I am so happy to see that the ranking has moved higher!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 102 Aftermath

    "Haha!" Chen Zaixing laughed suddenly. He put down the tea cup in his hand to prevent the tea from staining his clothes, and said with a smile: "I didn't expect that after three years of not seeing each other, this commander-in-chief has improved a lot, and he can actually  "You're telling a joke!" "Commander Zao, are you telling me a joke?" Liu Zhiping was stunned when he heard this: "My nephew, what did you say?" "Please see, Mr. Zao Guoquan, even dared to hand over such a joke.  , The feeling is that no one in the imperial court dares to deal with him. When the late emperor was alive, he would not dare to do such a thing even if he had ten courages!" Chen Zaixing sneered and handed over the newspaper in his hand to Liu Zhiping.  He took the newspaper, read it and frowned and said: "The British actually helped the Japanese? This is troublesome, but why do you think this report is wrong?" "Zhao Guoquan said in the report that the British had  "The giant iron-clad ships are comfortable, but there are more than a hundred small ships", but as far as I know, the entire British navy only has dozens of giant iron-clad ships, most of which have to stay in the mainland, and there are only three or four in the Far East.  , even if they all come to Keelung Port, there won¡¯t be so many of them. Besides, I¡¯ve been to Keelung Port. If dozens of armored ships were to enter, I¡¯m afraid it would be troublesome to even turn around. It would be nice if they didn¡¯t bump into each other.  How can we still fight? This is obviously the old trick of exaggerating the enemy's situation and turning defeat into victory. "Hey, what do you think the real situation is?" "We don't know the real situation yet, but it should be bad!"  "Chen Zaixing's face became gloomy: "If it is according to what is said in the brochure: 'The warships were destroyed, and the uniforms, food stores, and ammunition were all destroyed by artillery fire,' then the imperial court would not be able to get Ryukyu back in the short term.  In terms of financial difficulties, the British are obviously ganging up with the Japanese. We are afraid that the imperial court will suffer a loss on the Ryukyu issue. " "What Fusheng said is true!" Liu Zhiping nodded: "If so.  In this way, I am afraid that the court will be in a dilemma. It will either risk the continued deterioration of its finances and deal with the Japanese and the British, or it will have to make concessions on the Ryukyu issue. " "Uncle Shi, I have something to trouble you!  Buy the nearest ferry ticket for me. I want to go back to Myanmar as soon as possible. "I'm afraid it's not safe. Why not go by land?" Liu Zhiping asked doubtfully.  "There is no way. Since the British have intervened in the Ryukyu issue, I am afraid that something will happen in Myanmar. You also know the situation there. Many Burmese nobles and monks are dissatisfied with Luo Lin and me. If the British intervene,  I'm afraid something will go wrong. I have to rush back as soon as possible. The railway is not connected and the land route is too slow!" "It's easy to say!" "After I go back, Uncle Shi has to worry about the railway fundraising. Also, I have to worry about it.  I will let Brother Qingyang return to Shanghai after I return!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will do my own thing!¡± Tokyo, Japan.  This huge city has been enveloped in an atmosphere of ecstasy. In every street and alley, you can see ronin wearing kimonos and clogs, waving Japanese flags, shouting slogans: "Long live the Empire, goodwill between Japan and Britain!"  .  Even the ordinary men and women passing by had joyful smiles on their faces.  "Have you heard? The Chinese fleet preparing for the expedition to Ryukyu in Keelung Port, Taiwan, was destroyed by the British fleet two days ago. All the supplies in the warehouse were burned, and the bodies of the Chinese soldiers and sailors who were killed were  The water of Keelung Port is covered with tens of thousands of people." A man with a rough voice stood at the bridge and shouted loudly to the onlookers.  "Is it true? Are there really tens of thousands of people?" a young woman asked bravely.  "Of course it's true, you can read the newspaper! You can't deceive people with black and white words!" The man replied loudly: "That's not all. More than a dozen warships with thousands of tons were sunk, including ironclads.  The Cizhi man's vitality is seriously damaged!" "It's an armored ship!" There was a sound of breathing from the crowd, and both men and women had a look of relief on their faces.  Since the invasion of Ryukyu and the retaliation from Dashun's army, the Sword of Damocles that hung in the hearts of every ordinary Japanese man and woman has finally been put down.  Everyone knows that Ryukyu is the protectorate of Dashun. If Japan invades Ryukyu, it means going to war with Dashun, a big country whose land area, population and army are more than ten times or even dozens of times that of the Japanese.  This is a risky, even crazy, decision.  "I'm finally relieved!" The woman patted her chest and said with a smile: "I was worried that Dashun's fleet would come to Tokyo Bay? If that happens, it will be troublesome!" A woman next to him also said  He nodded in agreement: "Yes, even if we don't reach Tokyo Bay, it will be very troublesome to continue the stalemate! But fighting such a big country will definitely cost a lot of money, and taxes will definitely increase, right? Today's Japan?It¡¯s sad enough, it¡¯s better to reach a contract as soon as possible!  " "Yeah, it's better to be peaceful!  "There was a burst of agreement from the crowd. "What do you know!  "The man with a rough voice sneered disdainfully: "With the help of the British, we athletes of the Japanese Empire can cross the sea, fight to Shanghai, go up the Yangtze River, and occupy the palace of Emperor Dashun, where  With endless wealth and fertile land, each of us can live a happy life!  "The crowd was silent, and everyone's face showed an expression of longing and fear. Almost every Japanese knows what kind of country is across the sea. In Japanese, "Tang goods" originally mean exquisite, high-end, and  Synonymous with high-quality imported products, compared to its own barren, small, earthquake-prone and volcanic country, how beautiful and rich a country that can produce so many exquisite goods will be? But can Japan win this battle?  War? The enemy is bigger and richer than Japan! The man saw the worries of the crowd, and he said loudly: "You don't have to worry about not winning. It is true that China has many people and a vast land, but the victory of the war  Success is not determined by the number of people or the amount of money, but by the protection of God and the unity of the people.  We, Japan, are a kingdom blessed by eight million gods, and with the support of the British, we will definitely be able to defeat the scattered Chinese!  Long live the emperor, long live the army!  Long live the Japanese Empire!  " "Long live the emperor and long live the army!  Long live the Japanese Empire!  "The crowd echoed loudly in ecstasy. "At this time, a carriage drove through the street, and the curtain of the window was slightly opened. A pair of beautiful eyes looked out through the gap, and the curtain was quickly lowered again.  .    "What's wrong?  A Cang, how is the situation outside?  "Ito Hirobumi, who was closing his eyes to rest, asked in a low voice. "It's the ronin giving a speech again!  A Cang sighed: "I can't even count how many ronin I've encountered on this street giving speeches. People are acting crazy!"  " "You are right, the people are indeed crazy!  "Ito Hirobumi opened his eyes, with a sarcastic smile on his fair face: "They are all crazy. The whole of Japan is already a madhouse!  " " Mr. Ito, how could this happen!  A Cang moved his body to get closer to the other party: "I went to Kinoshita House yesterday, and the owner of the store told me that the price of clothes has increased by 20%. The reason is that the price of silk has increased, and a lot of silk has been taken away."  I'm making ammunition bags for the navy. What if I don't have silk to make kimonos?  But people all cheered and said they wanted to fight the Chinese to the death.  " "Haha, there is nothing to worry about. A Cang, go and tell the boss of Kinoshita House to make two more pieces of the clothes you like and send them to me. I will pay the bill!  "Ito Hirobumi hugged his concubine's shoulders: "As for why this is the case?  A Cang, have you ever been to a casino?  " "Been there!  " "Then let me ask you, if you had 10,000 yen, would you place all your bets at once?  " "Of course not, that would be too risky. I will put some small chips first and try my luck!  " "That's it, but what if you have twenty yen, or even only five yen?  "    "this!  A Cang showed a hesitant look on his face and replied: "Then there is no other way. With only such a small amount of money to gamble, the only choice is to go all-in!"  " "You are right, we in Japan are the gamblers with only five yen!  In this huge casino, Japan has too little capital and is a latecomer, so he can only have any hope of success by putting all his belongings, even himself, on the gaming table.  We are not like Dashun or the British. They can take a look at the situation first. Japan has no capital to take a look at the situation!  Just like the ronin said just now, ¡®Japan is a country protected by eight million gods.  ¡¯ All Japan can count on are those eight million gods!  "Speaking of this, Ito Hirobumi showed a sad smile on his lips. A panicked look appeared on Akura's face: "Then, why didn't you stop Mr. Inoue?  You are a veteran and a trusted minister of His Majesty the Emperor. How can you put the entire country as a bargaining chip on the gambling table?  " "It's useless, A Cang!  "Ito Hirobumi shook his head: "It's not Inoue-kun who wants to bet, it's everyone who wants to bet, everyone!  Do you understand?  Don't talk about me, not even His Majesty the Emperor can stop this!  " "Everyone?  What about you, Mr. Ito?  " Ito Hirobumi did not answer immediately. After a while, he replied in a low voice: "Yes, I will too, if I am also in the position of prime minister!  " There was silence in the carriage. A Cang opened his beautiful eyes wide and looked at the man in front of him in surprise. This familiar man suddenly became unfamiliar, and there was a sense of joy coming from him.The cold and desperate breath is scary.  "Okay, stop using these boring things!" Ito Hirobumi suddenly laughed: "Pour me a glass of wine, I'm going to see this boring guy from Yamaguchi soon, always let me drink a few glasses of wine and be happy  "Get off!" "Yes, Mr. Ito!" A Cang finally returned to normal, with a charming smile on his face.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 102 Friends in Mountain County

    Mountain County Mansion.  There were two people kneeling in the room, separated by a charcoal stove and a tea set, waiting for the water to boil to make tea.  Compared with Ito Hirobumi, who is thin and fair-faced, the man in a kimono sitting opposite him is only of medium build, but has a strong build, angular face, and electric eyes. He is sitting there kneeling with his back straight, as if he is a sword.  The unsheathed Japanese sword looks like the top boss of the Choshu clan, the father of the Japanese army, and the head of the Inoue Cabinet's Ministry of War, Aritomo Qingshan.  "Ito-kun, you are finally back from Yokohama!" "I am already a Shimono person, isn't it the same everywhere!" Ito Hirobumi smiled: "Yamaga-kun, you should be the busiest now, why?  Do you still have time to meet me, an idle person?" Yamagata Aritomo took the boiling kettle off the charcoal stove, filled the tea bowl, and said in a deep voice: "Ito-kun, no matter what kind of person you are,  No matter whether you are in power or in power, you will not be idle!" Having said this, he pushed the brewed tea bowl over: "Please taste my tea!" Ito Hirobumi picked up the tea bowl, took a sip and asked: "  You sent someone to Yokohama to deliver a message to me, and you invited me to see you today. Inoue-kun should know that, right? Aren't you afraid that he is overly concerned? You know that he is now the Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, His Majesty the Emperor.  The first person! " "So what? Inoue-kun is just a servant of His Majesty the Emperor like me. He is equal to me and Ito-kun, but now he has won the support of the British and has done the most.  Okay." At this point, Yamagata Aritomo paused: "But that doesn't mean he will always be the best!" Ito Hirobumi didn't answer. He looked at Yamagata Aritomo's face that was always expressionless.  , I couldn't help but sigh secretly in my heart: "This 'Big Tengu' (a monster in Japanese legend, here refers to a person who likes to cause trouble), always wants to hold on to power." "Yamagata-kun, what about you?  What's the reason for inviting me here?" "I need Ito-kun's help!" A look of disgust appeared on Yamagata Aritomo Furui Muha's face: "It's already August, and the new budget is about to be passed.  It¡¯s time, Inoue-kun decided to make concessions on the budget figures and reduce the total budget by 20% in order to gain the support of those Democratic Party members. This is not allowed!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happened!¡± Ito Hirobumi smiled slightly,  It turns out that in the modern history of Japan, Yamagata Aritomo had a nickname - "The Enemy of the People". This man came from a humble background. His father was a warehouse associate with a lower status than Ashigaru. Legend has it that when he was young, he once fell into a heavy rain.  Zhonghe was walking toward a high-status samurai and accidentally splashed muddy water on the skirt of the samurai's kimono. As a result, he was forced to lie down in the mud and apologize. This was one of the reasons why he participated in the movement to respect the king and resist the barbarians.  Because of his humble background, even after he reached a high position, Shanxian Youpeng was very amiable to the servants at home, and liked the farmers and workers who worked hard, and the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the war, but he was not interested in those who had freedom and civil rights  Campaigners were disgusted.  In his view, the government should be independent of political party organizations, be in a detached position, and treat all people impartially.  However, those civil rights activists pretend to speak for the people, but in fact they are seeking profits for the small groups behind them. They spend their days "focusing on civil rights, slandering political affairs, slandering officials, and making violent comments and slanders. They do everything."  The country¡¯s silverfish!¡± In Japan¡¯s first national general election in 1889, the Democratic Party members accounted for the majority in the parliament. These Democratic Party members demanded to save government funds, recuperate the people, reduce land rent, and reduce the burden on farmers.  ; This is contrary to Shanxian Youpeng's policy of increasing government subsidies, supporting military industries, strengthening armaments, and preparing for external expansion.  In order to gain the support of these Democratic Party members, Inoue Kaoru decided to make concessions to the Democratic Party members after receiving British support and being able to issue government bonds in the London market. This made Yamagata Aritomo, who represented the interests of the military, very dissatisfied.  "Is the Lord of Yama Prefecture going to overthrow the cabinet?" Ito Hirobumi asked.  "No, now the empire still needs Mr. Inoue. In the upcoming war with the Chinese, the empire cannot do without the support of the British, and the British trust Mr. Inoue more. If we destroy this balance, it will destroy the empire.  It is my destiny to defeat China and lead Asia! This is something I will never allow!" After hearing Yamagata Aritomo's decisive answer, Ito Hirobumi showed a slightly surprised expression. As he expected, Yamagata Aritomo invited him this time!  He met, either to unite with him to overthrow Kaoru Inoue's cabinet and replace him; or to form a private alliance with him to wait for the opportunity.  But he didn't expect that the other party denied his conjecture from the beginning. It was obvious that the "Big Tengu" whom he didn't think highly of in private had much bigger plans.  "Then what is Yamagata-kun doing?" Yamagata Aritomo suddenly straightened his back and said in a deep voice: "I hope to get Ito-kun's support."Establish the local self-government system, the active-duty system for the army and navy ministers, and the civil service appointment examination system to lay a solid foundation for the EMI of the Japanese Empire!  " "Local self-government system?  "Ito Hirobumi couldn't help being stunned when he heard this, and asked. "Exactly!  "Yamagata Aritomo nodded, and then he explained: It turns out that Yamagata Aritomo, as a die-hard totalitarian statist, hates the party system deeply. In order to prevent those "silverworms" in his mind from making trouble and destroying the Empire of Japan.  He decided to use the above three systems to build his ideal country. The so-called local self-government system in Shanxian County is a completely different political system from the existing central election system, which can prevent the influence of political parties.  In order to achieve this goal, Yamagata Aritomo openly introduced the hierarchical electoral system into local elections.  According to government regulations, those who have the right to vote are limited to men over 25 years old, who have lived locally for more than two years and paid more than two yen in direct national taxes. This excludes a considerable part of the highly mobile population from the voting population.  In addition, he also adopted a "three-level electoral law" for municipal administrative units.  "That is, the total amount of direct national tax payment is divided into three equal parts, and then the taxpayers are sorted according to the amount of tax paid. When the cumulative amount of tax payment reaches one-third of the total amount, a level is assigned, and those in this level are the first-level electors; next  A third of the total amount is divided into another level, and the taxpayers in this level are the second-level electors; the remaining first-level electors are a very small number, and the city councilors are elected from these people.  One-third of the total; the second-level electors are slightly more, the third-level electors account for the majority, and one-third of the city councilors are elected respectively. In the elections of town and village administrative units, they are divided into two levels.  What's more, two-thirds of the council members in a county are elected indirectly by the town and village councils, and the remaining one-third are elected by mutual assistance among large landowners (those who own land worth more than 10,000 yen).  Under this system, the voting rights of the rich are far greater than the voting rights of the poor. Naturally, the local government councils are always in the hands of local prominent families, and those political party members who advocate civil rights cannot insert their hands into the local governments.  As long as the local government is controlled by those who are "mature and practical" in the eyes of Shanxian Youpeng, there will naturally be no shortcomings of "emptying the central government" and empty talk about national affairs. The active service system of the Army and Navy ministers and the civil service appointment examination system are the same.  One requires that only active military personnel can serve as Minister of the Army and Navy; one requires that all senior civil servants must pass certain assessments before being appointed, blocking the power of the political party from the bureaucracy and the military, the two pillars of the emperor's system, and turning it into a political party  The area where power is inviolable. Ito Hirobumi listened to Yamagata Aritomo's words without saying a word. With his intelligence and understanding, it is not difficult to understand the idea behind Yamagata Aritomo's plan. With Ito Hirobumi's intelligence and talent,  At this time, I had to admit that the person opposite Shanxian Youto who always claimed "I am just a martial artist" was not the kind of vulgar politician who had no moral integrity and no bottom line for the sake of power. In his heart, he also had his own  Ideal, his own goal, for this goal and ideal, he can temporarily compromise and give in, but he will never give up. In a sense, he is the kind of great politician who regards Japan as his own empire. ¡°But.  Is this ideal correct?  "Ito Hirobumi rarely hesitated. After decades of training and learning, Ito Hirobumi was very confident in his vision and had proven his vision in many things. But he hesitated on these three things.  Because he knew that many policies were very beneficial at the beginning, but as time went by, various harms showed up little by little. Even if people in later generations discovered it, they were often unable to take action because the situation was already established and the involvement was too large.  I can only watch helplessly, and Ito Hirobumi has a very bad feeling about these three things. ¡°Ito-kun, what do you think?  "Seeing that Ito Hirobumi remained silent for a while, Yamagata Aritomo couldn't help but urge. "Yamagata-kun, these three things of yours are very involved. I'm afraid there will be potential harm in the future, so I have to consider it carefully!  " A friend from Shan County raised his eyebrows and said in a deep voice: "Ito-kun, everything in the world has pros and cons. Is it because of this that we don't do anything?  It¡¯s nothing more than taking advantage of it and eliminating its harm.  With these three points, this empire is within our control. Don¡¯t you have the confidence to control this empire?  Compared to you and me, can those congressmen who talk about civil rights do better?  "Speaking of this, a friend from Shan County had a look of pride on his face. First of all, I would like to thank the book friend trainee police officer for the reward. Someone said in the discussion forum that there is no sense of immersion. How should I put it? The protagonist Chen Zaixing is having a very high time.  , married to a beautiful wife, with a lot of money in hand, the future is bright, if it is said that China has not killed all the people, it is like destroying the sun and killing the United States.??The protagonist is not brilliant.  Then I have no choice. History has its own logic. The situation at that time determined that China could not do it.  The education I received since childhood is to oppose the "heroic view of history". Individuals are never the driving force of historical development. What determines the direction of historical development is deep-seated social and economic reasons.  If the underlying reasons don't change, there's really little a person can do.  In other words, what you need is not a sense of substitution, but an illusory sense of success. Close your eyes and avoid looking at the bloody facts. There are too many such books now, and I am not lacking.  terribly sorry!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 103 The Fool

    "That's natural!" Ito Hirobumi showed a proud look on his face. On this issue, he had the same view as Yamagata Aritomo.  Heroes like theirs, who came step by step from the bloody turmoil at the end of the Tokugawa period, have gone through various events such as the "Combination of Public and Military Affairs", the "Boshin War", and the "Return of Editions". It can be said that they have been tempered into steel. The entire Japanese Empire can say that  They created it with their own hands. If Saigo Takamori and Okubo Toshimichi's companions who fell in the middle can still get some respect from themselves, the current civil rights congressmen are nothing more than a group of clowns in the eyes of Ito Hirobumi.  How can you think that these people are qualified to dictate to themselves in political affairs?  "Ito-kun, if you are worried about the harm of these three measures after our death, then you don't have to worry. Because if the Japanese Empire cannot completely defeat the Chinese within our generation, this country will  There is no future at all. He will become the food of the British and American ghosts and the Chinese people. There will be more things to worry about at that time, and this country may not even exist. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Ito Hirobumi¡¯s eyes suddenly changed.  Shrinking, the veins on his fair forehead pulsated, and Shanxian Yutomo's words touched his heart.  I don¡¯t know whether it was destiny¡¯s blessing or the cruel survival of the fittest caused by the drastic changes in the social environment. After the Meiji Restoration, Japan broke out a group of great politicians and military strategists who were unparalleled in talent, vision, and magnanimity of ancient and modern times. Among these politicians,  Under the guidance of military leaders and military strategists, this small island country that has been huddled on the edge of East Asia for thousands of years has made rapid progress. This speed is extremely rare even in world history.  This was clear even to the Japanese at the time, but since it was an outbreak, it meant that it was unsustainable. After them, it would be difficult for successors to compete with them in talent and vision.  With Japan's innate endowment, it is far superior to both the advanced European and American powers and the traditional powers on the East Asian continent. The only way to survive is under the guidance of this generation of wise leaders and with the help of the European and American powers.  Help, defeat Dashun, and use the opponent's flesh and blood to strengthen his own strength. There is no other way.  "Okay, Yamagata-kun, I agree to your request!" Ito Hirobumi stood up and walked out the door. When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and turned his back to Yamagata Aritomo and said in a deep voice: "What are you planning?  "When is the time to start a war with China?" "Even if the tiger is old, the mountain dog is not his opponent. Only when the tiger is injured in the fight with other beasts will the mountain dog have the opportunity to attack!" "The mountain dog?" Ito Hirobumi suddenly laughed loudly.  : "Okay, okay, Mr. Yamagata, you said it well, so I can rest assured!" On the carriage, Akura looked at Ito Hirobumi beside him with some surprise. The familiar man in front of him was a little strange, with a trace of blood on his fair cheeks.  A little sickly red.  A Cang hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice: "Ito-kun, are things going well between you and Mr. Yamagata?" Ito Hirobumi smiled and did not directly answer A Cang's question: "A Cang, can you sing for me?  Is it a good song? Staying with a boring guy like Shan Xian for so long is almost killing me." A Cang nodded obediently, moved his body to the side, and beat the time.  , while singing softly: "Where the reed house is, there used to be a beautiful girl. She was only eight years old, and she was sent to learn how to dress. Her black hair hung down her shoulders, and she lived in seclusion in the boudoir. Neighbors were not allowed to see her, and peepers were like a wall. "  Two strong men, which one belongs to? The strong man Mao Chu is brave, the strong man Tuyuan is strong. The two men compete with each other to ask for a girl to be their bride. One holds a big sword and a white bow. They go through water and fire in order to win.  The words to my mother were strong but my heart was deep. It was only because of my concubine's death that the man could never see her again. The woman went out to meet him by the side of Jiuquan. Mao Chun came to Bei Mang in anger.  Dreaming of the death of a girl, the brave man cried to the sky and wailed. He was a man, so he took off the sword from his waist and looked for the girl.  They also committed suicide. Relatives conspired to bury each other, so that future generations would never forget each other. The warriors were lined up on both sides, and the three tombs of the women were adjacent to each other.  "I cried so hard that my clothes were wet." Akura's voice was so gentle, and the song "The Tomb of the Maiden of Tomuhara" was even more heartbreaking. Ito Hirobumi listened to the song and patted it gently.  Hitting the beauty¡¯s thighsSon-in-law, tears flowed from his eyes unknowingly.  "Sir, why are you crying!" A Cang suddenly exclaimed.  "Really?" Ito Hirobumi wiped the corners of his eyes and said with a self-deprecating smile: "I didn't expect that I actually shed tears. A Cang, it's all because of your singing!" "Really? Sir, I'm afraid it's mainly Takahashi Naka.  It's all thanks to Maro (the author of "The Tomb Song of the Virgin of Mitsugawara" and a famous ancient Japanese singer)!" Akura smiled slightly. She carefully looked at Ito Hirobumi's worried face and patted her gently.  He held his palms and sang loudly: "Day after day, happiness is worth a thousand years, why worry so much!" "Sing well, sing well, happiness is worth a thousand years!" Hirofumi Ito couldn't help but high-fived and said: "  Things are not perfect in the past. When the times go well, I will lie drunk on the knees of a beautiful woman and wake up to seize the power of the world" For some reason, Ito Hirobumi's singing gradually started to sob, and tears filled his cheeks.  "My lord, my lord? What's wrong with you?" Akura shouted in panic. She stretched out her hand to wipe the tears from Ito Hirobumi's face. At this time, she didn't care about the rule she had set for herself not to ask those who shouldn't know.  He asked urgently: "My lord, what did you just say to Mr. Shanxian? How did it end up like this?" "A Cang, I think that in a few decades, I will be described in the history books as  He is a greedy and crazy fool!" "How could it be? It was you who built this empire!" A Cang quickly comforted him.  "Yes, history is written by the victors. If the empire's cause fails, my image in the history books will be completely reversed!" Ito Hirobumi sighed at this point: "Isn't there such a sentence in Chinese history books?  "Everyone in the boat is an empire." At that time, I'm afraid even you, A Cang, will look at me angrily!  , Even if everyone in the world is against you, A Cang will definitely stand on your side." Ito Hirobumi stared at A Cang for a while, then suddenly smiled: "That's great!" He stretched out his hand to hug his concubine.  , gently stroking the other person's soft hair.  Hanjing, Yanying Hall.  "There are dozens of giant iron-armored ships and more than a hundred small ships. Their masts cover the sky and bullets rain down like rain. Thousands of barbarians are pretending to attack in small boats" The clear voice of a female official came from behind the curtain. Outside the curtain, as a  Wang Qinian, who was in charge of Pingzhangjun State Affairs, had his eyes slightly closed and was sitting upright, but judging from the slight trembling of his clothes, he was not as calm in his heart as he appeared on the surface.  "Please ask the imperial court to increase troops, pay, and add new ships to fight against the British and Japanese pirates!" Finally, the female officer finished reading the memorial sent from Keelung, Taiwan a few days ago. The Yanying Hall fell silent, and Wang Qinian coughed.  After a sigh, she said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, since the British intervened and bombarded Keelung, according to my opinion, I should comply with Lord Zao's request, mobilize the Northern and Southern Fleets, and put the cutting-edge ships under his command." What is different from the past is that  , Queen Mother Deng did not immediately respond to Wang Qinian's suggestion. There was a whisper behind the curtain. It was obvious that Queen Mother Deng was consulting her secretaries - the Bingbi Chengzhi people.  After a moment, the Queen Mother Deng's voice came from behind the curtain: "Hu Gong, Mr. Qi, what suggestions do you two have?" A trace of anger flashed on Wang Qinian's face. The Queen Mother Deng obviously disagreed with his opinion, but Wang Qinian remained humble.  head, maintaining a solemn expression.  "From what I have seen, the first priority is to be cautious. The British fleet is the best in the world and cannot be defeated by our fleet. If the British and the Japanese are to form an alliance, the first priority is not to attack Ryukyu, but to strengthen the defense of the Yangtze River Estuary.  "Qi Zhiti's voice was calm, but the content was completely different. He had actually completely rejected Wang Qinian's proposal to restore the status of the Ryukyu vassal state, but he won the approval of Empress Dowager Deng: "What Mr. Qi said is true.  If the people have already formed an alliance with the Japanese, it is completely different. The Yangtze River leads directly to Hanjing, and there must be no mistakes! Mr. Hu, what do you think? " "From what I saw, I should consider how to end it!"  Hu Keqin, who had been silent at first, finally spoke: "I am not good at using troops to fight, but from a financial point of view, Dashun will never be able to support a long-term war. There is less than five million taels in the treasury now.  The money, once a war breaks out, will not last for a month. The accumulated interest on various national debts next year will be more than two million taels. If it drags on, I don't know whether Ryukyu will get it back, but the Ministry of Revenue is sure.  It can't be sustained. Her Majesty, the Queen Mother, as seen by the old ministers, is preparing to levy new taxes!" As soon as Hu Keqin said this, there was a sudden silence in the Yanying Palace, both behind the curtain and the Queen Mother Deng and Bing Bi beside her.  The emperors, including Wang Qinian and Qi Zhiti, both had three deep wrinkles on their foreheads.  The reason is very simple. The issue of tax increase is a huge problem, even if??These big figures who hold the power of the empire have a splitting headache and are helpless when they think about it.  ??Thanks to the book friend Dalu Xunqi for the reward. If there is any book friend who is willing to be a deputy moderator in the discussion area, you can reply!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 104 Tax Increase

    Because Emperor Taizu, the founding emperor of this dynasty, came from a rough background and had experienced the sufferings of the common people, he deeply hated the officials and gentry, but was very kind to the common people. Therefore, in the late Ming Dynasty, there was even a saying in eastern Henan that "eat his mother, wear his mother, and open up."  This can be seen from the popular folk song "When King Chuang comes, he will not receive food."  Although later emperors Taizong and Shizu decided to determine the acres of land and set donations and pay grain, these two people were also people who had experienced wars and experienced firsthand the misery of the common people under the oppression of heavy taxes in the late Ming Dynasty, so the amount of taxes they set was very high.  It is light, and it also establishes laws to prohibit future generations from adding gifts.  But just like many "ancestral laws" in ancient Chinese dynasties, this system of "prohibition of taxation" was broken by the time of Emperor Mu Zong, who completely defeated the Moxi Oirat Mongols, established the Anxi Protectorate, and expanded  Due to insufficient military expenditures, the emperor, who had thousands of miles of territory, increased taxes on salt tax, commercial tax, tea tax, etc., and even nationalized many profitable businesses as monopolies to obtain military expenditures.  There was opposition from the scholar-bureaucrats and business class.  It is precisely for this reason that this emperor, who was originally very successful, only received the not-so-good posthumous title of "Mu" after his death, because Emperor Mu Zong's two sons both died within a year after succeeding to the throne.  , so it was inherited from the side branches.  Perhaps for this reason, after the death of his two sons, the Queen Mother, who was in charge of the affairs from behind the curtain, abolished most of the original methods of making money.  There are even rumors among the people that it was because Emperor Mu Zong made too much money and went to Tianhe that he cut off his descendants.  Although no one in the palace dared to mention this rumor, it was undoubtedly a big taboo among the Dashun royal family.  But with the deepening of modernization and the success of foreign trade, a large amount of silver poured into China starting from the second half of the 16th century. Therefore, starting from the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the actual purchasing power of silver in China at that time continued to decline.  However, Dashun was actually a silver-based country. Both the court's salary and taxes were denominated in silver, which actually reduced the court's tax revenue.  However, in the process of modernization, whether it is the number of bureaucracies, the construction of new factories, or the level of equipment and personnel training required by the army, they are constantly improving, and all of this requires a lot of money to support.  This huge contradiction began to appear in the first half of the 19th century, and became particularly prominent in Dashun at the end of the 19th century.  The government's annual tax revenue is only enough for normal conditions. If there is a slight flood, drought, or foreign war, the government will be unable to make ends meet.  However, the government has no good way to increase taxes to make up for this gap, so it has no choice but to borrow money to quench its thirst. As a result, the government becomes more and more difficult, and in some cases is even unable to defeat enemy countries that are far weaker than itself.  "Mr. Hu, it's better to be cautious about this. After all, the Zhu Ming family in the previous dynasty did not care about the people and only levied 'mine tax' and 'two wages' to cause trouble in the world. Emperor Sizong finally went to Meishan. The issue of tax increase is still  Let¡¯s take a long-term view!¡± Queen Mother Deng¡¯s voice came from behind the curtain.  "Your Majesty, the Zhu Ming family in the previous dynasty didn't know that the people were suffering from taxes. But at that time, the Eastern captives jumped Liang and the Japanese invaded. How could they let the soldiers fight with their bellies tied? Nowadays, it is not that the people have no money. For example, there are many wealthy families in Shanghai who are as rich as the enemy.  The country is short of money!" "Hu Gong!" Qi Zhiti interrupted: "If you want to increase taxes, it's fine if you really impose them on the rich households, but you're afraid that the subordinate officials below will do this and pass it on to the common people.  , Exploiting and profiting from it will actually harm the country's affairs!" "That's right!" Wang Qinian also said: "Everything in the world often starts out with good intentions, but the result is often bad. Mr. Hu, raising taxes is very likely to happen.  The court did not get much money, but it harmed the people. It is better to be cautious." The words of Wang Qinian and Qi Zhiti moved the Queen Mother Deng behind the curtain. She said solemnly: "Mr. Hu, what we are discussing today is Mr. Zao's deal.  Let¡¯s put the tax increase aside and discuss it again at the next court meeting!¡± ¡°Old minister, your Majesty the Queen Mother!¡± ¡°If everyone has no objections, let¡¯s approve the list of guarantees, and allow him to act on his own initiative.  Let the forts at the mouth of the Yangtze River be on alert!" "Empress Dowager Shengming!" In Wenyuan Pavilion, Jiang Qingyue and Lin Wanqing looked serious. They had just finished the Yanying Hall meeting and saw something from Zao Guoquan's excerpts.  Something that the Queen Mother and the ministers did not see.  Counting from the time they joined Chengzhi as assistants at the age of sixteen, they have served in the imperial center of Bingbi Chengzhi for almost twenty years. In terms of their understanding of the secrets of the center and their experience in government affairs, they even surpass the cabinet.  The ministers.  The reason is very simple. Because the power of the Prime Minister in Dashun is extremely heavy, generally speaking, unless it is very necessary, the Emperor of Dashun will not let a certain important minister stay in the position of Pingzhangjun and state affairs for too long.  The difference is that these specially selected orphan girls are nominally the wives and concubines of the emperor, but in fact they are the emperor's secretaries.  Without relatives or children, they were lifted up from the bottom of the mud by a supreme hand and placed on the luxurious carpet of the palace, and theyDue to their gender, they were unable to leave the palace and have close contact with officials from outside the court, and naturally they were unable to cultivate their own power.  In a sense, they are like planets revolving around a star. They look radiant, but all the light and heat come from the imperial sun. Therefore, their husbands and masters repay these poor women.  Amazing trust, because if they betrayed this trust, a few feet of white silk and a glass of poisonous wine would be enough to clean things up, and the officials in the outer court would never say a word about it.  Jiang Qingyue frowned, carefully considering the words and asked: "Ms. Lin, do you think there is some discrepancy between the truth about Keelung and what Mr. Zao wrote in the book?" "Yes!" Lin Wanqing nodded: "You do the same.  You think? Why do you think so? " "It's very simple. According to the booklet, the British invested a large number of marine troops to capture Keelung Port. But judging from the impression of dealing with the British over the years,  The purpose of the British war was to do business with Dashun, not to seize territory. It is true that Keelung is a port with a very good location, but unless the British want to annex the entire Taiwan, they will not be able to retain this spoil for a long time, but from the existing situation.  Judging from the situation, the British situation does not look like it is going to annex Taiwan! " "But there are coal mines near Keelung. For the British, it is very beneficial to have an additional coal filling station in East Asia!" "Yes, but this!  It¡¯s not worth it. Don¡¯t forget that they have just signed a very tight agreement with the Japanese. The Japanese will not refuse the British request to add coal to their ports!¡± ¡°What do you think is going on?¡± Lin Wanqing?  nodded.  "It should be that Mr. Zao is hiding something in the book. He wants to confuse something." Jiang Qingyue's beautiful eyes flashed: "The British should just set the sea near Ryukyu as a demilitarized zone and secretly help Japan.  They annexed Ryukyu in order to use them to contain Dashun. However, this was in conflict with the attack on Keelung Port. Mr. Zao said in the book that almost all the warships were lost. This cannot be lied. The British only need to send a detachment.  It is enough for the fleet to patrol the ocean near Keelung. There is no need to attack Keelung Port. What's going on? "To be fair, Jiang Qingyue's guess is very close to reality, but after all, she is not a sage who predicts the future.  There was no way of knowing that Colonel Jefferson, who was eager for promotion, over-enthusiastically completed the tasks assigned by his superiors, took the risk to attack Keelung Port, and destroyed Dashun's expedition fleet to Ryukyu.  "You're right. Mr. Zao must be hiding something, or the amount of loss, or something else!" Lin Wanqing nodded. No matter how many problems this woman had with Jiang Qingyue in private, after the discussion,  During major military and national events, she was still able to make objective evaluations: "But this is normal. Many foreign officials will more or less cover up or misinterpret the facts in order to obtain rewards or avoid punishment. As a person who upholds the pen and  Purpose, our mission is to dig out the truth behind and report it to Your Majesty. Jiang Bingbi, why didn¡¯t you tell Her Majesty the Queen Mother all this in Jiying Palace just now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same reason why you didn¡¯t do this.  Advantageous!" Jiang Qingyue replied coldly: "Don't tell me you haven't seen this. Apart from Lord Gao, there is no one more suitable to handle the Ryukyu incident in Dashun now, but Lord Gao is inseparable now.  Yes. If all this is exposed, the Queen Mother will have to leave her job soon, which will be detrimental to Dashun now!" "You are right, Jiang Bingbi!" Lin Wanqing laughed!  : "But we can't let Mr. Zao think that we have a plan. If possible, you should remind him a little that not all blind people in the court are blind!" London, Admiralty.  This gorgeous four-storey arched building is located on the tree-lined road in front of Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace, and is the heart of the British Royal Navy across the seven seas.  However, most British people believe that the real heart of the Royal Navy is not so much in this building decorated with gorgeous Namibian marble columns and relief-filled arches, but in two other adjacent buildings a few kilometers away.  Inside - the London Stock Exchange and the Bank of England.  Arthur.  Balfour jumped down from the carriage quickly, touched the brim of his top hat lightly with his cane, and responded to the two Marines standing by the gate who raised their Liefeld rifles and saluted him.  With the brisk pace typical of a sportsman, he rushed up the front steps of the Admiralty Building and rushed straight to the office of the First Lord of the Admiralty on the top floor. He didn't even wait for the announcement from the secretary outside before pushing open the door.  Went into the office.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 105 Admiralty

    "Palmer, I think the existing Royal Navy officer training system must be completely reformed. Times have changed. The new warships are sophisticated machines. The officers commanding the fleet must know how to bring out its advantages.  , avoid its shortcomings, and properly train and command your sailors - "In the office, William Palmer, the First Lord of the Admiralty of the British Empire, the second Earl of Selborne, is also the current British Prime Minister Thor  The son-in-law of the Marquis of Oldsbury, he was still a relative of Balfour.  While chatting with a short, gray-haired officer, Belfort's sudden intrusion interrupted their conversation. The naval officer turned his head in astonishment and looked at Belfort with a look that was half astonished and half angry.  "Dear Belfort, you are still so healthy, which really makes me envious!" William Palmer stood up from behind his desk and walked up with a smile on his face: "What wind brought you here to me?  "At this point, William Palmer turned around and introduced to the naval officer: "General Fisher, this is Arthur Balfour, the chairman of the two committees in the House of Commons and the nephew of the Prime Minister.  And this is Admiral John Fisher, Commander of the Mediterranean Fleet, the most talented and capable general of the Royal Navy! ""It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Congressman!" John Fisher hurriedly said to the other party.  He gave a standard military salute. He had heard of this young MP's reputation for a long time. Not only did he have considerable influence on the Prime Minister, the Marquess of Salisbury, he was also well-respected in the House of Commons. Many people in the political circles  They all believed that he would be the prime minister's political successor.  For such a powerful figure, whether it is for personal career or to realize his ambitions, it is very necessary to show corresponding respect.  "Nice to meet you, Your Excellency!" Balfour suppressed the anxiety in his heart and nodded to John Fisher: "I have a very urgent matter and want to talk to the Minister alone for a few minutes. If possible -  "Of course, of course!" John Fisher smiled quickly: "I just have something to go to the Second Lord of the Navy, so I'll take my leave!" "Thank you so much!" Balfour said with a smile.  A charming smile, but when the heavy wooden door was closed and the sound in the corridor was isolated, Belfort's expression immediately turned gloomy.  "Palmer, do you know who the naval officer who commanded the fleet in the Far East to suddenly attack the Chinese port was?" "Are you talking about the Keelung Port in Taiwan? Let me think about it, it seems to be called Jefferson. Yes, it is called Jefferson.  Colonel Andre Jefferson. Damn it, I thought he was a Russian?" William Palmer made a face to Balfour and said with a smile: "What's wrong, did this lucky colonel get through?  Your Excellency, you want to take advantage of this battle to get to the next level? Damn it! The Prime Minister is furious because of this stupid colonel. How can you get so angry?  After William Palmer confirmed from the solemn look on Belfort's face that the other party was not joking, he showed a look of disbelief: "Why? Is it because of the 'Nelson' class armored cruiser that sank overseas? But  Old Jefferson sank and captured almost a dozen Chinese warships, and now the Chinese have no choice but to accept the reality? "Why should that armored cruiser go to hell?"  Foo threw aside his politeness, and now he realized how foolish he had been to forget to take off his hat.  "The order is to blockade the ocean near Ryukyu and make it a demilitarized zone to prevent the Chinese from launching an attack and retaking the island. But it is not to actively attack the Chinese ports and destroy their fleet. This is war. It is war.  Are we just favoring and using the Japanese, but we are not forming an alliance with the Japanese, let alone going into battle personally. In order to ensure that the situation in East Asia is under the control of the British Empire, the British Empire needs to be a neutral party in the subsequent negotiations.  To reconcile these two enemies, and this fool has messed everything up. "What should be done now?" William Palmer asked in a low voice after a few minutes of silence.  The son of the 1st Earl of Albourne, a British military officer, seemed to have not inherited his father's talents in politics and diplomacy, and seemed a little at a loss at this juncture.  "Every effort should be made to reverse the bad effects of all this. The British Empire wants to maintain the strategic balance in the Far East, prevent possible regional hegemony, and ensure sufficient influence, but it does not want to be directly involved." Balfour sighed and shook his head.  He shook his head and whispered: "I don't know what to do now, but let Andre Jefferson retire first. After all, he is a winner. We can't send him to a military court." "There is no problem with this!"  William Palmer quickly replied: "I will do it immediately."?You can have someone send a telegram to Singapore.  " "Well, then I'll go back first!  "Belfort stood up: "Palmer, please forgive my rude wording. This is a difficult era. We are simply clowns standing on a big rolling wooden ball, throwing four or five torches in our hands.  If you don't pay attention, it will roll to the ground!  " "Belfort, I understand your difficulty!  William Palmer reached out and took the hand that the other person extended: "What can we do? Although the British Empire is powerful, the problems it faces are more difficult."  By the way, the issue of increasing funding for the Royal Navy that I mentioned to you last time, can you do some clarification work in your committee?  " "Oh God!  Palmer, you really don't want to waste any opportunity!  Balfour shook his head exaggeratedly: "I'm afraid this is very difficult. The situation in South Africa and the Boers is very tense. The empire's attention is over there. The voice of the War Department demanding an increase in military expenditures is getting louder and louder in the Parliament."  Well, at this juncture -" At this point, Belfort spread his hands and made a helpless gesture. "Army?  William Palmer showed an annoyed expression: "It is the Royal Navy that protects the lifeblood of the British Empire, not the Marines!"  It was the sea, not the railways, that linked the empire's homeland to its colonies!  " "What you said makes sense, but let's wait for some time!  "Belfort turned and walked out the door. When he reached the door, he stopped and turned around and said: "When this storm passes, I will do my best to speak for you in the House of Commons!  " "No, not for me, but for the Royal Navy!  "William Palmer corrected forcefully. "Myanmar, Yangon. September 10, 1891, the fifteenth day after the Battle of Keelung Port. Chen Zaixing walked down the gangway from the "Simpson" clipper, and two men dressed in  The Sikh guard who looked like a servant was carrying his luggage. Chen Zaixing used his hands to block the scorching sunlight shining down from above. After returning to Shanghai for a while, he was already a little unaccustomed to the tropical exposure here. ¡°Odo,  You go hire a speedboat right away, we need to get back to Mandalay as soon as possible!  "Chen Zaixing ordered in a low voice to the Sikh guard on the side. At this time, he was wearing a neat white suit and a light yellow high-top hat. He seemed to be a local Chinese businessman who was more westernized. "Yes, sir.  !  "Odo bowed respectfully and walked quickly to the pier. There were many ships there. For the sake of safety, Chen Zaixing planned to take the regular passenger ship between Yangon and Mandalay. After all, now  He still didn't know the actual relationship between Britain and Burma. If he went up rashly, he might get into trouble. Chen Zaixing walked out of the pass and found a clean hotel. He drank a few sips of herbal tea and went out to hire a boat.  The guard Odo came back, bringing with him a short, stocky Burmese man. He said that he had hired a boat to send the three of them to Mandalay for a total of forty eagles. Chen Zaixing paid half of the money first.  He thought it was okay, so he asked Otto to pay and agreed to set off after dinner. After the discussion was settled, Chen Zaixing had lunch and was about to take a nap to prepare for the evening trip, when there were several knocks on the door.  He thought the waiter in the hotel had something to do, and was about to go to bed and let the guards outside take care of things. But as soon as Chen Zaixing's back touched the sheets, he heard a fierce quarrel outside, mixed with pulling.  With the sound of the gun bolt and the sword being unsheathed, he immediately jumped out of bed, with a pistol in his hand. "Relax, please relax!"  I don't mean any harm. I'm your master's friend. Please pass the message on for me, okay?  " A familiar Chinese voice came from outside. Chen Zaixing frowned, inserted the pistol with the safety on into his belt, walked out, and said in a deep voice: "It's not just an old friend who came to visit. I didn't welcome him from afar. Please forgive me.  !  " "It's me, your business partner and loyal friend!  " Chen Zaixing walked to the door and saw a British man in a black dress, but it was Gillings. Next to him stood a white man about 1.9 meters tall, and behind him there were four or five men with fierce faces and holding weapons.  One of the Burmese men with daggers and pistols was the man whose ship he had just hired in the morning. Gillings saw Chen Zaixing's surprised look, stretched out his right hand and said with a smile: "Mr. Chen, you don't have to be surprised, these are all mine.  little bird.  I'm an Englishman, and if you want to run this city well, you always need some eyes and ears.  " Chen Zaixing showed a wry smile: "Gillings, I didn't expect that you are so powerful now. Anyone you find in Yangon can be your eyes and ears.  " "That's not because I have great powers!  Gillings patted him with a smile: "Many of my little birds escaped from Mandalay and Bagan. Your reputation is very popular with them!"  "Having said this, Gillings paused for a moment, turned sideways and let out the tall man behind him.The white man: "Mr. Chen, please allow me to introduce you to Mr. O'Neil. Mr. Bunge! He is one of the board members of Bunge."  Second-level users have recommendation votes. You can check your user level. If you have recommendation votes, please consider this book. Thank you.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 106 Rubber

    "You guys can go wait outside!" After drinking away his "little birds," Gillings began to introduce Chen Zaixing's identity to Mr. Bunge in low German, which he was not proficient in: "  Mr. Bunji, this is the adventurer and lucky man I mentioned to you not long ago, the husband of the regent princess of the Kingdom of Burma, the chairman of the Shunhua Company, and a member of the Senate of the Dashun Empire.  One, Mr. Chen Zaixing!¡± The tall white man named Bangji smiled, bowed deeply to Chen Zaixing, and said in Chinese with a heavy accent: ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you here, Your Excellency.  "Hello, Mr. Bunji!" Chen Zaixing nodded to the tall white man inexplicably, and then turned his inquiring eyes to Gillings.  "Mr. Chen, you see, Mr. Bunji and I came here with peaceful purposes, but you seem to be guarding against robbers!" Gillings said this and pointed at the two men standing next to Chen Zaixing who were holding pistols.  , the Sikh guard, who was facing a formidable enemy, tilted his head slightly: "Why don't you let us go in and sit down, and let the hotel waiter bring us a few cups of black tea and talk while we drink it?" Chen Zaixing looked at Gillings and Bunge  The two of them didn't look like they had weapons. He gestured to the two Sikh guards, telling them to put away their weapons, and said coldly to Gillings: "Mr. Gillings, please forgive me.  I am on alert. After all, just a dozen days ago, your fleet attacked an important military port in my motherland, sinking many warships and killing many soldiers. I even suspect that the British Empire and Dashun are already at war.  There's nothing wrong with being more prepared!" "Oh, damn war!" Gillings had a sad expression on his face. He even took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the corners of his eyes: "Please believe me, Chen.  , my position on this matter is completely the same as yours. This conflict is completely useless and pathetic. Some drunk bastard started this war arbitrarily. As soon as he returns to the port, he will  Retired with honor without his epaulettes, he spent the rest of his life on half pay. "I hope so!" Chen Zaixing looked at the other party suspiciously, and turned aside to let Gillings and Bunge in.  He has already had a very close cooperation with this Englishman in business and has made a lot of profits from it. But if he has the slightest trust and affection for this Englishman, I am afraid that the Puppet King Meng Ji has been buried in the grave.  And thousands of Burmese people will roll over laughing.  After the Sikh guard looked outside from the corridor for a while, he returned to the room and whispered to Chen Zaixing: "Sir, there are no British soldiers outside the hotel!" Chen Zaixing nodded, found a chair and sat down, and said to the two people opposite him.  He gestured to sit down and asked: "Mr. Gillings, can you tell me the reason for your visit now?" "Mr. Chen!"  Flanders' accent but very fluent English said: "I am here as the plenipotentiary representative of Bunge and want to cooperate with you in all aspects. If you allow me, please allow me to introduce myself to Bunge."  The basic situation! " Chen Zaixing nodded in confusion and gave a signal to the other party to start explaining.  Mr. Bunge started to talk about it. It turns out that this Bunge company is one of the four major grain merchants in this area: ADM of the United States, Bunge of the United States, Cargill of the United States, and Louis Dreyfus of France.  Bunge was founded by its founder, Johann Peter Gottlieb Bunge, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 1818. In 1859, his grandson moved his headquarters to Belgium.  In its early days, the company was mainly engaged in the spice and rubber business in overseas colonies.  In 1876, the company moved to Argentina and began its development in the Americas. By the end of the 19th century, Bunge had controlled more than half of South America's exports of wheat, oil, and meat to Europe. It also began to intervene in the North American agricultural market.  It was one of the top agricultural companies in the world at that time.  Chen Zaixing listened to Bunge's introduction and flipped through an introduction brochure handed over by the other party. He couldn't help but be secretly surprised.  According to what this person said and the situation described in the pamphlet, if the other person did not lie, this company alone exports no less than three million tons of wheat to Europe every year, not counting other grains, cooking oil, and meat.  What¡¯s even more frightening is that this company is not just a simple grain export trader, it is also involved in many related industries, such as storage, transportation, fertilizer, etc. It can almost be said to be a nation-wide  China, compared to this Bunge Company, our own Shunhua Company is just a dwarf.  Finally O'Neil.  After Bunge completed his introduction, Chen Zaixing put the brochure aside and said with a smile: "Mr. Bunge, I noticed that your name is the same as the company you work for. This is not an accident, right?"  you.  Bang Ji smiled reservedly: "Yes, Mr. Chen! My cousin Ernesspecial.  Bunge is the chairman of the American Bunge Company. It was he who moved the company's headquarters to Argentina in 1875. There are some of the best wheat fields and pastures in the world, and a large amount of high-quality wheat, beef and mutton are produced there.  " "Then what is your purpose of coming here?  Is it to export wheat, beef and mutton to the Kingdom of Burma?  With all due respect, Myanmar people prefer to eat rice and fish, and I am afraid they are not used to your wheat, beef and mutton. More importantly, Myanmar is a poor country and I am afraid there is not enough money to pay for your goods!  "    "no no!  "O'Neil. Bunji shook his head: "Mr. Chen, I think you misunderstood me.  I am not here to export grain and meat to the Kingdom of Burma, but for another purpose. Of course Bunge is very interested in long-term and comprehensive cooperation with you!  "Having said that, O'Neil. Bunji looked around and lowered his voice: "Mr. Chen, have you ever heard of rubber trees?  " Chen Zaixing frowned and thought for a moment, then replied: "It seems to be a material used to make rain boots. It is waterproof and very elastic. I heard it is produced by a special kind of tree.  " "Yes, you are a knowledgeable person!  "O'Neil. Bunji nodded, his eyes flashing with enthusiasm: "But I have to tell you that rubber has a wide range of uses and is needed in many industries. I dare to bet you that up to twenty  In 20 years, no, in 15 years, rubber will become a necessary industrial raw material for every powerful country, just like iron ore, coal, and grain. Those who seize the opportunity can make millions of pounds of profits every year.  " Chen Zaixing looked at the white man in front of him who suddenly became very excited, and asked cautiously: "I believe in your vision, but what does this have to do with me?  Neither Myanmar nor Dashun produces rubber, I know this very well.  ¡± ¡°This is why Bunge wants to seek cooperation with you, my old friend!  Gillings said in Chinese: "Chen, the cooperation with Bunge is also very beneficial to you. As far as I know, you have made huge profits from exporting Burmese rice to Dashun this year, but the Chinese in the north are used to eating rice."  Pasta instead of rice. If you cooperate with Bunge, you are equivalent to mastering a huge barn. You can export millions of tons of corn and wheat to Dashun every year. As far as I know, there are also farms in Argentina.  With hundreds of thousands of hectares of idle farmland, as long as the price is right, they can double their current output.  " Chen Zaixing frowned, with a suspicious look on his face, and asked: "Gillings, why are you doing this?  Just a few years ago, your country and I were fighting to the death for the Kingdom of Burma, and we are now at war again.  " Gillings laughed. He spread his hands and said with a smile: "Because I can also profit from it. There is a proverb in our country: 'Only eternal interests, no eternal friendship!  ¡¯¡± ¡°Mr. Gillings, this is just a business, just a business!  Chen Zaixing retorted with some annoyance. He turned to O'Neil. Bunji said in English: "Mr. Bunji, can you tell me the specific matters of cooperation?"  ¡± ¡°I want to establish a rubber plantation on the land of the Kingdom of Myanmar to establish a stable supply of rubber!  " "Rubber plantation?  Why in the Kingdom of Burma?  As far as I know, doesn¡¯t your company control a large amount of vacant land in Argentina?  You can definitely grow rubber in Argentina!  "Chen Zaixing looked at the strange white man in front of him warily. "Mr. Chen, I think you don't know the characteristics of the rubber tree very well.  This plant native to the tropics has very strict climate requirements and cannot survive in Argentina. The climate in Myanmar is very similar to Brazil, so I chose here.  " "If we talk about climate, I believe Myanmar is not the only place in the world suitable for rubber tree planting. For example, the climate in the British-controlled Burma area should also be suitable for planting rubber trees. This Mr. Gillings once served as the local governor. Why don't you agree with me?  What about his cooperation?  " Speaking of this, O'Neil. Bunge and Gillings exchanged glances. Gillings smiled helplessly and explained in a low voice. It turns out that rubber, a plant native to the Amazon jungle, was given to local nobles and businessmen.  It brought extremely huge profits. In order to maintain this monopoly profit, the Brazilian government at that time prohibited anyone from carrying rubber tree seeds and seedlings out of the country, and offenders would be punished with death. However, in 1876, the British man Wickham secretly collected nearly seven rubber trees in the Brazilian jungle.  Ten thousand rubber seeds were secretly brought back to Liverpool. Although most of the seeds died, about 4% of the seeds still survived. After careful cultivation, the British planted them in their South Asian colonies with a climate similar to Brazil. By 1891,  , it is conceivable that the rubber seedlings of Bunge Company were also obtained from the British. If Bunge Company dared to build rubber plantations on the territory of the British colonies, the consequences can be imagined.Thank you for your apprenticeship of the police officers, Shunfeng against the water, and Jiayu's rewards.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 107 Strange Partners

    After listening to Gillings's story, Chen Zaixing didn't say anything for a long time. He just looked at Gillings thoughtfully. After a while, Chen Zaixing suddenly asked: "As far as I know, Mr. Gillings, are you an expert in biology?"  Quite an achievement. I also heard you say that this is a tradition in your family, right? " "Yes!" "Mr. Gillings, Mr. Bunge, since you want to cooperate with me, then I hope that we can cooperate with you.  They can face each other with a candid attitude, which is the basis for cooperation." At this point, Chen Zaixing paused and looked at Gillins and O'Neil opposite.  Bangji also nodded, indicating that they agreed with Chen Zaixing.  "So, Mr. Gillings, is the origin of these rubber seedlings related to you?" Chen Zaixing suddenly asked.  The room suddenly fell silent, the smile that had always been there from the moment he entered the room disappeared from Gillings' face, and O'Neil stood beside him.  Bunge hesitated for a while, nodded and replied: "Yes, Mr. Chen, your intuition is very keen. It was Mr. Gillings who sold me more than 100 kilograms of glue seeds, 1,500 pounds  Hundreds of bud grafting piles and more than 200 meters of bud strips, it was he who recommended you as a partner for cooperation! "It's really unimaginable, Gillings, that you betrayed your motherland like this?" Chen Zaixing's face showed.  A look of disbelief.  "Dear old friend, I am an Englishman, but I am also a businessman. For a businessman, he only has one motherland, and that is profit. The place that can bring him profits is his motherland." At this point  , Gillings pointed at O'Neil.  Bunge: ¡°Look at this venerable citizen, his great-grandfather was a venerable citizen of the United Provinces, and his grandfather became a Belgian citizen, and his uncle and father became Argentinian citizens.  He is a dual citizen of the United Kingdom. As for him, I believe he doesn't even mind being a Burmese as long as he can make huge profits. Besides, you have also become a citizen of the Kingdom of Burma from a citizen of the Central Empire.  In a sense, the three of us are all such people, bravely moving forward along the path God has arranged for us, and no fetters can stop our steps! " "I am different from you, although I married Luo Lin as my wife!  My own wife, but I am still a smooth person!" Chen Zaixing frowned and asked in a low voice: "Okay, I am personally very interested in your cooperation proposal, but I can't do it now.  Reply. Well, if Mr. O'Neil is willing, I will invite him to have a pleasant trip to Mandalay in the name of the Burmese royal family!" "It's my honor!  Bangji nodded reservedly.  "Very good, this is a very constructive meeting!" Gillings clapped his palms and shouted outside: "John!" The stocky Burmese man just now ran over and bowed to Gillings.  Bowed: "I'm here, Master, what can I do for you?" "You go to the carriage outside immediately and get my bottle of the best sherry!" Gillings rubbed his hands and said to Chen Zaixing and Ou Nei  you.  Bunji blinked: "Let's have fun! Chen, my old friend! You don't have to keep a straight face. I already have the best steamboat waiting for you at the dock. I will never delay  You saw your beautiful wife!" Chen Zaixing frowned and reached out to take the glass. The refrigerated sherry passed through the wall of the glass, and his palm was cold.  Gillings and O'Neil opposite.  Bunji smiled and talked in a language he was not familiar with. Gillins laughed again and again, as if he was particularly happy about something. Regarding the cooperation just proposed by Gillins, Chen Zaixing did not feel much joy in his heart. He knew very well that the huge  Behind profits, there are always huge risks hidden.  If the rubber trade has such huge profits, then the British will never be less determined to fight to maintain their dominant position. And with their current meager strength, is it wise to get involved in such a sensitive transaction?  "Chen, come and drink to our cooperation and our bright future!" Gillings had finished with O'Neil at this time.  Bangji's conversation, he turned around and raised his glass to Chen Zaixing, O'Neil.  Bunge also smiled and raised his glass, repeating in English with a lowland accent: "Cheers to our cooperation!" "Cheers!" Chen Zaixing sipped the glass, and the refrigerated sherry liquid flowed into his mouth, refreshing.  The smell made his frown relax.  "I didn't expect this devil's wine to taste quite good!" Chen Zaixing couldn't help but thought to himself.  "Not bad, Chen! This is one of the best collections in my family's wine cellar!" Chen Zaixing smiled triumphantly: "If you like it, I will give you a bottle as a souvenir of our successful cooperation!"  "Thank you very much. Give me another glass!" Chen Zaixing drank the remaining wine in the glass and handed the empty glass to her.He went over and asked: "Gillings, did another major incident happen while I was on the ship? I just got off the ship and I don't know anything!" "You mean that what happened between your country and Japan because of the Ryukyu Incident?  A conflict?" Gillings smiled slightly: "As far as I know, the Japanese envoys have arrived in Shanghai two days ago, and the two sides have probably started negotiations on the incident." "What? How is this possible?" Chen Zaixing was surprised.  Eyes wide open: "Ryukyu is under the actual control of the Japanese. If we negotiate under such circumstances, the result will only be beneficial to the Japanese. How could the court agree to the negotiation!" "I don't know the specific details, but the current situation  Obviously, the Japanese have achieved their goals and have no intention of fighting again, and your country is unable to recapture Ryukyu. It will not be beneficial to both countries to continue to delay. Isn't the peace negotiation a normal decision? "Speaking of this, Jilin?  While filling his glass, Si sighed: "It's a pity that the stupid naval captain actually let the fleet directly get involved in the conflict. This is really stupid. Originally, the British Empire could act as a neutral party to arbitrate, as soon as possible  To restore peace in East Asia!" "Cunning islanders!" Chen Zaixing cursed in his heart. Just as he was thinking of what to say, O'Neil came to his ears.  Bungie's English voice: "Peace? There is no peace where you British are! I bet that the only result of letting you participate in arbitration will only lay the fuse for the next war!" Hearing this, he expressed his feelings from the beginning.  The tall, silent white man's words suddenly became so sharp that Chen Zaixing couldn't help but look at him in surprise.  "Okay! Okay! My friend, I admit that maybe what you say makes sense. But the real reason for the conflict between the two countries is the greed and stupidity of mankind since ancient times! After all, it is not us British who use leather whips.  As far as I know, countless wars had broken out thousands of years before the British came to this land. Is this also the responsibility of the British? " "Jilin?  Please don't confuse the facts anymore, as far as I know, there was a 'Pax Romana' for most of the history of this happy land." O'Neil.  Bunge sneered and retorted: "Don't tell me that the 10 million pounds of Japanese national debt guaranteed by the Bank of England that was issued in the London market not long ago was because of the sincere friendship between the people of Great Britain and Japan. The people of Great Britain are doing what they have done in this country for hundreds of years.  Like other places in the world, they are playing a dangerous game. The Japanese may have expansion ambitions, but they are not fools. Without the support of you British people behind the scenes, how could a small country like Japan dare to fight for a small country like Ryukyu?  "Is Shima rashly provoking such a giant as Dashun?" The room fell into an awkward silence, Gillins's face turned pale, and his lips trembled slightly, and O'Neil.  Bunji looked at him nonchalantly.  After weighing the pros and cons, Chen Zaixing decided to speak out for Gillings. He picked up the wine glass in his hand and said with a smile: "Gilings, the bottle is empty, but I haven't had enough!" "Of course!  And!" An awkward smile appeared on Gillings' face as he woke up from a dream. While pouring wine for Chen Zaixing, he said in a low voice in Chinese: "Chen, please believe me, although this O'Neil is Bunge.  An excellent businessman, but before that, he had done a lot of ridiculous things and had a lot of strange ideas when he was young, so you'd better choose what he says with caution."  "Absurd behavior? Strange thoughts?" Chen Zaixing turned his head and glanced at the tall white man curiously, and said with a smile: "Really? Mr. Gillings, why do I think that this young Mr. Bunji, besides being extremely tall,  Nothing else is surprising." A thin layer of sweat appeared on Gillings's forehead: "Dear Chen, please believe me, this Mr. O'Neil participated in one when he was studying in London.  Ridiculous organization, so¡ª" At this point, Gillings stopped speaking, with a hesitant expression on his face.  Chen Zaixing was also intrigued by Gillings' appearance and asked: "Absurd organization? What kind of absurd organization?" "Chen, I don't know how to translate the name of this organization into Chinese, but it is said that this organization  The main purpose is to eliminate all private property and establish a world where all distinctions are eliminated! "This is very interesting," Chen Zaixing said, "As far as I know, Mr. O'Neil.  He should be very rich, right? " "Yes, his father only has one son, so he will get almost all of his father's inheritance, even if you don't take into account the real estate and manor owned by Mr. Bunge, only the Bunge he owns.  The value of the company's shares, Mr. O'Neil Bunge's property will be no less than one million pounds!" At this point, Ji.Si's face couldn't help but reveal a look of envy.  Today¡¯s second update, thank you Zhongshu Ling for the reward.  In addition, please ask for rewards, collections, and recommendation votes!  Book lovers can check their user level. Second-level users will have recommendation votes. Please recommend!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 108 Rich and Dangerous

    "This is a huge asset!" Chen Zaixing couldn't help but take a deep breath. In the 19th century world where the gold standard had not yet been abolished, the pound was a hard currency equivalent to gold. The world-famous dreadnought, a  The construction cost was only over one million pounds. Germany, the most powerful country in Europe at that time, devoted all its efforts to accumulate it for nearly 20 years, but it only had more than 20 items, and O'Neill.  Bangi's wealth alone can create nearly one, and it is not an exaggeration to say that he is "as rich as the country".  "O'Neil. If Mr. Bunge joins this kind of organization, will he disperse all the wealth?" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "Gillings, you must be mistaken. There is no such person in the world!" Gillings  The expression on his face became serious: "Chen, please believe in my credibility. This is information given to me by a distant cousin of mine who works at Scotland Yard. It is said that O'Neill Bunge was studying at the London School of Economics.  , will pay twenty-five pounds to this organization as his membership fee every month, and he also maintains long-term correspondence with Plekhanov, Bakunin and others, and even O'Neill.  Mr. Bunge also personally visited Friedrich von Engels. Believe me, this is a very dangerous person! If it were not for his father's influence, he himself would have to pay a heavy price for this.  "Yes!" Chen Zaixing raised his head in confusion and looked at O'Neil again.  Bunji, a white man in his early thirties, has broad shoulders and slender and well-proportioned limbs. Although he is nearly two meters tall, he moves very quickly. He has a giant-like head on his thick neck, and under his towering forehead  He has a raised nose like a lion, a pair of almond-shaped brown eyes looking at Chen Zaixing with interest, and a disdainful smile on his plump lips, but it doesn't make people feel mean.  "Gillings, I'm not sure what kind of vicious criminals the names you just mentioned are, but I think O'Neil Bungie is not as dangerous as you said, otherwise you wouldn't do business with him.  Isn't it?" Chen Zaixing laughed when he said this.  "No, no, Chen, I think you didn't understand what I really meant. Those people I just mentioned are wanted criminals. These people do not believe in God and do not respect property. In order to achieve their goals, they will do anything.  Even going to war on the entire society, you know? There are many kings and emperors in Europe who want them, with bounties of tens of thousands of pounds on their heads! " "Gillings, if you say that, I don't believe in God either.  Most people don't believe in God either!" Chen Zaixing laughed, and he patted the other party's shoulder easily: "Thank you for reminding me, I will pay attention." At this point, Chen Zaixing walked over and approached O'Neil.  Bunji raised the wine glass in his hand and said with a smile: "Cheers to our happy journey ahead!" "Cheers!" O'Neil.  Bangji also raised his glass, clinked it gently with Chen Zaixing, and laughed heartily.  Early the next morning, Chen Zaixing was awakened by a scream of monkeys. He cursed in a low voice, got up from the bed, and walked out of the cabin.  From the deck, you can smell the rich musky scent of mangroves in the air, mixed with the scent of lush vegetation growing on both sides of the river.  The steamboat passed by, awakening the sleeping monkeys on both sides of the river, causing them to roar angrily, stamp their feet and shake branches hanging down to the river.  Further away, you can see patches of light green villages, with wisps of smoke drifting out from the village chimneys, where the wives of hard-working Burmese farmers are cooking breakfast.  Thousands of cranes, egrets, herons, storks, terns and other water birds that inhabited the muddy shores stopped foraging and watched the steamships passing by with trepidation.  Smaller birds such as turtle doves, water skimmers, and rails will flutter their wings and hover in the air, making shrill and piercing calls until the intruder completely leaves.  Seeing this familiar and beautiful scene, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but take a deep breath instinctively, feeling sincerely happy in his heart.  "What a beautiful and fertile land!" A voice with a thick accent came from behind, and Chen Zaixing didn't need to look back to know that it was O'Neil who spoke.  Bunge, he turned around with a smile: "O'Neil. Good morning, Mr. Bunge, were you also awakened by the group of monkeys?" "No, Mr. Chen, I have already gotten up at this time every morning!  "O'Neil.  Bunji was wearing a loose woolen sailor jumpsuit: "I have been living with the Gauchos on the ranch since I was seven years old!" "Gauchos?" Chen Zaixing showed a confused look. This one in front of him  The white man was different from every white man he had ever interacted with, and there was a strange charm in every move of his hands and feet.  ¡°They are indigenous people from Argentina, my hometown, just like the Burmese here.¡± O¡¯Neil.  Bunji pointed to a few figures busy in the rice fields on the river bank in the distance: "But they are not farmers, they are natural riders, brave and free!" At this point, O'Neil.  Bungie's face no.Once again, the light of longing was revealed.  At this time, the winding river took the boat through a sharp turn and came to a wider tributary.  Chen Zaixing and O'Neil.  Bunge immediately saw thousands of seabirds soaring in the sky, forming a giant carpet like a rainbow in the sky.  The river surface, which was dimly covered by flocks of birds, was dotted with patches of falcon feathers.  Both of them were stunned by this magnificent scenery.  After half a ring, O'Neil.  Bangji just sighed with a trembling voice: "Thank God, this is really a miracle!" Chen Zaixing looked at O'Neil.  Bunji, this burly white man's face showed an innocent expression like a child for the first time, and he was completely different from the harsh-tongued businessman last night.  He considered his words and asked with a smile: "Mr. Bunge, I would like to ask you a question. Do you also believe in God?" "I think Gillings told you a lot yesterday?" He was on the deck.  O'Neil doing gymnastics.  Bunge stood up straight. He thought for a moment and replied: "Yes, I believe in God, but the God I believe in and the God Gillings believes in are not the same God! In a sense, what they believe in is not so much God."  , nothing more than Mammon (an ancient Chaldean word meaning wealth. An adjective used by Jesus in the New Testament to accuse his disciples of being greedy. Described as the evil god of wealth)! In order to get gold, they can sell everything, even  Hang them with their own rope!" "Haha!" Chen Zaixing laughed: "Mr. Bunji, although your comment on Mr. Gillings just now is a bit harsh, I admit that it is not far from reality. What about your God?"  "My God?" O'Neil.  Bangji smiled, avoided Chen Zaixing's question, and asked: "Mr. Chen, I heard from Gillins that you are very rich and have a large share of Shanghai's grain import trade?" "Yes, say that.  To be honest, this is a very profitable business." Chen Zai said here and looked at O'Neil.  Bunji recounted everything that had just happened in Shanghai, and finally said with a wry smile: "Look, Mr. Bunji. To be honest, this is not easy. The imperial court is not willing to import too much food from overseas. I spent a lot of money on it."  It took a lot of effort and good luck to solve this problem! " "Yes, it was difficult, but you achieved a great success!" O'Neil.  A half-smiling expression appeared on Bunji's face: "Please allow me to congratulate you. You have successfully lit the fuse. In the next twenty years, maybe for a longer period of time, your motherland will  Falling into the deepest chaos, in this ancient empire, all traditional rules such as family, clan, and faith will be torn apart, and people will kill each other, just like facing the most ferocious enemy."  In response to the other party's sudden words, Chen Zaixing's face became gloomy: "What do you mean? Mr. Bunji!" "I am congratulating you! Mr. Chen, no matter what happens in the future, you will always be in the motherland.  It will leave a strong mark on your history. In this process, millions of innocent people will be displaced, suffer in suffering, lose their loved ones, and even die. But their death will not be without cost, only your ancient motherland.  It is possible to get out of that terrible stagnation! And all this is inseparable from your initial push." ??It took Chen Zaixing a long time to confirm what he just said from the other party's eyes.  Not a mockery of myself, but O'Neil.  Bunge's words could hardly be construed as a compliment, let alone a congratulation.  Chen Zaixing tried his best to suppress the anger in his chest and asked in a low voice: "Mr. Bunji, I still don't understand your logic. Why do you say that if I import food, millions of people will be displaced and suffer in misery? I  I hope you can explain it more clearly, otherwise I can only think that this is an insult to me, which is unforgivable! " "No, no! I didn't mean to insult you, on the contrary, I think you  Although this behavior has very cruel consequences, it is extremely necessary. Please give me a few minutes and I will explain it to you carefully!" O'Neil.  Bunge cleared his throat and whispered in a deep voice: "According to the information I read at the London School of Economics and Political Science, in the vast territory of your motherland, except for urban residents who account for a very small proportion of the total population, the remaining  The vast majority of rural people in the country are divided into two categories: farmers and gentry. Farmers are responsible for cultivating their own and gentry's land, undertaking government labor and military service, manufacturing most necessary daily necessities, and selling part of the surplus food to pay taxes.  and purchase necessary daily necessities; while the gentlemen relied on their prestige to be responsible for offering sacrifices to gods and ancestors, educating future generations, collecting taxes, and other public affairs. These farmers and gentlemen formed thousands of village communities, and village communities were closely related to each other.  Except for a few necessary connections, the residents of your country have lived under such a simple self-government system since ancient times, and even the boundaries of the village communities have rarely changed.?A certain village society was damaged or even destroyed due to war, famine, and epidemic.  However, the same village name, the same village boundaries, the same interests, and even the same family have continued from century to century.  The residents of the village community did not care about the collapse and division of the dynasty. As long as the life inside their little shell did not change, they did not care which ruler the village community returned to. Anyway, their internal economic life never changed.  .  The gentlemen remained the heads of the communes, the judges, and the tax collectors.  Don't know if I'm right?  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 109 Destruction and Rebirth

    Chen Zaixing's face became a little ugly. He didn't expect that this strange Bangji had such a deep understanding of the strange country of Dashun. Many of his opinions were even deeper than his own, a native who had lived there for decades.  many.  "Yes, except for a few unimportant details, you're right!" "That's good!" O'Neil.  Bunji put his right hand into his coat pocket and held on to the side of the boat with his left hand. He continued to make an impassioned speech like a university professor giving a lecture on the podium: "But Mr. Chen, your actions have destroyed these small and rigid village communities.  In China, due to overpopulation, each family in a village usually only has fifteen acres of land or less. With so little land, most farmers simply do not have enough feed storage to raise enough large livestock to provide livestock power.  Fertilizer, let alone the use of advanced tools and scientific farming methods, this kind of village community cannot compare with the efficiency of the large farms in the Pampas and the Great Plains of North America. These poor farmers cannot sell their surplus food.  In exchange for money to buy necessities and pay taxes, you destroyed these small villages that had existed for thousands of years, because you destroyed the economic basis for their existence; those farmers had to leave their hometowns and go to  To find a new life in a strange city, or anywhere else, for most of them, this is an extremely painful experience, and the large number of surplus labor entering the city not only reduces the original workers'  The wages have made their already bad life even worse, and the already unstable city has become more unstable. All of this is caused by you. "At this time, Chen Zaixing was already ashen, and he was already exhausted.  Impressed by the other party's eloquence, he lowered his head and whispered: "You are right, O'Neil. Bungie, I must be responsible for everything that happened!" "No, no! I think you misunderstood me.  "Yes, Chen, I don't mean to blame you at all. On the contrary, I appreciate everything you have done!" O'Neil.  Bunji's face became serious: "Of course, from a human emotional point of view, seeing with one's own eyes the countless peaceful and harmless social organizations of the patriarchal system that have been worked hard to collapse one by one, and their members being thrown into the sea of ??misery, seeing them with one's own eyes  Every member of the village has lost both his ancient form of civilization and his ancestral means of livelihood. Everyone with a little heart will feel sad. But we should not forget that no matter how peaceful and peaceful these rural communities appear.  It is harmful, but it is always the solid foundation of the ridiculous political system. It restricts people's minds to a very small range, becomes a taming tool of superstition and ignorance, and becomes a slave of tradition, unable to show any great behavior or pioneering ideas.  Spirit. You must not forget the egoism of those half-civilized people who devoted all their attention to a small and pitiful land and watched quietly the collapse of empires and all kinds of unspeakable cruelty and  The inhabitants of the great cities are massacred as indifferently as they watch the sun rise each morning; and as for themselves, if only some robber would look upon them, they would fall prey to this undignified stagnation.  A stagnant, monotonous and peaceful life is extremely harmful to your country and its people. Any move to disrupt this life is undoubtedly a revolution. Indeed, you have created a revolution in your country.  This social revolution is completely driven by extremely despicable interests, but the problem is not here. If your motherland has not gone through a thorough revolution, human beings cannot realize their mission and enter the kingdom of free development. So, no matter what you do in this process.  No matter how many crimes he committed, after all, he just acted as an unconscious tool of history!" When Chen Zaixing heard this, his face turned pale. He turned his head sharply and rushed towards his cabin. O'Neil came from behind.  Bangji's reciting poetry: "Why should we be sad because of this pain, since it gives us more joy! Aren't there thousands of creatures who were once swallowed up by Timur's rule?" Chen Zaixing returned to the cabin.  , just fell down on the bed, buried his head deeply into the soft duck down pillow, that O'Neil just now.  Bungie's snarky remarks were unlike anything he'd ever heard.  But no matter how reluctant Chen Zaixing was to admit it, deep in his heart, there was always a voice shouting loudly: "What he said is right, the fact is exactly what Mr. Bunji said! The reason why you don't  I believe this just because I want to make my conscience feel better!" After some time, Chen Zaixing suddenly sat up from the bed. He walked to the mirror in the dressing room, and the beautiful glass mirror showed  His face was pale, his eyes were dazed, and his skin was dripping with sweat. This was the face of a sinner who knew he was guilty.  At this time, there were several knocks on the door, and the Sikh guards spoke Chinese with a strong accent.  "Mr. Chen, breakfast is ready. Would you like to send it to your room?" "No, I will go to the restaurant later!"Chen Zaixing replied loudly. He turned on the faucet, and the cool water wet his skin, taking away the sticky discomfort. After scrubbing his face and upper body, he changed a shirt, opened the hatch and went out.  When Chen Zaixing walked into the restaurant, the room was filled with the pleasant aroma of brewed coffee and freshly baked bread. Only Oune was sitting at the large teak dining table, which was large enough for twenty people to dine at the same time.  Er. Bunji was alone, and he was happily spreading butter on his slices of bread. When he saw Chen Zaixing coming in, O'Neil Bunji laughed: "Chen, I have good news for you, the cook on the ship.  It¡¯s great, especially the veal stew, and the fried ham slices are also good, you can try them!  " Chen Zaixing hummed and found a place to sit down at the dining table. The waiter who stood aside tied a napkin for him, poured him coffee, and brought slices of bread, butter, cheese, fried ham, veal,  Bacon, boiled eggs, oatmeal, fresh milk, as well as sugar and salt for seasoning. Chen Zaixing skillfully picked up the knife and fork and started eating. "Mr. Chen, I didn't expect you to be used to drinking coffee. From what I heard.  You know, Chinese people are more accustomed to drinking tea, and the origin of tea is also China!  "A voice broke the silence in the room. Chen Zaixing looked up and saw O'Neil who had finished eating. Bunji was holding a cup of coffee and looking at him with interest. "There's nothing strange about this. I was once there.  Having been doing business in Myanmar for many years, there are many businessmen there from other places and I have tried many drinks!  ¡± ¡°Can you determine the origin of these coffees?  " Chen Zaixing took a sip of the brown liquid in the porcelain cup, and a unique bitter taste of coffee entered his tongue. He distinguished it carefully for a while, and replied in an uncertain tone: "Maybe it's Ceylon, or something else.  Where?  " "You guessed it right, Mr. Chen, you are such a lucky guy!  "O'Neil. Bunge: "Most of the coffee in South Asia, Southeast Asia and even East Asia is produced in Ceylon because the freight is cheap.  But do you know?  In a few years, you will no longer be able to drink Ceylon coffee.  " Chen Zaixing heard the meaning behind the other party's words, frowned and asked, "What do you mean?  Will coffee no longer be grown there?  "    "Yes!  The large coffee plantations on that beautiful island country are being eradicated one by one and turned into rubber plantations, just like your declining tea plantations in China decades ago!  "Speaking of this, O'Neil Bunji showed a meaningful smile to the other party. After listening to O'Neil Bunji's words, Chen Zaixing's face turned pale.  As a businessman, he naturally knew what the other party meant. From the beginning of the 17th century, Chinese tea began to be exported. Until the end of the 17th century, the world's tea market was almost completely monopolized by Chinese tea, with ships leaving Guangzhou and Quanzhou.  The cargo ships loaded with tea that sailed out were exchanged for tons of silver. The tea trade, together with ceramics and silk, became an important reason for the large amount of silver flowing into China in modern times. However, this situation changed in the mid-19th century.  , British merchants began to establish large-scale tea production in India, Ceylon and other colonies with a suitable climate for tea growth. At first, they could not compete with Dashun tea. However, by the 1870s, Indian tea and Ceylon tea were competing with  The competition for Dashun tea has become increasingly fierce. Although the quantity of tea required by Britain and other Western countries has increased rapidly, the import volume from Dashun has never increased or even shrunk. This share is basically occupied by India and Tin  Orchid tea has been occupied by orchid tea, and a small amount has been annexed by Japanese tea. The manifestation of all this in Dashun is that major tea-producing provinces such as Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hunan have experienced economic shrinkage, tea mountains have been abandoned, and a large number of tea farmers and transportation workers have lost their jobs.  .    "what do you mean?  " Chen Zaixing asked in a low voice. "Haha!  "O'Neil. Bunge did not directly answer Chen Zaixing's question, but continued on: "But not long after, the tea estates in Ceylon suffered the same fate. The British began to bulldoze their best mountain tea gardens.  They were replaced by coffee plantations, because they could earn three times the profit and only needed a salary of three pence a month and a Lee-Enfield rifle to allow the indigenous people to work in the plantations until they could not even straighten their waists.  Even the slave owners on the South American continent and on the island of Cuba cannot compete with them. The reason is simple. Those slave owners are still worried about whether their 'property' will be damaged due to overwork, while the wise entrepreneurs of the British Empire  Don't worry about this, there is enough labor outside the plantation to replace them.  As a great economist said: 'Oceania has our sheep ranches, Argentina and the western steppes of North America have our cattle, Peru sends its silver, South Africa and Australia gold flows to London; the Indians and the Chinese  People grow our tea, and our coffee, sugar and spice plantations?Bud East Indies.  ¡¯ And all we need to do is enjoy all this. How much the venerable God loves those lovely people of Great Britain!  They generously sprinkled the rain and dew of happiness on their heads, while in other lands, either not a drop of water fell, or heavy rain caused disasters. Don't you think God's approach is interesting?  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 110 Hidden Worries

    "O'Neil. Mr. Bunge!" Chen Zaixing thought for a while and whispered: "From your words, I don't think you believe in God. At least the God you believe in is the same as the white people I know.  God is not a God. Yesterday, at the end of our meeting, Mr. Gillings told me in Chinese that you are a very dangerous person who joined a very dangerous organization while studying in London. Is this true?  ?" "Yes!" O'Neil.  Bunge nodded without hesitation: "For mediocre people like Mr. Gillings, my thoughts are the most dangerous things in the world. Even the most ferocious murderers and robbers are nothing compared to me."  Holy angel!" "Then why does he still cooperate with you? He knows all this!" "Because there is money to be made!"  Bunji laughed: "Didn't I say that? As long as he can make money, he is even willing to sell me the rope that strangled him!" "Can I ask the name of that organization?" Chen Zaixing asked carefully  road.  "Of course, Socialist International¡ªSI!" O'Neil.  Bunge said a series of difficult to understand phrases containing abbreviations. When he saw a puzzled expression on Chen Zaixing's face, he explained with a smile: "Of course, you can also call it the Second International, the International Proletariat.  "United organization." Soon, five days passed. When the journey from Yangon to Mandalay ended, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but feel a little unfinished about his traveling companion, O'Neil.  Bunge - this man with a huge fortune claims to believe in scientific socialism, claiming that the existing world will become a place where countries, nations, private property, marriage, and religion do not exist in hundreds or even decades, and everyone can have their own rights.  A harmonious society that takes what it needs and develops freely.  Although Chen Zaixing was dismissive of the other party's words at first, as time went by, he gradually felt that the other party's theory was reasonable. Although he still found the final conclusion ridiculous and just the work of a madman.  Wild thoughts - although this madman is a madman with a genius mind and a great heart.  But with O'Neil.  The longer they spent with Bangji, the more doubts arose in Chen Zaixing's mind: This young millionaire kept saying that he would work hard to build a harmonious society, but in real life he was a very shrewd businessman, or in other words,  In his own words, he was a successful capitalist.  He rationally, even coldly, inspected the land on both sides of the river. When the boat docked at the dock, he asked the Burmese locals through a translator the prices of hired labor, food and other production factors to prepare for the upcoming rubber plantation business.  be prepared.  This image contrasts sharply with the idealism he speaks of.  Finally O'Neil.  When Bangi was about to board the elephant back to Chen Zaixing's residence, a manor outside Mandalay, Chen Zaixing asked him a question.  Faced with this tough question, O'Neil.  Bunge smiled and replied: "You should have heard me mention Friedrich von Engels when we were on the ship, right?" "Yes!" Chen Zaixing recalled for a moment and replied: "You said he is the most powerful person in the world today.  A great thinker, economist, revolutionary, and leader of the Second International. "Yes, but do you know what Mr. Engels does for a living in his daily life?" Chen Zaixing looked confused.  Expression: "I think this great man shouldn't have to worry about money. After all, his supporters or ancestors have left an inheritance!" "Haha, how is this possible!" O'Neil.  Bunge laughed: "The supporters of this organization are basically the proletariat. They can't afford much money to pay membership fees. And based on what Mr. Engels has done, do you think his father will give him much inheritance?  Mr. Engels was a very successful businessman and a manager hired by the Manchester cotton textile cartel. The money he gained from his business activities not only helped Mr. Marx complete his great work "Das Kapital" but also  He also shouldered a considerable amount of the financial burden of the First International. When someone ridiculed his ideas because of his status, he responded like this: 'Yes, I do organize my factory like a capitalist, because if I don't follow it.  The will work of capital cannot survive in this society, but the difference between me and capitalists is: when the economy is booming, I will not rejoice because my pockets are bulging; but when the economy is in a trough, I will not be happy because of the revolution.  So joyful for the coming of **! '" said O'Neil.  Bang Ji paused, then he smiled and patted Chen Zaixing on the shoulder: "That's my answer, dear Chen!" After that, he quickly climbed onto the elephant's back.  Chen Zaixing fell into deep thought until his butler's inquiry woke him up: "Sir, are you going back to the palace or to the manor?" "When I go to the palace, I want to see His Majesty first." Chen Zaixing returned to normal., he looked at the cage on the elephant's back: "Tomorrow night I will return to the manor, this O'Neil. Mr. Bunge is my distinguished guest. Before I return to the manor, I will fulfill all his wishes. You understand  "Are you ready?" "Yes, my lord!" The steward leaned down deeply to show his respect for Chen Zaixing's order.  Chen Zaixing turned around and got on his elephant, escorted by the guards towards the palace.  As the husband of the actual ruler of the Kingdom of Myanmar, although Chen Zaixing does not hold any official position in the kingdom, he still has a certain influence on the royal government.  He himself is also the chairman of Shunhua Company and controls huge wealth; he has a good relationship with the Dashun Burmese Colonel; he also has a well-equipped and well-trained Sikh guard under his command.  Any one of the above three factors can bring him huge power, not to mention these factors combined, so even the Burmese nobles and monks who hate and despise him the most in the kingdom have to admit that he is one of the few  One of the powerful people who controls the fate of this kingdom, even the most important one among these few people.  For this, many Burmese monks and nobles were very resentful. Many of them believed that the marriage between Chen Zaixing and Her Majesty the Princess was clearly a trick of the powerful northern empire to turn the Kingdom of Burma into a colony of Dashun.  In a sense, their conjecture is well founded.  The loans from the Shanghai Banking Group controlled the finances of the Kingdom of Myanmar. The Kingdom had to use a large amount of gold every year to pay for the loans that were paid in silver a few years ago. However, the price of silver continued to fall, which invisibly amplified the amount of the loans.  ; and the Shunhua Company controls large areas of fertile land, forest farms, mines, and the most profitable part of the traditional trade in grain, teak, oil, tin ore, etc. in the kingdom. This undoubtedly hurts the nobility and monks of Myanmar.  interests of the kingdom¡¯s traditional ruling class.  The nobles and monks looked at all this with gloomy eyes, and what hindered them from using traditional methods of assassination or rebellion to resist were the pervasive spies under Privy Councilor Diok and the new army of the kingdom and the mercenaries of Shunhua Company.  Compared with the traditional army of the Kingdom of Burma, which was composed of noble vassals and conscripted peasants, these armies equipped with advanced firearms and trained using new methods were simply invincible.  But there is another reason why they remain silent, that is, almost all potential rebels are waiting for an opportunity-that is, the coming of age of His Majesty Prince Luo Qin. According to the practice of the Kingdom of Myanmar, women cannot become kings, so Luo Lin  Over the years, Her Majesty the Princess Regent has been in charge of state affairs. In a sense, she is just an agent for her brother. However, as Luo Qin grows older, an idea has emerged in many Burmese nobles.  He and the monk thought: Let His Majesty Luo Qin ascend the throne of the king, Her Majesty the Princess Regent must abdicate, and get out of Myanmar with her Dashun husband, as well as Shunhua Company and those hateful Sikh mercenaries.  Of course, the nobles and monks are not so naive as to think that as long as they take out the thick code, they point out that according to the will of the gods, the teachings of the Buddha and the practice since ancient times, women cannot become kings, so the age of the orthodox heir must be  When you are able to shoulder the responsibilities of a king, Your Majesty, Princess, should lift up your long skirt and get down from the supreme throne.  Luo Lin will abdicate obediently.  These cunning opponents have long understood that justice is like a shy girl, always hiding in the face of tyrannical violence. Even the articles written in the sacred code will not be supported by strong force behind them.  The power of automation.  If strong force is lacking, it is replaced by intrigue, just like a treacherous shopkeeper who passes off fried fish as fresh fish.  For Chen Zaixing, he was not ignorant. On the contrary, Diok, who had a large number of spies, almost always revealed a conspiracy between nobles in the secret reports he gave him every month.  But human energy is limited. Almost all of Chen Zaixing's limited energy was invested in Kunming's new steel plant, the Machinery Bureau, and the lucrative trade between Myanmar and Dashun. That ambitious goal was like a bottomless black hole.  , devouring every drop of the money and resources he obtained. Compared with these, the weight of Diok's secret reports in Chen Zaixing's heart is really negligible. As an important source of funds and raw materials for his ambitious goals, Myanmar must remain stable.  is the most important, so he always writes the same reply at the end of the report: "Read it, please handle it as appropriate. It is not appropriate to implicate too much, but to stabilize the situation first!"  They always just give up after hammering and catching a few small fish and shrimps floating on the surface, but ignore the big shots hiding behind the scenes.  As time went by, there were fewer and fewer signs of these conspiracies, but Diok was not reassured because he knew that there were two possibilities: the nobles and monks had given up, and the number of people organizing the conspiracy was increasing.  The less; there is another possibility, that is, the conspirators have formed a tight organization, and the conspiracy has entered?Signs like this will also appear in deep water areas that cannot be seen by my spies.  And Diok's intuition told him that the second possibility was closer to the truth.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 111 Past Events

    royal palace.  Chen Zaixing quickly walked up the steps and picked up his daughter who was staggering towards him. The two-year-old daughter Chen Songqing put her little face close to her father's ear and spoke private words between father and daughter.  His wife Luo Lin was leaning against the door frame, watching with tears the scene of the father-daughter reunion, with their second child in her slightly protruding belly.  "Fu Sheng, you're back!" "Yes, I'm back!" Chen Zaixing held his daughter in one hand, walked forward, and embraced his wife.  In the living room decorated in Western style, Chen Zaixing sat on the sofa, with his daughter sitting on his shoulders, playing with his father's hair with great interest. Luo Lin took the iced coconut milk presented by the maid and passed it to her husband.  He asked softly: "Have you had a hard time along the way? Is everything going well?" "There are boats coming and going, what's the trouble?" Chen Zaixing took the daughter off his shoulders and handed it to the wet nurse beside him to prevent her from passing it on.  His hair was made into a chicken coop, and he said with a smile: "Although there were some twists and turns in exporting rice to Dashun, it was finally successful. I borrowed the east wind from the Liu family's uncle and the Japanese invasion of Ryukyu, and also brought the rice merchants' guild in Shanghai to  It was taken down. I left Jiang Zhiqing in Shanghai to take charge of this matter. It will be more convenient in the future!" "That's good!" Luo Lin couldn't help but beam with joy when he heard that the rice export was going well. It turned out that although the Kingdom of Myanmar was in Dashun  However, in order to compensate the British for the military expenditure of four million pounds, the Kingdom of Myanmar had to borrow money from the Shanghai Banking Group headed by Houde Bank. In order to repay the loan, the Kingdom of Myanmar had to  Open up new sources of income, of which rice export is a very important part.  "Don't be too happy too early!" Chen Zaixing sighed: "Except for rice, no one dares to contact teak, tin ore and other exports. Firstly, these products are not needed for success.  The most important thing is that the British control the sea. The merchants in Dashun dare not offend the British! " "Husband, don't worry too much. This kind of thing cannot be done once or twice. Let's take our time."  Just come!" Luo Lin saw the sad look on Chen Zaixing's face and quickly offered words of comfort. It turned out that although the British did not get the monopoly rights on tin ore, teak and other Burmese products in the "British-Burmese Treaty", due to the British Empire's shipping  With its absolute advantages in industry and naval power, Myanmar has no choice in exporting raw materials and has to sell its products at very low prices. This is also an important reason why Chen Zaixing went to Shanghai this time.  "It seems that this situation can only change after the completion of the Yunnan-Burma Railway. Even if all products cannot be sold to Dashun, at least there will be one more choice, and the British will make some concessions in terms of price!  "When Chen Zaixing said this, he turned his eyes to his wife. He reached out and gently touched Luo Lin's slightly bulging belly, and asked in a low voice: "How are you and the child in your belly during my absence?"  "Yes!" Luo Lin's cheeks were slightly red and he nodded slightly. The two maids on the side saw the opportunity and carefully stepped out and put down the bead curtain. Only the couple were left in the living room. Luo Lin  He leaned slightly, leaned into her husband's arms, and whispered: "It would be great if it was a boy this time, as smart and capable as you, husband!" "Girls are pretty good too!" Chen Zaixing patted his wife's hand gently.  Cheeks: "It's nice to be as pretty and cute as you and Song Qing, isn't it?" Luo Lin heard this and got up from her husband's arms, with a sly smile on his face: "That's not okay, don't you Han people say  What are the three ways to be unfilial and "not having children is the most important thing"? Among the "seven things" is "having no children", giving birth to a boy can continue the Chen family's legacy!" "That's just a mediocre woman, you.  But Princess Regent of the Kingdom of Myanmar, if you don't follow the example of Duke Zhou, how can I dare to restrain you with this "seven out and three out" policy? " Luo Lin's face suddenly changed slightly when she heard this, and she sat upright.  Body, solemnly said: "Fusheng, when it comes to the regent princess, I have something to ask your opinion on." "What is it?" Seeing his wife being so serious, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but cheer up.  Lin has been serving as the regent for more than five years. Whether it is the accumulation of experience or the influence of power, she has unconsciously developed an aura unique to those in power. Even if Chen Zaixing is her  At some point, my husband also felt a heavy sense of oppression unique to his power.  "Luo Qin is already eighteen years old. According to the customs and laws of the kingdom, he has reached adulthood and can ascend the throne of the king!" At this point, Luo Lin stopped speaking, and his eyes revealed an inquiring gaze.  Chen Zaixing was stunned for a moment. His wife's question made him a little stunned for a moment. What did the other party's question mean?  It was Luo Lin who was obsessed with power and wanted to prevent his younger brother from officially signing up.It was just an ordinary inquiry. In just a few seconds, Chen Zaixing had gone back and forth six or seven times in his mind. In the end, he decided not to express his position first and to test his wife's intentions.  After all, his position is too sensitive. Although the couple is extremely close, his wife and Luo Qin are also the same mother and blood relatives, so it is better to be more cautious when it comes to power.  "I don't know much about the history of the Kingdom of Myanmar. Is there any precedent similar to your brother and sister?" "This -" Luo Lin hesitated for a moment, and for some reason his face turned dark, and he whispered: "Similar  This is indeed the case. In the Toungoo Dynasty, there was a pair of siblings. Their father also died early. The elder sister became the regent first. When the younger brother was old enough to ascend the throne, she gave up the position of regent and handed over the power to the younger brother.  " "I see, if that's the case, you might as well just follow the precedent! Just find a suitable time and let Luo Qin take the throne!" Chen Zaixing laughed, but he was thinking secretly.  Luo Lin didn't speak. She sat there quietly with a gloomy expression on her face. Chen Zaixing called her name twice, but she didn't respond. After about half a moment, Luo Lin suddenly said: "Let's put this matter aside for now."  Let's talk about it later. Anyway, Luo Qin's birthday is in November, and there is still some time before he turns eighteen. "Chen Zaixing nodded, maybe it was his imagination, after his wife said that Luo Lin was about to ascend the throne.  After the incident, her mood became bad. Chen Zaixing said some small words and was still gentle in every possible way, but Luo Lin still looked depressed and uneasy. After ten minutes, she sighed and whispered: "I'm a little tired."  Come on, let¡¯s take a rest first. You¡¯ve worked hard along the way, so take care of yourself!¡± Chen Zaixing hurriedly helped his wife get up and took her to the bedroom to lie down and rest. He walked out of the bedroom and carefully thought about his wife¡¯s conversation for a while, feeling that it was still inappropriate.  Answer, finally had to shake his head and walked out.  On the way, he happened to meet a monk in his fifties, who was the master who usually taught Luo Lin and his brothers. Chen Zaixing had an idea and rushed forward to stop the monk. He said with a smile: "Honored Master, it's a coincidence that we met here!"  The monk hurriedly saluted: "This poor monk has come to see Mr. Chen. I haven't seen him for many days!" "I went to Dashun some time ago and just came back today!" When Chen Zaixing said this, he changed his meaning and asked:  "I just had a chat with Her Majesty the Eldest Princess, and I heard her say that your country also has a pair of siblings in the Toungoo Dynasty. Just like the two Your Majesties today, the elder sister will be the Regent Princess first and take charge of the country's affairs. When the younger brother is older,  "Have you ever had such a thing before handing over your authority to your younger brother?" "That's right!" The monk said with a smile: "Your Majesty, the eldest princess, really has a good memory. I mentioned this once when I was explaining Buddhist scriptures more than a month ago. I didn't expect it.  The princess still remembered that although the elder sister was a woman, she was brave and resolute. When her father died, she led the army to kill more than ten rebellious officials in the court, and the country was safe. She and the eldest princess were really in harmony for a while!  So!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "She is indeed a hero among women, just like my beloved wife, but I would like to ask one more question, what will happen to that sister after she abdicates?" "This -" the monk heard this.  His face suddenly changed, and he stammered as if there was something difficult to say. Chen Zaixing was such a shrewd person. He immediately guessed that there might be some imperial family history that cannot be explained to outsiders. There are countless such things in Chinese history books.  , I didn¡¯t expect it to be average in a small country like Myanmar.  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing took a step forward and lowered his voice: "Honored Master, what happened today came from your mouth and reached my ears. No other person except heaven and earth knows about it. Please tell me in detail. I am grateful for the resurrection."  " When the monk saw this, he knew that he couldn't pass the blame, so he had to smile bitterly and said: "It's not the old monk's excuse.  It doesn't matter." At this point, the monk lowered his voice and told Chen Zaixing the past story in detail.  It turns out that after the sudden death of their father, the Tian family siblings of the Toungoo dynasty, several close relatives of the royal family gathered their tribesmen in an attempt to usurp the throne.  Although that sister is a female, she is actually a female hero who is not inferior to men.  At this critical moment, he wore armor and led a massive attack with soldiers and horses. In just a few days, he defeated all the rebels one by one. He then took charge of the government for several years. When his younger brother came of age, he helped his brother ascend the throne and relieved him of power.  Bit.  But she didn't expect that after her brother ascended the throne, he was concerned about his sister's prestige and ability. He first cut off her sister's wings one by one when she was in power, and then imprisoned her in a Buddhist temple.  The sister's husband's clan was also wiped out by his clan, and his son was imprisoned in another Buddhist temple. Half a year later, his brother sent someone to execute him.  The brave and resolute sister died in depression after two years in the monastery.  Thank you book friends for your generous reward. There will be another update tonight!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 112 Bicycle

    When Chen Zaixing heard this, he realized why his wife looked like that just now. Although Luo Lin and his brother had been friends since childhood, they were even closer when they fled together.  But times have changed, and presumably the younger brother was very friendly with her when the elder sister was in power. But the most ruthless thing is the imperial family. Who knows what Luo Qin will look like after he ascends the throne?  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but shudder.  Seeing Chen Zaixing standing there distracted, the old monk hurriedly said goodbye in a low voice: "Noble sir, this young monk still has something to do, so he will leave first. Please forgive me for what I have said!" Chen Zaixing hurriedly saluted: "  It's natural. I will keep secret what happened just now. Please rest assured, Master!" Looking at the monk's back as if he was escaping, a wry smile appeared on Chen Zaixing's face. He didn't expect that a small country like Myanmar could have such a dirty emperor.  Family history, fortunately, this place is not as civilized and prosperous as China, and even all the scandals of emperors, generals and ministers are recorded for future generations to comment on.  But whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, I don¡¯t know.  "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law!" Chen Zaixing was thinking when he suddenly heard someone shouting loudly behind him. When he turned around, he saw that Cao Cao was about to arrive. The person who came was Chen Zaixing's brother-in-law, the most qualified heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Myanmar¡ª  ¡ª Luo Qin.  I saw him running over with a smile on his face and shouting repeatedly: "Brother-in-law, I have a fun new thing here, come and take a look!" "What new thing is there? Luo Qin, don't be so hasty!"  Chen Zaixing straightened his wrinkled sleeves and began to look at the object in front of him. He saw that the object was made up of two wheels of different sizes, with an object in the middle that was obviously a seat.  There are two pedals underneath.  "It turns out it's a bicycle. It's nothing new to me. I've seen it in Shanghai several years ago!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "This thing invented by Western devils is very convenient, but it can only be used on particularly flat roads.  If it's a little bumpy, it's so bumpy that it shakes people's bones apart." He stepped forward and patted the seat twice, feeling a slight rebound from underneath. It was obvious that there were springs or something like that under the smooth leather cushion.  Something that can buffer the impact generated during travel.  "Brother-in-law, my car is the latest model, and it will never bump!" Luo Qin said with a proud smile.  "Seriously?" "Brother-in-law, if you don't believe it, you can try it!" Luo Qin pushed the bicycle in Chen Zaixing's arms, and Chen Zaixing carefully rode it twice. Sure enough, just as Luo Qin said, he only felt the vibration from the body of the bicycle.  A slight shock, and the memory that almost breaks the bones, are completely different feelings.  Chen Zaixing jumped out of the car and looked at the strange bicycle again for a while. At first, he thought it was because of the new spring-loaded seat, but as the observation continued, he found that there were still holes on the steel outer rings of the two wheels.  There was a circle of black gelatinous substance. He reached out and touched it, and felt a rough touch on his fingertips.  "Brother-in-law, you are really smart. You found the key the first time!" Luo Qin said with a smile: "It took me more than 20 minutes to find the key. That thing is called an inflatable forum, and there is a tube filled with air.  , With that thing, no matter how uneven the road is, the people in the car will be much more comfortable." Chen Zaixing stood up and asked in a low voice: "Luo Qin, did the businessman say what this hose is made of?  "Is it possible?" "Let me think about it, it seems to be a very strange name!" Luo Qin frowned and thought for a while, then suddenly patted his thigh: "By the way, it's called rubber. It seems to be a name from South America."  It's grown on trees, so it's very expensive. This car alone costs me forty pounds. I heard that two-thirds of the price is spent on these two wheels. " "Rubber?  "Chen Zaixing repeated this somewhat awkward word several times, imprinting it deeply into his mind. As a businessman, he has keenly felt the important use of this pneumatic tire. With this new tire  , the carrying capacity and transportation efficiency of vehicles will increase dramatically, which will undoubtedly be a huge help in expanding the carrying capacity of the road between Myanmar and Dashun, and the key to everything is this strange colloid.  "Luo Qin, do you have the contact information of this businessman? I am very interested in this bicycle and want to buy one for fun!" Chen Zaixing handed the bicycle back to Luo Qin.  "Brother-in-law also wants this thing. This is quite strange." Luo Qin smiled and took over the car: "I will ask my men to inform the businessman and let him come to the palace in the afternoon!" "That's fine!"  Chen Zaixing suppressed his excitement and walked towards his residence.  Three hours later.  "Mr. William, can you confirm that the tires on the bicycle are made of the gum produced by this tree?" Chen Zaixing suppressed his excitement and pointed to the cigarette in his hand.asked a page in a picture album by O'Neil.  Bungie gave it to him to introduce the properties of rubber trees.  "Exactly, although I am curious about where you got this picture album!" The British businessman named William replied with a smile: "But the raw material of this tire is produced from this kind of tree. The rubber tapper first  Cut a hole in the bark of the tree, and this wonderful tree will secrete white sap from the wound, which will turn black after being left for a period of time. After being vulcanized, it can be used to make this kind of hose. It's a pity.  Planting trees is now only available in Brazil, South America, so the price is very expensive!" At this point, William showed a regretful expression on his face.  "Thank you very much for your introduction. It has increased my knowledge!" Chen Zaixing showed a satisfied smile on his face. He stretched out his right hand: "I am very interested in this kind of bicycle. I want to buy two, no, ten of them."  "This kind of bicycle." "Thank you very much!" William quickly reached out and shook the right hand of the noble man in front of him. Four hundred pounds is not a small amount. He bowed diligently and said in as soft a voice as possible: "  Generous Sir, I only have six bicycles in stock at the moment, and it will take two months to ship the rest. After all, a noble person like you who will pay for such an elegant product is in Mander.  "It's not much, I didn't prepare that much inventory!" "Well, in two months, you can send the six cars you have now, and you can go to my housekeeper to get the payment!"  At this point, Chen Zaixing picked up the teacup on the side and started drinking tea.  As a businessman who has been doing business in East Asia for many years, William understood that this was the noble man's signal that the interview was over. He quickly stood up, bowed slightly and stepped back six or seven steps until he reached the door before turning around and leaving.  Chen Zaixing was sipping tea while planning the gains and losses in his mind.  There is no doubt that rubber is a very important strategic material. Whether in the international market or in the future domestic market of Dashun, there is no need to worry about sales. If nothing else, just the tens of millions of dollars in Dashun alone.  Large and small vehicles, all equipped with rubber tires are a business that Chen Zaixing will never finish in his lifetime. Compared with this, O'Neil.  Bungie's bizarre comments were nothing more than innocuous annoyances.  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing began to understand Gillings's actions. "As long as the price is right, the capitalists are willing to sell us the rope to hang themselves." But who can guarantee that the rope will be around his neck?  Woolen cloth?  Maybe it's around the neck of his competitor, wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone?  "Go see that O'Neil right away. Bunji?" Chen Zaixing stood up, but immediately stopped. The reason was very simple. He still couldn't see through the young businessman. At this time, he showed no interest in reaching an agreement.  Too much enthusiasm is inappropriate because it means you have to make bigger concessions.  Based on past experience, the negotiating party should be as indifferent as possible and have more options, so as to gain an advantageous position in the subsequent negotiations.  "Come here!" Chen Zaixing sat down and ordered in a deep voice to the butler who was standing half hunched over in front of him: "To Mr. O'Neil Bunge, you must treat me the same as myself and meet all his requirements.  . But try to prevent him from going out, and if you can't, don't let others meet with him. Do you understand? " "I understand!" "Also, what has he been doing in the manor these days?  You must record it clearly and send it to my room at night!" "Yes, sir!" Chen Zaixing looked at the steward's leaving figure, his eyes gradually becoming dark and unclear, which was a sign that he was deep in thought.  After confirming the huge potential of the rubber plantation, Chen Zaixing increasingly realized that his career was inseparable from the control of this land, and if anyone dared to block his way forward, there would be only one end, and that is  destroy.  "Come here, let me ask, has Her Majesty the Princess woke up?" Chen Zaixing stood up and said loudly: "If you wake up, tell me that I want to see him!" "Yes, sir!" Hanbi Tower, Yuyuan, Shanghai.  This garden, known as the "Qixiujiangjiangnan", was built during the Jiajing period of the previous dynasty. It was built by Pan Yunduan, the son of Pan En, the Minister of Punishment of the Ming Dynasty at that time. It was originally intended to allow his parents to spend their later years in the garden. The "Yu Garden" in the name means "Yuduan".  "The word means to please old relatives."  Later, the Pan family declined, and this famous garden was transferred several times, and now it is in the hands of the Liu family of Houde Bank.  Because this place is located in the old city in the east of Shanghai, the transportation is very convenient, and it is quiet in the bustle without being disturbed by outsiders. Therefore, this place was chosen as the location for the negotiations between Shun and Japan on the Ryukyu issue.  "It is indeed worthy of being called the Great Country of China. This is simply the pinnacle expression of garden art!" Kuroshima Jin glanced at a piece of Taihu stone rockery outside the window and couldn't help but sigh. This time heAs the personal secretary and confidant of Prime Minister Kaoru Inoue, he became a member of the Japanese mission and followed Katsura Taro to Shanghai. The Chinese arranged for them to stay in Yu Garden, but when he saw the Chinese garden, he couldn't help but admire it loudly.  Sorry, a friend just came back, so the update is late, sorry!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 113 Ending

    "Yes, the collection of five thousand years of East Asian civilization is indeed beyond what our Empire of Japan can compare with!" Katsura Taro also nodded. As the second person of the Choshu sect and the top disciple of Yamagata Aritomo, Inoue  Xin was appointed as the representative of this negotiation team, and his intention was profound.  Is it mediocre reward?  Or take advantage?  Or even pave the way for future frame-ups?  No one knows that compared to these big figures who have experienced the storms of the Bakumatsu, Kuroshima Jin is indeed a bit young.  "Yes, when I think that when we were still legends, the Chinese had already established a great empire with a population of tens of millions, I can't help but feel awe!" Kuroshima Jin nodded, lowered his voice and asked: "Your Excellency Katsura, this  Can this negotiation really succeed? Our opponent is Dashun. When I disembarked from the Shanghai port, I was simply stunned by the prosperity of this city. What a prosperous and wealthy country it is compared to ours!  Too young and too poor! " "Oh! Mr. Kuroshima was scared!" Katsura patted the other party's shoulder lightly and said with a smile, "Don't be ashamed. Actually, I was a little scared too.  We will tell the officials in Dashun later that we are willing to return Ryukyu to them, and let¡¯s go back like this!¡± At this point, Katsura, who is witty by nature, also laughed loudly.  "Your Excellency Katsura!" Kuroshima Jin yelled angrily: "How can this be possible? All Japanese citizens are working hard to serve, tightening their belts, saving every grain of rice and every copper plate to build the army and navy  , it took a lot of effort to win Ryukyu, but if they just give it back to Dashun, wouldn¡¯t their hard work be in vain? This is absolutely unacceptable!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Kuroshima-kun!¡±  Katsura Taro patted the opponent on the shoulder with satisfaction: "If you know that your enemy is powerful and wealthy and run away, is this still a samurai? A true samurai knows that the enemy is powerful and will never take a step back even if his legs are shaking with fear.  People. If we are not as rich and powerful as the Chinese, then we should use our own ambition to make up for it! Compared with our ambition, no one will lose to us Japanese!" "Your Excellency, you are so right!  It makes sense!" Kuroshima Jin was moved to tears by the other party's words.  "Kuroshima-kun, look at this garden. Although it is so beautiful, how much manpower and material resources have been spent on it. But what use are these things to the country and the nation? In front of cannons and warships, these things are  It¡¯s not worth a penny. The Chinese have spent so much effort and money building this kind of thing. Isn¡¯t it a sign of their aging and decay?¡± At this point, Katsura Taro smiled confidently: ¡°Maybe they were once great and peaceful.  It has been glorious, but today it is getting old. The responsibility of leading the rise of the yellow race in East Asia has fallen on the shoulders of our Yamato nation! So, Kuroshima-kun, let us work together!¡± ¡°Hai!¡±  On the ground, my chest was filled with excitement.  ??Jiyu Water Corridor.  This water corridor is named after a strange stone called "Jiyu Peak" next to it.  Early in the morning, Guo Quan was walking on the water corridor. The ancient trees on both sides were verdant, red fish were swimming in the pond, and the pavilions were full of light, just like in a painting.  But Zao Guoquan's face was ashen. At this time, he was heading to the Hanbi Building as the meeting place, preparing to start negotiations. This was a great shame for him. He will definitely be indispensable in the history books of future generations.  This Hanbi Tower has lost the Ryukyu vassal state.  "The Dashun mission has arrived!" With a prolonged announcement, the members of the Japanese mission who had arrived at the meeting place all stood up in a hurry. Headed by the head of the delegation, Katsura Taro, they greeted Dashun who was coming in from the gate.  Members of one of the envoys bowed at 90 degrees, which startled the Dashun officials who had just entered.  "I apologize for keeping you waiting for so long!" Zao Guoquan bowed his hands and forced himself to smile.  "Where!" Katsura Taro smiled: "The scenery here is very beautiful. My group members and I almost forgot the passage of time. There are few opportunities to see such a beautiful garden in Japan!" "If so, we can negotiate in two days.  That's it, I'll just ask you all to have a nice tour of this garden!" Zao Guoquan said a few words casually, and the two parties sat down at the long table.  Hayakoku Quan coughed lowly: "I have been ordered by the imperial court to discuss the matter of Ryukyu with you. As you all know, the Ryukyu Kingdom has been a vassal state of China for hundreds of years. This is what you, the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan,  I have already admitted it, but why did your country send troops to invade Ryukyu and abduct its royal family to Japan in July this year? ""Hao-sama!" Katsura Taro replied with a smile: "Please allow me to correct some of your words.  This was a mistake. First, the Tokugawa Shogunate was just a private advisory body for His Majesty the Emperor. It was not the highest government of Japan. It was not authorized by His Majesty the Emperor at that time. He had no authority to represent the Empire of Japan at that time.  2. In July this year, our Imperial Japanese Army did not invade Ryukyu, but responded to the Ryukyu royal family¡¯s invasion.The invitation to enter Ryukyu is evidenced by the invitation letter from the Ryukyu royal family.  The Ryukyu royal family was not abducted to Japan, but was invited to Japan for a goodwill visit.  " "You -" Even though Zao Guoquan had made some preparations before he came, when faced with Katsura Taro's shamelessness, he was so angry that his veins were exposed and he almost jumped up. Katsura Taro opposite whispered a few words to the subordinates on the side, and then  He handed over a stack of letters and documents: "Everyone, please see, these are the documents from the Kingdom of Ryukyu to the Empire of Japan. These are not lies, they are all based on real evidence!  "Hao Guoquan took the document and flipped through two of them. Sure enough, the seal on it was clear. It was the Ryukyu Kingdom's letter of credence requesting Japan to send troops. Zao Guoquan naturally knew the fishiness in it. The Japanese had the Ryukyu royal family in their hands and wanted them to  It¡¯s not up to the Japanese to speak out. He threw the documents and letterhead to the attendant and sneered: ¡°Your Excellency, Katsura Taro, please forgive me, how can there be any letter of credence in the world requesting another country to send troops to our country?  Besides, the Ryukyu Kingdom is a vassal state of our country. Even if we really want people to send troops, I am afraid we will have to send troops from Dashun. When will it be your turn, Japan?  You clearly forced the King of Ryukyu to write this!  " The smile on Katsura Taro's face did not change, but his words became much sharper: "Sir, please forgive me for being frank, even if the Kingdom of Ryukyu requests your country to send troops now, can your country send troops now?  " "You -" Zao Guoquan was at a loss for words. Indeed, after the Battle of Keelung, the fleet that Dashun had just formed had been completely wiped out. It would take at least a long time to prepare to send troops to Ryukyu. Having said that, if Dashun  If Shun had the ability to send troops, he would not talk to the Japanese at all now. After all, after taking back the main island of Ryukyu, he would be more proactive in negotiating if Japan handed over the Ryukyu royal family. "My lord, the Japanese Empire has no desire at all.  The willingness to conflict with the Dashun Empire, and so far the two sides have not had any direct conflict!  Katsura Taro's smile remained unchanged on his face: "But the ownership of the Ryukyu Kingdom is not just a matter of simply discussing legal issues. Let's face the reality!"  Dashun's long land border has too many vassal states and interests to protect. He has no way to spread his power to any point. The Japanese Empire is an island country, and all their enemies come from the sea, so his power is certain.  First concentrated on the sea, and Ryukyu is an island country.  In a sense, the Japanese Empire is more qualified to be a protector than the Dashun Empire.  Facts also prove this, don¡¯t they?  " " Ridiculous!  "Zhao Guoquan sneered: "Ryukyu is willing to be a vassal state of China, not because China has coerced it with power, but because China admires China's virtue and sends envoys back.  The ancients said, 'If people from afar are dissatisfied and unable to come, then cultivate virtue and come here!  "Is there any reason to use force to intimidate? To take a step back, even if we don't talk about morality and only compare military strength, how do you know that I, Dashun, are unable to exert force on both sea and land at the same time? How can you, Japan, be nothing more than a mere island barbarian?  Are you really overestimating your capabilities to fight against our great state of China, with 40 million people and thousands of miles of territory?" Hearing Zao Guoquan's words, Katsura Taro still had a kind smile on his face: "Sir, I have never doubted it.  Your country's national power has never been denied that it is far superior to our Japanese empire. But in this world, sometimes the small can defeat the big, and the weak can defeat the strong. For example, although a lion is ferocious, it cannot fight in the water.  Fish; although the goshawk is the overlord of the sky, it cannot fight a fierce dog if it falls on the ground; although your country has hundreds of thousands of troops, it cannot reach the Ryukyu Islands more than a thousand kilometers away from the mainland.  We must use force to retake Ryukyu, which will cost a lot both financially and diplomatically." At this point, Katsura Taro paused, carefully observed his opponent's face, and then lowered his voice and said, "For your country.  It is said that losing Ryukyu is not a loss; but for Japan, gaining Ryukyu means huge benefits. Why can't Japan and Japan make concessions and reach a mutually beneficial agreement? " "A mutually beneficial agreement?"  Guoquan glanced at the other party with suspicious eyes. He knew in his heart that today, with the British navy already involved, it is no longer realistic to use force to drive the Japanese out of Ryukyu. However, as thousands of people in the entire East Asia region  It is also unacceptable for the suzerain country in recent years to recognize Japan's control of Ryukyu, because it means that Dashun has no power to protect its vassal state, and it means the destruction of the traditional suzerain and vassal system.  In this dilemma, the position of the negotiator is very difficult to occupy.  Thank you to book friend Kumu Huangxue for the reward!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 114 Ending Part 2

    "Yes, I understand that it is very difficult for Dashun to admit that he cannot protect the Ryukyu Kingdom, so why not let the Ryukyu Kingdom have two protectorates?" Katsura Taro replied with a smile: "In this way, the Ryukyu Kingdom will be protected.  Shun's face can be saved, and the confrontation can be ended. Neither Dashun nor Japan need to get involved in a meaningless war for this small country, and waste tens of thousands of lives and money.  "Two protectorates?" Hao Guokuan snorted: "What about the royal family of the Ryukyu Kingdom?" "If an agreement can be reached, the Japanese side will immediately release all members of the royal family."  Please rest assured that your country's ambassador in the Ryukyu Kingdom will also be restored to its original status. ""So how many troops will Japan send?" "According to the principle of reciprocity, it will be exactly the same as that of your country.  If you want to increase the garrison during the period, you must notify the other party in advance and obtain the other party¡¯s consent!¡± Hearing Katsura Taro¡¯s suggestion, Hayakuni¡¯s face gradually became better. After all, the actual control of the Ryukyu Kingdom is in the hands of Japan, and its own side.  The navy had just suffered a disastrous defeat and would not be able to attack Ryukyu for a long time.  In such a situation, it was really beyond his expectation that the other party could make such a big concession.  Katsura Taro is such a shrewd person. Knowing that his goal has been achieved, he smiled and said: "Your Excellency, we have been talking for a while, and everyone is a little tired. How about we stop and rest for a while?" "Also  Okay, let's all rest for thirty minutes!" Zao Guoquan nodded. He also needed time to talk to his subordinates to brainstorm and see if there were any traps behind Japan's concessions.  Katsura Taro stood up, bowed slightly to Hayakuni, and walked out. Kuroshima Jin quickly followed him. When both of them walked onto the verandah, Kuroshima Jin looked at the one closest to them.  They were about ten meters away and hurriedly stepped forward and asked: "Your Excellency, why would you make such a big concession? Don't you just want to let the Chinese have the name of a suzerainty? If you let them have as many people as the Japanese Empire,  "Kuroshima-kun!" Katsura Taro smiled: "Although both sides can garrison troops, the actual effects are very different!"  "Kuroshima Jin was stunned when he heard this, and he asked in a low voice: "Will the empire send its most elite soldiers? But the Chinese can also send their elite soldiers!" "Kuroshima-kun, you still don't understand diplomacy.  Yeah!" Katsura Taro smiled: "In diplomacy, having power is one thing, but having the courage to use one's own power is another thing. You said that even if the Chinese have a garrison, they will kidnap the Ryukyu royal family back home.  "Probably not!" Kuroshima Jin thought for a while and replied: "If the Chinese wanted to do this, they would have done it long ago. They would be satisfied with the reputation of a suzerain country!"  Yes, Kuroshima-kun. This is how the Chinese are, and it is easy to understand that the Ryukyu Kingdom has been a foreign vassal for hundreds of years, whether in the Ming Dynasty or Dashun.  , the Chinese people have nothing to ask of him. He only needs to send a team of envoys every few years to the mainland to express his loyalty to the emperor, and then he can get safety and security. Anyone who dares to attack him will also offend China.  The prestige of the emperor. Even symbolic tributes will be returned several times their value, and even the money for raising soldiers can be saved. Is there a more cost-effective deal in the world than this? Living in the Warring States Period?  The life of our ancestors was much more miserable." At this point, Katsura Taro showed a bitter smile on his face.  "Yes, they are really a group of lucky guys!" Kuroshima Jin also nodded. He was well-educated and naturally knew that the Japanese in the Warring States Period, whether they were samurai, ministers, farmers or even the emperor, lived a wealthy life.  There is no miserable day like tomorrow. The only difference is that some people die from samurai swords, while others die from hunger, poison or disease.  "These Ryukyu people have lived like this for hundreds of years. If the British hadn't arrived, they could have lived happily like this forever!" At this point, Katsura Taro's rather honest-looking face showed sarcasm.  Smile: "If there were no British, as soon as Dashun's army arrived, we would have to withdraw our troops to Japan, hand over the Ryukyu royal family, and even have a few unlucky ones to commit seppuku as we did in the past. However,  It's different now. As long as the two sides reach a peace agreement, even if Dashun can send a few soldiers there, the Ryukyu people will know that the Chinese princes can no longer protect them. As long as this layer of window paper is pierced, there will be no soldiers.  What's the difference? It's not like that who has been protecting Ryukyu for hundreds of years.A soldier and an envoy!  " After hearing these words, Kuroshima Jin finally woke up from a dream. He was really impressed by Katsura Taro's resourcefulness. As Katsura Taro said, as long as Dashun acknowledges the fait accompli of Japan's occupation of Ryukyu in the agreement, it will be inevitable.  No matter what is written in the agreement, the Ryukyu royal family will understand that the situation has changed, and the giant that has been protecting them for hundreds of years has fallen. If they want to survive in this cruel world.  The only way to survive is to find a new protector. Who else can we protect besides the Japanese Empire? "It's almost time, let's go back!"  "Having said this, Katsura Taro looked at his pocket watch and walked towards the meeting place. Three days later, China and Japan reached a preliminary agreement on the Ryukyu Kingdom, which later generations called the "Yuyuan Agreement" in history. The two parties are as follows  Consensus was reached on several issues: 1. Both China and Japan recognize each other as the protectorate of the Ryukyu Kingdom. 2. All members of the Ryukyu royal family detained by Japan must be safely released within fifteen days of the agreement.  Within one month of the agreement, all Japanese troops, except for the small number of troops allowed by the agreement, must withdraw to Kyushu. 3. China and Japan have the right to station officials in Naha, the capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom, and maintain a small number of troops.  For guards with more than 200 people, any party intending to increase its troops must notify the other party in advance and obtain the consent of the other party before adding more troops. At the same time, the other party also has the right to increase the corresponding force. After adding some details to this preliminary agreement,  The official text was signed in Ningbi Pavilion twenty days later. Regarding the "Yuyuan Agreement", historians from both China and Japan in later generations had various opinions, and there were enough research books on this agreement to fill that room.  Ningcui Pavilion served as the venue for the talks, but almost all historians have the same view on one issue: this was not a peace agreement at all, but a hissing gunpowder bag. Hanjing, Yangxin Palace.  . This is located in the inner court. Since the emperor is young and has not yet ascended the throne, the queen mother oversees the affairs behind the curtain. Since this place is not far from the queen mother's palace, unless there are major court gatherings on several important days, the general small court gatherings are held here.  In the evening of midsummer, the scorching heat of the sun has not completely faded away. Thick dark clouds drifted from the sky, but there was no drop of rain. The air was filled with an earthy smell, and there was a faint thunder in the distance.  The sound was like a knock on the chest, making people feel upset and suffocated. Standing neatly in two rows beside the tall wooden pillars in the Yangxin Hall were the ministers of the court, the elites of the Dashun Empire.  They all wore long robes, and sweat was flowing down their beards and cheeks. The backs of many people's crimson and purple official robes were soaked with sweat, with black marks showing on them, but  No one dared to move, not even wiping the sweat from his face. A censor wearing a heron coat was standing at the bottom, reading his own words loudly: "I have been entrusted by the late emperor to give Aheng the responsibility.  , the position cannot be said to be disrespectful, and the appointment cannot be said to be unprofessional.  However, when the Japanese invaded the Kou vassal state, they continued to plan for things, and the soldiers were unable to sustain food and ammunition, and the vassal state suffered losses" The clear voice of the censor echoed in the Yangxin Hall, but Wang Qinian seemed not to hear it at all, and just stood there without saying a word.  There, unlike everyone else, his face was clean without even a drop of sweat. The light on the wall shone under his high cheekbones, reflecting a bluish-white light for several minutes.  Finally, after the imperial censor finished reciting the aria, Empress Dowager Deng¡¯s soft voice came from behind the bead curtain: ¡°Do you have anything else to recite?  " There was silence in the palace, and everyone remained silent. After a moment, Queen Mother Deng's voice came from behind the bead curtain: "In that case, let's stop here today!  " "Farewell to Her Majesty the Queen Mother!  "The clear voice of the female official echoed inside the Yangxin Hall. This specially designed building produced a good mixing effect. The ministers bowed to the throne behind the bead curtain together, and waited until the Queen Mother and the young  The emperor had left, and everyone left the hall in an orderly manner according to their official positions. Wang Qinian was the first to walk out of the side door of the Yangxin Hall, his face expressionless as usual. "Master Liu, this is today.  What kind of drama was going on?  The crow from Yushitai actually joined the cabinet as the first assistant!  Ordinarily, those at the Yushitai are all chief assistants!  This is a bit unethical!  "A civil servant in his fifties asked his colleagues in a low voice. "Well, it's okay to be the first assistant, but the Queen Mother was noncommittal, neither approving nor rejecting. This is not ordinary, not ordinary!  Could it be that this seat needs to be moved?  "The minister, who had a horse-like face and a beard on his chin, was combing his beard with a comb, shaking his head and sighing. "That's not true??I think the situation in the court today is just like the weather. The cat's claws are scratching my heart and I'm so bored!  " "Yes, this is a storm that is about to come!"  Mr. Xu, why don't you go to my house later and change your clothes? Do I have good Lanling wine at home?  " "The relationship is great. It's been a while since we had a drink together!  ¡± Thank you for the tip from book friend Agoujia¡¯s Stupid Bear! The growth rate of collection has slowed down in the past few days. It seems that I only have so many readers on this book site. This is the result of a niche author.  How sad!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 115 Yixiang

    Wang Qinian strode out of the door, turning a deaf ear to the whispers coming from behind him. His family members who had been waiting outside the door hurriedly came to greet them, bowed and said, "Master, please let the sedan come over?" "Yes!" Wang Qinian nodded.  He got into the sedan chair.  A servant's voice came from outside: "Master, are you going back to the house now?" In the sedan, Wang Qinian was playing with a jade pendant. He was hesitating whether to go back to the house directly or to visit his colleagues in the cabinet to discuss today's meeting.  Things in the classroom.  Suddenly a flash of lightning flashed across the sky, and the intense light reflected on the cloth wall of the sedan, followed by a series of thunders, which seemed to strike on the heads of everyone, causing screams outside the sedan, and even Wang Qinian himself was shocked.  Take off the jade pendant.  Before he could come to his senses, raindrops as big as soybeans rained down on his head.  "It's raining so heavily!" Wang Qinian opened a corner of the sedan curtain and looked out. He saw that the outside was already completely white, and only vague figures could be seen six or seven meters away.  Seeing such a scene, Wang Qinian sighed: "The rain is too heavy, go back to the palace!" "Yes, sir!" The palace.  In the study, Wang Qinian was sitting alone, with a copy of Wang Chuanshan's "Du Tongjian Lun" in front of him. His studies belonged to the Hunan School of Economics and Economics, and he always admired Mr. Chuanshan's perseverance and self-reliance.  Whenever I encounter setbacks or unfavorable things on weekdays, I usually sit alone in the study room and read Mr. Chuanshan's books for a while, nourishing my energy and concentrating my mind, which often has miraculous effects.  But for some reason today, he was sitting in front of a book. He knew every line in the book, but he couldn't read it. The more he read, the more he became restless.  Finally, Wang Qinian could no longer bear his temper, stood up abruptly, and pushed the "Reading Tongjian Lun" aside.  "Master, you didn't eat much for dinner. I cooked some lotus seed porridge, come and have a few bites!" Suddenly his wife's voice came from outside the door. Wang Qinian turned around and saw his old wife carrying a tray with a plate of rice on it.  A steaming bowl of porridge came in.  He forced a smile, stepped forward to take the porridge bowl, and said with a smile: "I feel a little tired today, and I can't eat much at dinner. I'd like to help you!" Wang's wife glanced at Wang Qinian, sighed, and asked: "  Master, what happened in the court today?" Wang Qinian was stunned, knowing that his wife had noticed something strange about him. He was just thinking of finding an excuse to hide it when he heard his wife say softly: "Master, I know.  In that position, you can't talk to others about many things, but if you keep things in your heart, something will go wrong sooner or later. You and I have been husband and wife for decades, so it's better to talk to me and explain it to you. " Wang Qinian.  Hearing this, he sighed and said in a low voice: "You know about the peace talks with Japan, right? Someone in the court today impeached me about this matter." "It turns out it was because of this matter." The king's wife breathed a sigh of relief.  As the wife of the chief minister of the dynasty, she naturally heard about this and quickly smiled and said: "Although it is not my fault that I lost the vassal state, as a Pingzhang military official, what does it matter if you receive a few bullets?  The master is really worried. " "That bullet was from Wang Fengzhang of the Yushitai!" "What?" Wang's wife was stunned when she heard this. She was not surprised because the people of the Yushitai impeached Wang Qinian.  They were originally raised by the emperor to supervise and balance the ministers in the court. It was just natural for those censors to scold the cabinet ministers.  It's just that Wang Fengzhang's situation is special. He was from the period when Wang Qinian was the examiner, and he can be regarded as Wang Qinian's disciple. It is probably much rarer in officialdom for a disciple to impeach his master than to be openly disobedient and unfilial.  "I asked him to get that bullet!" Wang Qinian sighed: "It's like throwing stones to ask for directions, judging the wind and color!" Seeing the doubtful look on his wife's face, Wang Qinian sighed and explained in a low voice.  It turned out that after negotiating peace with Japan and losing the vassal state, he knew that as the chief lieutenant, he would inevitably be attacked by potential political enemies.  The most important factor in whether he can repel the attack of his political opponents and maintain his position as the chief minister of the cabinet is the "holy family" - that is, his position in the Queen Mother's heart.  In order to confirm this, Wang Qinian decided to let his people go to the impeachment first to see what the Queen Mother's attitude was. If the situation was not right, he might as well take the initiative to ask for resignation, so as not to be pushed back at the end of the road, which would lead to a recurrence of the situation.  The chances are gone.  "You know, in view of the eunuch disaster of the previous dynasty, Emperor Taizu Wu of this dynasty did not set up eunuchs, and used female officials to take charge of carrying out orders. But after all, female officials could not leave the capital, so they could not serve as supervisors of the army, nor could they serve as supervisors like the previous dynasty.  Generally, he is in charge of the East Factory and the West Factory. But in this way, the power of the prime minister in this dynasty is unmatched by the previous dynasties. The most taboo of the emperor is for the ministers to form factions, so I am retreating in order to advance!" At this point, Wang Qinian sighed!  Take a breath.  After hearing what her husband said, Wang's wife finally understood and quickly asked: "What did the Queen Mother say at the meeting?" "There was no expression." Wang Qi??Sighed: "She neither rejected the bullet nor expressed anything to the contrary. The Queen Mother's thoughts are really unpredictable!" "Sir, I think the Queen Mother's thoughts are still on your side!" the Queen's wife consoled her.  "The Queen Mother knows what happened this time. The responsibility is not yours. If someone else were in this position, they might not be as good as you!" "I hope so!" Wang Qinian sighed: "Say something.  To be honest, I just suddenly felt that there is nothing wrong with resigning and returning to my hometown. It is better to go back to my hometown and lure others away from me than to spend my days in Hanking.  It's all about the court!" Wang's wife smiled and said softly: "It's getting late, so let's go back to the room and rest early!" "That's fine!" Wang Qinian stood up and went back to the house to rest.  .  About four o'clock in the morning, there was a sudden knock on the door outside the bedroom. Wang Qinian got up sleepily and asked, "What's the matter?"  "Hanjing Yin Mansion? Jiang Fang?" Wang Qinian got out of bed and said in a deep voice: "Let him come in!" There was a creak, and the housekeeper opened the door.  He entered the house with a man covered in mud and water. The man threw himself to the ground and shouted loudly: "Ms. Wang, something bad has happened. Yuan Gong's embankment has burst!" "What?" | Wang Qinian's face changed drastically, and he couldn't care less.  The man was dirty, so he stepped forward to help him up, and asked urgently: "Please explain clearly, what is going on?" "Ms., I am a junior official in the Yin Mansion in Hanjing. It has been raining heavily in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River these days.  , the river rose rapidly. Mr. Fu Yin sent people to patrol the river embankment all night long. However, it rained heavily just now, and the lake water also rose sharply. Under the conflict between internal and external forces, the section of Yuan Gong Embankment near the bridge entrance burst, and the river water rushed inward.  Guan. The villain was ordered by Lord Fu Yin to report the disaster to Mr. Wang. "How could this happen?" Wang Qinian felt his eyes blur and almost fainted. Fortunately, the steward on the side stepped forward to help him.  It turns out that the capital of Dashun, Hanking, was roughly located in the Hankou area of ??the three towns of Wuhan today.  It is located at the intersection of the Han River and the Yangtze River. The terrain is difficult and the transportation is convenient. However, a big problem is flooding.  Every year from July to August, when the rainy season arrives, the floods from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the Han River flow downstream and merge here. Once the two times overlap, it is very easy to break through the embankments and cause floods.  Naturally, Dashun attaches great importance to this point. As the highest chief executive of Hanking, Hanjing Fuyin also has an additional title of promoting Jiang defense affairs. He also has two battalions of Jiang defense troops with about 7,000 people under his jurisdiction.  It is used to guard the embankment, and if necessary, all the garrison troops near Hanjing can be requisitioned.  Wang Qinian closed his eyes for a while, pushed his old wife aside, stood up, and said in a deep voice: "Go back to Fu Yin immediately and tell him to recruit all the manpower immediately, and you must block the hole for me! No matter how much it costs,  I will agree to the amount of money spent later. " "Yes, sir!" The official got up and rushed outside quickly.  Wang Qinian turned around and ordered to the steward: "Prepare the horses immediately and go to Yuan Gongdi to have a look!" The steward looked at the dark night sky outside and dissuaded him: "Sir, it's already dark, the wind and rain are so strong, and there are still floods. How about we stop?  Wait for more than an hour, let¡¯s wait until dawn!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t delay the flood! I¡¯m afraid it will be too late!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡±  A few main roads are paved with bluestone, and many of the more remote roads are paved with rammed earth. When washed away by rain, they turn into mud.  Two family members holding glass-shaded kerosene lamps walked in front, but in the dark rainy night, the lights could only shine for six or seven meters at most, and it would be pitch black even further away.  Wang Qinian was riding on the horse, and bursts of rain hit his face, like soybeans, which hurt. He gritted his teeth and whipped the horse hard. The usually docile mare neighed and stood under his feet.  It slipped and almost stumbled.  Fortunately, the two healthy servants sandwiched beside the horse stretched out their hands to support the horse.  Seeing this, the housekeeper came over and shouted loudly: "Master, the weather is bad, we should go back!" "No!" Wang Qinian shouted, slid down from the horse: "Give me a bamboo stick  , I have to walk there today!" "Yes, Master!" The helpless housekeeper had no choice but to ask two young servants to sandwich Wang Qinian and trek towards Yuan Gongdi in the wind and rain.  The group of people walked for more than half an hour, and finally they were not far from Yuan Gongdi, and the sky was already dimming.  The man who suddenly turned on the light suddenly heard a dull rumbling sound coming from in front of him. He stopped and listened. The dull sound was also mixed with the screams of "It's broken, it's broken!"?, the face of this Hanjing native suddenly changed. He threw the kerosene lamp in his hand to the ground, turned around and ran away, shouting repeatedly: "It's broken, run quickly, or you will die if you don't run!" "What?  What's going on?" Wang Qinian just yelled, and then he heard the terrible muffled sound from the heavy rain, and his feet could even feel a slight vibration from the ground under his feet.  At this moment, his face was pale.  The servants hurriedly lifted Wang Qinian up and ran to a nearby hillock, finally escaping before the flood.  On the hillock, Wang Qinian looked towards Yuan Gongdi. In the desolate morning light, he could see that the breach had rapidly expanded and turned into a terrifying torrent, making a loud sound like ten thousand horses galloping.  Floods are inundating many nearby villages, large and small.  Countless houses are collapsing.  On the thatched roofs sat people fleeing for their lives, floating on the water.  Timber and furniture floated on the water.  People and animals floated on the water.  The young man climbed up the big tree, but the tree was washed down by the flood, submerged, and floated up.  The sound of water everywhere was mixed with cries and calls for help From the northwest where the bridge breached, although it was far away, the sound of water gradually became clearer, like the sound of a strong wind.  He turned his head and looked to the right, but he did not see the flood. Instead, he saw people in various villages supporting the elderly and young, leading their animals, crying and shouting, fleeing from their homes and running to nearby higher ground.  Because it had rained for many days, the mud was deep and there was stagnant water, and the elderly and children kept falling.  Seeing this, Wang Qinian's throat felt sweet, and he felt a stream of heat pouring out of his mouth. He stretched out his hand to cover it, and it was already bright red.  "Master, what's wrong with you!" The housekeeper on the side hugged Wang Qinian in panic: "Come here, come to the doctor quickly. Master is vomiting blood, come here quickly!" "No need!" Wang Qinian shook his head weakly, with a look on his face.  He showed a sad smile, and when he thought about how much effort he had put into the court over the years, but ended up like this, he felt very heartbroken, almost shed tears, and couldn't help but sigh.  "It's a matter of destiny, it's beyond human power!" Two days later, Liu Yun, the censor of the capital, wrote a letter saying that the flood in Hanjing was the prime minister's misconduct. God was warning that the chief minister of the dynasty must abdicate in response.  Wang Qinian, the state affairs minister of Dashun Ping Zhangjun, immediately submitted a memorial, claiming that he was old and incompetent, and that despite his high position, he had lost the vassal state. He was unworthy of the trust of the late emperor and the queen mother, and requested to resign and return to his hometown to recuperate.  Although Empress Dowager Deng repeatedly tried to persuade him to stay, Wang Qinian still insisted on resigning, so Empress Dowager Deng gave Wang Qinian the crown prince Shaobao and allowed him to return to his hometown to recuperate.  He took the post of Wang Qinian as the second assistant Qi Zhidi to Pingzhangjun State Affairs, and then transferred the early state power back to Hanjing to participate in political affairs as the Minister of the Ministry of War.  During the 19th dynasty, Shen Hongmao was the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Since Hu Keqin, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was already a member of the cabinet, the Minister was just his official and did not interfere with the actual affairs of the Ministry of Revenue. In fact, Shen Hongmao had become the de facto Minister of Finance of the empire.  .

 Volume 4 Leviathan 115 Pride

    Myanmar, outskirts of Mandalay, Babu Village.  As the husband of His Majesty the Princess Regent of the Kingdom of Myanmar and the meritorious official who established the two His Majesties on the throne, Chen Zaixing obtained several territories in Myanmar. On these territories, there are fine teak forests, copper mines, and ruby ??mines.  , and an oil field near Ren'anqiang. In addition, he also had a territory near Mandalay that included a dozen villages. One of the villages was Babu Village. Chen Zaixing built his manor in  A very important reason for this village is that it was the site of the first battle of Dashun's expeditionary army into Myanmar a few years ago. It was also in a bamboo house in this village that Chen Zaixing whispered to comfort Luo, who was still a little girl at the time.  Forest.  Chen Zaixing preserved this bamboo house as a memorial.  After spending four tense days in the palace in Mandalay, Chen Zaixing returned to his manor under the protection of a team of Sikh guards. Of course, he also carried several bicycles he had just received from the British businessman.  When Chen Zaixing just returned to his manor, the first thing he did was to summon the manor's butler Kabu to ask about the new guest.  "Kabu, where is Mr. Bunji now? What has he been doing these days?" Chen Zaixing took off his coat and asked the housekeeper Kabu who was standing aside.  "Honorable master, the master of Bunji is swimming by the lake now. In the past few days, he has spent his time reading, hunting, fishing, swimming, and riding horses. Distinguished master, because of this master of Bunji, the monkey behind the village next door  The pheasants and pheasants are almost extinct, and he returns with a full load every afternoon." Butler Kabu replied carefully. Since Chen Zaixing and Luo Lin got married, this farmer from Babu Village has risen rapidly and became the steward of Mr. Wang's manor. For this  In a position that made him a little dizzy, Kabu became extremely cautious and even a little trivial after being excited and frightened.  "Really? Well, at least the neighboring village won't have to worry about monkeys eating their fruit trees and crops for a long time!" Chen Zaixing had already put on his shirt and was changing his coat with the help of a maid.  "But noble master, according to local customs, these monkeys are messengers of the ancestors and gods and cannot be killed casually!" Butler Kabu explained in a low voice: "So the villagers are very angry-" "Then what do you do?  Did you do it?" Chen Zaixing asked casually while choosing the color of his coat in front of the mirror.  "I exempted the villagers from two days of labor, noble lord!" Kabu replied.  "Well!" Chen Zaixing pointed at a bright yellow coat with his finger, motioning to the maid to bring it to him, and asked: "Didn't Mr. Bunji have contact with anyone he shouldn't have contact with in the past few days?" "No,  My dear sir, at least I didn't get this news. He has at least two loyal servants following him wherever he goes. ""That's it!" Chen Zaixing nodded with satisfaction, and the dressing maid hurriedly took care of him.  Putting him into the yellow coat, another maid carefully tightened his belt so that the folds at the hem of the bright yellow wide-brimmed robe made of the best thick satin hung neatly, as if  A row of Greek Corinthian-style temple columns made Chen Zaixing's posture more solemn.  "Let's go see Mr. Bunge!" "Yes, distinguished master!" Twenty minutes later, when Chen Zaixing's sedan arrived at the small lake, O'Neil.  Bunji was wiping his muscular body with a white towel on the shore. On the lake, several Burmese children sitting on a boat were pointing in this direction.  Beside him, two docile Burmese servants were holding his clothes and shoes and, at his request, passing over whatever Bungi needed.  "Chen, you are finally back!" O'Neil.  Bang Ji walked over to Chen Zaixing carelessly, completely ignoring that all his skin was naked except for the small area between his legs: "I thought you had forgotten me. It's been so long since last time."  It must have been a century since I saw you!" At this time, the two stood in for O'Neil.  Bunji's servant holding the clothes was already kneeling on the ground, his forehead and palms pressed against the ground.  "Chen, what are you doing here?" O'Neil.  Bang Ji stopped in surprise. He looked up and down at Chen Zaixing's clothes, and then at the servants kneeling on the ground on both sides. His eyes widened in surprise: "You are dressed like a sultan, a pharaoh, or a  King! " "O'Neil, Mr. Bunge, you are too sensitive! I am still the same traveling companion who was on the same boat with you a few days ago. I just changed my clothes. Everyone will change their clothes when they get home.  Isn't it?" Chen Zaixing smiled and gestured to the two servants to take O'Neil away.  Bunji's clothes were delivered to him, but he was very satisfied with the effect of his special choice of clothes. Since he was going to start negotiations, he hoped to give him some advice before the negotiations.Give the other party a hint that the negotiating party is a big man with great power and status within the kingdom, and any conditions proposed by such a big man cannot be changed or rejected.  "Are you satisfied with the hospitality you received during my absence these days?" Chen Zaixing asked O'Neil who had already changed his clothes.  Bungie asked.  "Yes, I'm very satisfied, except that the bottom of the lake is a bit shallow, which made my feet full of mud!" O'Neil.  Bunji pointed to his muddy feet.  "That's what happened!" Chen Zaixing nodded and called the housekeeper behind him.  "Honorable Master!" Kabu behind him quickly followed.  "O'Neil. Mr. Bunge needs a swimming pool. You immediately carve out a section of the lake, dig the bottom of the lake deep, and then cover it with the best white sand. Also, during the time Mr. Bunge is here,  Villagers from several nearby villages are prohibited from entering this water area. Do you understand? ""Yes, noble master!" Kabu didn't say much, took two steps back, and turned around to leave.  O'Neil on the side.  Bangji glanced at Chen Zaixing in surprise and asked: "Chen, you are really a wonderful person. You just spoke like a king! I now somewhat believe what Gillings said to me about you.  " "It's nothing, I'm just fulfilling my duty as a hospitable host!" Chen Zaixing smiled and made a gesture to invite the other party to get on the sedan: "Please get on the sedan! Let's have lunch together!"  of.  There are only four dishes in total, but they are all very exquisite. The fat bamboo rat smeared with shrimp paste and carefully grilled, the grilled pheasant smeared with honey, the mushroom and seabass soup, and finally the dessert made with honey, mango and crushed ice. The staple food is  Venison pie cooked with spices and saffron.  The drink is a bottle of fine Shaoxing rice wine.  Obviously after the large amount of physical energy consumed by swimming, Bunji has a good appetite. This kind of Western food with oriental characteristics is also very suitable for his appetite. He eats a lot, but when the dessert comes after the meal, O'Neill.  Bunge made a pause gesture and said with a smile: "Chen, you are really a mysterious 'Count of Monte Cristo' (the protagonist of French writer Alexandre Dumas's novel "The Count of Monte Cristo", famous for his wealth and mystery), I think even if it is true  The Earl may not be as comfortable as you are if he really exists. "Really? But you can indeed regard me as a noble. I have seven territories in the Kingdom of Burma. In these territories, I have no power."  No less than a king!" "Then shall I call you Your Majesty?" O'Neil.  Bang Ji laughed: "Okay, Your Majesty! Can we start talking about serious things then?" "Of course, you can at any time!" Chen Zaixing patted his palms twice, and two maids came forward to clear the table. Chen Zaixing  He ordered Kabu on the side: "Go to my study and get a map of Myanmar!" "Yes, my master!" A few minutes later, a map was spread on the table, and Chen Zaixing smiled and used his knuckles to  He tapped twice on the map: "Mr. Bunge, you can now choose the land for the plantation you need!" "You are really a generous nobleman!" O'Neil.  Bangji's eyes widened in surprise: "Do you have the right to decide if I just draw any piece of land on the map?" "That's not true!" Chen Zaixing shook his head arrogantly: "If you draw it  It is naturally impossible to include the sacred capital. But as long as the land you draw is within the territory of the Kingdom of Myanmar, it will generally not be beyond the scope of my power!" O'Neil.  Bunji shook his head. He walked to the map, observed it carefully for a while, and drew six or seven small circles on it with a pencil. While drawing, he said: "Chen, the scientific name of the rubber tree is Hevea hevea.  The climate requirements for planting wonderful trees are very strict. The annual average temperature is required to be 26-27 degrees Celsius, and the minimum temperature cannot be lower than 5 degrees Celsius. The annual rainfall is more than 2500 mm, the humidity requirements are very high, and the soil requirements are also very high.  "Thick. I selected these areas based on these conditions. If possible, I hope to conduct an on-site inspection." Chen Zaixing looked at O'Neil.  The areas drawn by Bangi on the map are basically in the south, especially the narrow strip between Thailand and the Andaman Sea, especially the area dominated by Mon State. The reason is also obvious.  The latitude is lower and it is close to the Andal Sea. The annual tropical monsoon will bring abundant rain, and the climate is more suitable for the growth of rubber.  "No problem!" Chen Zaixing turned around and ordered to Kabu behind him: "Go and ask Lieutenant Odo to come to my place!" "Yes, distinguished master!" A few minutes later, a dark-skinned, burly Sikh guard  Came to Chen Zaixing.  ? ???Lieutenant Otto, I now give you a mission.  You go back immediately to select forty loyal and reliable soldiers to escort Mr. Bunji to Mon State.  You have to obey Mr. Bunge just like you obey me and ensure his safety under any circumstances. Do you understand?  "    "yes!  "Odo gave a military salute to Chen Zaixing. "Very good, go down and prepare!"  Set off tomorrow morning!  ¡± There is another update in the afternoon!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 116 Old Friends

    Looking at Odo's leaving figure, Chen Zaixing smiled and said: "You have met this person before, and I have been with you on the ship for a few days. He is considered an acquaintance. Let me escort you there!"  It will take about a month to go back and forth from Meng State. We will discuss the specific cooperation when you come back. " "Then the swimming pool was prepared in vain?" "How could it be? I believe you will stay in Mandalay in the future.  It's been quite a long time. Would you like to meet with my architect later and tell me what kind of house you like and what kind of daily necessities you need. I can immediately place an order with the British businessman so that you can wait for your future home.  It won¡¯t be the same as it was in London. I won¡¯t feel any difference!¡± ¡°Thank you for your warm hospitality!¡± O¡¯Neil.  Bangji turned around and his tall body collided with Chen Zaixing, almost knocking him to the ground. He quickly reached out and grabbed Chen Zaixing's arm to hold him up. At this time, a small golden trinket fell from Chen Zaixing's body.  on the ground.  O'Neil.  Bunji said sorry, leaned down and picked up the trinket, but it was a Slavic-style reliquary box.  "This should be an Orthodox reliquary!" O'Neil.  Bangji glanced at Chen Zaixing in surprise: "Do you believe in this kind of religion?" "No, this is just a trophy. I got it in a war to suppress the Mongolian rebels a few years ago. You know what is often done in these rebellions  There are instructors sent by the Russians. This relic box should belong to an unfortunate Russian official!" "A nobleman of the Kingdom of Burma, a wealthy businessman, and a general who once commanded the army to suppress the rebels. Your experience is really rich.  So enviable!" O'Neil.  Bunji shrugged his shoulders and was about to return the relic box to the other party, but his fingertips may have touched a certain button. The relic box popped open silently, revealing the blond beauty holding a baby in her arms and the  A small strand of blonde hair.  His face suddenly turned as pale as a death, and he whispered a name: "Eyugelina Ivanovna Trubetskaya, has your goshawk already broken its wings on the grasslands of Mongolia?"  Are you on?" "Bangji? Bangji?" Chen Zaixing called O'Neil twice.  Only then did Bangji react. He pretended not to care, closed the relic box and handed it to Chen Zaixing, smiling: "Give it back to you, this is really an exquisite thing!"  Mr. Bunge, have you seen the woman in the photo? "No, no! I haven't!"  Bunge categorically denied: "Such an outstanding beauty, I will definitely never forget it once I see her!" "Well, Mr. Bunge, since you are leaving tomorrow, I will rest early!"  Chen Zaixing stood up, nodded politely to the other party, and walked outside. As he walked outside, he thought to himself: "Looking at him like this, he must have seen this woman before, but this Ou Nei  Er. Why is Bunji so rude? Something must have happened between him and this woman!" O'Neil.  Bunji was leaning on the sofa, his face gloomy.  As Chen Zaixing expected, O'Neil.  Bunge knew the woman in the photo in the reliquary. The Marchioness named Eyudelina Ivanovna Trubetskaya, the widow of Captain Sharif, was also the most charming person in St. Petersburg society.  flowers.  O'Neil.  When Bungi traveled to Russia, he met this blonde beauty and fell deeply in love with her. But unfortunately, Trubetskaya already had his own eagle - the handsome and brave Semyon.  Mikhail of the Novov Guards.  Captain Sharif.  In this love competition, O'Neil.  Bungi was completely defeated, and his rich purse did not help much. After all, Captain Sharif's bloodline could be traced back to the great Alexander Nevsky, one of the oldest heroes of the Russians, and he had a close relationship with Semyonov.  The most beautiful equestrian and beard in the Guards is also the first-class fencer and dancer in St. Petersburg; and O'Neil.  Bunge was just the son of a Dutch grain merchant. Even if his great-grandfather spent two hundred guilders to ask a priest to compile a genealogy that was true, the great ancestor of the Bunge family just came from Norway more than a thousand years ago.  A certain little Norman nobleman who immigrated, and what he was best at was analyzing how many cents a bushel of wheat would cost next August on the Chicago Grain Exchange based on the temperatures and rainfall in America this year. At the end of the 19th century  , these abilities can help him get ahead in London and New York, but he is not so popular in love in this ancient city of St. Petersburg.  When Bunge left St. Petersburg with a broken heart, he never thought that he would see traces of the beautiful woman in another corner of the world in the future, and that his love rival at that time had probably left this world, leaving only  The most beautiful little white birch tree.  Think of this, O'Neil.  Bunji's heart beat violently - he even?? began to consider whether he should immediately board the first ship bound for St. Petersburg and fall on his knees at Trubetskaya's knees.  O'Neil.  Bunji suddenly stood up from the sofa and paced around the room quickly. He suddenly felt that the room was very stuffy, which made him feel a little out of breath. He fiercely pulled off his tie,  He walked to the window and pressed his forehead tightly against the window. The cold feeling brought by the glass cooled his hot forehead.  O'Neil.  Bunge thought carefully for a while and decided to complete the inspection of the rubber plantation address before going to St. Petersburg.  But before this journey, you should get the relic box and the relics inside, otherwise what will you use to prove Mikhail.  What about Captain Sharif¡¯s death?  As for the possibility of Chen Zaixing rejecting his request, O'Neil.  Bunge didn't take it into consideration at all. Compared with the huge future cooperation between the two parties, what is a small toy?  Just like O'Neil.  While Bang Ji was thinking about his past love history, Chen Zaixing was on the back of an elephant on how to mention his brother-in-law to his wife.  Chen Zaixing does not think that Luo Qin, who just showed off a new toy to him, is a conspiracy greedy for power, but the scary thing about politics is that once you step on the stage, you can't help yourself, and you must continue to act according to this role, even if  You clearly know that the ending is the guillotine, so you can only go on bravely.  The only way to prevent this from happening is to not let Luo Qin board this terrible stage.  "Mr. Chen, Her Majesty the Princess asked you to see her as soon as she arrives!" A voice interrupted Chen Zaixing's thoughts, and a dignified maid stood under the elephant.  Chen Zaixing nodded and followed the maid's footsteps towards Luo Lin's residence.  "Luo Lin!" Chen Zaixing came in and saw Luo Lin talking to two monks who were serving as consultants. When she saw her husband coming in, she whispered twice to the two monks, and they bowed to him and left.  Got off.  "Husband, I heard that you went to the manor." Luo Lin stood up with a smile and stretched out his right hand to her husband. Chen Zaixing smiled and reached out to hold his wife's hand, pulled her light body into his arms, and kissed her.  He touched the other person's forehead: "Yes, dear, I brought a guest back from Yangon. Gillings introduced him to me. I arranged him in the manor. If I guessed correctly, this person will  Become our extremely important partner. " "Gillings? That Englishman again?" Luo Lin's graceful eyebrows frowned. She gently broke away from her husband's arms and whispered, "Husband, I don't like it.  This Englishman is a greedy guy, and it was precisely because of him that the false king Meng Ji killed him!" "I understand!" Chen Zaixing patted his wife on the back a few times: "But  You should know that whether as a king or a company manager, we must use reason rather than emotion to guide our actions. The Kingdom of Myanmar is very weak now, if we don't want it to end up like countless kingdoms that have been annexed by the British.  With the same outcome, we must learn to arm our people with British weapons. In this process, Gillings is a good assistant. Yes, he is greedy, but it is precisely because he is greedy enough.  As long as we pay him, he is willing to sell everything to us!" "You are right, husband. Sometimes I have to be more sensible!" Luo Lin nodded, and she leaned her cheek weakly.  Chen Zaixing asked in a low voice on his chest: "Sometimes I think about how great it would be if I was no longer the regent princess of the kingdom, but just an ordinary woman who could accompany my children and you every day!" Chen Zaixing  Hearing this, my heart couldn't help but thump.  Could it be that Luo Lin decided to give up her power to her younger brother Luo Qin in advance.  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing decided to test his wife's true thoughts first.  "Haha, what's so difficult about this!" Chen Zaixing hugged his wife and walked to the window. While combing his smooth long hair with his fingers, he said with a smile: "Luo Qin is not young anymore, I remember this year is ten."  Six or seventeen, when he gets older, he can ascend the throne and become the official king. At that time, the two of us will take a cruise and travel around the world as much as we want. " "Yes, that should be possible!  How happy!" When Luo Lin heard this, a longing smile appeared on her beautiful face, but soon the smile disappeared from her face.  "Unfortunately, this is just a fantasy." Luo Lin's voice was very low. If Chen Zaixing hadn't been almost face to face with her, it would have been impossible to distinguish her voice from the sound of the wind.  "How can this be a fantasy! I remember that in the history of the Kingdom of Myanmar, there were several kings who ascended the throne at the age of eighteen!"

 Volume 4 Leviathan 117 The Rebirth of Song Can Part 1

    "You don't have to be eighteen!" Luo Lin smiled bitterly: "There are even those who are fourteen or fifteen, but this cannot be judged by age alone. I have been practicing for these years, and you are watching over me, and I still walk on thin ice every day.  , If he were to be replaced all at once, things would be messed up. " "That's true!" Chen Zaixing nodded: "But things always have to happen slowly. After all, he is the legitimate king, and he will be in this position one day.  It belongs to him. Why don't you give Luo Qin some simple things and let him practice his skills first? " "Let's not talk about it now. It's still early anyway!" Luo Lin shook his head, as if he wanted to talk about this.  The troubles were thrown out of his head: "Husband, you just said that you came back from Yangon this time and brought back a guest who will become an extremely important partner. What is going on?" Chen Zaixing saw his wife  With such an appearance, he knew that deep down in his heart he was not willing to let Luo Qin officially ascend the throne as king, so he couldn't help but feel reassured and said with a smile: "Just wait a moment, I will show you something interesting." At this point  , Chen Zaixing ordered the maid outside: "Come, go to my yard and get a bicycle!" "Bicycle?" Luo Lin looked confused. She has been busy with political affairs in the past few years, how can she be with her brother?  He was resting and playing around like that, completely ignorant of these new gadgets.  "Come on, come out and take a look and you'll find out!" Chen Zaixing pulled his wife out of the door. After a while, someone brought a bicycle over. Chen Zaixing jumped on the bicycle and rode two laps in the yard below.  In front of Lin, he smiled and said: "You can try it too, it's very simple!" "This, will you fall?" Luo Lin was a little scared and looked at the bicycle with some longing. Although she has the title of Princess Regent,  There is also a two-year-old child, but he is only in his early twenties. If he is just an undergraduate in future generations, how can he not be curious when seeing this novel thing.  "Why did you fall? Just ride slower. At most, I will support you from behind!" Chen Zaixing put the handle of the bicycle into his wife's hand. Luo Lin doubtfully got on the bicycle with Chen Zaixing's help and began to pedal down.  At first, the bicycle was still shaking a little, but soon, with the help of Chen Zaixing, the bicycle regained stability. Chen Zaixing carefully let go of his hand holding the back seat. Luo Lin's long hair floated in the breeze.  , revealing her white cheeks, the beautiful princess let out a crisp laugh.  "It's so interesting! I didn't expect this bicycle to ride so fast!" Luo Lin got off the bicycle with some excitement. After strenuous exercise, her pink cheeks were already covered with fine beads of sweat. She casually took it from Chen Zaixing and handed it over.  He took a hot towel and wiped his sweat while asking: "Where did this bicycle come from? Is it a gift from that customer?" "You guessed it wrong! I watched Luo Qin play with it and thought it was quite interesting, so I  I bought a few, it¡¯s not bad!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Luo Lin nodded: ¡°It¡¯s made by foreigners, right? It¡¯s really good, it¡¯s faster than running, and it saves effort, but this and that  What does the guest have to do with it?" Chen Zaixing didn't answer immediately. He turned the bicycle over with the wheels up, pointed at the wheels wrapped in black tires and asked, "Look what these wheels are made of?"  "Wheel?" Luo Lin looked closely at the wheel, then reached out and pinched it: "It's not iron or wood. It's very elastic. It seems to be made of some kind of leather." "It's made of rubber!" Chen Zaixing did not continue to beat around the bush.  , he patted the tire twice, and the elastic pneumatic tire bounced his palm high: "As you can see, a big reason why this kind of vehicle can run so fast is because of this tire.  Otherwise, when encountering bumpy and uneven ground, the axles and wheels will be easily damaged, and the craftsmen will have to make the car very heavy. As a result, a large car cannot hold many things. If it is replaced with rubber tires, at least it can hold more.  Twice the amount. Just imagine how many vehicles there are in the world and how much rubber is needed for tires?¡± ¡°Did you and that customer just talk about rubber?¡± Luo Lin was not a fool and understood immediately.  After hearing what Chen Zaixing meant, an excited look immediately appeared on his face.  Youdao doesn't know how expensive firewood and rice are until she becomes the regent. She realizes that money has to be spent everywhere, whether it's recruiting new troops, repaying loans, officials' salaries, building weapons factories, donating to monasteries, etc.  Buying nobles requires a large amount of money, but there are very few ways to get money. They are nothing more than agricultural taxes, customs taxes, head taxes, mineral taxes, income from royal territories, and Shunhua Company's annual shareholder dividends.  Compared with the huge river of expenditure, the Royal Government¡¯s revenue is simply a trickle, which is gone in the blink of an eye.  "Yes, rubber is processed from the gum of a special tree native to Brazil, South America. The climate in some parts of the Kingdom of Myanmar is comparable to the origin of this tree."It seems that Mr. Bunge plans to rent part of the land in the Kingdom to build a rubber plantation!  "    "Very good!  Luo Lin's cheeks turned red with excitement. She took a few steps back and forth, then suddenly turned around and asked, "Husband, what do you think?"  " "I have sent a small team of guards to escort Mr. Bangi to Mon State to inspect land suitable for planting rubber trees.  If possible, I hope the Royal Government will give Shun Hua Company the authority to acquire any land in Mon State!  According to my preliminary estimate, if this business is successful, the royal family will receive at least more than 300,000 pounds in dividends from this transaction.  "When Chen Zaixing said this, he looked quietly into his wife's eyes. "No problem, I will ask Diok to sign a warrant for you right away. In the name of the king, Shunhua Company is authorized to requisition a total of no.  Is more than 20,000 hectares of land enough?  " " According to the preliminary plan, it is enough!  "Chen Zaixing did not say anything. He added: "Also, Shunhua Company must obtain the Kingdom's unique franchise rights for the rubber industry. The seeds and seedlings of this crop are very precious and must be prevented from being stolen.  " "That's natural!  Any thief who steals rubber seeds and seedlings will be hanged!  His property was to be sold at auction to compensate the plantation owners for their losses, and if there was any deficiency, his wife and children were sold as slaves, the proceeds of which would go to the planters.  "Luo Lin's voice was cold and powerful, in sharp contrast to the softness just now. "Mon State is like a long and narrow arm of the Kingdom of Myanmar, stretching out to the Indian Ocean. The westernmost mountains of the eastern plateau of Myanmar stretch into Mon State  , gradually turns into a low mountain range with a height of 1500 feet to 500 feet above sea level, separating Mon State and the Kingdom of Thailand from the Andaman Sea and Motama Bay.  In between is the fertile and humid coastal plain and the winding coastline. Due to the humid climate, fertile land, and a large number of harbors suitable for shipping, Meng is also quite far from the inland capital Mandalay.  The state is far from the mainstream of the Kingdom of Myanmar in terms of race, customs, etc. Even in the heyday of the kingdom, the wealthy and powerful Mon State, far away from the capital, was in a semi-reclusive status, and many of them failed in dynastic infighting.  The nobles and royal families often fled to Mon State to escape the pursuit of the victors. Moulmein, the capital of Mon State, the second largest river in Myanmar, the Salween River (the Nu River in China), flows into Moulmein near this city.  Tamar Bay is across the sea from Yangon. It is also the largest port still controlled by the Kingdom of Myanmar. ¡°Get out of the way, get out of the way, and give way to the distinguished Governor!  "With the rude shouts of the guards and the sharp sound of the whip tearing the air, the women, porters, and vendors carrying water jugs on their heads hurriedly squeezed to both sides of the street, and an open space was immediately revealed in the originally crowded street.  Then, surrounded by a dozen guards carrying rifles, a gorgeously decorated elephant slowly walked over. The farmers and small townsfolk on the roadside hurriedly knelt on the ground and approached the governor, the king, on the elephant's back.  The representative paid his respects and squatted on the ground, sneering at the elegantly dressed Governor-General on the elephant, who was lazily beating his hat. Next to him were two cages with six or seven chickens in them.  , and some fresh sea fish. It turned out that after he was in danger in Mandalay last time, he decided to leave that place of trouble, so he came to Mawlamyine, a relatively safe place. When he arrived here, he felt that it was densely populated.  , there were many businessmen traveling from place to place, so they purchased fresh poultry and seafood from the suburbs and transported them to the city for sale. The business turned out to be pretty good, so they took root here. ¡°Song Shen, the Governor is here.  How dare you not kneel?  "A voice interrupted Song Shen's thoughts. He turned around and saw that she was a woman in her early thirties, with a plump figure and a bit of beauty. She was the proprietress of a restaurant, and she was the buyer who ordered poultry and seafood from him.  "He is a human being, and I am a human being, why should I kneel to him?  Song Shen sneered, lifted the two baskets over, and asked, "Where should you put the seven roosters, as well as the eels and tuna you want?"  " "Hurry and get to the back of the kitchen!  It's so dirty here!  "The proprietress hurriedly ordered. Song Shen snorted coldly and walked towards the back of the kitchen carrying two bamboo baskets. The proprietress looked at Song Shen's back and said to herself: "He is a human being, and you are a human being too.  There is a huge difference between a person and a person, but this stinky man has a sharp mouth!  "The woman cursed in her mouth, but followed Song Shen to the back of the kitchen. The woman walked along the alley, turned a corner, and only asked about the smell of poultry feces and seafood.  The smell hit her nostrils. The woman covered her nose, spat, and walked over. She happened to see several clerks in her shop weighing chickens, ducks and sea fish, selecting fat and thin, and bargaining. Songshen was  Standing aside with his hands folded, his face looked indifferent, as if he was worried about the price.??Looks like he doesn't care too much.  "It's four pieces of Yingyang in total. The business will continue to grow in the future, how about it?" The head of the waiter raised his head and quoted a price.  Thank you to book friends Feng Jinghai and Dalu Xunqi for the reward. I chatted with the book friends in the group last night. Everyone knows that my book was originally signed with the original, and later the original was merged with Chuangshi, but now  Due to the problems between the two companies and the insufficient performance of the book, the creator may not be willing to continue to execute the buyout contract. Weber also hopes to continue writing and finish the book.  But it is impossible for me to write code in Genesis with the share-sharing contract, because the share here is almost zero. Please forgive me for this.  I will post the outline of this book later. If you like it and want to see the whole book, please support me more. If you think it doesn't matter, then it doesn't matter.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 118 The New Life of Song Shen

    "Nine pieces of eagle ocean!" Song Shen's voice was not loud, but very determined.  "There's nothing like this price. You're not the only one selling chicken and fish on this street. You're clearly shouting at random prices. If you don't buy it, you can take it all away!" Another waiter didn't need to be greeted.  He spoke up and seemed to be very cooperative, "Don't talk like that!" The leader of the waiters pretended to be kind: "It's not easy for people to come here with so many things. Besides, these sea fish will stink in the afternoon if they are not sold.  , there is no reason to let others take it away!" At this point, he turned to Song Shen and said with a smile: "Brother, your price is too high, so let me suffer a little loss, five yuan.  Yingyang, this is the highest price, what do you think?" As he spoke, the leader had already stretched his hand towards the basket.  The outstretched wrist of the gang leader was suddenly caught. In an instant, he felt as if he was being clamped by an iron pliers, and he couldn't help but scream.  "Ouch!" "Nine pieces of Yingyang! You can't miss even half a piece." Song Shen's voice had no ups and downs: "I know the market, don't try to coax me!" The leader of the gang looked at his right wrist and it was already blue.  He got a big chunk, and he couldn't help but get angry and yelled: "Mom, if you dare to do anything rough on our territory, come here and give this mud-legged guy a good beating!" "Okay, just nine pieces of eagle ocean!"  A voice interrupted the shouting and cursing in the alley. The proprietress walked out of the alley and said to Song Shen, who had picked up a pole and was ready to fight: "Nine pieces of Eagle Ocean, I want all your chickens and fish, but you want  Help me kill all the chickens. I'm too busy with business at noon today, but I won't let you work for nothing. How about you have lunch in my shop? " Song Shen was made a series of suggestions by this smart and capable woman.  Confused, he looked at the guys who were looking at him fiercely, and then at the Fengyun woman in front of him who was smiling at him. He swallowed and whispered: "Okay!" "The hot water is just there.  At the back of the house, the knife and basin are over there too!" The landlady pointed to a small space behind the kitchen with a smile. When Song Shen walked over, she turned around to face her guys.  , but all the smiles on his face have disappeared: "This is a restaurant. If anyone dares to start a fight, don't blame me for asking him to walk!" "God damn your mud legs!" The leader of the waiters cursed in a low voice while looking at his right hand.  On the wrist, after a while, the bruise on the right hand became deeper, and it hurt when touched. It must have hurt the bones.  He glanced viciously at Song Shen who was squatting on the ground killing the chicken, and wanted to go up and take revenge, but remembering the warning from the landlady just now, the courage in his chest suddenly disappeared again.  "This stinky bitch must have fallen in love with this wild man!" Song Shen's hands and feet were very neat. In just over half an hour, he had already killed all the chickens and disposed of them. He got up, washed his hands, and went to the landlady to get them.  money.  But the proprietress replied with a smile: "I'm not busy, I can't miss your money. I've been busy for a long time. Let's drink some water first and take a rest. It's not too late to leave after lunch!" Song Shen nodded, picked up the cup and took a sip.  But he was stunned. It turned out that the glass of water contained honey and crushed ice. It was sweet and cool in the mouth. It was a drink sold to guests in restaurants.  "Well, it's to your taste! This is specially prepared for our customers in our store. The ice cubes are transported from the top of the mountain. A cup of it makes you feel comfortable in the summer. Do you want another cup?" The landlady smiled brightly.  It was as if she was not a vendor delivering food, but an old customer who often came here. As she spoke, she had already stretched out her hand, ready to give Song Can another drink.  "No need, I'm not thirsty anymore!" Song Shen stood up: "It's getting late, I have to go back!" "What's the rush? We haven't eaten yet!" The landlady turned around and shouted: "Hurry up and deliver it!  Here comes the glutinous rice chicken rice! " "Thank you for your kindness, boss lady, I have brought some dry food!" Song Shen patted the straw bag on his waist: "Please give me the money, I'm hurrying back!"  Seeing that Song Shen's attitude was very resolute, he didn't insist and ordered his men to get the money for the chicken and fish. He also took a paper bag and put a few noodles in it and stuffed them together. He said with a smile: "These noodles are still warm."  Now, let¡¯s just have it for lunch. Your dry food is cold and hard, so you¡¯d better save it for later!¡± Seeing that the landlady was so attentive, Song couldn¡¯t help but feel a little embarrassed. He took the bread and money without saying a word, and turned around.  Walk.  The proprietress looked at Song Shen's back for a while, then turned and walked into the store.  After a while, a waitress walked cautiously to the counter and asked the landlady who was lazily counting coins: "Woman landlady, was that person just now a relative of yours from the country?" "Who told you!" the landlady said lazily.  He threw the counted money into his leather pocket and tied it tightly on his belt: "It's those long men again."What a lazy person?  "    "hehe!  "The waitress laughed twice, acquiesced to the landlady's guess, and continued to ask: "Why are you being so nice to that guy if you are not a relative of yours?  Not so good!  " "Sister, let me tell you something. It's okay on weekdays, but stay away from those lazy people. It's not a good thing!  "The landlady sneered and deliberately raised her voice a bit so that the waiters hiding behind the curtain could hear her. "For us women, the most important thing is to find a good and reliable man. It doesn't matter if you are poor, as long as you have bones.  Be tough and act righteously. In Mawlamyine, if you are willing to put in effort, are you afraid that you will not have the opportunity to make money?  The guy who bought chickens and fish just now was hard-working, not afraid of trouble, and had a bright mind. He stood there as straight as an oak tree. You could tell at a glance that he was a resounding good man!  " "Boss lady, you don't have a crush on that chicken buyer, do you?  "The waitress had a look of disbelief on her face. "Stop talking nonsense, the guests are here, and you are still standing here. Don't you want your wages?  "The boss's wife suddenly shouted, and the waitress and the guys hurriedly ran to their posts and started to get busy. The boss's wife looked at the busy men, with a proud smile on her face. Song Shen took a bite of the pancake,  The hot stuffing immediately poured into his mouth. The stuffing made of chopped chicken and mushrooms was very delicious. In Song Shen's memory, he had never eaten such delicious food in three bites.  He finished the pie in two bites. When he opened the paper bag, he saw there were three hot pies inside. After a moment of hesitation, Song Shen carefully rewrapped the paper bag and put it in his arms. He removed the straw bag from his waist.  He took out two dry and hard rice balls and started eating them. Soon, Song Shen finished his lunch and strode towards his residence in order to save money and to prevent being passed over.  An acquaintance recognized him and caused unnecessary trouble. Songcan settled his residence in a village outside Moulmein. When he first arrived in that village, he once rescued a child who fell into the water from the river. Because of this  The reason was that the villagers did not ask too much about his origins, so they asked him to circle a small piece of land at the east end of the village and helped him build a thatched house. In the past few years, he slowly built it with the money he saved.  It was already a nice place to live. By the time Songcan returned to the village, it was already evening. He walked into his house, moved his bed, dug out an earthen jar under the bed, and put the eagle ocean he brought back into the earthen jar.  After finishing all this, Song Shen had just walked to the yard to get some water from the well, when several barefoot men suddenly rushed in and shouted around him: "  Tall uncle, tell stories, tell stories!  " "Okay, okay, tell a story, tell a story!  Song Shen stroked the child's head lovingly and said with a smile, "But let the tall uncle drink some water first, and then tell the story when he's not thirsty, okay?"  "    "good!  "The children responded, and all sat down under the banyan tree next to the well, looking at Song Shen with pairs of black eyes. Song Shen drank two mouthfuls of water, then walked to the root of the tree and said with a smile: "  Let¡¯s tell the story of the crocodile and the monkey today!  " "There is a large river in a distant place. There are two crocodiles living in this river. There are many palm trees growing on the banks of the river. In the center of the river is a small island with many banana trees growing on it.  One day, two crocodiles were floating on the water. The big crocodile said to the little crocodile, 'Child, look at the palm trees on the shore!  ¡¯ The little crocodile took a look, ah, there was a little monkey on that palm tree, jumping around.  ¡®Son, my mother has been very talkative these days and wants to eat something fresh.  You go and catch that monkey, I will eat his heart.  ¡¯¡­¡± ¡°Gugu.  " Song Shen had just reached this point when several strange sounds interrupted his story. He lowered his head strangely, only to find a boy moving his butt uneasily, with a shy look on his face. " The one with a bare butt.  Wang didn¡¯t have dinner again today!  "A boy next to him jumped up. "Nonsense, I have eaten!  The boy named Awang blushed and retorted loudly: "Also, don't call me naked Awang!"  " " Just scream, just scream!  The boy at the beginning had a proud smile on his face. He jumped and shouted: "The naked Ngawang has no food, the naked Ngawang is chewing on vegetable roots, and the naked Ngawang's stomach is growling."  ¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°You¡ª¡ª¡± Awang rushed forward angrily and started fighting with the boy who was laughing at him. Song Shen quickly pulled the two away. The two aggressive little boys were panting and staring at their opponents.  , just like two little roosters: "Don't fight, or you won't be allowed to come to my yard in the future!  " Song Shen's stern voice immediately discouraged the two of them. Compared to this tall uncle who was well-informed and clever,??, the other adults in the village are much less interesting.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 119 Premonition

    Seeing that the two were no longer fighting, Song Shen turned around and asked the boy named Awang: "Did you really not have dinner?" Awang hesitated for a while and nodded: "Well, Dad said last year's harvest was not good.  There are too many mouths in the house, and those who don¡¯t work will eat a meal later!¡± Song Shen didn¡¯t say anything. He knew that this lovely child had eleven children in his family - including one quadruplet and two twins. Even though this was  In Myanmar at the end of the 19th century, it can be said that there were too many.  His father was a devout Buddhist, so he did not use the usual method (that is, drowning the baby) to solve the problem. This heavy burden bent the family's waist, and also reduced the family's family, which was originally considered to be an upper-middle-class family in the village.  The family quickly became one of the poorest families.  "Here, this is for you!" Song Shen returned to the house, took out a pie from the paper bag and handed it to the child. Awang looked at Song Shen with some hesitation, and Song Shen looked at him with a smile.  The pancake was handed closer: "Take it, this is the pie I brought back from the city. It tastes very good!" Awang took the pancake and took a small bite, but it soon turned into a big bite.  After swallowing, Song Shen gently patted Awang's back twice and reminded: "Slow down, don't choke!" "It's so delicious. I have never eaten such delicious food!" Awang finally swallowed  He swallowed the food in his mouth and praised loudly.  The other children also looked longingly at the paper bag in Song Shen's hand. At their age, they have not yet learned how to hide their emotions.  "Here, here it is, this is for you!" Song Shen smiled slightly, took out a pie from the paper bag, tore it into several pieces, and distributed it to the other children.  Seeing the children eating the pie with relish, Song Shen smiled slightly and continued to tell the story: "The little crocodile said: 'But Mom, how can I catch the monkey? The monkey won't come into the water, and I can't climb up.  Tree. This is not easy to handle. '" Happy time always passes quickly, the story is finished and the pie is finished.  The children reluctantly left the tall uncle's yard.  Song Shen looked at the empty paper bag, then touched his equally empty belly, and couldn't help but smile bitterly.  "It seems that I have no choice but to fill my belly with well water, just like that naked Ngawang!" Song Shen drank two sips of well water and felt that her stomach felt better, so she went back to the house to rest.  Like most days, Song Shen got up very early the next day. He washed his face by the well water and prepared to go to his vegetable patch to pick some vegetables for today's breakfast as usual, and then go to other places.  Villages purchase poultry and sell them in the city.  The money in his piggy bank is almost enough to buy an ox cart. With the ox cart, he can expand his business.  Thinking of this, Song Shen had a smile on his face.  "Uncle Tall, Uncle Tall!" Awang ran over quickly: "There is a tall foreigner at the entrance of the village. He is much taller than you. Where is he digging mud in the field?" "Tall foreigner? Digging mud?  "Song Shen is different from these farmers who have almost never left their villages in their lives. Life and war have taught him a lot. He naturally knows that a height like his is very common among foreigners, but digging in the mud is different.  , the foreigners he has seen are either here to do business, or to preach, or even to fight and plunder, but he has never seen them digging mud. Is it possible that there is no soil for them to dig in their hometown, so that they have to travel thousands of miles away?  Digging from outside?  Song Shen wiped his wet hands on his pants and said to Awang: "Let's go and take a look together!" Only when we arrived at the entrance of the village did Song Shen understand how tall the tall foreigner A Wang mentioned was.  The foreigner who was talking to the village chief with the help of an interpreter was almost two heads taller than him, which was considered very tall even among foreigners.  Behind the foreigner, there were about twenty guards. The clothes of these guards were very familiar to Song Shen - big beards, black cloth buns, daggers at the waist, tall bodies, dark skin, and employees of Shunhua Company.  The white cloth leggings unique to soldiers. Are these people here to arrest him?  For a moment, Song Shen almost turned around and ran away.  "Brother Song Shen, you're here just in time!" The village chief happened to see Song Shen, turned around and ran over, grabbed him and whispered: "Brother Song Shen, you are well-informed, help me deal with it.  This foreign devil. He was so big and his eyes were blue. When I saw him, I felt panicked and speechless." Song Shen had no choice but to walk over. He carefully observed the Sikh guards.  The leading guard stood aside, holding the hilt of the dagger at his waist with his right hand, looking at the farmers in front of him arrogantly, with a look of disdain.  O'Neil.  Bunji looked at the Burmese farmer in front of him. He suddenly realized that the farmer in front of him was different from all the Burmese farmers he had dealt with before. The other farmer's eyes looked at him calmly, unlike other farmers who looked at him or looked at him.  As if sizing upThis terrible monster either looks at a god, but completely regards himself as a human being, a person who is the same and completely equal to him.  "Please tell him for me, I want to know how much it will cost if I need to buy this village?" O'Neil.  Bungie said to the interpreter.  After listening to the interpreter's question, Song Shen frowned and replied in a firm voice: "You tell this gentleman that this is our home, and our home is not for sale!" "No, I miss you.  You misunderstood what I meant!" O'Neil.  Bangji smiled and explained: "I don't want to buy your village, I just want to ask, if I want to buy this village, how much will it cost in total?" Song Shen looked up and down at the tall white man strangely.  , the other party was looking at him with a smile, showing his white teeth. Judging from his good-quality suit and white shirt, this tall white man should be a very rich man, but the other party's hands were covered with mud.  , obviously Awang did not lie just now, this white man did dig mud.  "Sir, I don't quite understand what you mean. But this village belongs to the entire village community and to everyone in this village: living people, dead people, and people not yet born. I don't understand this.  How can you set a price for something? Maybe in your place, everything can be sold, but here, there is no way to set a price! " O'Neil.  After listening to the interpreter's answer, Bang Ji looked at Song Can with some surprise.  Obviously, he was very surprised by the answer he just heard.  He looked at Song Shen carefully, then looked at the other villagers, shook his head, and sighed: "Well, if that's the case, there's nothing we can do about it, but I can meet people like you today.  What a gain!" At this point, he stretched out his right hand to Song Shen and said in Burmese: "Nice to meet you, I am Onel Bangji!" Song Shen glanced at the smile on the other person's face and said in Burmese.  He reached out and shook the other person's outstretched hand.  O'Neil.  Bang Ji smiled and said, "I still have some things to do and I have to leave, but I think we will meet again soon!" After that, he nodded to Song Shen, turned around and left.  ??Looked at O'Neil.  As Bang Qi left, an ominous dark cloud suddenly appeared in Song Shen's heart. He had a premonition that his peaceful life here was about to end again.  Beside the carriage, O'Neil.  Bangji was washing the mud on his hands in a basin and sighed: "It's such a pity. I originally wanted to estimate the total value of this village. To be honest, the soil and climate of this village are very good."  Suitable for planting rubber. ""Mr. Bunge!" Lieutenant Odo, who had been silent just now, said, "Actually, you don't need to spend time asking the village for prices. In this country, Mr. Chen's will is equal to the law.  People can disobey him!" "Really? But what if someone dares to disobey him?" O'Neil.  Bungie asked with a smile.  "Then there will no longer be this nobleman!" Odo shrugged: "Do you remember that we saw a beautiful oak forest on the way from Mandalay to the dock? There was a beautiful pagoda next to it.  There are beautiful silver bells hanging around the top of the pagoda. "Remember, what's wrong? Does this have anything to do with our problem?" "That forest belongs to the Tusan family, which is the most powerful family in Myanmar.  One of the ancient nobles, their ancestors can even be traced back to a great king of the Ava Dynasty, but this family no longer exists. That pagoda was built for them by a certain monastery. This is the only living person who dares to  For the dead. More than three years ago, everyone in the family - including women and children - was hanged from an oak tree in the woods! The family's name was also taken from the statue and the book!  Destroyed, all because a certain family member tried to assassinate someone loyal to Mr. Chen. "So, our Mr. Chen is really a powerful person?" "Yes.  You can rest assured that Mr. Chen is not a person who likes to show off his power, but even the king cannot defy his will!" When Otto said this, he lightly patted the dagger on his waist.  The iron bracelet collided with the hilt of the short sword, making a crisp sound, as if to confirm his words.  "Brother Song Shen, thanks to you, the foreigner just now is so big, you are the only one in the village who dares to talk to him! But -" the village chief wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked with some doubts: "This foreigner  What do you mean? He wants to pay for the village? " "That's not true!" Song Shen shook his head: "I think he just wants to know how much it will cost!" "Weird!"  The village chief turned around and looked at the villagers huddled behind him.Shouted: "Okay, okay, everyone is gone, let's all leave, let's leave!" Song Shen also turned around and walked towards his residence. Naturally, his knowledge was better than those who spend all day in the fields.  The farmers who farmed here were much smarter, but he still couldn't guess the purpose of the foreigner just now, but he still had an ominous premonition, as if his peaceful life was about to end again.  Thank you to the book friend trainee police officer for the reward. There will be another update tonight.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 120 Reforms 1

    Dashun, Hanking.  In the political hall, Qi Zhiti wore a black gauze on his head and a second-grade Jinjibuzi court dress, and he looked even more energetic. Compared with the low profile when he was Zuo Congzheng (equivalent to the first deputy prime minister), he now had more  A surge of high spirits.  Obviously, having reached the pinnacle of imperial power, this man who had just turned 50 would never be willing to just become a transitional figure, but decided to do something big that would make him famous in history.  "Master Hu! Master Zao! Master Shen!" Qi Zhiti nodded reservedly to the other three people in the hall. Hu Keqin and Zao Guoquan were members of the cabinet, and although Shen Hongmao had not yet entered the political hall, he was in charge of the household department.  It can be said that Qi Zhiti has to make the key decision today, so he is also qualified to participate in this meeting.  "I am trusted by Your Majesty and entrusted with the affairs of the country. There are indeed many people who are better than me in the court and in the government. I am really ashamed to have been wrongly loved by Your Majesty!" Qi Zhiti first said a few words modestly, and then changed his tone: "But  Since you are in your position, you must make a difference. You must not sit idle and miss the state affairs. Qi has limited knowledge. I also ask the three adults not to think that I am stupid and to give more advice." At this point, Qi Zhiti stood up!  He stood up and bowed deeply to the three people in front of him.  "Don't dare!" Hu, Zao and Shen quickly stood up and returned the courtesy.  "The first thing to do in government is to manage finances! Nowadays, Dashun is not without soldiers or people, but it is true that financial resources are scarce and military pay is insufficient. I believe that the most urgent task now is to rectify finances and taxes first and let the central government use them  It¡¯s enough, and then we can handle other things smoothly! What do the three adults think?¡± ¡°What Mr. Qi said is true!¡± Hu Keqin, the oldest person, was the first to express his agreement. As the former Finance Minister, he also has the most say.  : "At the beginning of the founding of our dynasty, Emperor Taizong set a rule that light corvees and small taxes were required to support the people. This intention was originally good. However, over the past two hundred years, the population has multiplied, consumption has increased, and wealth has increased.  However, it is increasingly insufficient to use it. Now the government's income is no more than land tax, customs duties, salt, tea and wine taxes. The total of all these amounts is only more than 50 million Guan Pingyin every year. The amount transferred to the central government is less than this amount, but every year  The cost of raising soldiers is nearly ten million taels, not counting other equipment and ammunition. If something goes wrong, you have to borrow money to survive, but debts always have to be repaid. How can we go on like this? " "Exactly?  "Zhao Guoquan also responded: "This time the Japanese invaded Ryukyu, it was not because of money problems that they delayed the decision. As a result, the British intervened and caught us off guard, allowing the Japanese to take advantage of the loophole and lose.  You must know that when you start a war, your troops are very fast, and you will take advantage of them in a day. The enemy will not just stand and wait for you to gather troops and pay before taking action. How can you take action?  The reason why you start looking for money only after you get it!" After saying this, Zao Guoquan still resented it. Since he joined the army, he has always won more than he lost. It was the first time he suffered a loss like this, but it was because he had no money.  For a reason, it made him not angry.  Seeing that his two colleagues in the cabinet agreed with him, Qi Zhiti nodded with satisfaction and asked Shen Hongmao: "Sir Shen, you are an official of the Ministry of Revenue, what do you think?" Shen Hongmao replied respectfully: "Exit  The officials also think that our government¡¯s finances should be reformed, and we should start with the following points!¡± ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t expect Master Shen to have a plan in mind just after he took office. Well, come and tell me and Masters Hu and Zao!  Listen!" Qi Zhiti laughed.  "I don't dare to say it. It's just my experience as an official over the years. Especially this time when I went to Shanghai with Mr. Hu to issue national bonds, I have a deep understanding. Some rules cannot be changed!" Shen Hongmao said in a deep voice:  "First of all, we must sell off all the ironworks, machinery bureaus, textile factories, and trade bureaus under the imperial court. These factories cost millions of taels of subsidies from the imperial court every year. They are very inefficient and become money for the officials in charge.  It's better to sell all the bags. Firstly, it can save money for the court in the future, and secondly, it can make a fortune." "Sell them all?" Qi Zhiti said with a puzzled look on his face: "These are ministers of several dynasties.  The result of hard work, how can you sell them all at once? Besides, if you sell them all, if the court wants to use troops to fight, build bridges and pave roads, where will the ships, equipment, and military uniforms come from? " "  That's private enterprise procurement!" Shen Hongmao replied confidently: "The imperial court can issue a decree in advance. If a war breaks out, it can requisition the necessary ships from private enterprises, as long as they pay compensation afterwards, and all private enterprises must also give priority to production.  The order needed by the court will be fulfilled in this way." "That's a way!" Qi Zhiti nodded: "But are you doing this just to save money?" "No, Mr. Qi, do you remember?  I was impeached years ago for selling two unused blast furnaces at the Hanyang Iron Works to Chen Zaixing!¡±   "Oh! It was that thing!" Qi Zhiti immediately remembered it after being reminded by Shen Hongmao, and said with a smile: "Speaking of which, you have to thank Mr. Hu. He suppressed it for you, but what you said  It makes sense. It seems that the two blast furnaces have been there for several years and are of no use. At least, if you sell them to Chen Zaixing, you can get some money back!" "But did you know? Chen Zaixing took these two converters and went to Kunming, Yunnan.  An ironworks has been built, and iron was produced in May last year. The daily output is 80 tons of iron and 30 tons of steel. Now, all the steel of the Kunming Machinery Bureau and the Bureau of Commerce no longer needs to be purchased from outside, and there is still excess.  The steel is sold to Guangxi and Guangdong, and the annual dividends to the Burmese royal family are more than 10,000 taels of silver. " "What?" Qi Zhiti's face finally showed a surprised look. As one of the ministers of the imperial court.  Although he originally kept a low profile due to his position, it does not mean that he is an incompetent person. As the earliest modern steel plant in Dashun, Hanyang Iron Works, several shipyards, machinery bureaus near Hanjing, etc.  This is the most important steel supply factory for arms, machinery, and ships. Its production capacity can be said to be unparalleled.  By 1891, the Hanyang Iron Works produced 100,000 tons of iron and 60,000 tons of steel annually. In addition to providing the machinery bureau and shipyards, most of the steel it produced was used to make rails for the Pinghan (Beijing) project under construction.  There are two important railway lines to Wuhan) and Jinpu (from Tianjin to Pukou on the other side of Nanjing). According to Dashun¡¯s railway plan, after the completion of these two railways running through the north and south, there are still a large number of railway lines in the northeast, northwest, southeast and other places.  Railways need to be built, and the total steel output of the four largest government-run iron plants, Hanyang Iron Works, Shanghai Iron Works, Jinling Iron Works, and Youzhou Iron Works, is only more than 300,000 tons of pig iron a year.  Eighty thousand tons.  It's just a drop in the ocean compared to the steel required.  And Chen Zaixing was able to produce nearly 30,000 tons of pig iron and more than 10,000 tons of steel every year in less than three years with just two converters he bought at a low price from Hanyang Iron Works. How could Qi Zhiti not do this?  be surprised.  "Master Shen, is what you just said true? You can't joke about steel!" Qi Zhiti's face became serious.  "Msang Gong, Xiaguan and Chen Zaixing were born in the same year. These figures were mentioned in the correspondence between him and me, and they should not be false. Besides, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou are always short of steel, and even the small amount of steel required for Kunming's machinery  They are all shipped from Guangdong, Guangxi and Hunan. However, since last year, instead of importing steel to Yunnan and Guizhou, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hunan have imported steel from Yunnan and Guizhou. Many small private ironworks have been forced to close their doors. This is Guangxi.  "It's mentioned in the brochure on Jiedushi. It can't be fake!" "Seriously, show me the brochure!" "My lord, please take a look at it!"  passed.  Qi Zhiti took the folder with his slightly trembling right hand, opened it and read it for a while, put it aside, and sighed in a low voice: "This Chen Zaixing is really a wizard. Not only can he fight with soldiers, but he can also open a factory and make steel. It's a pity that he wants to be called Burma."  Mr. Wang, you don¡¯t serve the imperial court!¡± ¡°Ms. Qi, you are wrong!¡± Zao Guoquan on the side said with a smile: ¡°He is a lonely man in Myanmar now, and in the future he will be respected in the south.  , There are hundreds of millions of subjects, and at worst, who is better than him? As the saying goes, if a gentleman is killed after five generations, I am better. As long as the court is still here, the ancestors have accumulated virtues.  The iron hat of not killing the marquis is still there. Even if you husbands are very powerful ministers in this generation, who can guarantee that they will not be ordinary people after three or five generations?" After hearing what Zao Guoquan said, Qi Zhiti?  Both Hu Keqin and Hu Keqin couldn't help but smile bitterly and admitted that what the other party said was true.  The three of them sighed a few times, and Qi Zhiti asked solemnly: "Master Shen, according to what you said, the sale of enterprises such as ironworks to the private sector is very important. After all, Chen Zaixing's success in running the ironworks in Kunming does not mean that  Others can run the Hanyang Iron Works well, it is better to be cautious about this matter." Shen Hongmao was very calm. He took out another piece of paper from his sleeves and presented it with both hands: "Mr.  An excerpt written by Xiaguan at the Hanyang Iron Works when he was the director of the Yu Department in the Ministry of Industry. At that time, when Xiaguan was inspecting several government-run enterprises near Hanjing, he felt that they were overstaffed, wasting work materials, and corruption was rampant, so he went to a workshop.  Through strict supervision and the elimination of redundant personnel, in those two months, the cost of the workshop was reduced by 50%, and the output doubled. It can be seen that even ordinary people, as long as they do not turn the steel factory into a government office, these factories will be ruined.  We can make great progress!" Looking at Shen Hongmao's second statement, Qi Zhiti nodded slightly and sighed: "Okay, okay! Mr. Shen, the court is really short of people like you who can do practical things, and Mr. Hu doesn't have any.  I misjudged you. He strongly recommends you to His Majesty out of public interest! Let¡¯s do what you said and try it out with a small factory. If it works well, then set the price and formulate regulations and so on.  Everything is inseparable?, this errand is up to you!  ¡± Many thanks to book friend Kumu Huangxue for the reward!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 121 Reform

    "Thank you, sir!" Shen Hongmao suppressed the excitement in his chest and bowed to accept the order.  "Master Shen, sit down and talk!" A frank smile appeared on Qi Zhiti's face: "You don't have to thank me, this is an offending mission. You should know that this dynasty has been engaged in foreign affairs for forty or fifty years, and relying on these  There are people who make a living in the factory. If you do this, you will destroy their jobs. I don¡¯t know how many people will be hated.  He will hold on to you and will kill you. Master Shen! "If you want to benefit the country, how can you avoid it for the sake of misfortune?" Shen Hongmao replied solemnly:  "We in our generation read the books of saints and sages in order to do something useful for the court and the country. How can we be greedy and cowardly to move forward just for our own gains and losses? After thousands of generations, I am afraid that I will be reviled by thousands of people in history!  "Well said, well said! Master Shen, you are indeed the true seed of scholars of our generation. After three hundred years of raising scholars, the efforts of all emperors have finally been settled."  Mr. Zao, what do you think?" Qi Zhiti turned his eyes to Hu Keqin and Zao Guoquan.  "I second the proposal!" Zao Guoquan responded.  "Master Shen must act with caution. It's better to be slow than to worry too much and ruin the important affairs of the court!" Hu Keqin said seriously.  "Thank you, Mr. Hu, for the tip!" "What about the next one? Master Shen?" At this point, Qi Zhiti smiled half-jokingly and half-seriously: "It shouldn't be as scary as the one just now, right?" "I don't dare.  !" Shen Hongmao glanced at Hu Keqin and said in a low voice: "Actually, the next two things are my suggestions together with Mr. Hu?" Qi Zhiti turned his eyes to Hu Keqin in surprise.  Keqin nodded slightly: "Yes, Mr. Shen! This time Mr. Shen and I went to Shanghai to issue public bonds. We encountered many things. The old man was quite touched and felt that some things had to be changed. Otherwise, to say the least, I'm afraid this  There will be a big problem in the court and this country in less than twenty years!" "Big problem?" Qi Zhiti showed a look of dissatisfaction on his face: "Mr. Hu, the emperors of this dynasty have been very kind and have nothing to do with their morality.  Having been blessed by my Dashun for more than two hundred years, even if there are some disasters, they can be eliminated gradually. Isn¡¯t what you said just now a little too much?  But now, I'm afraid something is wrong!" "What's the difference?" "Xiangong Qi, if China was established within the four seas three hundred years ago, the four borders would be nothing more than barbarians.  The army and horses are strong, but after all, the civilization and education are far inferior to that of our country, and the hearts of the people still return to the imperial court. But it is different now. Although the Western barbarians are known as barbarians, their civilization and education are not inferior to ours, and they are enough to compete with me.  If a conflict breaks out, who can say that the hearts of the people will definitely return to our Dashun? Secondly, in places like Shanghai and Guangzhou, there are no less than a million workers in the city.  Give them food and clothing. As the saying goes, hunger and cold will lead to thieves. If something happens, half of the southeastern part of the country will no longer be owned by the country!  After hearing Hu Keqin's words, Qi Zhiti couldn't help but change his face slightly. Indeed, just as Hu Keqin said, Dashun now has two problems that have never appeared in thousands of years.  First, the powerful countries Dashun faced such as England, France, and Russia were not only powerful in force, but also no less civilized than Dashun. Once defeated, they would not be assimilated to China as in the past. Therefore, Xia  Entering the barbarians rather than using the barbarians to enter Xia.  Second, due to the development of industrial economy and urbanization, a large number of proletarians have appeared in cities with relatively developed industries such as Hanking, Shanghai, Youzhoufu, Jinlingfu, and Guangzhou.  These ordinary people who live entirely on their own labor have nothing but their own hands. The nature of their work determines that they are accustomed to collaboration and unity, and the city they are in the center of the flow of people and information makes them unlike the farmers of the past.  Being so narrow-minded and ill-informed can easily lead to a well-organized rebel army.  Such a group of people is undoubtedly a potential threat to Dashun.  Once a crisis of one kind or another occurs, although the number of this class is not large compared to the country's total population of 40 million, the growth rate is astonishing.  Once these ordinary people with nothing are thrown onto the streets and face the threat of starving to death, it is not difficult to imagine how fierce resistance these people facing desperate situations will take.  Hu Keqin had seen the power of this strange class in Shanghai not long ago. As a loyal minister of the Dashun court, he was naturally worried about all this.  Qi Zhiti¡¯s face changed after hearing Hu Keqin¡¯s reaction to the rising rice prices and factory shutdowns in Shanghai, which led to thousands of workers taking to the streets to buy rice.?It becomes ugly to look at.  For this completely unfamiliar threat, there was no answer in all the Confucian classics he had read, so he asked Shen Hongmao: "Master Shen, what can you do about this problem?" "Ms. Qi, I think there are no two ways.  One: one soft, one hard!" Shen Hongmao leaned forward, stretched out his fingers to take a few drinks from the teacup on the coffee table, and started writing on the coffee table as he was used to.  "The so-called soft hand is to try every means to prevent these workers who live by their mouths from falling into a desperate situation. I said, 'Why should the people be afraid of death if they are not afraid of death?', in any case, these people are also the innocent sons of the imperial court and must be punished.  Leave them a way out!" "What Lord Shen said is true!" Qi Zhiti nodded. Shen Hongmao's suggestion just now was to his liking: "I think Lord Shen meant that it would be like when there were floods and droughts in ancient times.  Isn¡¯t it true that the imperial court should use money and food to provide relief? Instead of using it to support troops and suppress them, it would be a good idea!¡± ¡°Ms. Qi, yes, but not entirely!¡± Shen Hongmao explained with a smile: ¡°Shanghai, Han.  Although there are not many workers in Beijing and other places, there are still millions of them. On weekdays, there are no less than two to three hundred thousand unemployed people. If the economy is in recession, there will be even more if the government provides relief to these people.  The unemployed people will inevitably flock to the city. Will the imperial court pay for it at that time? " "This?" Qi Zhiti was speechless by Shen Hongmao's question. As Shen Hongmao asked just now, the imperial court's finances were already very poor.  Nervous, and if there is such a free lunch, a large number of bankrupt farmers from the surrounding villages will flock to the city to share it. How can they squeeze out money from their meager income to fill such a bottomless pit?  "Ms. Sir, as I see it, there are two ways. First, if you have worked in a factory, the factory owner must pay a certain amount of money to the government every month according to the number of workers they employ, and force themselves to save. Once the workers lose their jobs,  , you can temporarily obtain food and clothing for a few months from this money as a temporary transition to avoid violating the royal law due to hunger and cold, so that the court does not have to increase expenditures, and these workers are skilled workers, but because  They will only be laid off when the economy is in a recession. Once the economy recovers, it will be easy for factory owners to recruit skilled workers again, and they will not waste money on those lazy people who are indolent. " "What about the second one?  For those who have never worked in a factory, the government can also recruit them and provide them with free rice and porridge for three months. However, these people must engage in various jobs during this period as compensation, and at the same time learn various necessary livelihood skills.  . If there are still people wandering on the streets, they can be convicted or assigned to hard labor in mines or ports. In this way, good people can learn how to make a living, and if they are evil people, they can be strictly monitored and dealt with.  ! Okay! Okay!" After listening to Shen Hongmao's words, Qi Zhiti showed a satisfied smile: "Zhang Jiuling said, 'If you don't mention the prefectures and counties, you don't want to go to Taiwan'.  Chao, you are very capable of doing things, you can go directly to Taiwan Province!" "My husband is so complimentary!" Shen Hongmao quickly stood up and thanked him. At this time, he couldn't help but feel secretly happy. Qi Zhiti is now in charge of military matters.  It's a big deal if he says it softly or seriously.  "You should go back and think carefully about this matter first, draw up a plan, report it to the court, and announce it to the world. Such a good method must be grasped quickly!" Qi Zhiti said enthusiastically: "By the way, since the method is yours.  Come out, give this Dharma place a name!" At this time, Hu Keqin coughed and stroked the beard under his chin. Shen Hongmao thought of it and hurriedly bowed and said: "I am a low-ranking official with little knowledge.  I can't think of a good name at the moment, so I'd better ask Mr. Qi to come up with it!" "Well!" Qi Zhiti didn't hesitate. He thought for a moment and said in a deep voice: "Since this law was originally established to help the poor, then  Let¡¯s call it the Poor Law. This kind of place where the poor can learn the skills to make a living, then let¡¯s call it the Poor Law and the Poor Workhouse!¡±  It's a huge difference!" Shen Hongmao flattered quickly.  "Haha, a name is nothing!" Qi Zhiti waved his hand, smiling happily. It seemed that solving this problem made him feel very good.  At this time, Hu Keqin coughed and said in a deep voice: "Master Qi, although I think this method is good, it is better not to hand over the poor people's training center to the government!" "What does Hu Gong mean?  " "Mr. Qi, you and I have both been state officials. After doing this kind of thing, most of the money will go into the private pockets of subordinate officials. If only 10% or 20% of the money falls on the poor, it is considered  You have a conscience, and the government doesn¡¯t have that many manpower to distinguish who is a worker.Who are the refugees? Not to mention that everyone is only allowed to stay for three months. If anything happens, the court will be blamed.  It is better to let the factory owners pay for it themselves. If it is done well, it is the virtue of the court. If it is not done well, just replace it. No one can blame the court!  " "Sure enough, it is Lao Cheng who seeks the country!  "If Qi Zhiti's praise of Shen Hongmao just now was somewhat hypocritical, this compliment now comes from the bottom of his heart. People like Hu Keqin have figured out their escape route before doing anything. There is merit in doing well, even if something goes wrong.  This is the true level of a slick old bureaucrat. In comparison, Shen Hongmao only thinks about doing things but forgets to find a career. After all, his experience is still shallow.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 122 Under Reform

    "Then what does Hu Gong think?" "Shanghai's industry and commerce is the most prosperous, so he asked all walks of life to elect famous gentry with substantial wealth and outstanding reputations to form a consultative bureau and hand over some municipal affairs, relief and other matters.  They are!" "Well!" Qi Zhiti turned around and said with a smile: "Master Shen, what do you think?" Shen Hongmao looked at Hu Keqin in surprise, as if he was surprised by the suggestion he just made.  When Qi Zhiti asked, he hurriedly whispered: "Xiangong Hu is far-sighted and far-sighted, which is beyond my reach!" "Master Shen, you think it's great! Xianggong Hu's decades of experience, let alone you, even the Dashun Dynasty  I'm afraid not many of them can reach it. You are still young, and you will have to take this seat sooner or later!" When Qi Zhiti said this, he couldn't help but laugh. At this time, the self-ringing clock beside him made a dull sound.  He looked at the clock and saw that the hands had reached the twelve o'clock position, and said with a smile: "I didn't expect time to fly by so fast. It's already noon. Everyone, why don't you have lunch first and discuss things later?" "Excellent!" The rest  The three of them also stood up and walked to the next room. The long-awaited female officer brought food boxes filled with wine and food.  Shen Hongmao, who deliberately fell behind, saw Zao Guoquan and Qi Zhiti walking in front, rushed a few steps to Hu Keqin, and asked in a low voice: "Master Hu, why did you say that just now?" "What's wrong? I just said that.  What did you say?" Hu Keqin's thick white eyebrows completely covered his eyes, so that Shen Hongmao couldn't see the other person's expression at all. Seeing that the two people in front of him had walked far away, Shen Hongmao couldn't bear his temper anymore and shouted anxiously  Said: "Sir, why are you speaking for that man named Liu and setting up a consultation bureau? Do you really want that guy to control Shanghai's municipal government?" "Sir Shen, you are still young after all!" Hu Keqin  He sighed and said slowly: "We are ministers of the imperial court. We have received the emperor's salary, so we can only think about the problem from the perspective of the imperial court. Is establishing the Consultative Bureau beneficial to the imperial court? If it is beneficial, we will do it. If  If it's not good, we won't do it. As for personal gains and losses, it's better to keep it light!" "Mr. Hu, why is Hongmao doing it for his own sake?" Shen Hongmao became a little anxious when he heard this: "That Liu Zhishi was worried.  There is only one word for money, how can there be half a heart? The court is at a critical moment, and he is taking advantage of it. How can you speak for such a person? " "Liu Zhiping is a businessman who only pursues tithes of profits. He is naturally only interested in profit. Do you want to?  He considers the national economy and people's livelihood, and he is not a prime minister!" Hu Keqin sighed: "Hongmao, you have to remember that as a minister of the DPRK, you must first be able to accommodate people.  If the meeting is beneficial to him, then don't do it. After all, it is good for the court and the country. We must do things out of public motives, not personal likes and dislikes!" "Yes, Mr. Hu!" Shen Hongmao still has an idea.  Yidong said in a low voice: "Mr. Hu, how about I write a private letter to Mr. Zhang, the chief envoy of Shanghai, and let him know in secret to prevent Liu Zhiping from getting involved?" "Hey, Hongmao, what are you doing again?  Why bother?" Hu Keqin sighed: "With Liu Zhiping's financial status in Shanghai's business community, even if you don't let him enter the Consultative Bureau, wouldn't he be able to intervene in it?  He has to step down, can the next person stop him? Liu Zhiping is greedy for wealth, but he has the ability and skill. Rather than leaving it outside, it is better to do something for the court in the Consultative Bureau. " "  But what if he does evil? " "Then there will be laws to deal with him!" Hu Keqin's face suddenly turned cold: "His original method was just to hide behind the scenes, sow discord between the government and workers, and make profits from it.  . Now that he has the Advisory Bureau, he has great power, but he can no longer hide behind the scenes. Without the help of workers, things will be much simpler!" After hearing what Hu Keqin said, Shen Hongmao suddenly came to his senses.  Come on, it turns out that Hu Keqin was retreating in order to advance.  Originally, Liu Zhiping's bankers and factory owners could hide behind the scenes, blame the imperial court for any problems, and incite workers to take to the streets to cause trouble.  But things are different now. Since these matters are handled by the Consultative Bureau, if there are problems, workers will go to the Consultative Bureau, and the government can intervene in it, whether it is supporting the workers to suppress the industrial and commercial circles, or supporting the industrial and commercial sectors to suppress  The workers are all relaxed and happy.  This kind of skill that can move a thousand pounds is hundreds of times better than the original thankless one.  "Mr. Hu, please forgive me for what I said below -" As soon as Shen Hongmao said this, he was patted on the shoulder by Hu Keqin: "No need to say it, Hongmao! There are some things that we can't rely too much on ourselves.  Likes and dislikes must be treated as if they are the same!" "I understand!" Shen Hongmao lowered his head and carefully thought about Hu Keqin's words.The sharp edge he revealed made him fall into deep thought. It seemed that he was still too impatient on some things.  At the dinner table, Zao Guoquan was not satisfied with the food. The Ryukyu Incident led to the loss of the vassal state. As a frontline commander, no matter there were objective reasons of one kind or another, he could not absolve himself of the blame.  He had been prepared to be dismissed from office and to think about his mistakes behind closed doors.  But what he never expected was that not only was he not dismissed from office, but he was also transferred to Hanjing to become the Minister of War and one of the cabinet officials. Although this cabinet leader was the one with the least qualifications and the smallest official position, and because he was  He obtained the official position under his protection, so naturally he would not have any disciples. In the same year, his influence in the court was definitely far inferior to that of civil servants like Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao who entered the official career after passing the imperial examination.  But if he only looked at his official position and grade, he was still promoted. This abnormal phenomenon of the imperial court puzzled him. In the end, he could only attribute it to a statement he submitted to the imperial court before the peace talks began. Among them  He mainly mentioned what he had discussed with Batu about the reform of Dashun's military system before leaving. Although the Minister of War did not control the army, he happened to be in charge of it. These military system reforms happened to be within the jurisdiction of the Minister of War.  "Master Zao, but these meals are not to your liking?" A gentle voice woke Zao Guoquan out of his thoughts. He looked up and saw Qi Zhiti opposite, looking at him with a half-smile but not a smile.  He hurriedly forced a smile to cover up and said: "No, no, it's just that I was a little lost in thought just now when I was recalling the suggestions made by Mr. Shen." "Haha! Mr. Shen's suggestions are indeed in line with the current situation, and the solutions are also ingenious.  , it can be seen that it is all a matter of thought!" "Exactly! Mr. Shen is so considerate in his early thirties, it is really formidable, and it makes me and other seniors feel ashamed!" Zao Guoquan laughed a few times.  "Mr. Zao, there is no need to be too modest. Mr. Shen's vision and ability are among the best. In terms of his skills as an official, I'm afraid he is still a few years behind Mr. Zao. If nothing else, it's just his ability to make mistakes.  , even I, Qi, feel inferior, let alone Mr. Shen!" "My husband is joking, joking!" Zao Guoquan had a thin layer of sweat on his forehead at this time,  Obviously, there was something in the other party's words, and he was referring to the letter he had written to cover up defeat and turn victory into victory during the Battle of Keelung Port.  At this time, Zao Guoquan squeezed out a smile on his face, kept glancing at the door, and secretly cursed Shen Hongmao and Hu Keqin for what they were hiding outside, and why they didn't come back quickly for dinner so that he could face Qi Zhiti alone.  "Sir, you don't have to worry about what Mr. Hu and Mr. Shen are doing. I think they have a lot to say. They won't be back for a while. There are only you and me here. What do you want to say?  You can rest assured, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Zao Guoquan couldn¡¯t help but feel secretly frightened. In the past, Qi Zhiti rarely spoke out when he was the second assistant. He always followed the lead of the first assistant, Wang Qinian, and he still looked down upon him.  He thought he was just a person who made things happen because of people.  But I never expected that after Wang Qinian resigned, he seemed to be a different person after he ascended to the position of chief assistant. He was shrewd and capable, and his words were sharp. It seemed that he had misjudged him in the past.  "If you have anything to say, Mr. Xian, please just say it! All state power is subject to orders!" "Sir Zao is a cabinet colleague and Minister of the Ministry of War. How dare I ask you to obey orders? This is a bit too much!" At this point, Qi Zhiti obeyed.  He took out a letter and handed it over: "But there is a secret message here, which has something to do with Mr. Zao. You can take a look!" Zao Guoquan took the letter anxiously, his hands trembling slightly, he  Generations of nobles recognized at a glance that the writing paper was the fine "Xuande tribute paper". The "Xuande tribute paper" was the Ming paper produced during the Xuande period of the previous dynasty, and was the same as the "Xuande furnace" and "Xuande porcelain".  It has the same name. It was originally a royal paper exclusively for the imperial government. It was later passed down to the people. However, it was extremely valuable and was not used for calligraphy and painting. Instead, it was only used for decoration like Xuanhe Dragon and Phoenix Paper and Jinsu Sutra Collection Paper.  After hundreds of years, the manufacturing method has long been lost, and the ones that have been passed down to the present are even more valuable. The only people who are generous enough to use "Xuande Tribute Notes" to write letters are probably only a few nobles in the palace.  By the time Zao Guoquan finished reading the letter, he was already sweating profusely and fell to the ground with a thud. His whole body was like chaff. He wanted to beg for mercy, but he couldn't even utter a word.  It turned out that the letter was written about nothing else. It was a clear record of the Battle of Keelung from beginning to end. It even did not omit the news of the British fleet's appearance through Tamsui Port at the beginning, and the subsequent conflict between the generals and commanders in the Southern and Northern Oceans.  "Sir, do you think the content of this letter is inconsistent with the facts?" "Ms. Qi, your subordinates deserve to die! Your subordinates deserve to die!" Zao Guoquan had already kowtowed as if he was pounding garlic.  I only have one thought: the imperial court has already had the purpose of punishing myself. The purpose of promoting me to an official position is just to quietly take away my military power and transfer myself back to Han Dynasty.It¡¯s over.  No wonder Zao Guoquan thought so at this time.  Since ancient times, the emperor has been unkind, jealous and wary of generals like him who command large armies. If they want to punish him, he will first do everything possible to seize military power and then deal with it to avoid backlash.  The content of the letter just now was so detailed, there must have been spies in the palace already lurking around him. It would not be surprising if he was sent back to Hanking and dealt with again.  Thank you book friends for your generous reward!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 123 Mine

    "Sir, please get up!" Qi Zhiti smiled slightly and helped Zao Guoquan up from the ground. Seeing that Zao Guoquan's face was already full of tears, and he still looked like a general who commanded the army and an important minister of the country, he couldn't help but feel proud in his heart:  "Sir, don't worry. The reason I'm reading this letter to you is not to bring up old matters again. The letter also makes it very clear that the defeat of Keelung was due to the dispute between the north and the south in the navy and the disagreement between the generals and the commanders, which led to the difference in power. It was not  Mr. Zao's fault. " "Thank you, Mr. Qi. I wonder if this letter is from -" Zao Guoquan stood up and asked in a low voice.  "Oh! It was Empress Lin in the palace who sent someone to hand it over to me!" Qi Zhiti smiled slightly and put the letter back into his sleeve calmly: "My lord, please rest assured that you and I will be ministers in the same palace in the future.  Just let him go!" "Thank you, sir. From now on, I will follow my husband's lead!" Zao Guoquan knew the opportunity and hurriedly showed his loyalty. Of course, he would not believe Qi Zhiti's words that he would not bring up the old matter again.  Promise, as he just said, the defeat of Keelung was due to the dispute between the north and the south in the navy, and the feud between the generals and the generals. However, you have been the commander-in-chief of the military in Taiwan and Fujian for a long time, and the generals under your command have fought like this. You are not strict with your subordinates.  The crime cannot be escaped no matter what.  What the other party said just now was clearly telling me to be honest, otherwise it would just be a matter of a flip of the palm to kill you.  ??Zhao Guoquan was also a veteran who had been involved in the court for decades. By this time, he had already guessed the whole story.  Presumably after Qi Zhiti ascended to the throne, he felt that Dashun was in troubled times and had to have someone familiar with military affairs around him. However, he had no foothold in the military, and he was afraid that he would not be able to suppress someone when he was appointed to the cabinet.  It just so happened that he had a sore leg in his hand, so he made himself the Minister of the Ministry of War.  It would be fine if he was obedient, but if he dared to move randomly, he would bring up the old matter again and kill him with a single palm.  When he took out the letter just now, he must have deliberately shown off his close relationship with the inner court and intimidated himself.  Thinking of this, Zao Guoquan couldn't help but feel angry in his heart: "You're a relative, I have no grievances with you, but you are planning to target me. Well, now that the situation is stronger than others, I can only bow my head and obey orders.  When the situation turns around, it will be too late if I don¡¯t kill you all!¡± As early as Guo Quan was swearing in his heart, Hu Keqin and Shen Hongmao came in from outside. Hu Keqin said with a smile: ¡°I am getting old and my leg strength has declined.  I accidentally twisted it, thank you Mr. Shen for helping me over, please forgive me!" "Mr. Hu, be careful!" Qi Zhiti stood up and reached out to hold the other person's right elbow: "The food is a little cold, why don't I have someone give it to me?  "It doesn't matter, it's a hot day anyway, and the food won't be cold!" Hu Keqin smiled: "This is the palace, we better be careful!" "That's what Mr. Hu said!"  Qi Zhiti smiled slightly: "We have already eaten. How about we rest for half an hour after the meal and then continue the discussion?"  At the palace gate, Qu Duan, who had been waiting at the door for a long time, hurriedly responded. While hailing his carriage, he said with a smile: "Sir, come this way, please get in!" Zao Guoquan nodded and boarded the carriage.  When he got into the carriage, his face seemed to be covered with a layer of frost.  He became gloomy and terrifying. Qu Duan, who followed him into the car, did not see his face and said: "Sir, no, I should call you my husband now. You are only forty-six this year, and you have already entered  Being the Prime Minister is considered early even among nobles!" "Huh!" Zao Guoquan didn't say anything. This was because Qu Duan could see that his master's face was very ugly, so he cautiously  The title changed back: "Sir, what happened?" "Humph, you dare to pull out the tiger skin of a female officer. Well, I can't do anything to you now, but we will see!" Yunnan, Kunming,  Xinping Iron Mine.  It¡¯s already noon.  Because there is a mine nearby, almost all the vegetation on the hilltop not far away has been bulldozed. The hot subtropical sunlight shines on the bare gravel ground, causing plumes of white smoke to rise.  Due to exposure, the sunlight passing through the air near the ground is distorted, so that the shapes of people and objects in the distance are slightly deformed.  "Bring me some water!" Ji Jianzhang took the water bag handed over by the attendant behind him and drank a few gulps.  In this hot weather, the water you drink seems to seep out of your pores immediately, turning into sweat beads and evaporating out.  He wiped the sweat from his forehead and muttered to himself in a low voice: "What a damn weather!" "General manager, I've called all the managers from the mine!" The entourage on the side bowed.  The report said that behind him, there were six or seven men with round waists and thick arms. These people were all wearing shorts and short coats, and they had one common characteristicHowever, there are more or less scars on the body, and there are even broken legs in the eyes.  It turned out that these were compliant soldiers who had been injured in the war with Burma. Chen Zaixing selected a few loyal soldiers and arranged them to work in the mine as supervisors.  "General Manager!" The stewards all bowed to Ji Jianzhang. As the person in charge of Kunming Iron Works and Xinping Iron Mine, they were very familiar with Ji Jianzhang and knew that this young man whom Mr. Chen trusted very much was not that kind of person.  A person who has a deep character and attaches great importance to etiquette.  "Everyone is here, so I won't be polite! I came here for one thing. The third and fourth converters of the ironworks are about to be opened, but the required iron ore is not enough.  , The ore stored in the factory can only be used for 20 days at most. If the two newly built furnaces are added, it can only be used for 12 days, so the mining speed must be accelerated. Do you have any suggestions? " Supervisors?  After looking at each other for a few times, the leader stepped forward and replied respectfully: "General Manager, you have also seen the weather. It is unbearable and makes people want to have their skin peeled off."  , no matter how good the young man is, he will be exhausted after working for two hours. The Burmese miners in the mine work in two shifts, and people die every week. If this continues, it will be difficult to maintain production, let alone increase it.  "Ji Jianzhang frowned. As a well-educated intellectual, he was instinctively disgusted by the vulgar miners and ex-soldiers in front of him, but he still patiently asked: "What about you?  "You mean there's not enough manpower?" "Yes, general manager, a total of 4,357 Burmese workers were given here more than two years ago. In the next two years or so, there will be an average of 150 people per month.  Ten to two hundred people were added, but now there are only more than 4,200 people left in the mine. But now the surface of the mine has been almost dug, and the next step is to dig the well, which will cost much more labor.  !" Hearing the number of people reported by the other party, Ji Jianzhang frowned. He naturally knew the meaning of these numbers. Although he was not very willing to think of the blood behind these numbers, he still asked in a low voice: "  Two hundred people die in a month? " "Not that many, but it's not much less, about 1,780 people! More in summer and spring, less in autumn and winter, and the weather is hot, so people die.  "More!" The supervisor sighed: "The work in this mine is too hard. No matter how good the young man is, he can't last more than three years. In addition, not all of them died in various accidents. Some of the Burmese people escaped.  It probably adds up to that much! " After hearing these figures from the supervisor, Ji Jianzhang's face became increasingly grim. As the general manager of the entire steel plant, he naturally had the authority to know all this, but for some reason  He had never taken the initiative to understand all this, but at this time, he had to take the initiative to understand it all.  After all, this steel plant is not only his ideal, but also related to his own immediate interests and future.  Thinking of this, he looked at the mine not far away and whispered: "You lead the way and take me around the mine to see if there is any way to reduce the mortality rate of miners!" "Yes, general manager!"  The steward was stunned when he heard this, then stood up straight and answered loudly.  Ji Jianzhang laboriously walked through a section of the mountain road. This section of the mountain road was originally paved with gravel from iron ore mining, but it has become uneven due to the crushing of a large number of vehicles and the erosion of rain.  If it were not for the support of two supervisors, Ji Jianzhang would have almost fallen down the hillside several times.  Finally, he asked in a deep voice: "Why don't you repair this road? You have a lot of gravel here. All you need is some manpower!" "This!" The mine manager gave a bitter smile: "General Manager, it's not us.  Without road construction, the demand for ore is really tight! Since the iron plant opened, the demand has been increasing every month, and we really can't spare the manpower! " "Yes, general manager!  Burmese laborers are lazy and will slack off when they can. In some cases, they deliberately break their tools and kill their animals. More than half a year ago, we asked a group of workers to build roads, but they actually pushed the oxen pulling the rollers off the hillside.  He died and injured two of us! " "Okay, okay, stop talking!" Ji Jianzhang's face suddenly became gloomy. The supervisor saw his expression and hurriedly lowered his voice.  He said: "General Manager, I will send people to repair the road tomorrow." "Yeah!" The upset Ji Jianzhang waved his hand, he pointed to a big hole not far away and asked: "That's over there  Mine? " "Yes, General Manager!" Ji Jianzhang walked to the mine. The surface soil of the mine had been removed, exposing the mineral deposits below.  Rocks rich in iron appear a dark red color.  Looking down from Ji Jianzhang's position, one can see thousands of gray dots squirming on the opposite mine bed, and the sound of iron hammering can be heard in the air.??The crisp sound on the rock wall.  Each gray dot is a miner. They knock the iron-rich ore from the mountain, then put it in a basket and pour it onto the rail cars behind the hardened road. The ore on these rail cars will be  Oxen or horses pull it up to the top of the mountain, and then the concentrate obtained after beneficiation is transported by special rail train to the Kunming Iron and Steel Plant in Anding as raw material for steelmaking.  Thank you to the book friend trainee police officer for the reward.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 124 Miner

    "Are these all the miners?" Ji Jianzhang frowned. He had just made a rough estimate and found that the number was much less than he expected.  "No, this is only part of it. This open-air mine is almost open, and most of the workers are underground on the other side of the mountain!" "I see!" Ji Jianzhang's face looked better, and he asked casually.  "How many shifts are there that day, and how long is one shift?" "Tell the general manager, the sun is strong outdoors, there are five shifts in two days, one shift lasts about ten hours; there are two shifts underground, one shift lasts exactly twelve hours!"  "Yeah!" After hearing the answer from the supervisor, Ji Jianzhang nodded with satisfaction. A smile appeared on his face for the first time since he came to the mine: "Well, it's done well! Mine production must be stepped up, don't worry.  It's easy to say, but this must not be loosened. Let's do this. Miners sweat a lot in summer. I will add 100 kilograms of salt to you every month. The miners working in the open water will drink some salt water to replenish the body's salt.  This is good for their health!" The supervisor quickly said with a smile: "The general manager is really kind! I will tell those Burmese barbarians about this later and let them appreciate your kindness!" "That's it!  That¡¯s it!¡± Ji Jianzhang waved his hand: ¡°Those barbarians know what¡¯s good, it¡¯s better to kill less people and produce more iron!¡± ¡°General manager, be careful and let the villain lead the way!¡±  Eyes swung the pickaxe vigorously, chiseling out pieces of ore from the veins of the rock wall in front of him. The sparks generated by the impact of the hard iron tool and the rock wall splashed on his naked skin, but he seemed not to feel it at all.  In appearance, he was no different from a savage on the African savannah - except for a dirty, colorless rag used to cover his lower body and a straw hat on his head for sun protection.  , there were no more strands, and the rest of the skin was covered with red iron ore powder. This powder was everywhere in the entire mining area, and his whole body seemed to have turned into a piece of ore.  At this time, the sound of iron chains dragging on the ground came from behind Gray Eyes. He put down the pickaxe and began to help the shackled companion behind him who was carrying a basket to put the ore on the ground into the basket. At this time, he deliberately put  The loading and unloading speed is slowed down so that you can take a few breaths. Apart from eating and drinking, this is the few rest time for workers in the mine.  "Be careful, the supervisor is looking over!" Gray eyes carefully turned to the side and looked at the supervisor under the pergola not far away from the corner of his eye. Sure enough, the other person was looking over here, but it may be because the weather was too hot and the supervisor was  Because they were too lazy to come over and scold him for being whipped, the man who was usually very vicious ignored him and just looked at him for a few times before lazily turning around.  "Okay, it's installed!" Gray Eyes stood up, brushed off some gravel on the baskets, replaced it with loose soil, and stood up slowly, preparing to continue digging for ore with a pickaxe. Such work requires a lot of work.  It lasted until the sun went down. He has not been overwhelmed by the heavy labor yet. Of course, he must thank his parents for leaving him with a very strong body. More importantly, as one of the famous leaders of the original rebel army, his companions consciously or unconsciously  Support and help allowed him to persevere in this living hell.  "Everyone stand at attention!" Following several sharp whistles, surrounded by a dozen supervisors, a Han man in a robe walked down the hillside. He covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief to avoid inhalation.  Too much dust, while looking at the half-naked miners around him with a look of contempt and disgust.  "Is the big shot here?" Gray Eyes slowly stood up straight, put the pickaxe aside, and coldly observed this unique man. During the more than two years in the mine, he spent all day.  What he saw were hard rock walls, bare hillsides, miners covered in dust, and construction whips. They were completely cut off from the outside world. Suddenly seeing such well-dressed people from the outside world, he couldn't help but feel  Feeling a fresh sense of excitement.  Ji Jianzhang covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief. The dust coming from all around and the various smells coming from the miners made him nauseous. The expressions of these poor people were dull, and their hands and feet were shackled.  The half-naked body covered in ore dust showed a disgusting light red color, and the heavy labor had wiped out the unique aura of intelligent creatures in their eyes.  Looking at these people, Ji Jianzhang felt instinctive pity deep in his heart. He turned around and asked: "Why are they not wearing clothes? Also, what's with the shackles on them? Why don't they use a cart and better tools?"  ?¡± ¡°Mr. General Manager! Please listen to my explanation!¡± The supervisor explained quickly: ¡°Many of these workers were vicious gangsters in Myanmar. They often escaped and rioted after arriving at the mine, so we did not give them anything.  clothes andWear shackles so they can hardly disguise themselves as locals if they escape.  Moreover, the weather here is very hot, so there is no need to wear clothes. Besides, clothes go quickly when working, and you can also save a lot of money on fabrics.  As for not using wheelbarrows and better tools, it's because these guys often destroy their tools on purpose, so we can only use the most bulky and least easily damaged tools for them, such as livestock, rail carts, etc., and we still have to  Pay special attention, otherwise it will be easily damaged!  "Ji Jianzhang waved his arm roughly and motioned for his men to shut up. He always thought that he was at the factory and did not invest much energy in the production of the mine. The miners in front of him were just numbers to him.  As long as he can produce enough ore every month, it is enough. He has no interest or willingness to understand all this. Now he finally understands why Chen Zaixing deliberately let a group of retired wounded soldiers manage this mine. But the situation is different now.  According to the plan, after the rainy season ends next year, that is, after September 1882, the construction of the Burma Railway will begin. Before that, the rail output of the Kunming Iron and Steel Works must increase to more than 30,000 tons a year. In order to achieve this output,  The existing iron ore production must at least quadruple. Ji Jianzhang is very clear that his future is completely dependent on this railway. No matter what, he must solve the iron ore problem.  Bring me a pickaxe!  "Ji Jianzhang pointed to the pickaxes next to the miners with some annoyance. A supervisor immediately carried out his order. He looked carefully. Sure enough, as the supervisor leader said just now, these pickaxes  They are all of the clumsiest style, and the steel mouth is also very poor. Some of them have even been completely annealed, revealing the white pig iron section underneath. ¡°You just use these guys to work for the miners?  "Ji Jianzhang finally couldn't control his anger anymore and shouted in a low voice: "Isn't this nonsense?  " "General manager, there is nothing we can do!  "The supervisor leader hurriedly explained: "Let me tell you the truth!  Even if we only give them these things, escapes and riots are still common. There were more than ten such incidents last year alone. If we give them steel-mouthed ones, these guys will definitely use them.  Break the shackles and use them as weapons of riot!  " "Then you can't think of a way?  Well, is that thing on your neck just for eating?  Ji Jianzhang was furious at this time: "You must know that I worked so hard to get these Burmese animals to get the ore, do you understand?"  Lots and lots of ore!  " "Yes, Mr. General Manager!  "The supervisor leader was almost drowned in Ji Jianzhang's spit. This former soldier, who was completely accustomed to orders and whips to solve problems, encountered a very embarrassing problem for the first time. Indeed, he had the right to feel that the mine  The life and death of thousands of Burmese miners inside, but this does not mean that he can increase the production of ore. After all, the working hours and intensity of the slaves have reached a certain limit, and dead people cannot work. ¡°General manager, actually.  We can recruit some locals to work as miners!  "A staff member suggested in a low voice. "Don't come up with bad ideas!  "The distraught Ji Jianzhang immediately rejected his subordinates' suggestions. Due to the control of large fertile lands in Myanmar and Annan, a large number of Chinese immigrated to the Indochina Peninsula to make a living. As a result, the population and land of the southwestern provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou were reduced.  The conflict is much less severe than in the original plane, and the number of landless farmers is naturally much smaller. It is difficult to find enough local labor force for hard work such as mining, which is almost equal to slow death, and even if some can be found,  As a local, dying is also very troublesome. Otherwise, Chen Zaixin wouldn't have bothered to import such semi-slave miners from Myanmar. At this time, along with the sound of shackles mopping the floor, a somewhat awkward voice came.  Come over: "Mr. General Manager, I have a way to solve your problem!  "Everyone's eyes turned to the source of the sound, and they saw a miner covered in mineral powder walking towards this side. Unlike other numb people, this man's eyes revealed a light of wisdom. "Asshole  , who asked you to come here!  "But the miner's approach immediately aroused the vigilance of the supervisors. The leader of the supervisors yelled: "Stop, raise your hands, sentry, if you dare to move again, I will kill this guy!"  "He shouted an order to the sentry on the side. Several crisp sounds of pulling the gun bolt were heard, which showed that what the supervisor leader just said was by no means a threat. The miner stopped and raised his hands in accordance with the order of the supervisor leader. The supervisor  The leader observed vigilantly, and after confirming that the opponent who was shackled and only wearing a rag on his lower body could not be a threat, he relaxed, bowed slightly to Ji Jianzhang, and said respectfully: "General Manager  Your Excellency, please forgive my rudeness just now. These damn Burmese dogs are extremely insidious and cruel guys. As long as you turn your back to them for a second, they will pounce on you.??Wring your neck with chains and tear your throat with teeth, even if they will be beaten into sieves by bullets in the next second.  One of my two companions was strangled to death with iron chains, and the other was torn into pieces with his teeth and nails - Mr. General Manager, I can swear by my parents and my son that I just  There was no falsehood in what he said. When we took back the body of our companion from these bastards, we could no longer recognize that it was still him.  So the only way to deal with these guys is to keep your eyes open and hold on to the handle of the gun!  ¡± Thank you to the trainee police officer for the reward. There will be another update in the afternoon!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 125 production on

    Ji Jianzhang did not react to the words of the supervisor. He glanced coldly at the Burmese worker who had just spoken. He saw that this miner, who was covered in dust and half-naked like other Burmese people, did not try to defend himself. He just remained silent.  He looked at Ji Jianzhang quietly without saying a word, as if there were not many rifles aiming at him around him.  "You can talk about your solution now!" Ji Jianzhang made a gesture: "You can put down the gun!" "Excuse me, if my suggestion can solve your problem, you can also take off my shackles.  "The miner raised his hands to Ji Jianzhang, revealing the shackles and red and swollen skin on his wrists: "Look, my shackles have hurt this place, and the wound has become inflamed. If it continues like this  , Soon I won¡¯t be able to work with these hands, and you will lose a laborer!¡± Ji Jianzhang became interested in this strange Burmese man, and he smiled: ¡°Of course, barbarian, as long as you  My suggestions are useful. Not only can you take off the shackles, but a doctor will treat your injuries. I can even reward you with a piece of clothing so that you will no longer be naked like this monkey in the woods!  " At this point, he couldn't help laughing.  Hearing Ji Jianzhang's naked ridicule, other Burmese miners present showed expressions of anger and humiliation.  But this Burmese miner was different. It was possible that the dust on his face covered his expression, but his answer sounded very calm. He bowed slightly to Ji Jianzhang: "Your Excellency, General Manager, please allow me to tell you  My name, otherwise I am afraid that others will take the reward I deserve! " "Very well, tell me your name now, you are really an interesting guy!" Ji Jianzhang looked at the Burmese in front of him with interest!  Miner, this may be the happiest thing for him this day.  "My companions all call me gray eyes. This is because my mother is a Punjabi and my father is a Pashtun businessman, so my eyes are different from ordinary Burmese people with a little gray, so they  They all call me Gray Eyes. You can also call me this name! " "Very well, Gray Eyes, tell me your method! But I declare in advance that if your method does not satisfy me, you will be punished -  ¡ª" At this point, Ji Jianzhang pointed to a dozen other Burmese miners around him: "Their shackles will also be on you until sunset tomorrow!" "Okay!" Gray Eyes nodded.  At this point, he paused and replied in a calm voice: "My suggestion is to unshackle all the miners, give them clothes, good food and clean housing. If possible  If so, give them some remuneration so that they can send some money to their relatives in Myanmar. This is my suggestion. I believe that if this is the case, the output of the mine will definitely double. " "This is you!  Suggestions?¡± There was no emotion or anger in Ji Jianzhang¡¯s voice. He just looked at the dusty, half-naked Burmese worker in front of him quietly. The other miners who came with him also looked at him with worried eyes.  , you must know that each person's shackles weigh 16 or 7 kilograms, and the total weight of a dozen or so people is 1,670 kilograms. Hanging them on a person's limbs for a day's work in this weather is almost equivalent to death from exhaustion.  "Yes, Mr. General Manager! Do you want to torture us as much as you want? Or do you want to produce more ore? If you want to double the output, then at least you must give us the minimum treatment! In such a life, any  Everyone will try their best to escape, otherwise they will try their best to slow down the work and destroy the tools. Anyway, at most they will die. Even if they die, it will not be worse than now!" "Shut up, you bastard!" The supervisor interrupted Hui with a roar.  At the sound of his eyes, he rushed forward and hit him hard on the head and face with the cane in his right hand. He cursed: "Those who are worse than shit, you are all traitors, understand? You are traitors! According to the laws of the Kingdom of Burma  Law, you will all be hanged from a tree on the roadside. It is the mercy of your two majesties that gave you the opportunity to use your work to forgive your sins. You still dare to do this, I will beat you to death!" The field is full of supervisors!  The roar and the dull sound of the cane being slapped on the buttocks, but Gray Eyes did not avoid it. Soon the place where he was whipped became red and swollen, and then blood flowed out from the wound, washing away the dust on his body.  , forming a dark red stain that stuck tightly to his skin.  "That's enough!" Ji Jianzhang's voice stopped the supervisor's beating. He took two steps forward and asked, "Gray eyes, why should I believe that you are telling the truth and not lies?" "You can use  If ten people try it for a week or a month, no one will lose much!" Gray Eyes opened his eyes with some effort, because his right eye socket was hit just now, and the entire right eye was as swollen as a peach!  He's older, which makes him look a little funny, but he's stillHe replied with all his strength, and for the first time today, a look of excitement and desire appeared on his face.  Ji Jianzhang didn't speak. He turned around and walked out. Suddenly he stopped and said loudly: "Very good. The few people who came today will be dealt with according to the requirements of Gray Eyes. Give them enough tools. Next  I will come to the mine at this time next week and tell me the results!" "Yes, Mr. General Manager!" the supervisor responded quickly.  "Also, find a doctor and give this guy a look! I don't want this to be his excuse!" At this point, Ji Jianzhang's voice showed a smile: "I can tell you here in advance, if  The result is not as you expected, I'm going to hang you on the mine gate, do you understand?" The gray-eyed face immediately turned pale. He knew very well that the other party was not joking, even if it was really a joke.  He can't afford it.  After all, for people like Ji Jianzhang, hanging a miner is not much more difficult than crushing an ant, and for him, he only lives once.  "Yes, Mr. General Manager, I will definitely work hard!" Gray eyes bent deeply towards the other person's back.  When it got dark, the exhausted Gray Eyes and his eleven companions returned to their residence, a shack. Several overseers came with a doctor. They took off Gray Eyes' hand and leg shackles and cleaned them.  After the wound was healed, medicine was applied, and then the shackles were put on again.  Before leaving, an overseer whispered: "Starting tomorrow morning, you'd better work harder, and your guys, or else -" At this point, the overseer chuckled, stuck out his tongue, and made a fool of himself.  expression.  Soon, the supervisors left with the doctor, and a few rays of moonlight shone in from the gap between the door and the wall of the shack, illuminating the inside.  It was very quiet in the shack, but Gray Eyes knew that no one was sleeping. Everyone was lying there silently, as if waiting for something to happen.  Suddenly a voice broke the silence, and a somewhat immature voice asked: "Gray Eyes, do you really want to mine more rocks for those Chinese?" Gray Eyes did not answer. After a while, the same voice spoke more urgently.  He asked in a tone: "Then why do you still ask everyone to slow down work as much as possible, throw dust and waste stones into the basket, and say that the Chinese cannot be allowed to smelt more iron and build guns and cannons to attack us Burmese people? These words are not  Is that all what you said?" At the end of the sentence, the voice sounded a bit like crying.  But there was still silence in the shack, and the gray eyes still did not speak.  "Coward!" A deep voice broke the silence: "You say you want everyone to work less, but you grovel in front of the Chinese to get the benefits, bah! I was so blind that I followed you back then!  "The eyes of the people in the shack turned to the direction where Gray Eyes was lying. Although they could not see anything clearly, they were still looking forward to his rebuttal, but there was still silence over there. As time passed, every day  My heart went cold.  The childish voice asked with a cry: "Gray-eyed leader, please speak quickly! Say that's not the case. You are just trying to deceive the Chinese today. Say something!" "That's not the case!" The shack finally said  The voice of Gray Eyes came out, and people's spirits suddenly rose. They held their breath and waited for the leader's words. Even the man who just scolded him couldn't help but have a glimmer of hope in his heart. He shouldn't be able to  Are you willing to be a lackey of the Chinese?  "I didn't lie to the Chinese. I sincerely hope that everyone can increase production and live a better life!" Gray Eyes' voice was not loud, but his enunciation was very clear, and everyone in the shack could hear it clearly.  Clearly: "Continuing like this is not an option. There are still many people who are still young, such as Enna, who is just twenty years old. He has no women and no children. Many people still have parents and children in their hometowns. They cannot die here, even if there is no way  I will go back in the near future, but if I can send some money back, it will be of some help to my family!" "Bah!" A voice interrupted the gray eyes, it was the same deep voice just now: "I don't need you as a coward!  For our sake, have you forgotten how so many brothers died? Have you forgotten how the Chinese troops treated our villages and families? You actually want us to work hard for them, no, I  I would rather find a chance to roll down a cliff with a Chinese than live by working for them. " "That's you, Kenna!" The voice with gray eyes became cold: "It's not just here.  You are alone, and there are many others. They still have to live and go home. They cannot let others die for you alone! " "Gray Eyes, don't think that others are cowards like you!" Kenner's voice said!  He became louder and louder: "I can't believe you have turned into such a person. Why weren't you killed in the last battle?Beat to death?  " At this point, his voice clearly contained real sorrow. "Thanks to book friend Wei Ruijiejia for the tip, these words are so complicated!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 126 output

    "Since I survived, I have to think about the people who survived!" The gray-eyed voice became more determined.  The people in the shack became silent, and the collision of two completely different views made them somewhat at a loss.  At this time, the guard's scolding came from outside the shack: "You bastards, are you still not sleeping? Do you think today's work is too light or are your skin itchy?"  Don't want to be whipped.  Of course, the guards would not take the risk of coming to the shack at night, because they are likely to be raided by the miners. In the past, desperate miners pretended to quarrel to attract the guards into the shack, and then killed the guards and seized the guns in an attempt to escape.  example.  But at dawn tomorrow, the entire shack will suffer cruel revenge, such as whipping or heavy labor, or even hanging. No matter which kind is very painful for the miners.  At night, no one spoke anymore in the shack, but everyone slept very late.  Soon, a week passed. Ji Jianzhang returned to the mine and saw that the eleven miners led by Gray Eyes dug out iron ore that was more than three times the previous output. This result made Ji Jianzhang  Very happy, he immediately ordered the miner named Gray Eyes to be summoned, and he wanted to see him in person.  "You did a good job, Gray Eyes!" Ji Jianzhang looked at the miner in front of him. This time he had been cleaned, and he had a coarse cloth robe on him. The shackles on his body were also removed. His bald head  The remaining strands of hair were tied up with a thin rope, revealing a wrinkled face, but judging from the sharp gray eyes in his sunken eye sockets, the description of his origin a few days ago should be true.  ¡ª¡ªAt least one of his parents is not of Myanmar¡¯s local Austronesian race.  Ji Jianzhang was happy to confirm this, because he could tell himself that he was not talking to a Burmese, a barbarian he despised, but a member of a more advanced and civilized nation.  say.  "Your group produced much more than you predicted. Okay, now you can tell me what reward you want. New clothes? Good food? Money? Or a better place to live?" "  No, I think I have already received the reward!" Gray Eyes raised his hands slightly. The ulcerated wounds on his wrists were much better due to good treatment, and there was only some redness and swelling: "For  Personally, I don¡¯t have any requests.¡± Ji Jianzhang heard what the other party meant, and he smiled slightly: ¡°So it seems that your next request is not for yourself? It is for your companions?  "Yes, Mr. General Manager!" Gray Eyes replied in a low voice: "If I were the only one, there would be no way I could mine so much ore. My companions also made the same efforts, but except for them.  Outside of working hours, they were still shackled, and many of them had sores on their hands and feet. Moreover, they didn¡¯t even have the tattered clothes, so they worked under the blazing sun. Almost everyone¡¯s backs were sunburned.  Your Excellency, healthy workers are your wealth, and it is in your interest to make our lives more comfortable. " "Then you mean to let them enjoy the same treatment as you?" Ji Jianzhang asked on his face.  Showing an interested smile.  "Yes, and not only those eleven people, but also all other miners, I think they should be treated better, so that your mine can produce-" "Gray eyes!" Ji Jianzhang's  The voice interrupted the other party's words, and he stood up with a sneer on his face: "Remember your identity, you are a sinner, a hard labor in the mine. You are only obliged to answer my questions, but you are not qualified to ask any questions.  Conditions, do you understand?" "Yes, Your Excellency!" The gray-eyed head lowered.  "Very good, you can go down now!" Ji Jianzhang made a gesture, bowed to him with gray eyes, and then turned around and went out.  Ji Jianzhang thought for a while and asked the supervisor on the side: "Do you think what this hard worker just said is reasonable?" "No!" The supervisor shook his head and replied in a low voice: "I have talked with these hard workers.  I have been dealing with them for almost three years. These guys are inherently cunning and insidious, just like weeds in the field. No matter how much effort you spend on them, you can't get anything out of them.  You lower your head just to bite your calf hard. Sir, if you can temporarily remove the shackles on them to increase production during work, you should re-tie them after work.  "Yes, this is very necessary for the safety of the mine!" "Okay, I understand!" Ji Jianzhang nodded, and he thought for a while: "Starting from tomorrow, give Hui Yan his eleven  I will take off the shackles, treat his injuries, and give him some clothes!¡±bsp;"Your Excellency!" The supervisor raised his voice instinctively: "I beg you to think again, this is probably a cunning trap -" "Okay!" Ji Jianzhang interrupted the supervisor.  After speaking, he paused for a moment: "Now you can go out and carry out my orders!" "Yes, Your Excellency, General Manager!" The supervisor immediately calmed down, lowered his head tamely, and retreated outside.  Ji Jianzhang was the only one left in the office at this time. He held his chin with his hands, sat at the table, and began to think silently.  There is no doubt that the concerns of the supervisor are justified. As a person in charge who has been working on the front line of the mine all year round, Ji Jianzhang has unreserved trust in his experience and loyalty.  The reports about miners' riots and escapes that arrive on his desk every month prove all this, but will working on the front line of the mines all year round also constrain his vision?  How about limiting his vision to dealing with the thousands of convicts in front of him?  For the supervisory leader, ensuring that he does not have his throat cut by a convict is much more important than doubling the output of ore. After all, he is not the general manager of Kunming Iron and Steel Works. If the Yunnan-Burma Railway started to be built tomorrow lacks rails  At that time, Chen Zaixing would only look at Ji Jianzhang coldly in his unique way, instead of looking at him.  Thinking of this, Ji Jianzhang couldn't help but shudder. There is no doubt that Chen Zaixing has changed a lot in the past few years.  Of course, time will change a person, but Ji Jianzhang believes that time plays only a small part in this process. The greater part of the reason is his growing power and wealth. If a few years ago, Chen Zaixing was still because of  He is a disciple of Wu Hanmin, the military governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, the second best person in Dashun in a certain year, and a former bachelor of Chongwen Hall. These external identities make people awe-inspiring.  So now Chen Zaixing relies more on his own wealth and strength. Indeed, he is still Wu Hanmin's disciple, but when Yunnan relied on Shunhua Company's import and export trade for a quarter of its annual income, nine percent  When more than 10% of steel is supplied by Kunming Iron and Steel Works, and Wu Hanmin himself owns 5% of the steel company's shares, will anyone still think that he is just a "prot¨¦g¨¦" of Wu Hanmin?  Some people have begun to say things like "Mr. Wu is so lucky to have met such a talented person like Chen Zaixing!" in less public occasions.  Even if such a person with huge power just sits there and looks at you quietly, doing nothing, your back will be covered in cold sweat.  Not to mention that Chen Zaixing's eyes would not be so friendly at that time.  "The only way to avoid making mistakes is to do nothing!" Ji Jianzhang finally made a decision: "We must try new methods. After all, it has been proven that the efficiency of a group of slaves in mine production is very low!" He  He stood up and shouted to the outside: "Come here, call me that gray-eyed man." "I can agree to your request, but not immediately, not everyone, must change gradually, and you must use enough  The ore production proves to me that this change is worthwhile, do you understand? " "Yes, Your Excellency, General Manager!" Shanghai, Advisory Bureau.  This is a five-story building that has just been built. The outer wall of the building is made of gorgeous light red granite, which looks majestic and luxurious. The address is located on the bank of the Huangpu River, one of the busiest areas in Shanghai, a few minutes' walk from Houde.  The straight-line distance from the bank headquarters is less than 500 meters.  At this time, the conference bureau was a lively scene. Dozens of smart and capable clerks in long robes were lined up outside the gate, all smiling, bowing and greeting the guests who came to congratulate them.  The air was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder from the firecrackers that had just been set off. The broad front of the building was packed with flower baskets brought by various industries. Many of them were placed on the street. Pedestrians saw the excitement.  The sight made people stop and point, point, and discuss.  "Old Xutou, I have bad eyesight. Look at the plaque hanging over there. Is it the words 'The Imperial Office of the Shanghai Consultative Bureau'?" "Yes, those are the words, but what do they mean?  "This is not simple. Isn't it the emperor's order?" "Nonsense, who doesn't know these two words? I'm asking what does 'Consultation Bureau' mean?" "Isn't it just a suggestion?"  It means it should be an organization that provides suggestions and solutions to the government! Look at the flower baskets over there, they are all great people! There are political figures from the previous dynasty, the number one scholar, and a wealthy man!  The Council is a great thing!" Hearing this, a bystander sneered: "Hi! You two don't even know what the Council is for. Do you know who originally owned this building?  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 127 Council

    The two people who spoke looked at each other and shook their heads: "We don't know either, but judging from the materials and location of this building, it should be worth a lot of money!" "Let me tell you, this house originally belonged to  Mr. Liu of Houde Bank, not long ago, a decree came from the Han Dynasty, allowing all walks of life in Shanghai to nominate talents to form a consultative bureau to manage municipal affairs. Mr. Liu immediately expressed his response to the imperial decree and wanted to build this newly built five-story building.  The building was donated to serve as the office of the Advisory Bureau." The two people couldn't help but gasped: "Huh? Mr. Liu is so rich for donating such a big house!" "Haha, Mr. Liu is rich.  Yes, but lavishness is not necessarily the case. To put it bluntly, this council is the Second Yamen. Since all walks of life in Shanghai are asked to recommend virtuous people, we in Shanghai put it bluntly that those who have money are virtuous. Since Mr. Liu has the most money, he is naturally the most virtuous.  ! Since he is in charge of this Council, shouldn¡¯t he pay for it and build a house for his office?¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what happened!¡± At this time, there was a noise from the Council Building.  People's eyes suddenly gathered, and they saw Liu Zhiping walking out with the support of his son Liu Qingyang, followed by the big bosses in the Council, and the ones who sent him off were Shanghai Chief Envoy Zhang Zhicheng and Zhang Zhicheng.  Shanghai Magistrate Liu, Zhang Zhicheng's face was full of joy, but Magistrate Liu's face was much uglier, and the few smiles on his face seemed to be forced out.  "Mr. Liu, there is no need to give it away anymore!" Zhang Zhicheng bowed his hands: "The things I just talked about are overworked!" "Master Zhang, please don't worry!" Liu Zhiping turned to his son Liu Qingyang and said: "Qingyang, Master Zhang's matter  I'll leave it to you. If anything goes wrong, even I won't be able to forgive you!" Liu Qingyang was very smart. He quickly bowed to Zhang Zhicheng and said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, sir, I will definitely know how to do it!  If you supervise it personally, there will never be any mistakes!" "That's good, that's good!" Zhang Zhicheng smiled and nodded, "Then I'll take my leave!" After that, he walked towards the carriage down the steps.  As they walked away, Magistrate Liu on the side also hurriedly bowed his hands to the Liu family and his son, and followed him.  Watching the two people leaving, Liu Qingyang suddenly laughed and said: "Dad, the expression on Magistrate Liu's face just now was so ugly, he seemed to have eaten something bad and was about to have diarrhea!"  So mean!" Liu Zhiping seemed to be in a good mood. He patted his son's shoulder lovingly and said with a smile: "But you are right. The imperial court has made us a consultative bureau.  A big piece of the prefect's pie has been cut off. Think about it, there is already a chief envoy in Shanghai, and we have taken away all the municipal management. What is left of him? " "That's right!" Liu Qingyang nodded.  Liu Zhiping nodded: "It seems that Mr. Zhang is going to be promoted!" "Well, the news from Beijing is to go to the Ministry of Industry!" Liu Zhiping nodded: "Not long ago, Xianggong Wang became an official, and Xianggong Hu became  Second Prime Minister, when Mr. Hu and Mr. Shen came to Shanghai last time, Mr. Zhang served him well, so he went up this time. " "Well, this guy is lucky. Dad, how much do you plan to give him this time.  What's the benefit?" Liu Qingyang's tone didn't show much respect for this person. The few years he spent in Myanmar had darkened his skin a lot, and he had lost a lot of respect for the high officials in the DPRK.  "You can buy his properties and fields at an additional price of 30%, which is only 200,000 taels more!" Liu Zhiping coughed twice, turned around and walked towards the door: "This Mr. Zhang  It's pretty good. We've gotten along pretty well in Shanghai over the past few years. Now we've gone to Hanking. We still have a long way to go in the future, so we can't treat him badly!" "Yes, Dad!" Liu Qingyang nodded: "That's it!  Where's Magistrate Liu? Do you want to give him some benefits so that he won't hold a grudge? " "Governor Liu, let's take it easy for now!" Liu Zhiping sighed: "We'll still give him what he deserves. Let's take a look at the rest first.  To be honest, the charter of our council has not been finalized yet, and we haven¡¯t figured out what¡¯s going on in our home yet, so we¡¯d better wait a little longer before talking about outside matters!¡± ¡°Yes, dad!¡± At this time, Liu Zhiping suddenly said  Coughing violently, Liu Qingyang hurriedly patted his father's back gently and shouted loudly: "Dad, what's wrong with you? Why don't you call the doctor? They are a bunch of indifferent people!" Liu Qingyang helped his father into the door and sat down.  Someone else had already handed over the bird's nest soup. Liu Qingyang blew it twice before presenting it with both hands. Liu Zhiping took two sips before he calmed down a bit.  Liu Qingyang asked carefully: "Dad, are you feeling better now? The doctor will be here soon. Let him take your pulse!" "No need!" Liu Zhiping handed the soup bowl to his son and sighed: "Everyone  It¡¯s an old problem. Your father and I are already sixty-one this year. Your grandfather almost died at sixty, your great-grandfather died at fifty-nine, and my great-grandfather"I've reached fifty-eight and haven't passed sixty yet. That's enough for me."  "Having said this, Liu Zhiping looked at his son with a bit of tenderness in his eyes: "The inheritance left by my ancestors has not been defeated by me. You have become a master now. Even if you go down below, I still have the face to see my ancestors.  The ancestral line is established!  " "Dad, my son is not good enough yet, but you have to live a long life!"  "    "snort!  "Liu Zhiping snorted coldly: "That's not okay!  Qingyang, people will eventually die if they live a hundred years, but the inheritance left by our ancestors cannot be ruined?  Do you understand? It doesn¡¯t matter if I die, but this Houde Bank cannot be broken, otherwise we will not be able to see our ancestors!  "Liu Zhiping's words were fierce. At the end of the sentence, maybe because of the irritation, Liu Zhiping coughed violently again. This time the cough was more intense than before. Liu Qingyang, who was a little panicked, patted his father on the back and kept shouting  He comforted: "Dad, don't worry, Houde Bank can't be broken, it won't be broken!  " Finally the doctor came. After checking Liu Zhiping's pulse for a while, he stood up and said to Liu Qingyang: "Master Qingyang, Master Liu is old and has worked too hard during this period, so external evils invaded and he got a little cold.  disease.  " "Is that okay?  "Liu Qingyang's face immediately showed a worried look. "The master is old, and strong medicine is no longer enough. I will open a warm and tonic house for him, and he should be fine after taking care of him for two months!  The doctor was writing on the table next to him and said: "Mr. Liu, if I have to say something disrespectful, at your age, you should leave the business matters to Master Qingyang. After all, you are not as young as you are."  It's time!  "    "I see!  Liu Zhiping nodded slightly: "Qingyang, thank you doctor for my good life!"  " "Yes, Daddy!  " A few minutes later, Liu Qingyang came back from outside. Liu Zhiping made a gesture, and all the people in the room left, leaving only the Liu family and his son. Liu Qingyang realized that his father had something confidential to discuss with him, and his expression changed.  Liu Zhiping immediately became serious. He coughed and asked, "Qingyang, what have you learned in Myanmar?  " Liu Qingyang nodded and replied in a deep voice: "Dad, my child has only realized how big the world is in the past three years in Myanmar. I thought that Houde Bank was already a big bank with strong capital, but with the British, legal, and  The Dutch and other Westerners have had more contact with each other, and only then can they feel how powerful they are. Not only do they have far more capital than we do, but their banks, factories, merchant ships, armies and even the country have been completely integrated, starting from the production of raw materials to  The sales of the final products are almost all under their control, and their power is truly unrivaled. Compared to these groups, our Houde Bank is really too weak!  "    "good, very good, excellent!  "Liu Zhiping praised three times in a row: "'Learn and then don't know enough!  ¡¯ I asked you to go to Myanmar just to learn things that you can¡¯t learn at home. If you stay at home, you will be just another Liu Zhiping at most, so what¡¯s the use!  So what do you think should be done?  " Hearing his father's inquiry, Liu Qingyang showed a look of shame on his face and gritted his teeth: "My child has no way. Even if there is a way, it is not something that my child can do!  " "It doesn't matter, let's have a listen!  Liu Zhiping pointed to the armchair opposite and motioned for his son to sit down and talk. "My child has overstepped his bounds!"  "Liu Qingyang bowed slightly, carefully sat down on the armchair, and recalled attentively: "Myanmar is rich in tin mines. When the Myanmar royal family borrowed money from us, they also took out several mines as collateral, so the children also had contact with them when they were in Myanmar.  got this business.  The main use of this tin mine is to make tinplate. The silvery things on foreign cans and kerosene lamps are ordinary iron sheets coated with a thin layer of tin, which is beautiful and does not cause embroidery.  After the boy mined tin ore from there, he originally planned to sell it to the British, but the price from the British was shockingly low. Later, he changed to a different company, but it was still the same low price.  Later I learned that this price was set by one of the largest miners and the other three companies. These four companies account for two-thirds of the world's tin ore production.  Moreover, these companies have also reached a price agreement with the largest tinplate company. Even if we open a factory to smelt tin ourselves, we can only sell to the tinplate company at a low price and still not make much money.  As a result, the child had no choice but to sell it to them according to their price!  "    "I see!  "Liu Zhiping nodded: "A few days ago, I heard that you were running around Shanghai to see if anyone was willing to open a canning factory or a tinplate factory. It turned out to be for this reason!  " "Actually, children are just doing their best!  "Liu Qingyang smiled bitterly: "The production of tinplate is not as easy as tin smelting, and even if it is done, the British can cut prices and squeeze out their domestic opponents. They can purchase the cheapest raw materials from around the world, or use  Markets in other places subsidize the market in Dashun. Their freight can be transported by water, which is cheaper than ours.  Both cost and workmanship are better than Dashun's.If the competition continues, Dashun's companies will definitely be defeated!  "Thank you to the book friend trainee police officer for the reward. Some book friends said that the protagonist has too few roles, but how could such a great era be just a stage for one person? The people, and only the people, are the decisive factor in determining the development of history!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 128 Syndicate

    After hearing what his son said, Liu Zhiping's face turned gloomy.  By the end of the 19th century, the capitalist economy centered in Western Europe and North America had passed the earliest stage of free competition. Capital and technology had been concentrated to a considerable extent, and various monopoly organizations began to appear in the international and domestic markets.  , such as cartels, syndicates, consortiums, etc., these monopoly organizations use various procurement agreements, output agreements, price agreements, exchange of equity, patent joint ventures and other methods to control key nodes in the industrial chain, thereby controlling other nodes and earning huge profits.  And guaranteed profits.  Compared with these huge organizations that have already occupied an absolute dominant position in the international market, emerging capitalists in late-developing countries like Dashun are far inferior in terms of capital quantity, technical strength, and control of raw material origin and market.  At a very disadvantageous position in the competition.  Although Liu Zhiping did not realize this theoretically, he had already realized the disparity in strength between the two sides in reality.  "You're right!" Liu Zhiping nodded with difficulty, feeling very frustrated in his heart about admitting this reality: "But is there nothing we can do?" "No!" Liu Qingyang's face showed an excited look:  "It's not that there is no way. Only the devil can defeat the devil. If we organize our companies like that, we can fight against them." "What about?" "Father, I will take the textile factory in Shanghai as an example. According to  As far as I know, there are a total of 27 textile factories in Shanghai, with a total of 607,000 spindles. The annual cloth output accounts for more than 40% of the country's total. If all these factories can be united, we can do it.  Let's meet together at some time next year to discuss next year's cloth production, minimum price, market division, and the amount of raw materials purchased. This way we can avoid unnecessary competition with each other, increase product prices, and lower raw material prices, or simply establish a unified sales company.  , jointly funded by all members, and sold uniformly. Of course, the textile factory is just an example. There are other industries that can adopt similar methods! " "As far as I know, those textile factories can do this?  The relationship between them is not that good, and if they get together, it will not be good for our Houde Bank!" Liu Zhiping's question is very acute. Indeed, if such a huge organization appears in other industries, it will not be good for Houde Bank!  This is not a good thing for Deutsche Bank.  "Father, I already have a draft for these, and I'm going to start working on it as soon as I get back. Please take a look!" A confident smile appeared on Liu Qingyang's face at this time. He took out a stack of white paper from his sleeve and handed it over.  Two days later, Houde Bank headquarters.  The top floor of this five-story building located on the bank of the Huangpu River is different from other floors. It has only three rooms, the largest of which is the chairman's office.  This huge room of more than 500 square meters has a wide view. It was 5:30 in the afternoon, and the sun was slowly sliding down from the horizon. Standing by the window, Liu Zhiping could clearly see the docks and berths along the Huangpu River.  boats, as well as houses the size of matchboxes and pedestrians the size of ants on the other side of the river.  He subconsciously stretched his right hand out the window, as if he wanted to grab it, when there was a knock on the door.  "Father, everything is ready. People from the twenty-seven textile factories have arrived." It was Liu Qingyang who spoke. He opened the door without waiting for Liu Zhiping's answer. He stood at the door with a pale face and seemed calm.  Underneath his appearance, he was full of uncontrollable excitement.  "Well, let's go there!" Liu Zhiping nodded, and he glanced at his son with some dissatisfaction.  He has always believed that the most important quality of a banker is to be good at concealing his true thoughts and not letting his opponents at the negotiation table guess what he is thinking. If the other party guesses his trump card, then the bank will be in trouble.  The family is not far from bankruptcy.  But then Liu Zhiping tolerated his son, even though he was excited and uneasy just now, wasn't he?  When we are about to embark on such a big undertaking, no one can remain calm!  When Liu Zhiping and his son pushed the door open in the conference room, more than thirty participants in the room¡ªall directors or major shareholders of textile factories in Shanghai and surrounding areas¡ªall stood up.  These people who were usually very proud and controlled the fate of hundreds of thousands of people now had a somewhat flattering smile on their faces, scrambling to greet the two people who came in, because they knew that people like the Liu family and his son  Such a character must not be neglected in the slightest.  "Mr. Liu, long time no see!" "This is He Daren from Yufa Cotton Factory. It's our first time meeting you. Please take care of me in the future!" With a warm smile on his face, Liu Zhiping saluted everyone who approached him.  , but today he did not sit down at the front seat, but just sat next to the front seat, and gave the front seat to himself.Liu Qingyang was half a step behind.  He made a half-circle bow to everyone and said with a smile: "First of all, I want to apologize to everyone. The one who invites you today is Quanzi Qingyang. I am just a spectator today. Please sit down, please sit down!" There was a slight silence in the room.  For a while, everyone was thinking quickly about the meaning of Liu Zhiping's words. Could it be that President Liu of Houde Bank was going to hand over his family's business to his son who had just returned from abroad?  This is explosive news for the Shanghai business community!  Soon the loud voice of Fatty Huang from Yuxing Cotton Factory, who was the most responsive, echoed in the conference room.  "Young master, you just came back from abroad, right? We haven't seen each other for a few years, and you are becoming more and more handsome!" "Damn Fatty Huang, he moves so fast, let him take the lead again this time!" Almost everyone in the conference room secretly thought in their hearts.  They cursed, but on the surface they still tried their best to smile and leaned towards Liu Qingyang.  "Xiao is Xu Zhisheng from Delong Cotton Factory. This is the first time we meet. Please take care of Mr. Liu!" "Xiao is!" "" The greetings took a full ten minutes. Liu Qingyang tried his best to maintain a flawless smile and greeted everyone.  A man who came closer responded with a smile and matched it with the information in his memory.  He knew very well that in the next step, he would have to deal with these veterans who had been in the business world for more than ten or even decades. If he succeeded, he would become a person with great wealth and power.  Even his father is far behind, so in the process of achieving this goal, he must be careful and careful not to make any mistakes.  Finally, the greetings were over. When people returned to their seats, Liu Qingyang took a deep breath, stretched the sore facial muscles on his face, bowed to everyone, and said with a smile: "Everyone is here.  As a senior in the Shanghai business community, Xiao Ke will not play tricks in front of you. This time I invite you all for one thing!" At this point, he paused for a moment and said in a louder voice: "Make sure.  Your factories will be able to earn more than 40% of profits every year from now on!¡± The conference room immediately fell silent, and people¡¯s eyes suddenly focused on Liu Zhiping behind Liu Qingyang, but Liu Zhiping just sat there with his eyes slightly closed.  There he was stroking his beard without saying a word.  People immediately understood what he meant - I am just a bystander tonight. If you have any questions, you can go to Liu Qingyang.  "Ahem!" Xu Zhisheng from Delong Cotton Mill is a middle-aged man who looks a little frail, more like a scholar than a businessman.  Among all the yarn mills in Shanghai, although he is not the largest in terms of capital or scale, he has been to Manchester, England to study textiles for five years and is a well-known textile expert in Shanghai and even Dashun.  The Delong factory where it is located is also famous for its advanced equipment and good employee management.  He coughed twice and stood up: "Mr. Liu, although the capital turnover in this textile industry is fast, the profits are not that generous. Moreover, there are many factories now, and the price of raw cotton has also risen. I think there will be a loss in one year."  It would be great to have three achievements after removing the tax. "The other businessmen had no idea, but their faces also showed approval. Everyone here was an expert. What Xu Zhisheng said was already a very ideal situation.  , if the cotton harvest is not good and the price of raw cotton rises, and the market situation is not good, we may even lose money. Making more than 40% profit every year is simply a fantasy.  Liu Qingyang smiled: "Mr. Xu, you are a great expert in the textile industry, so I naturally believe what you say, but -" At this point, he changed his meaning: "Just because you can't do it doesn't mean that I can't do it too!  " Hearing Liu Qingyang's words, Xu Zhisheng's face changed slightly. Even though he was well-educated, he couldn't help but get angry at this time. When had he not been a man of his word in the textile industry for so many years? If Liu Qingyang hadn't had Houde Bank behind him,  He didn't even bother to say a word to this behemoth.  "Mr. Liu, my estimate just now is still an ideal situation. If the international market situation is not good and the Westerners reduce prices and dump, I am afraid that there will not even be 30%. I don't understand why you are so confident, but I think you should not say some things.  It¡¯s better if you have a new technology. Even if you have a new technology, it will take a year or two, but others can learn it. When others learn it, everyone will be even, and the profits will naturally drop. "This person is engaged in technology!  He thought that Liu Qingyang had obtained some new technology from somewhere, so he blocked the hole first.  "Mr. Xu is joking, what new technology do you know!" Liu Qingyang waved his hand and said with a smile: "My method is not unusual, but as long as you agree to help me, it won't matter even if others know my method!"  "Master Liu, please speak, I am all ears!" "Mr. Xu, let me ask you a question, is this textile factory better to be large or small?"   "It's better to be big, and it's better to be small!" Xu Zhisheng replied solemnly: "However, if managed properly, the big ones are generally more advantageous in the competition than the small ones. After all, large scale can not only improve the purchasing and exporting efficiency, but also improve the competitiveness of small ones."  It has more advantages in terms of goods, and can also use better technology and newer equipment, and it is much easier to obtain funds! ¡±

 Volume 4 Leviathan 129 Syndicate

    "Yes, our bank is more willing to lend money to big factories!" Liu Qingyang smiled slightly: "Everyone, what would happen if a factory with the number of spindles equal to the sum of all your factories appeared? How high would such a factory get?  "When he heard this, Xu Zhisheng's face changed slightly: "Mr. Liu, do you want our twenty-seven yarn mills to be merged into one?" "Yes, such a large-scale yarn mill, whether it is purchasing raw cotton or not,  Even if you set the product price, you will definitely gain a very advantageous position, and other manufacturers will certainly not be able to match it. Isn¡¯t this a good idea?¡± Hearing this, Xu Zhisheng smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Liu, your idea sounds good.  , But in fact, I'm afraid it won't work. How strong is the capital required by our twenty-seven factories, who can take it all in one go?  Why don't you do it? " Liu Qingyang's voice did not have the effect he imagined. The businessmen in the conference room looked at each other with tacit eyes, but they did not say a word. It was obvious that they did not agree.  What Liu Qingyang said just now, but for one reason or another, no one was willing to show their disapproval.  Finally, Fatty Huang from Yuxing Cotton Factory, who had the best relationship with the Liu family, whispered in a low voice: "Mr. Liu, things are not as simple as you think. As the saying goes, 'people in the same industry are enemies.' Everyone is usually a competitor. In business,  There are only so many. If you take one more bite, I will take one less bite. In the business world, there are many things that everyone is competing for, and it is difficult to unite. " "I don't think so, such as purchasing raw cotton.  , if everyone joins together and agrees on a maximum price, then we can purchase the cheapest raw materials, so what's wrong?" Fatty Huang smiled bitterly: "Sir, if the cotton crop is good in a good year, that's fine if the raw materials are sufficient.  Well, if the annual performance is not good and raw materials are in short supply, then the agreement will be nothing more than a piece of paper. Everyone knows that as long as they grab the raw materials first, they can choke the necks of their peers, so they must take the price agreement seriously?  Raise the price to buy cotton. Since wool comes from sheep, it¡¯s better to raise the price of cloth then. It¡¯s better than shutting down without raw materials!¡± Another yarn mill owner responded with a wry smile: ¡°Huang.  Although the boss's words sounded a bit unpleasant, to be honest, everyone would have done this at that time. After all, if you don't raise the price, you can't stop others from raising the price behind your back. That agreement is no better than a piece of waste paper!  Where to go!" Liu Qingyang was not worried, he smiled slightly: "What if I can make everyone abide by this agreement?" "That would be different!" Fatty Huang's face changed slightly, these people are doing it.  It can be said that those who are old in business are all oily and smooth. If it can be done as Liu Qingyang said, the money saved every year will be hundreds of thousands of taels just on cotton alone, and each manufacturer will save one to two thousand taels.  Silver, this is not a small amount, let alone other benefits.  "If it can really be done, then it will be good, but what can Mr. Liu do?" "You all think that this agreement cannot be done. It is just because you think that once there is an emergency, everyone will look after themselves, and the agreement will collapse on its own.  That¡¯s it. In fact, I have two ways: First, establish a cotton inventory mechanism to store a certain amount of cotton during the cotton production years. In this way, even if some people violate the agreement and purchase cotton secretly, other companies will also  We will not fall into a situation without raw materials; secondly, we use the method of exchanging shares to allow each cotton spinning company to hold shares in each other. In this way, everyone will have me and you, and naturally there will be no intrigues!¡±  Hearing this, I couldn't help but feel moved.  In fact, what Fatty Huang just said is that when raw materials are insufficient, various companies will violate the agreement and raise prices privately to hoard cotton. This is not because they are willing to pay high prices, but when it is known that the output will definitely be insufficient, some companies will fail due to insufficient raw materials  Under the premise that they are forced to suspend production and close their doors, these companies will rationally choose to obtain raw materials first to avoid the worst outcome.  But if there is cotton in stock, the raw materials for production will always be available anyway, so why should I violate the agreement and buy cotton at a high price?  As for the second method, everyone thought it was a bit fanciful and not very feasible, but after all, Liu Qingyang's identity was there, so there was no need to offend him.  Finally, Xu Zhisheng asked: "Mr. Liu, I think your first method is good. Although stocking cotton will take up some funds, the benefits are acceptable compared to it. But can you give more details about the second method? I still  "I don't understand!" "It's very simple. Take your Delong Cotton Mill, Mr. Xu, as an example. You give out 20% or 30% of the shares, and I, Houde Bank, exchange a certain number of shares, and the same goes for everything else.  . In this way, we, Houde Bank, are shareholders of all companies.We will plan the raw materials, prices, quantity of products required by each enterprise, and even the quantity and price of sales in a certain area to obtain the highest profits.  If there are no competitors in a certain area, we will raise the price. If there are competitors, we will lower the price and use the profits gained from other places to compensate this area until it beats the position.  In this way, you will definitely succeed!  " Hearing this, everyone's faces became ugly. It was not that they doubted whether Liu Qingyang's method just now could be as effective as he said, but if it was according to what he said, this exchange was very unfair, because the cotton mill  The capital of Houde Bank is far smaller than the total capital of Houde Bank. Under the premise of equal exchange, the bank shares obtained by these cotton mills have minimal impact on Houde Bank. After this exchange, Houde Bank's  Even if it is only the second largest shareholder, coupled with the bank's own financial influence on these companies, it is very likely that it will actually control their companies. Of course, if Houde Bank cannot exert sufficient influence on these companies, it cannot ensure that.  Implementation of the agreement. Liu Qingyang seemed not to notice everyone's doubts. He smiled slightly: "Everyone, this is my idea, and I don't expect it to be completed in a day or two, but I think the cotton textile industry production plan is strong.  This kind of unplanned production must be done. When the market is good, everyone will rush to increase the number of spindles, regardless of the actual market demand for cloth. As a result, once the market changes, everyone will only compete to lower the price, and the price will be lowered.  Seriously, no one can make any money, but foreigners are profiting from it.  I think this situation must be changed!  "Just when Liu Qingyang said this, the sound of a clock suddenly came from the side. Liu Qingyang looked at the hands of the clock and said with a smile: "I didn't expect it was already nine o'clock. Let's take a rest first. There is a midnight snack next door. Why don't we go first?  Use it and we can discuss it later, okay?  " Everyone followed Liu Qingyang's suggestion and walked out one after another, whispering in twos and threes. Everyone's face was mixed with worry and excitement. They all knew that if this agreement was reached, this would occupy more than 30% of the entire Dashun yarn spindles and machine-made cloth.  The behemoth with an output of more than 40% will definitely gain an extremely favorable position in the future competition. It can even be said that within a few years, all other textile factories in the entire Jiangnan region will have only two choices, either to join or be defeated.  At the same time, when this agreement is reached, it also means that they have lost absolute control over their own company. Houde Bank will become the master behind the company, and he is just an executive manager. "Pangzi Huang and Liu Jia are familiar with Yuxing Factory.  You should follow the Liu family, right?  "A person pointed to the fat man in front of him and asked in a low voice to his companions. "It's hard to tell!  Fatty Huang used to obey the Liu family because Yuxing Factory needed a loan from Houde Bank, but now that it is clear that they want to eat up Yuxing Factory, Fatty Huang is still trying to get into their mouths?  Do you think Fatty Huang is this kind of person?  " "That's true!  The man nodded: "It seems like this can't be done?"  " "You can't say that. Think about it, if someone agrees to Liu Qingyang's request, then Houde Bank will definitely support him financially, and those other companies will also join forces, but we are fighting on our own.  Who do you think will win in the end?  At that time, I'm afraid it won't be an exchange of shares, but a thousand taels of silver to tell you to get out. Have you forgotten how the Liu family dealt with those Ningbo people who sold rice?  "Such whispering discussions are common among the owners of these cotton mills. They are weighing and thinking with a mixture of hope and worry, and doing their best for themselves and their companies to survive and grow in the future.  But as they talked, the facts became more and more obvious. Although Liu Qingyang's suggestion was not so pleasant, they had no right to refuse, because that would mean destruction - both for them personally and for their lives.  Enterprise. After a forty-minute break, when everyone returned to the conference room, one-third of the people agreed to Liu Qingyang¡¯s suggestion, while the remaining two-thirds said that they could not yet  To give the answer, it would take two to three days to go back and discuss it with the shareholders. As for no one who refused on the spot, Liu Qingyang was very polite to everyone - whether he agreed immediately or said it would take two days.  After three days of careful consideration, they all expressed their sincere gratitude. This was in sharp contrast to his cautious and even cold personality in the past, so much so that some people joked afterward that Liu Qingyang went to Myanmar, which made him  These cold bones have been warmed. Now it seems that all banks in Shanghai should go to Myanmar. This will be good for themselves and others.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 130 Syndicate Part 2

    Five days later, in the same place - in this conference room on the fifth floor of the Houde Bank headquarters, the Dashun Shanghai Textile Industry Products and Raw Cotton Purchasing Alliance was established. This alliance, which was initially just to regulate prices and reduce competition, soon  It formed a terrifying giant.  The great Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov commented on this huge organization that has left an unparalleled impact on Dashun and even the history of East Asia: "Just like the growth of plants in low latitudes,  The growth rate is much faster than that of its counterparts at higher latitudes. In China, a country with highly developed small-scale production methods, capitalism has also developed very fast. In just a few decades, it has gone through the United Kingdom,  It took the French and even the Russians hundreds of years to go through the process of transcending the stage of liberal capitalism and entering monopoly capitalism. For these capitalists who already control prices, markets, raw materials and even the entire society, this ancient empire.  Their shells are already a little narrow compared to their burly bodies, and now they are only one step away from their ultimate goal-to turn the entire country into a huge limited liability company and let the entire nation bleed for their profits.  At the same time, it is also the final step towards socialism. This great Eastern nation will be reborn in this devastating world war and gain true freedom."  When Bunji returned to Mandalay, it was already October 1891, the rainy season had ended, and Myanmar had entered the cool season¡ªthe last season of the year.  The air is no longer as humid as it was more than a month ago, making people feel sticky all the time. For most Europeans from mid-to-high latitudes, this is the season when they feel most comfortable, O'Neill.  Bunge is no exception.  But the most important reason that made him happy was not the weather and the smooth process of visiting the rubber plantation, but another reason - a very personal reason.  There is a secret hidden in his heart. When he thinks of this secret, he can't help but want to jump to a paragraph. Yes, all this is because of Eyudelina Ivanovna Trubetskaya,  This wonderful person, this beauty who took away her soul five years ago, as long as she completes her affairs in Burma, she can jump on the first ship to St. Petersburg and throw herself on her knees. This time  But there will no longer be any captain of the Semyonov Regiment to hinder us.  "But before all this, the rubber plantation must be settled, and the reliquary box must be obtained as quietly as possible!" O'Neil.  Bangji said to himself in his heart that he knew very well how smart this guy Chen Zaixing was. There was no doubt that if he showed too much enthusiasm for this relic box, the other party would not hesitate to take advantage of his weakness. For this  A little, O'Neil.  Bungie had no doubts.  Yes, O'Neil.  Bunge is happy, at least at this moment. This socialist, young millionaire is so passionately in love with his blond angel and looking forward to his future happiness that he enters Manchuria.  When Dele asked to meet Chen Zaixing, he didn't notice anything strange.  "Dear O'Neil. Mr. Bunge, please forgive me, Mr. Chen cannot meet with you tomorrow!" A Chinese man in a suit said in an impeccable and soft voice.  "If it can't be tomorrow, let's do it the day after tomorrow!" O'Neil.  Bunji shrugged his shoulders and thought to himself: "This cunning Asian is playing those little tricks again. I guess he is showing that he is not so enthusiastic about this cooperation, so that he can obtain greater benefits in the subsequent negotiations."  A piece of profit, these capitalists are always so greedy!" "No, not tomorrow, Mr. O'Neil!" It's still the same soft voice, but the content is not so pleasant.  "Not even the day after tomorrow? What about the day after tomorrow?" O'Neil.  Bunji became a little anxious, not because he was impatient, but mainly because he didn't want to delay his journey to St. Petersburg to find love.  "No way, O'Neil. Mr. Bunge!" "No way? Well, please tell me when it can be done? How long do I have to wait? Mr. Chen, is he sick? Or is he not in Mandalay?"  O'Neil.  Bunji couldn't help but raise his voice.  "O'Neil. Mr. Bunge, I'm sorry. I can't give you an exact time now, nor can I answer your questions. I can only tell you that Mr. Chen has been delayed by a very important matter and cannot be with you in a short time.  Talk. But Mr. Chen has told me that you are his most important guest, and all your wishes must be fulfilled while you are waiting." The Chinese bowed gracefully and patted me.  With a gesture of his hand, two Burmese girls, who were only sixteen years old at most, walked out from behind him. Their gold necklaces, bracelets, and hairbands shone golden in the sun, just like their youth and beauty.  "This is a personal gift from Mr. Chen to you. He sincerely expresses his gratitude to you."?Apologies for your time!  " "No need!  "O'Neil. Bunji's face became cold: "You can report it to your master after you go back, O'Neil.  Bungie neither gives people as gifts nor accepts such gifts.  I will wait for him until he has time to see me!  " Turn the time back to seven days ago, Maung Kee Residence in Mandalay. " Wu Maung Kee, we can't go on like this. Her Majesty the Princess has become a prisoner of the Chinese. Those Chinese are sucking the blood of the kingdom. We  Action must be taken!  "    "let's move?  "There was a wry smile on Maung Ji's face. Three years have left a lot of wrinkles on his face, and the hair on his temples has also become a little gray. However, this did not make him look old, but added to his appearance.  "I don't quite understand what you mean. Are you planning to rebel?"  "Maung Ji asked with a wry smile: "The new army is loyal to the royal family. There is also Dashun's garrison in Ren'anqiang. Chen Zaixing also has mercenaries. He is the husband of Her Majesty the eldest princess, and he also has the title of righteousness.  The people over there will not stand on your side.  give up!  No chance of winning!  " "Of course not directly!  A sly smile appeared on the noble's face: "The eldest princess is a woman. She was only a temporary regent when His Majesty the King was underage, and now the King is an adult."  U Maung Kee, don't you think it's time for a new king to take the throne?  "At this point, he paused for a while and continued: "Chen Zaixing is no longer an official of Dashun. As long as the Kingdom of Myanmar continues to regard Dashun as its suzerainty, the interests of Dashun will not be harmed and the new king will not be enthroned.  It will be opposed by Dashun, and the troops stationed in Ren'anqiang will not interfere. The new army is also loyal to the royal family, and the people will support it. What can the more than a thousand mercenaries in Chen Zaixing's hands do?  " Maung Kee did not answer immediately, but frowned in thought. Seeing that the other party did not object immediately, the nobleman who spoke showed an eager look on his face. Although Maung Kee has been dismissed from the position of Privy Council Counselor, due to his steady character  He is still one of the main executors of the policy of freeing peasants and granting land. He enjoys considerable popularity both among the people and aristocratic monks. Without his support, it is unimaginable to successfully instigate the new king to the throne.  "No, I refuse your invitation!  "Maung Ji finally spoke, and his answer made the nobles' expressions change greatly. The noble who just opened his mouth to persuade hurriedly asked: "Why?  Wu Maung Kee, as a noble, shouldn't he be loyal to the royal family and let the orthodox heir ascend the throne?  " "Yes, but is your behavior loyal to the royal family?  Maung Kyi asked back: "In my opinion, you are provoking infighting in the royal family and profiting from it!"  " "How can you say that!  The noble's face immediately became fierce: "Her Majesty, the eldest princess, has been deceived by Chen Zaixing. Isn't it the noble's responsibility to let the orthodox heir ascend the throne?"  What does it mean to provoke infighting in the royal family?  Having said this, U Maung Kyi, are you still a Burmese?  " "Her Majesty the eldest princess is Chen Zaixing's wife. They naturally have a close relationship, but this does not mean that her majesty the eldest princess has no brains!  "Song Shen replied in a deep voice: "Yes, Chen Zaixing made a lot of money in Myanmar, but at the same time he also did a lot of things, including the Machinery Bureau, Gunpowder Factory, Repair Factory in Mandalay, and the establishment of a new army.  The dividends received from Shunhua Company amount to no less than 200,000 taels of silver per year, and after the construction of the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway, the kingdom's security will be greater guaranteed, and these are all inseparable from him.  We must face the reality, for the kingdom, the British are more fierce and direct enemies!  If, as you said, the new king ascends the throne and drives Chen Zaixing away, can the inexperienced new king do all this well?  He'll just mess it all up!  Everyone, now is not the time for our internal fighting. What the kingdom needs is to cultivate health, cultivate talents, and build our own army. Being strong is fundamental!  " After listening to Maung Kyi's words, the nobles' faces became gloomy. The leader said: "I can't believe you are this kind of person, Maung Kyi. If I follow what you said, even if Myanmar becomes stronger, wouldn't it be possible?  Is that still Myanmar?  After the Yunnan-Burma Railway is repaired, Myanmar will only become a Chinese colony.  Myanmar wants to develop and become strong, but it must be a kingdom of Myanmar under the rule of nobles, monks, and orthodox kings, not the Myanmar you mentioned.  At this point, the nobles stood up and whispered: "Farewell!"  " Maung Ji also stood up. He looked at the nobles walking out with livid faces. He didn't know what to say for a moment. After the conversation just now, he understood that there was already a relationship between him and these nobles.  Although these nobles say they are for the future of Myanmar, deep down they are doing it for the selfish interests of their own small group. If their plan really succeeds and the king ascends the throne, they will definitely support the king.  ?The fundamental hero regarded himself as the hero, occupying all the important positions and lucrative positions around the king, squeezing out the small group of skilled bureaucrats who had been cultivated with great difficulty, and even reversed the course of history, turning land and farmers into the private property of the nobility again.  The result will inevitably be to provoke greater riots, attract the covetousness of foreign enemies, and finally lead to the partition of the kingdom.  This is something Maung Kyi would rather die than see.  In comparison, although Chen Zaixing is greedy, objectively he has enhanced Myanmar's national power and strengthened the relationship between Myanmar and Dashun. In this world where the jungle is strong and the strong eat the strong, the kingdom of Myanmar cannot survive without Dashun's protection.  , after all, compared to Westerners, Dashun was much more generous to his vassal countries.  Thank you book friend trainee police officer for your reward. I hope I can get a perfect attendance award next month!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 130 Trap 1

    "Send your support to Diok?" Maung Ji stood up, but immediately sat down again. No matter how well he knew intellectually, the conspiracy of these nobles was going against the trend of history and objectively endangering his beloved motherland.  It is safe, but handing these people over to Diok is actually handing them over to a foreigner like Chen Zaixing, which is emotionally unacceptable to Maung Ji anyway.  "It's better not to help each other!" Maung Ji sighed: "Presumably they can't cause any trouble, let them fend for themselves!" Maung Ji said to himself, even so, but deep in his heart  There is still a hint of worry here and there.  Shunhua Company Mandalay Office.  Compared with the architectural style with Burmese national characteristics of most aristocratic houses and temples in Mandalay City, this two-story building on the riverside is much more inconspicuous. It is just a building made of stone strips and lime joints.  It is a simple building with no decoration except for two symmetrical reliefs of Buddha statues above the gate.  The only thing that can distinguish this building from other noble houses are the two Sikh guards standing straight at the entrance of the courtyard. The only weapons on these two guards are two iron-clad short sticks tied to their belts.  Not even as good as the doormen of many noble houses.  But all this is just an illusion. If a stupid attacker rushes into the courtyard one day, he will find no less than forty guards with live ammunition waiting for him. The windows of all the rooms on the ground floor have been specially designed to  It quickly turns into a perforation, and the guards are even equipped with infantry-killing weapons such as Gatling Cannons. This two-story building that usually looks ordinary and harmless will reveal the fangs of the beast and transform into a solid bunker.  "I am Diok, counselor of the Kingdom's Privy Council. I am here to ask for an audience with Mr. Chen. Please pass the message for me!" Diok said carefully. The Sikh guard seemed not to hear what he was saying at all, and just spoke coldly.  Cold eyes looked him up and down, and one of his companions was carefully searching Diok's body. Although he had been here many times, he was still not used to such inorganic eyes.  Diok has always wondered why Chen Zaixing always uses Sikhs to form his own bodyguards. Are these dark-skinned barbarians more trustworthy than his own people?  However, he wisely did not raise this issue to Chen Zaixing.  The Sikh guard finally completed the search. He nodded to Diok, turned and walked into the courtyard.  Diok followed him. All the doors on the ground floor of the building were closed, reflecting the metallic light under the sunlight. He instinctively quickened his pace in order to leave here as quickly as possible.  "My lord is inside, you can go in!" The Sikh guard pointed to a room near the inside. Diok nodded and walked in. He knew that Chen Zaixing would be there on Thursday and Friday afternoons every week.  Come to this office and listen to reports from managers from Shunhua companies in Shanghai, Kunming, Hanking and other places.  "Chairman, as of last month, the daily rail output of Kunming Iron and Steel Plant has increased to 60 tons. The supply of iron ore has basically met the demand, but there is a shortage of coke. Manager Ji requested in the telegram  Add more than fifty workers every month to speed up the construction of the small railway to the coal mine, or increase the corresponding amount to hire enough workers to build the small railway! " "Well, please indicate this in the call back to Manager Ji!  , the number of laborers will meet his requirements in two months, and he must produce 25,000 tons of rails a year by the end of this year!" Chen Zaixing tapped the table with his knuckles gently and gave the order to the clerk.  At this time, he saw Diok's figure and stood up: "Privy Councilor, please come in. You guys, please retreat first. We will talk about those things later!" "Yes!" The staff retreated,  The last one to go out closed the door.  Chen Zaixing smiled, gestured to the chair beside him, and motioned for Diok to sit down: "Counsellor, what's the matter?" "Yes!" Diok did not sit down according to Chen Zaixing's instructions.  There was an extremely excited expression on his face: "Sir, I want to report a group of traitors to you, a group of traitors who are trying to destroy the entire kingdom!" "Rebels?" Chen Zaixing smiled nonchalantly and returned to his chair.  He sat down and asked: "Okay, my lord, please tell me what kind of rebels make you so nervous? What conspiracy do they have?" "Sir, these rebels are basically nobles and monks, and some of them are  "A few of them are still members of the Privy Council." Diok lowered his voice when he said this: "Many of them are trying to sow discord between the two majesties in the name of supporting the legitimate king to ascend the throne in order to achieve their ulterior motives.  "That's it!" The relaxed smile on Chen Zaixing's face disappeared. Obviously, what Diok just said touched a key point in his heart. Chen Zaixing's biggest weakness at this time is that he is not Burmese, no matter how powerful he is.  , has many brains, but as a Dashun person, he is the only one who has become the most intelligent person in Myanmar.The king's only option was to usurp, but this was impossible under the circumstances.  "How many people participated in this conspiracy? Who are they? Also, how did you discover this conspiracy!" "Sir, discovering this conspiracy was a complete accident!" Diok replied in a low voice: "Because someone  For this reason, I have an informant lurking among the servants of the Songshen family. He discovered the existence of the conspiracy at noon today. The number of conspirators now in my possession is no less than 300, and quite a few of them are members of the Privy Council. I  I feel that I should not act rashly, so I came to ask for your instructions!" "Yes!" Chen Zaixing nodded. He knew what Diok meant. If there were only a few conspirators, they should act quickly and catch them all.  , and then punish potential opponents harshly.  However, if it is an activity like this with a large number of participants and a considerable consensus among high-level officials, it should be treated with caution. If simple and crude methods are used, it is likely to provoke even greater riots, which will be troublesome.  .  "What did Songji himself say?" Chen Zaixing asked in a deep voice, obviously he attached great importance to Songji's attitude.  "Let me tell you, your lord, Wu Songji's attitude is very ambiguous!" Diok replied: "He neither expressed approval nor objection. However, according to the people who were placed in his house by the villain, after the nobles left, he was in the courtyard.  He was pacing back and forth until late at night, and he was sighing all night long! " "Huh!" Chen Zaixing showed a hint of anger on his face, and after thinking for a moment, he said in a deep voice, "Send more people to monitor closely, and don't act rashly.  Notify me immediately of any news, do you understand?" "Yes, sir!" Diok bowed and left.  As soon as he walked out of the house, a proud smile appeared on his face, and he whispered to himself: "Very good, you can only fish when the water is mixed!" Half an hour later, Diok returned to his residence.  , as soon as he entered the door, the housekeeper came over and whispered: "Master, Mr. Wu Mengchi has been here for a while!" "Yes!" Diok nodded and wiped his face with the wet towel handed by the maid: "  Take him to my study, be careful not to let outsiders see it!" "Yes, sir!" Diok changed his clothes and walked into the study. He saw a frightened young nobleman taking out a pocket watch from his arms to check the time.  , Maung Kyi would have been very surprised if he was here at this time, because this person was the leader of the nobles who asked him to support the legitimate king in his home not long ago.  The young noble heard the footsteps, looked up, and hurriedly saluted: "Lord Counselor!" "Yes!" Diok nodded expressionlessly: "How are those nobles doing?" "Sir, tell me, those  After the guy came out of Maung Ji's house, he yelled that he was as cowardly as a mouse and had disgraced the nobles of the kingdom. After the big event was successful, he must be taken out of Mandalay and go to the countryside to eat mud! " "He is as cowardly as a mouse!  "?" A mocking smile appeared on Diok's face: "It's really ridiculous for a bunch of frogs in the well to think that this world is still a small piece of land above their heads!" "That's what the counselor said!" Meng Chi quickly agreed.  One sentence: "Actually, don't talk about these guys. Even Mao Ji, Luo Lin, and Luo Qin are played by adults?" "How dare you mention the names of these two majesties?" Di  Oak's face suddenly changed, and he shouted in a low voice, which frightened the noble named Meng Chi and threw him to the ground. His whole body was shaking like chaff, and he begged repeatedly: "The villain deserves to die, the villain deserves to die, please forgive me, counselor."  !" "Get up!" Diok's face softened and he asked in a low voice: "Do you know why I scolded you just now?" Meng Chiqi, who was still in shock, replied: "Because of the villain's words.  You are rude and should be punished!¡± ¡°Well!¡± Diok nodded slightly: ¡°But that¡¯s not the whole reason. Do you know why I want you to promote the enthronement of the orthodox king among these nobles?¡± ¡°This¡ª  ¡ª" Meng Chi hesitated. He glanced at Diok, as if he was hesitant to speak.  "It doesn't matter, there are only two of you and me in this room now, so there's nothing you dare to say!" Diok encouraged with a smile: "Say it so that I can see if you have made any progress these days." "Yes.  "My lord!" Meng Chi calmed down and said in a low voice: "I think this is killing two birds with one stone. If you can think of a way to promote the orthodox king to ascend the throne and drive away the king's wife, naturally others will also want it. Instead of being passive and defensive, it is better to send people proactively."  Spread the news, gather the potential rebels, and either kill them all or control their scope! " "That's right. It seems that you have made a lot of progress these days. When this matter is resolved, you can also take the deputy counselor's seat!  Sit down!" Dioksmiled.  "Thank you, sir!" Meng Chi was overjoyed when he heard this. Although he was a noble, he was not a high-born noble like Maangji, Tu San, or Diok. That's why he secretly became Diok's spy and was able to escape from this.  With such a shameful status, being appointed as Deputy Privy Councilor is a reward that is simply undreamed of.  "No need to thank you, you did it yourself!" Diok waved his hand: "What about the other bird?"

 Volume 4 Leviathan 131 Under the Trap

    At this time, Meng Chi was in much better spirits and said with a smile: "This must be your Lord's way of self-reliance. After all, Your Excellency's position as counselor was only obtained with the full support of Your Majesty Wang Fu, so that Your Excellency can suppress the Burmese nobles for him."  There are opposition forces in the palace. But the king can let you take the position of counselor of the Privy Council, or you can replace him with another person. If you want to maintain your position, the only way is to make the prince inseparable from you and let the nobles.  What¡¯s a better way to protect yourself by constantly generating new opposition forces, especially by eliminating potential candidates among the nobles?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, what you said makes sense. As a representative of the moderate and liberal faction.  "Maung Ji is indeed the best candidate to take over my position!" Diok continued with a smile: "Meng Chi! I thought you were a smart person at first, but now it seems that I still underestimate you!"  Your Excellency is so complimentary! You always teach me well!" Meng Chi thanked him hurriedly.  "How can it be a false praise? How can I teach a subordinate like you." At this point, Diok's voice suddenly turned cold: "Besides, even if I can teach it, I don't feel confident using it!" Meng Chizheng  When he was full of joy, he suddenly heard something wrong in Diok's tone, and hurriedly said: "Sir, what did you mean just now?" "It doesn't mean anything!" Diok smiled: "I remember you still have a wife and daughter.  , Don¡¯t worry, I will ensure that they have enough food and clothing!¡± At this point, Diok¡¯s face suddenly turned cold: ¡°Come here, take him down!¡± Before Meng Chi could recover, someone rushed outside.  Three or four big men came in and twisted him up. While he struggled hard, he shouted loudly: "Sir, spare your life! Spare your life!" "For the sake of his efforts for me all these years, give him a life without blood.  Die!" Diok ordered the big man at the head.  "Yes, sir!" The big man bowed to Diok, turned around and made a gesture. Two knowing men immediately strangled Meng Chi's neck with a thick rope, pulled hard, and made a loud begging for mercy.  It immediately turned into violent breathing, and Meng Chi struggled hard, but soon his resistance turned into a dying convulsion.  Two minutes later, the executioner relaxed the rope, and Meng Ji's body fell to the ground as if it was falling apart. After carefully checking to confirm that he was dead, the leading man reported to Diok: "Master, this man has already died."  Dead!" "Very well, you throw the body into the well in the backyard of Maung Ji's house, do you understand?" "Yes, sir!" The next day, there was a rumor among the nobles in Mandalay.  Shocking news, a certain nobleman who had been vigorously instigating the succession of the orthodox king suddenly disappeared, and the time of disappearance happened to be the second night after he went to visit the Maung Ke family, the former Privy Council counselor and leader of the moderate and liberal nobles.  This rumor was soon confirmed by more shocking facts - at the request of Meng Chi's family, a group of New Army soldiers, under the command of Diok, the current Privy Council Counselor, searched Maung Kyi's house in Mandalay.  Half an hour later, the soldiers found the body of the deceased in the well in the backyard. According to the condition of the body, it should have been strangled to death and then dumped in the water.  Faced with all this, although Maung Kei's face turned pale, he still maintained his basic composure.  Diok immediately announced that Maung Kyi, as the biggest suspect, would be temporarily detained in a prison for nobles near the palace, waiting for the trial of the noble court in a few days.  There are seven steps from the door to the window, and seven steps from the window to the door.  Maung Ji sat on the camp bed against the wall, staring at the lock of the door opposite.  During the days of being imprisoned, he had walked back and forth countless steps on the solid wooden floor of the Noble Prison.  There was a brown partition nailed to the wall facing him, with two pottery bowls and chopsticks placed on it - that was his lunch. Maung Ji had no appetite for these, and his mind was churning.  All that was left was the corpse's face, which had been soaked in well water and had become swollen and deformed to the point where it was no longer possible to recognize its original appearance.  At this time, the sound of a metal key being inserted into the keyhole was heard outside the door. Maung-Jian stood up and pushed open the door, revealing Chen Zaixing's gloomy face.  "You two stay here, no one is allowed to get close!" Chen Zaixing gave the order to the two guards behind him, walked straight into the cell, stared at each other for a while, and asked in a low voice: "What's going on?  "How do I know? This is a conspiracy!" Maang Ji's anger that he had been holding back for two days finally burst out: "Meng Chi was still alive and well when he left my house. There are many people who can testify to this.  I know why he fell into that well again, and there was a piece of rope around his neck!" Chen Zaixing didn't say anything. He looked at the pottery bowl filled with food on the partition: "Why, you have no appetite? Are you still afraid of poison?  ?" He smiled, walked to the camp bed and sat down, and said in a more relaxed tone among old friends: "Wu Maangji, of course II know this is a conspiracy.  In the city of Mandalay, there are people like spiders every day, hiding in the dark and weaving webs of conspiracy, waiting for poor prey to crash into them. What matters is whether you are a spider or a small insect!  " "Do you believe it wasn't me who killed Meng Chi?  "Maung Ji asked in surprise. "No, I don't believe anything, because I don't know anything now!  "Chen Zaixing smiled: "However, Wu Maangji, my intuition tells me that this is not that simple, because the situation is not yet at a time when such drastic means as murder are needed to solve the problem, especially for a noble.  I really don't see any benefit in killing him!  " "Then when can I get out of here?  "Maung Ji asked. "No, I think it's better for you to stay here for a while!  Chen Zaixing smiled: "If this is a conspiracy, it's safer here than at home, don't you think?"  Don't worry, as long as things come to light, I will restore your freedom as soon as possible.  " Maung Ji lowered his head in disappointment, but he knew that Chen Zaixing's decision was correct. If there was really an enemy hiding in the darkness, it would be much safer in a noble prison than in his own home. He was a little reluctant.  He raised his head and whispered: "Master Chen, I am very grateful for your help -" "No, you don't need to thank me!  "Chen Zaixing stood up and patted the other party's shoulder gently: "You are very valuable to me, and the kingdom also needs a nobleman with ability and vision like you!  Also, I have ordered the replacement of the guards of the Noble Prison. The replacements are all Sikh soldiers from my company. You can rest assured of your safety. If you feel bored, you can ask your family to bring some books!  "Having said this, Chen Zaixing strode out the door without waiting for Maung Ji to express his gratitude. On the carriage, Chen Zaixing frowned, and he no longer looked like he had the wisdom in the cell just now. Indeed, he did not believe that it was Maung Ji.  Ji killed the young nobleman who was secretly promoting the king's pro-government, but the important thing was that he was completely confused about who was the mastermind behind the scenes and what the purpose of doing so was. This was what made him feel bad.  . As for the impact of this matter, it is not obvious yet, but what is certain is that the undercurrents originally hidden under the water are finally coming to the surface. For Chen Zaixing, who hopes to maintain the stability of the Kingdom of Myanmar as much as possible, this is not a problem.  Good news. "My lord, O'Neil.  Mr. Bangji has been in Mandalay for several days and has always made arrangements. "Oh!" Chen Zaixing raised his head, his eyes were a little dull. After a moment, he came back to his senses and nodded: "Okay, let's go to Bangji now.  Mr. Ji¡¯s place!¡± Babu Village Manor.  O'Neil.  Bunji's residence is a newly built wooden house, less than a hundred meters away from the lake where he swam last time, and there is already a section of about a hundred meters of the lake covered with fine white sand.  The wooden house is made of fine Burmese teak. Different from the traditional style of Southeast Asia, the beautiful wood grain under the varnish is the only decoration of the house itself, but a large number of beautiful ceramics, gems and precious metal artworks make up for this only shortcoming.  .  Of course, there will be no shortage of attentive servants and beautiful girls in the manor.  But O'Neil.  Bunge did not live happily in this Garden of Eden. For reasons known to readers, this passionate man's heart had already flown to St. Petersburg thousands of miles away, and he faced him with an almost anxious mood.  To everything in front of you.  "Mr. Chen, I'm curious about what kind of important things can make you so busy that you can't even spare fifteen minutes to sign a cooperation agreement with me." O'Neil.  Bunge's words were full of hidden sarcasm: "Or are you still used to using delaying tactics in negotiations to test the patience of your negotiating opponents?" Chen Zaixing glanced at O'Neil in surprise.  Bunge, in his impression, although this young millionaire has a weird personality, he is not a mean person!  He frowned and replied in a low voice: "O'Neil. Mr. Bunge, I don't quite understand what you mean, but it sounds like you are very anxious, so let's get started right away!"  Nell.  Bunji nodded. He took out a map from his side, spread it out on the table, pointed to several marked locations on it and said, "Mr. Chen, after inspection, I found these locations suitable for growing rubber.  If possible, I hope to purchase 1,500 hectares of land for rubber plantations in these six locations in the near future, including 800 hectares of reserve land for plantations within five years.  The area will be expanded five times." Chen Zaixing looked at the map carefully for a while, then raised his head: "No problem, what about the specific investment ratio and share distribution?" The second update was given. After looking at the results, it was terrible.  It¡¯s important to be shameless. Please recommend, reward and collect.?

 Volume 4 Leviathan 132 Negotiation

    "I propose to establish a Bunge-Shunhua Rubber joint venture to take charge of this matter. The Bunge-Shunhua Rubber joint venture will obtain the exclusive rights to the rubber industry in the Kingdom of Myanmar, rubber tree seedlings, fertilizers, and technical guidance for the plantations.  Bunge will be responsible for everything, while your company will be responsible for the land, labor, and public security. Bunge will hold 70% of the shares. The company will pay dividends every year after five years of establishment. The company must pay no less than 100% of the income.  Forty percent of the profits are used for shareholder dividends. "What do you think?" "No, this condition is too unfair. The franchise of the Kingdom of Myanmar's rubber business is worth 30% of the company's shares, not to mention there is so much land.  !" Chen Zaixing immediately rejected the other party's proposal: "If we want to add a franchise, then we must hold at least 60% of the shares of Bunge-Shunhua Company!" "This is impossible. If this is the case, then the company's shares will be  You will have the majority in the board of directors. You can completely transfer profits to make us gain nothing!" "Don't you think you will use the method of transferring profits when you have a majority in the company's board of directors?" Chen Zaixing asked with a sneer.  road.  At this point, the two sides reached a stalemate. Obviously, neither side was willing to give in on the issue of control of the company. After more than ten minutes of silent confrontation, O'Neil.  Bangji shrugged his shoulders: "Mr. Chen, I don't understand why you are so insistent on controlling most of the company's shares. After all, this is on the land of the Kingdom of Myanmar, and you are simply a king." "This is the same as mine.  Status doesn't matter!" Chen Zaixing sneered: "I'm just trying my best to fight for our rights. As far as I know, those rubber seedlings and seeds can't survive in the air for too long. If you don't find a suitable place for them as soon as possible,  "The land will suffer huge losses!" "Can I understand this as a threat to Bunge Company?" O'Neil.  Bungie had a hint of anger on his face.  "No, this is just a reminder!" Chen Zaixing had no intention of giving in.  There was silence in the room, and the attendants on the side couldn't help but hold their breath, as if if they made a little noise, some giant beast would be attracted.  One can even hear the ticking of the clock in the next room.  Finally O'Neil.  Bunge spread his hands and said: "Mr. Chen, let's show our cards. I admit that your proposal is reasonable to a certain extent, but it is impossible for us to accept that you have a majority on the board of directors. If one of us cannot do  I can only say that it is a pity that we have to make concessions to reach a compromise. As for the seed issue, I just want to say: Myanmar is not the only country in the world suitable for growing rubber; I am not the only negotiator sent by Bunge Company!¡± Chen Zaixing insisted!  After a moment of silence, he finally replied: "Okay, then I can agree that you will own 40% of the shares, and we will have 35%. I suggest that the remaining 25% be invested in Shanghai."  Do you think it¡¯s acceptable to sell it through a public offering in exchange for funds?¡± O¡¯Neil.  Bunge thought for a moment and nodded: "This is a very fair plan. I believe the board of directors of Bunge will accept it!" "But I have a condition!" "Condition?" O'Neil.  Bunji frowned, and the other party's proposal at this time gave him an ominous premonition.  "Yes, as far as I know, the raw rubber produced by rubber trees cannot be put into use directly. It must be vulcanized. My requirement is that the raw rubber produced by Bunge-Shunhua Company must have at least 3%  Fifteen are processed in Myanmar or Dashun, which means that only 65% ??of the raw glue produced by the company can be shipped directly to Europe and the United States! " Chen Zaixing was surprised by this unexpected condition.  Bunge was a little surprised. Based on his past experience, when negotiating with chiefs or kings of Asian countries, what they care most about is profit-that is, the amount of money they get, and at most they are some additional conditions for the introduction of weapons, ammunition or technicians.  , this is the first negotiator like Chen Zaixing who has made concessions on shares but asked to stay in the country to process raw materials. Especially since rubber is an industrial raw material with no obvious national defense use at that time, it is even more important.  It's rare.  "Mr. Chen, I don't quite understand why you made such a request?" O'Neil.  Bunge said in an uncertain tone: "The vulcanization process of rubber is not that simple. I am afraid that your country will not be able to master it for a long time. Even if we agree to this request and sell so much raw rubber to  "You, you can't process it!" "Mr. Bunge, that's my problem!" Chen Zaixing replied with a smile.  O'Neil.  Bunji was silent for a while, and finally, he nodded: "Okay, I accept your request, but I also have a condition. I hope to get the relic box next to you, the one you died in the battle.  Obtained from the captain of the Russian Semyonov Regiment." "Reliquary?" Chen Zaixing.Surprised, he took out the relic box from his arms and asked, "Is it this?" "Yes, but I beg you not to ask me why I made this request. This is entirely for my personal reasons!" Ounei  you.  When Bunji said this, his voice couldn't help but tremble slightly.  Chen Zaixing looked at the young man in front of him in surprise, only to see O'Neil.  Bunji's face turned red, and his hands trembled slightly. In an instant, he understood the reason for the other party's behavior. He sighed softly, pushed the relic box over, and said softly: "Bangji  Sir, please take good care of this reliquary, okay?" O'Neil.  Bangji hurriedly took the relic box. He didn't care that Chen Zaixing was nearby. He carefully opened the relic box and made sure that the photos and the bunch of golden hair were there before he breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Chen Zaixing gratefully.  With one glance, he whispered: "Thank you very much, Mr. Chen, thank you very much!" Moulmein.  Song Shen was driving a donkey cart.  Seven or eight bamboo cages were loaded on the donkey cart. Each bamboo cage contained a pheasant and turkey. At the very back of the donkey cart, there was also a muntjac tied up. This was the first time for this timid animal.  Seeing so many people, it was frightened and kept struggling. Its hind legs kept colliding with the side panels of the donkey cart, making a dull sound.  Finally, the donkey cart arrived at the door of a tavern. Song Shen carefully tightened the reins and shouted: "Wu Song Shen, is there anyone? Come and help!" "Wu Song Shen, it's you who are here!" A waiter ran over diligently.  He came over to help Song Shen park the donkey cart, and shouted inside: "Mrs. Boss, Wu Songshen is here!" At the same time, he whispered to Song Shen in a low voice: "You haven't been here for a while. The landlady was talking about you just now.  "Oh!" Song Shen nodded awkwardly and carefully dropped the topic: "I have almost finished raising chickens and ducks in the nearby villages, so I had to go to the mountains.  "Haha!" The guy helped Song Shen move the chicken and duck cages, and laughed softly: "Brother Song Shen, what are you doing all this time? Our landlady is treating you like this!"  You don¡¯t understand at all? You¡¯re not young anymore. It¡¯s important to live together and have a few children! Are these chickens and ducks more interesting than women?¡± After hearing what this guy said, Song Shen couldn¡¯t help but feel a little embarrassed.  , he is not blind, how can he not see what the landlady means to him?  But he always felt that what he had done in the past made it difficult to have a stable life, and he was afraid of implicating that woman, so he often pretended to be deaf and dumb.  "But I haven't come for some time!" At this time, as the voice was spoken, the landlady rushed out from the room with a stream of fragrant wind, looking at Songshen with a pair of eyes that seemed to be filled with water.  Facing the gaze of the landlady, Song Shen couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. He avoided her gaze and said, "We have almost finished collecting the chickens and ducks nearby, so we have to go to the mountains. The distance is longer, so we come less often!" "That's it!  "The lady boss smiled slightly: "Even if we don't have chickens and ducks, it doesn't matter if we come here often, we are all acquaintances!" As she spoke, the lady boss turned her eyes and saw the guy standing aside watching the show, and her face immediately turned cold: "  Why are you just standing there? Why don't you help Wu Songshen to unload all the things on the donkey cart?" "Yes, yes, boss lady!" The waiter hurriedly took the reins of the donkey cart and cursed in his heart:  "This woman really falls out of love faster than she can read a book. She is completely different to Brother Songshen and to me. But speaking of words, Brother Songshen is really a good man. The boss lady wants money and a good figure. He  If I had been able to hold on, I would have surrendered a long time ago! Hey, why am I not so lucky?¡± The lady boss led Song Shen to the back room while greeting her. A waiter had already brought a bag filled with food.  The lady boss took the plate and put it on the table, then sat down with a smile and watched Song Shen eat and drink.  Song Shen drove the donkey cart for a long time and was already hungry. He didn't care about being polite to the other party, so he started to eat.  That plate contained curry rice. Since Myanmar borders ancient India, various food cultures are influenced by India. Curry is an example. This strong, spicy and multi-flavored condiment is also very suitable for the local area.  The weather is hot and it is easy for people to lose their appetite. Therefore, even ordinary farmers like Songshen have long been accustomed to this taste. However, the food the boss lady brings is specially prepared in the store, which is more delicious than what ordinary Burmese people eat.  hot.  Song Shen was so hungry just now that she just swallowed dates. Now she was three to four times full before she felt like her mouth was on fire. She was looking for water to drink when there was something in her hand, but it was a water glass.  , hurriedly drank the liquid in the cup, feeling sweet and refreshing, and endlessly comfortable.  "But I still need one more cup!" Song Shen instinctively replied: "Okay, okay, one more cup. This food is so spicy, it seems to put a fire in your mouth!" As soon as he said the words, he realized that something was wrong.  ???I am just a hawker who delivers chickens and ducks. It is too much to let me have a meal in the tavern. I just seemed to be giving orders to my daughter-in-law at home. I couldn't help being embarrassed and said quickly: "Madam boss, what I said just now is insignificant."  , please forgive me if I offend you!¡±

 Volume 4 Leviathan 133 Demolition

    The proprietress smiled slightly, stretched out her hand to smooth the long hair hanging down from her temples, and while lifting the clay pot to refill Songshen's cup, she said with a smile: "I run a restaurant, and I'm just the one who pours wine and tea for others."  "Well, there's nothing wrong with that. But if you, the boss lady, are yelling at you randomly, aren't you afraid of offending someone?" "This¡ª¡ª" Song Shen was stunned when he heard this, and thought to himself that there was something taboo about this Moulmein?  , I didn¡¯t know that I offended someone unintentionally. Fortunately, this woman was very kind and didn¡¯t care about herself. She quickly stood up and solemnly asked: ¡°I¡¯m from Mandalay. The customs here in Moulmein are not the same.  I understand, please tell me how to call me!" "Haha!" The woman smiled: "Everyone else calls me Su Ji, but you call me this name!" "This!" Song Shen felt relieved.  , the other party in love needs to be called by his first name, and he is not a fool. Recalling the other party's concern for him all the time, he has already understood six or seven points. He smiled bitterly and said: "Mrs. Boss, I appreciate your kindness, but  I, Song Shen, am a poor man who owns the land under my feet. I have nothing but hard work. It¡¯s really inappropriate!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Su Ji stepped forward and filled the cup with sugar cane juice.  She put it into Song Shen's hand and said: "I, Su Ji, am a woman. What I want is a man who can stand up for himself. Money can be earned, but integrity cannot be earned. If you are willing, just drink this glass of sugar cane juice. If you are not willing, just drink it."  Spill it out, and I will never pester you!" Song Shen held the cup, and a chill passed through the cup wall, making his palms feel cool and comfortable. He looked at the handsome young woman in front of him who was looking at him eagerly.  , looked at the cup in his hand, thought for a moment, and drank all the sugar cane juice in the cup.  "Okay, okay, okay, what do you want to eat, I'll have someone cook it for you!" Seeing that Song Shen agreed to her request, Su Kyi couldn't help being surprised and happy. This restaurant was originally her husband's property, and later her husband  She died early and didn't leave her a man or a woman, so she had to support herself. On weekdays, there were always some idle men who used this restaurant and their own ideals to cause trouble. Now that she has someone she can rely on, her life will be better in the future.  That was better. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.  "No need, these are already very good!" Song Shen hurriedly persuaded: "In the village, even the village chief can't eat such good food, it's already very good!" "What kind of village chief is not the village chief!" Su Kyi  Chao Songshen smiled: "This store will be yours from now on. I'm afraid I won't have anything to eat when I open the store! Come, pick some fresh shrimps and cook some!" While he was talking, a plate of shrimps was brought up from behind the kitchen. It turned out that  The dish is a traditional method in Southeast Asia. You put the live shrimps into the boiling water, scoop them up, and pour them with a special sauce. They are especially tender and delicious.  Song Shen had seen this kind of food before, and when she saw the bright red shrimps on the plate, some of which were still squirming, she didn't dare to take action. Su Ji smiled slightly when she saw it, sat aside and picked one out at random, her hands and feet were quick.  He peeled off the skin, put it into the bowl of Songshen, and said with a smile: "Eat it!" Two hours later, Songshen sat on the donkey cart in a daze, feeling the bumps and bumps coming from his buttocks.  He couldn't believe what had happened just now. The landlady who had been smiling at him actually said that she wanted to marry him. This was like a daydream.  Suddenly, a donkey brayed and woke up Song Shen. He looked up and saw that he was not far from the village. The donkey stopped, turned around and looked at him, snoring, looking indignant.  .  Song Shen was stunned, and when he looked down, he saw that the donkey's belly was already flat. He couldn't help but patted his head, and said with a bitter smile: "It's my fault that I only cared about eating enough for myself and forgot about you."  !" He quickly jumped off the donkey cart, took the material bag and put it in front of the donkey, and sprinkled some soybeans on it. The donkey snorted with satisfaction and started eating.  Song Shen looked at the delicious food of the animal, stretched out his hand to stroke the hair on his neck, and said with a smile: "Eat! Eat! Let's share the blessings. I have a tooth ceremony today, and you also have a tooth ceremony!" "Uncle Song Shen, Song Shen,  "Uncle Shen!" At this time, a short figure ran from a distance, shouting Song Shen's name as he ran. Song Shen took a closer look and saw that it was Awang who was always naked on weekdays. He hurriedly greeted him.  He went up, squatted down to support Awang, and asked: "What happened?" "It's not good, it's not good!" Awang said breathlessly: "You just went out in the morning, and a group of people with guns came.  Soldier, without saying a word, he demolished the houses and drove out the people, saying that now the village has become the property of the king, and there is nothing you can do. Go back and take a look! " "Ah?" Song Shen was shocked after hearing this.  Surprised, his knowledge was naturally not comparable to that of a big kid like Awang.  As far as he knew, because the province where Lan Maomian is located is close to the sea, the prosperity of the commodity economy is far greater than that of the inland provinces such as Mandalay and Myitkyina in the Kingdom. Therefore, the aristocratic large estate economy in the inland has basically collapsed, and the aristocratic estate economy has basically collapsed.  Only nominal ownership of the village land?The village only needs to pay a rent and a small amount of symbolic tribute to the noble lord at the end of each year to have the right to use it. Generally speaking, the noble lord has no power to interfere in the internal affairs of the village, let alone drive away the villagers.  If you leave your own village, after all, without hard-working tenants, those villages will soon be ruined, and the nobles themselves are not capable of running the manor, so why do they do things that harm others and do not benefit themselves?  "Come on, get in the car quickly!" Song Shen picked up Awang and put him in the car. Then he picked up the donkey's food bag. The donkey, which was enjoying its delicious food, raised its head in dissatisfaction and neighed at its owner.  Song Shen rubbed its head and said with a wry smile: "It's urgent. I'll let you eat as much as you want when I get back later!" Song Shen pulled the donkey cart with one hand and ran quickly to the village. The donkey seemed to understand.  The master said that he also started running quickly. After a while, the two of them arrived at the entrance of the village in a car. They heard bursts of crying coming from the village. Song Shen casually tied the reins to a tree by the road and took the car.  He grabbed Awang's pocket and ran towards the village.  As soon as Song Shen entered the village, he heard the sound of dogs barking and people inside. From a distance, he saw several soldiers in black uniforms carrying rifles and pulling several villagers carrying pots, pans, and belongings out of the village.  They were driven out of a thatched hut. As soon as they left the thatched hut, a soldier holding a torch casually threw the torch onto the roof. It was already the cool season, and the dry thatch on the roof caught fire as soon as it caught fire.  Seeing that her home was gone, a woman screamed in pain, dropped her belongings and rushed back towards the burning home. Two soldiers with quick eyesight and quick hands rushed forward and killed her.  After retreating, one of the leaders scolded: "You woman, you don't want your life. Didn't you see the fire?" "My home is gone, what are you still doing? It's better to die!" The woman lay on the ground and cried bitterly.  got up.  "Why are you so ignorant, woman!" shouted the soldier leader who had just thrown the torch: "This village is already the king's territory and will be used as a rubber plantation. Naturally, you can't live here! But the compassionate king has already  I have thought about it for you, and have allocated a piece of land twice the size of this village near Ren'anqiang for you. You can go there to rebuild a new village, and you will be exempted from rent and taxes for three years. Don't you think so?  "Why don't you thank His Majesty the King for your kindness?" "Rubber plantation?" Song Shen frowned. This unfamiliar word made him feel a little ominous. From his past experience, generally speaking, the appearance of these new things is not good for him.  It was not a good sign for the peasants. He was thinking of some excuse to get more information from the soldier leader when he heard the desperate woman scolding: "What is the king's decree? It must be the man from the north."  The evil plan of the Chinese devil has completely enchanted Her Majesty the Princess. He has taken away the land of us poor people and only returned us a wasteland with only stones and sand. Bah! May the gods and Buddhas in heaven punish you!  He broke his bones, took out his liver and put it on the scorching beach to be eaten by eagles! "You, a lowly woman, dare to curse the noble king!" The soldier leader was angered by the other party's curse!  , he pulled out the revolver from his waist and raised his hand to kill the opponent.  Song Shen was about to step forward to stop him when a shadow suddenly passed by him. Before he could realize what was going on, he heard a scream.  "Ouch! You bastard!" The soldier leader screamed loudly. It turned out that Awang, who had been standing behind Song Shen just now, saw that he was about to shoot and kill someone, so he rushed forward and bit the opponent's wrist with one bite.  The soldier leader dropped his pistol and punched and kicked Nga Wang. But although the child received a few punches and kicks, he became savage and allowed the other party to beat him, but he just refused to let go and used all his strength.  On one mouth.  When the soldier leader saw several of his subordinates standing aside and not coming to help, he couldn't help but get angry and cursed: "You bastards, why are you standing aside and watching and not coming to help? Why don't you shoot this dog?"  Bastard!" Those soldiers couldn't help but laugh when they saw their boss being forced into this state by a child who was at most seven or eight years old, but they hurried forward to help after being scolded.  You would never dare to shoot. After all, the two of them were already entangled, and the bullets didn¡¯t have eyes, so who knew whether they would hurt one of them.  I had no choice but to pull hard, but I didn't expect that Nga Wang had the most stubborn personality. No matter how hard others pulled him, he just bit on tightly and wouldn't let go. The bite force of a human being was far stronger than the strength of his arms, hands and feet. The little leader screamed repeatedly when he was bitten.  , several soldiers did not dare to use too much force, and for a while, several big men were unable to do anything to a seven or eight-year-old child.  The last soldier who was smarter reached out and pinched Awang's cheek tightly, touching the other's numbness, and then he let go.  The little leader looked at his wound. It was already bloody and bloody, and the wrist bones could be faintly seen. He couldn't help but feel angry.  He jumped up suddenly, picked up his revolver and walked towards Awang.He cursed in his mouth: "You bastard, let's see if I don't beat you to death!" Thank you book friend Count Christ 3 for the reward!  By the way, please recommend, collect, click, etc.!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 134 Choices

    Seeing this, Song Shen became wise in his haste. He took a step forward and blocked Nga Wang behind him. At the same time, he kicked Nga Wang hard with his back heel and whispered: "Run away!" Nga Wang was also smart and hurried to the roadside.  As soon as he ran away, he was short and familiar with the terrain of the village. He slipped in from the root of the fence on the roadside and disappeared into the bushes between the thatched houses in three times.  The little leader was stunned when he saw Song Shen standing in front of him. When he came to his senses, Awang had already disappeared.  Seeing this, he couldn't help but became furious, grabbed Song Shen's collar, put the muzzle of his gun against his chest, and cursed: "You bastard, you dare to betray the party privately, don't you want to live?" "Sir, that's a man.  Child!" Song Shen smiled calmly: "Why do you need to meet a child?" He took a step back, took off the pocket on his shoulder, and shook it gently in his hand, and there was a sound of coins clinking inside.  "This money is for your treatment. You sir have a lot of money, so just let that child go! I just lost my home and it's so pitiful to have to go to such a far place all of a sudden. For the sake of Bodhisattva, I'm sorry."  Be merciful!" Hearing the sound of coins, the little leader's expression softened. He looked at Song Shen's face, then weighed the bulging money bag, and asked: "Is this child your son?  No, I am a poultry trader, not from this village, I just live in this village. The father of this child once took me in, so I can repay his kindness!" Song Shen replied calmly, and he looked at it.  The money bag smiled and said: "This is the payment for selling chickens and ducks in the city today. Just think of it as a little token of appreciation for you!" "Oh, let me tell you, you don't look like you are from this village when you talk and dress.  Mud Legs!" The little leader's face became kind. It's no wonder that he doubted Song Shen's identity just now. After all, although Song Shen was wearing rags, he had commanded thousands of troops and experienced life and death.  The difference between the people in the village and the farmers in the village who couldn't even speak a complete sentence in front of them was too obvious, not to mention that he could come up with so much cash at once.  "So you are also a grateful person! Such people are becoming more and more rare now!" After the little boss said this, he sighed and stuffed the money bag into his arms: "For your sake  Come on, let this little bastard go today. Don¡¯t let me see him again in the future. Let¡¯s go!¡± At this point, he waved his hand and left with the soldiers.  Looking at the soldiers walking away, and then at the pillars of fire rising in the village, Song Shen was at a loss for a moment. He walked to the villagers who were limp on the ground, and then he realized that these few  It was Awang's family who hurriedly asked: "What is going on?" "I don't know either!" Awang's father replied dumbfounded: "This morning, the steward of the master's family came to the village and said something.  The village had become the property of His Majesty the King, and all the villagers were asked to prepare to leave before dark. Before we could understand what was going on, these soldiers dressed in black rushed into the village and drove us out of the house.  Set fire to the house, my God, how can I live like this?" At this point, this haggard man in his early forties, who had been tortured by a hard life, squatted down and started sobbing.  "This should not be a lie, the new army of the kingdom wears this kind of black uniform!" Song Shen thought to himself.  "Is it really Chen Zaixing who drove these farmers out of the village for some rubber plantation?" Thinking of this, Song Shen couldn't help but smiled bitterly: So what if all this is true?  That Chen Zaixing has money, power, and an army. He is also the husband of Her Majesty the Princess. He also has a huge empire behind him. With a wave of his hand, thousands of people will die for him; but what about himself?  He is just an ordinary Burmese farmer. He stops talking and stops talking. How can he hinder the other party?  At this time, Su Ji's smile suddenly flashed in front of Song Shen's eyes. At this moment, Song Shen had already made a decision.  "Everyone has his own life, and I am no longer alone!" Song Shen gritted his teeth, looked down at the farmer, and asked, "Then what are your plans?" "What other plans do you have, no?  If His Majesty has given us a piece of land in Ren'anqiang, let's go to Ren'anqiang! There are so many mouths to eat!" Ngawang's father sighed: "Ngawang's child is thanks to you, but so  I can¡¯t afford to pay it back at once! It¡¯s a pity that you can¡¯t live in this village!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± Song Shen quickly smiled and said, ¡°I already have a place to live, and there is a tavern in the city that is willing to give it to me.  I can live there in the future and go around buying chickens and ducks every day!" "That's good, that's good!" A smile appeared on the other party's bitter face. Seeing this smile, Song Shen suddenly felt sad.  He ran back to the donkey cart, took a bag, ran back, stuffed it into the other party, and whispered: "The landlady gave this to me, it tastes very good."That¡¯s right, give it to your family!  "After saying that, he quickly ran away without waiting for the other party to refuse. After finishing the matter here, Song Shen remembered that his donkey cart was still outside the village, so he hurried out to clean it up. As for his house, there was only a broken bed,  A few broken bowls will be burned if they are burned, so there is nothing to worry about. The earthen pots where the money is stored are underground and cannot be burned by fire. However, the donkey cart is a guy who feeds himself. If someone is quick to take it away, it will be a disaster.  The loss was huge. By the time Song Shen packed up the donkey cart, the noise in the village had gradually subsided. Then he drove the donkey cart back to his residence. The familiar villages along the way had changed into something else.  The simple and warm thatched houses in the past have turned into ruins exuding residual smoke. The villagers are wandering around the ruins to see if they can find some useful daily necessities under the ruins. From time to time, suppressed sobs can be heard in their ears.  , which was heartbreaking to hear. Song Shen forced himself to turn his head and quickened his pace. He whispered to himself that he was just a very ordinary farmer now and could do nothing for the poor people in front of him. Besides, time was always short.  It can dilute all the scars. There is a new land waiting for them in Ren'anqiang. In just a few years, they will build a new home and forget all these pains. "You are just deceiving yourself!  "There was another voice roaring in Song Shen's heart: "You clearly know what a tragic fate awaits these people. The 'merciful' king will not prepare rations for them so that they can build a new village.  If they don't starve to death before, if there is really a piece of land waiting for them in Ren'anqiang.  You are just greedy for the comfortable life that is about to begin - delicious food, a woman who loves you, and a comfortable and secure life.  You are like a squirrel in winter. As long as your tree hole is full of pine cones, you will hide in the tree hole and bury your head in the warm leaves, while turning a deaf ear to your companions who are hungry in the cold winter.  Have you forgotten the 'Wild Cat', the 'Ghost Shadow', and the hundreds of comrades whose names you don't even know?  They use their chests to block the bullets fired at you without any complaint, just so that you can sit comfortably in the pub and fill your belly with fragrant chicken pie and curry rice?  At that time, weren't you calling them with fierce words to sacrifice their lives for the poor people in the world?  Did everything change when it was your turn?  " "No, it's not my fault, it's not my fault!  Song Shen retorted weakly: "This is indeed beyond my ability. I am only one person, and these villagers still have land waiting for them in Ren'anqiang."  I am a human being too, and I am not trying to live an ascetic life!  " "Yes, you are just one person!  You can use this excuse to deceive yourself now, but when everything is over, when your soul comes to the gods and Buddhas, you can also use this reason to convince the omniscient and omnipotent gods and Buddhas, and see what he will do  What a verdict!  "The voice became louder and louder, and in the end it was like thunder, making Song Shen's ears rumble. He knelt down in pain, inserted his hands into the soil full of fire ash, and murmured to himself  Said: ¡°What should we do?  what should I do?  " "What's wrong with you, Uncle Song Shen?  " At this moment, a childish voice interrupted Song Shen's struggle. He raised his head and saw Awang standing in front of him, looking at him with curious eyes. Song Shen stretched out his hand and pulled Awang  He held him in his arms, stroking the other person's hair, and asked: "Does your body still hurt?  " "It hurts, but I'm not afraid!  "Awang replied confidently. "Good boy!  Song Shen stretched out his hand, brushed away the dead grass from his hair, wiped the dust from his face, and whispered: "But don't do this next time, that guy has a gun."  " "I know he has a gun, but I'm not afraid of him. He's a bad guy!  "Awang's answer was simple and decisive. With the pure strength unique to a child, Song Shen couldn't help being stunned for a moment. He looked at Awang's little face full of scars. After a while, he lowered his voice.  He said in a loud voice: "Yes, Nga Wang is not afraid of him, but it is better not to conflict with them, otherwise you will die!"  " "Those black dogs set fire to the house, beat people, and wanted to shoot my mother. I really hate them. If I hadn't been too weak, I would have killed them!  "Awang said bitterly, he turned his head and begged Songshen: "Uncle Songshen, please teach me!  The adults say that you are knowledgeable and capable, and you must know how to deal with these black-skinned dogs!  " "This -" Song Shen was stumped by Awang's request. He smiled bitterly, changed the subject and asked: "Awang, where are your family members?  They must be worried about you.  " "No, I never want to go home again!  Awang shook his head firmly: "Seeing my parents like that makes me feel uncomfortable. I don't want to be like them. Anyone can rush into the house and drive us out, even dogs."??¡± Song Shen looked at this stubborn child and didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment. Finally, he sighed and rubbed Awang¡¯s head: ¡°Awang, if you don¡¯t dislike it, just follow me.  God, if you want to go back, I will take you back!  "    "Very good!  "Awang jumped up fiercely. He hugged Song Shen's thigh and shouted: "Uncle Song Shen, when I grow up, I will honor you and treat you as my father!  "While he was talking, Awang grabbed the reins of the donkey cart. He was still short and could barely reach the donkey's shoulders. He jumped twice before grabbing the end of the reins. The donkey's neck happened to flick, and Awang suddenly jumped.  He stumbled and fell to the ground with a disgraced face, which made Song Shen couldn't help but laugh. He leaned down and picked up Awang, and said with a smile: "You are not as tall as a donkey, so you have to be taller to pull a donkey cart.  Year, it¡¯s better to take a donkey cart now!  "As he spoke, Song Shen put the child on the donkey cart and drove the donkey cart back to the city. The setting sun in the sky shone on him and the child on the donkey cart, making the shadows on the ground become long and blended.  Thank you to the trainee police book friend for the reward!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 135 Big Figures

    Mandalay, Shunhua Company Office.  Chen Zaixing was sitting at his desk, listening attentively to the report of one of his staff.  ¡°As of yesterday, a total of 8,000 hectares of land suitable for rubber plantations have been purchased in Mon State Province through land swaps, stock swaps and money redemptions, at a total cost of 250,000 pounds, and 7,000 hectares of land have been purchased.  In order to accommodate the approximately 62,000 relocated farmers, we need to provide corresponding cultivated land in the central region to resettle them-" "Stop!" Chen Zaixing raised his right hand and interrupted his men.  After making the report, he stood up, paced back and forth in the room a few times, and suddenly stopped and said: "There is no need to provide cultivated land in the central region to resettle these landless farmers. Whether it is the mines or the upcoming Yunnan-Myanmar Railway, a large amount of  Labor force. Clerk, write down what I say next carefully! " "Yes, sir!" The clerk standing aside picked up the quill and folder and got ready to record it.  ¡°In view of the current labor shortage in mining and railway construction projects, it is required to conduct detailed statistics on the number and situation of existing landless farmers and register them to prepare labor for the upcoming Yunnan-Myanmar Railway project! In order to prevent labor escape  The situation requires that the workers' bodies be marked and determined as soon as possible in the form of Kingdom law!" Chen Zaixing said this, looked at the clerk who was immersed in recording, and asked: "Okay?" "Okay, please.  Look, sir!" The secretary took a step forward, handed over the order that Chen Zaixing had just dictated on the wooden board and recorded it in beautiful cursive calligraphy, and took out the ink pad.  Chen Zaixing checked it carefully, took out a large ruby ??ring from the index finger of his right hand, dipped the front of it on the ink pad, and pressed it hard on the paper, leaving a tiger head on the white paper.  The logo is as red as blood.  "Send this order to the Privy Councilor immediately and ask him to issue it as a decree quickly!" "Yes, sir!" Chen Zaixing casually took the towel presented by the clerk and carefully wiped off the remaining red ink on the ring.  He carefully put it back on his finger, returned to his seat, and nodded to the staff member who had just reported: "Continue. Next thing!" "Yes, sir!" The staff member turned a page and continued.  Report: "Sir, the Hanking office sent a telegram. The imperial court issued a communiqu¨¦ three days ago to auction the Hanking ship repair yard and 22 ships, including eight paddle wheel cargo ships and fourteen steam sailing ships, with a displacement of  It ranges from three hundred and fifty tons to two thousand tons -" When the clerk said this, he only felt his hands loosen. When he looked up, he saw that the document had been snatched away by Chen Zaixing. He saw that the other person's hands were shaking slightly.  He was obviously extremely excited.  "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Chen Zaixing suddenly asked sharply.  "This -" The clerk was stunned. Before he could turn his head, he saw Chen Zaixing waving his hands impatiently and shouting: "Get ready and go back to Hanking!" The palace.  "Husband, are you in such a hurry to go back to Dashun?" Luo Lin was leaning on the couch. At this time, her abdomen was already swollen. She was more than six months pregnant and leaned lazily on the cushion, looking at  Looking at her husband who was giving orders to several of his subordinates.  "Not bad!" Chen Zaixing gestured for his men to step back, walked to his wife, knelt down on one knee, reached out to touch his wife's little hand, and said softly: "There is an important matter in Hanjing. The imperial court will transfer a ship repair yard and a  Selling old boats is a good opportunity!" "Hey!" Luo Lin sighed: "Husband, I remember that you were not with me when Songqing was born. Although our family is not as wealthy as the Tian family, we still have thousands.  Why does it have to be so difficult for our country and its millions of people? Our daughter¡¯s family still wants her husband to be with her at this time.¡± After hearing what his wife said, Chen Zaixing hesitated.  Still replied in a low voice: "Alin, judging from the news coming back from Hanking these days, these are just the beginning. The cabinet has made a decision to sell many properties to private individuals in exchange for money to make up for the financial deficit and launch a new revolution.  This is the industrial development plan! This is why I went to Hanking. If I fall behind others, I will be in trouble!" "Then let Mr. Liu from Houde Bank go for you.  How about Mr. Kong?" Chen Zaixing did not answer, but his silence was an answer in itself. Luo Lin quickly understood the meaning and sighed: "I must not trust them!" "That's right!  It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t believe it!¡± Chen Zaixing smiled awkwardly: ¡°Business is all about business. When cooperation is profitable, everyone will naturally work together; but in this situation, the friendship in the past has been put aside.  . This matter is very important. IfIf others can't do it, I'd better give it a try!  " Luo Lin sighed. She had already heard the firm determination in her husband's gentle tone. She knew that no matter what she said, she could shake her husband's steely will. She turned her head in disappointment, turned her back to Chen Zaixing and said: "Resurrection  , I used to like that you were resolute and persistent, as long as you make up your mind, you can do anything, but now it seems that this may not all be a benefit.  " When Chen Zaixing saw this, he knew that his wife was already angry. He quickly got up and walked to the other side of the brocade couch. He looked at his wife's face and said softly: "Alin, don't worry too much.  As the saying goes, "Ten months of pregnancy", you should be more than three months away from giving birth. I will not stay for a long time during this round trip. I will definitely come back before you give birth to watch our child be born!  " "Seriously!  A trace of joy appeared on Luo Lin's face: "Don't tell me nonsense to make me happy. It's a long way between Hanking and Mandalay. If you are delayed a little bit, you may not be able to make it in time!"  " "Who is talking nonsense!  Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "I am going this time just to take care of the affairs of the court, and to form an alliance with the Liu family and the Kong family to divide the interests. The rest can be left to my subordinates!"  Besides, am I, Chen Zaixing, a man who talks nonsense?  "    "well!  Luo Lin saw her husband blowing his beard and staring, looking like he was about to curse and swear. He couldn't help laughing and held her husband's right hand that was about to be raised, and said with a smile: "My husband is an upright man. He promises a thousand pieces of gold, so naturally he will not lie to me."  A daughter¡¯s family!  "Having said this, Luo Lin took Chen Zaixing's right hand and placed it on his bulging belly, and said, "My child, did you hear it? Your father just swore that he would accompany you into this world!  " Chen Zaixing felt the slight vibration from his palm. Looking at his wife's beautiful face, his heart was full of tenderness. He stretched out his left hand to gently caress his wife's cheek and said softly: "Just relax and wait until I come back.  , the government affairs can be handed over to Diok, and I will hand over the Shunhua Company's guards to you.  After I leave, you can find a reason to release Maung Ji, and reward him with a thousand taels of silver to calm his shock. This man is quite famous among the moderate nobles and farmers!  " "I understand that we should take this opportunity to be kind to him, right?  " Luo Lin smiled, closed his eyes slightly, gently rubbed Chen Zaixing's rough palm with his cheek, and whispered: "Hey, it would be nice if you don't have to spend your mind on these power tricks. Find a place with beautiful scenery.  How wonderful it would be to ride horses and row boats every day in this place!  "    "yes!  "Chen Zaixing sighed. His heart was overwhelmed by this special warmth at this time, so much so that he forgot his usual ambitions, but just like the rocks on the shore, they always emerge from the ebbing water.  Likewise, Chen Zaixing returned to his usual nervousness and calmness twenty minutes later. He carefully carried his sleeping wife to the bed, covered her with a blanket, carefully walked out of the room, and whispered to the maid:  ¡°Invite Counselor Diok!  " Two hours later, Diok stood respectfully in front of Chen Zaixing, lowered his head, and carefully observed the man in front of him with the corner of his eye. He saw him quietly looking at the documents in front of him, using the feather in his hand from time to time.  Edit it with a pen. Finally, Chen Zaixing finished his work. He handed the document in his hand to the secretary beside him, looked at Diok and said with a smile: "Counselor, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting!  " "Don't dare!  Diok hurriedly bowed his body and said with a smile: "My lord, you are so busy for the sake of the kingdom. It is your duty to wait for the official!"  " "Please sit down!  "Chen Zaixing stood up and pointed to the chair beside him: "Master Counselor, I have to go to Hanjing next. Your Majesty, the eldest princess, is pregnant and can't work too much. During my absence, the internal affairs of the kingdom will fall on you.  !  " "Don't dare!  Diok stood up as soon as his butt touched the surface of the chair: "This is just the duty of a lower official, sir, please don't worry!"  "    "That's good!  "Chen Zaixing smiled slightly, and his face became serious: "There are some people in the kingdom who are making noises under the guise of the king's enthronement.  In fact, Luo Qin is the eldest princess's biological brother and a sibling from the same mother. Why don't we want him to ascend the throne?  But you have also seen the current situation in the kingdom. Internal and external pressures, wind and rain, and one accident can lead to overthrow. Putting him in power suddenly will harm her.  In a few years, when he gets older, handles some practical matters, and understands the hardships of the country, it will not be too late to ascend the throne. With tens of millions of Burmese people here and Emperor Dashun watching, how can we, a husband and wife, still dominate this position?  Can't you let it go?  " "The people and nobles are aware of the painstaking efforts of Your Excellency and the Princess!  Diok responded quickly. No matter what he was thinking at the moment, he still pretended to feel the same on the surface: "Even if there are a few villains with ulterior motives, they can't make any big waves."  "At this point, Diok paused for a moment and whispered: "But I think something is wrong"It is better to clear it than to block it!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 136 Parting and Reunion

    "What do you mean?" "Sir, don't those guys always clamor for some legitimate king to ascend the throne? Although they can't stand it, there are still some common people and nobles who don't know the truth who are bewitched by them, instead of giving them a reason to speak  , why not let His Majesty the King come out and temporarily replace his sister as regent, which can stop these guys' mouths, and the King can also go through some practical matters, I wonder what do you think?" Chen Zaixing did not answer immediately, and Diok was not in a hurry, but just slightly.  He bowed and waited.  After a while, Chen Zaixing finally smiled and said: "Okay, then let's do it according to the wishes of the counselor!" "Thank you, sir!" "There is nothing to say thank you too much or not. Now the kingdom can be regarded as my motherland. This is also my duty.  !" When Chen Zaixing said this, he picked up the tea cup and stood up quickly, saying respectfully: "The little man will leave first!" "See you off!" A strange voice came from the door.  , a tall Sikh guard with a machete at his waist stretched out his hand to lift the bamboo curtain. Diok carefully backed up to the door, then turned and left.  Watching the other party's leaving figure, Chen Zaixing took a sip of tea.  A sneer appeared on his face.  "Hmph! As the saying goes, 'Things can only come in threes'. I didn't expect that this guy sold out two masters, and now he's ready to make another move. It's really hard to change a country's nature! But it's okay, let's take advantage of this opportunity to deal with these guys.  Come on, replace that honest man Maoji, and you can be safe for a few more years!¡± St. Petersburg, Russia.  It is already late at night, but due to the high latitude here and close to the Arctic Circle, the sun can only reach a very small angle below the horizon. Due to the scattering effect of the atmosphere, the sky is still as bright as daytime. We can only wait until two or three hours in the middle of the night.  At 0 o'clock, the sky will gradually darken, and at 6 o'clock, it will immediately light up.  This is the famous ¡®white night¡¯ phenomenon.  In the carriage, O'Neil.  Bunge excitedly used the light of the "white night" to look at the majestic buildings and sculptures that can be seen everywhere on both sides of the road. St. Petersburg, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Finland and on the banks of the Neva River, can be said to be a complete projection of the Russian tsarist system.  This city, which in the eighteenth century was a complete swamp, was from the beginning a product of the will of Tsar Peter I. In 1703, after Peter I defeated Sweden at the Battle of Narva, he built the Peter and Paul Fortress on Rabbit Island.  It was also the first building in St. Petersburg. Hundreds of thousands of Russian serfs paid the price with their lives in order to open this "window to Europe."  Subsequent tsars such as Queen Elizabeth, Catherine the Great, and Alexander I invited top-notch architects and craftsmen from Italy and France. They invited the French to design the Academy of Art, and the British to design the Baver  For the Lovsk Palace, Italians were invited to design the Russian Museum and Theater, while famous Russian craftsmen designed the Kazan Church and the Admiralty for Alexander.  Compared with the heavy and ancient Moscow, St. Petersburg, which has only less than 300 years of history, is much more magnificent and foreign-style.  "What a beautiful city!" O'Neil.  Bunji murmured to himself, but the beautiful face of Yeyudelina Ivanovna Trubetskaya appeared in front of his eyes. How young, how happy and how happy he was at that time.  !  Wandering the streets of St. Petersburg with that wonderful person, it was as if the happy times would never end.  But soon, O'Neil.  Bunji's face turned gloomy.  "Sir! We've arrived at No. 110, Foundry Street!" the coachman's voice interrupted O'Neil.  Bunji's memories, he looked out the window, and the familiar Gothic building in his memory appeared in front of him.  He took out a five-ruble note from his arms and handed it to the coachman in front of him: "Thank you very much. If you have any extra, go sell a glass of vodka!" "May the Holy Mother bless you, kind master!" The coachman shouted happily.  He cracked his whip and made a sound with his tongue, and drove the carriage away.  O'Neil.  Bunji held the suitcase and pressed his chest. The hard feeling of the relic box gave him some confidence.  Finally, he walked to the door, held his breath, and pressed the doorbell twice.  A few minutes later, it was O'Neil.  When Bunji thought there was no one in the room, the door was opened, and the characteristic nagging voice of an old woman came from inside.  "For the sake of God and the Holy Mother, it's already past eleven o'clock. What kind of wanderer is still disturbing people? I swear to God, I will tell the steward all this, even if you kneel on the ground and beg me.  It's no use." An old woman stuck her head out, O'Neil.  Bungie took off his hat and nodded to him.  "Hello, is Miss Ivanovna here?" "Oh!" I saw O'Neil.  Seeing Bunji's unfamiliar face and neat clothes, the old woman instinctively covered her mouth: "I'm sorry, sir, please forgive me for being rude just now. I thought the person knocking on the door at this time was someone drunk.  drunkard-¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Natasha, it¡¯s me who should be sorry!¡±  "Onel. Bunji had already recognized this old woman as Ivanovna's former wet nurse. He asked in a soft voice: "Don't you recognize me?  " "Oh God!  "When the other party called out her name, the old woman opened her mouth in surprise. She blinked her confused eyes and looked at the tall young man in front of her with some confusion, but no matter how she recalled it, she still  I couldn¡¯t remember who it was, so I had to reply apologetically: ¡°Please forgive me, sir, I am old and God has taken away my good memory from my mind.  " "I am O'Neil.  Bungie!  That Dutchman in the grain business!  "O'Neil. Bunji quickly reminded: "I once studied abroad at St. Petersburg University for two years and was Miss Ivanovna's classmate!  "    "oh!  It turns out to be you!  "Natasha finally recognized one of her young lady's many suitors many years ago, which made her immediately feel a sense of intimacy. She hurriedly pushed the door open a little, revealing the gap where O'Neil and Bungie could come in.  Said: "Mr. Bunge, you haven't been here for many years, how are you doing now?  " "I inherited the family business and have been doing grain business in East Asia and Indochina for many years.  "O'Neil. Bunji walked in the door, struggled to wipe off the mud on the soles of the shoes, smiled and said to Natasha: "Good grandma, can you give me a glass of hot milk or something?  I came here right after I got off the boat and haven¡¯t eaten anything since 4:30 in the afternoon!  " "Oh, my God!  Look at me, this old fool!  Natasha patted her head: "Come with me, there is everything in the kitchen!"  " In the kitchen, under the candlelight, O'Neil Bunge took a sip of hot tea with satisfaction and put the last piece of meat bread into his belly. Natasha sat opposite and asked: "Mr. Bunge, are you  Want some dessert?  There is also toast that tastes great!  " "Thank you so much, good mama!  "O'Neil. Bunji smiled and replied: "I really want to say more, but unfortunately my stomach can't hold it anymore!  " "Mr. Bunge, you must have suffered a lot these years!  Natasha looked at the other party with the kindness and pity unique to an old Russian woman: "Look at the way you were eating just now, just like a dock worker. I have already remembered a little of what you looked like back then. At that time, you were not what you are now."  This is what it looks like!  " "Mommy, it should be said that I have suffered some hardships over the years, but I have also enjoyed blessings!  "O'Neil. Bunji took a sip of hot tea: "Especially in recent times, I eat like a king, oh, wrong, I should say like His Majesty the Tsar!  " "His Majesty the Tsar?  Natasha laughed at the other person's answer: "May God forgive your rudeness, my child!"  "    "This is real!  "O'Neil. Bangji smiled and said: "I cooperated with the regent of the Kingdom of Myanmar on a business. He entertained me very well. Please believe me, those Asians enjoy it very much.  By the way, mama, where is Ivanovna?  How has she been doing these years?  " Natasha's face became gloomy. She was silent for a while and replied in a low voice: "What else can be done!  My poor little Ivana (nickname), the captain of the Semyonov Guards Regiment she married went to the Far East. I heard that she disappeared during an operation with the Tatars. It has been two years.  There is no news yet, and the harvest of the manor has not been good in recent years. Alas!  "Having said this, Natasha sighed and summed up the whole situation in a sentence with very Russian characteristics. "Everything is God's will!  " "What about Ivanovna? ??Is she still alone?  "O'Neil. Bunji asked in a tone as calm as possible, but he could still feel as if someone was beating drumsticks on his temples. "Poor Ivana!  Natasha sighed: "That kind-hearted person always firmly believes that her eagle has not left this world, but has not come back somewhere in the world. Alas!"  It¡¯s been three years. If I wanted to come back, I would have come back long ago!  " Hearing that Ivanovna was alone now, Onel. Bunji finally breathed a sigh of relief, but then he felt a sting in his heart. Is that Mikhail so worthy of love?  ? He stretched out his hand to hold the relic box on his chest, and kept telling himself that the other party was dead, and there was no need to be angry about a dead person, so he gradually got over it. "Mr. Bunji, Mr. Bunji!"  What's wrong with you?  "A panicked voice interrupted O'Neil. Bunji's thoughts. He raised his head and saw Natasha looking at him with concern. "Mr. Bunji, what happened to you just now? Your face suddenly changed.  Turning pale, is there nothing wrong?  "Natasha asked in a low voice. She didn't know why, but she felt an inexplicable feeling of intimacy towards the young man in front of her who was not very familiar.   "Mommy, it's nothing, I was thinking about other things just now!" O'Neil.  Bunji smiled, thought for a while, and asked: "Mommy, I would like to ask you a question. If there is definite news about Captain Mikhail's life and death, do you think you should tell Miss Ivanovna?  ?¡±

 Volume 4 Leviathan 137 Past Events

    Natasha was stunned and immediately understood. Obviously this would not be good news, otherwise it would have been Mikhail himself. But in any case, it was good news for the young lady. After all, it was Mikhail himself.  Putting it off is not an option.  She looked at O'Neil.  Bunji glanced at it and sighed: "Everything is God's will, we have to accept it!" Hearing the other party's answer, O'Neil.  Bunji immediately calmed down. He took out the relic box from his arms, carefully pressed the switch, pushed it over, and whispered: "Mom, look, is this Ivanovna?"  "Miss." Natasha carefully took the relic box and looked at it carefully under the candlelight. Soon her hands started to tremble violently, just like her voice.  "Yes, exactly! This is exactly the photo of the lady. The child is Mikhaileva, exactly the same! Mr. Bunji, where did you get this thing?" "This is from a person I participated in when I was doing business in Dashun.  It was obtained by Minister Dashun who had participated in the Mongolian counter-insurgency activities. According to him, one of his men found it from the body of a Russian officer. I think this Russian officer should be Captain Mikhail!  Bunji was surprised that he could answer the other party's question so calmly, as if the person speaking was not another person: "I bought it immediately after seeing it and rushed to St. Petersburg." Natasha looked at St. Petersburg.  Then she looked at Bunch who was looking at her with calm eyes. She understood everything. She stood up and walked to the cross on the wall, and whispered a few prayers to O'Neil.  Bunge said: "Mr. Bunge, please come with me. I will wake up Miss Ivana right away." "It's not good. It's past midnight now. Let's talk about it tomorrow morning!" O'Neil.  Bunch replied hesitantly. He didn't expect that he would be able to see Ivanovna so soon, and he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.  "No, Mr. Bunge, it's still daytime outside in St. Petersburg!" A smile appeared on Natasha's sad face: "You traveled half the world to send Mikhail's relics. If I don't immediately  Wake up Ivanovna, she will blame me!" Onel.  Bunji watched Natasha's fat back disappear into the darkness outside the door. He picked up the cup and took a sip of tea. The hot tea with lemon juice and sugar flowed into his stomach, which made Bunji's mind confused.  Becoming a little calmer, he began to seriously think about how he should face Ivanovna later.  About half an hour later, O'Neil.  Bunji saw Natasha coming in with a woman in black clothes. He stood up quickly and wanted to say something, but his jaw and tongue seemed to be stuck with something.  The lips only moved a few times and made a few meaningless sounds before they stopped, O'Neil.  Bunji could only look at the woman in front of him quietly like a child, but couldn't say anything.  Yeyudelina Ivanovna Trubetskaya is a tall woman, but her well-proportioned figure makes people completely unaware of this. Under her platinum hair, her eyes are a little red and swollen.  , apparently after receiving the bad news, she had just cried over her husband's unfortunate fate.  "Onel!" Ivanovna came over quickly, she stretched out her hands to hold Onel.  Bunji took his right hand to his chest and kissed it gently: "I really don't know what to say. Nothing can express my gratitude for your noble behavior!" "Don't be like this, don't.  So, Ivanovna! "Onel.  Bunji stiffly withdrew his right hand from the opponent's hand: "It's nothing, really, everyone would do this in my position. Oh, look at you, why are you like this!" At this time,  The candlelight shone on Ivanovna's face. Her cheeks looked pale and thin, without the plumpness and cuteness of a few years ago.  "What else could it be like? O'Neil!" Ivanovna smiled sadly: "For a woman who has lost her husband, what's the point of dressing up beautifully? O'Neil, on the contrary, you have spent all these years.  "Okay?" "Okay, very good, but Ivana!"  Bunji frowned in annoyance: "What have I done to offend you, so that you have to call me 'you'?" (The two of them were talking in French, in French "you" is  It is used to address people who are more formal and distant, while "you" is used to refer to people who are relatively close.) "Haha!" See O'Neil.  Bunji's look made Ivanovna burst into tears and smile: "Onel, you are still so easy to get angry. I am really happy to see you like this, as if time still stayed a few years ago, and we were all still angry.  When I was in college, life was so beautiful at that time!" At this point, Ivanovna sighed, she reached out and took the other person's right hand, shook it gently, and said in a pleading tone:  "O'Neil, don't be angry, okay? I really shouldn't have called you 'you' just now.your!  "    "OK!  "O'Neil. Bunji lowered his head in embarrassment. The other party's intimate behavior made him a little embarrassed, but at the same time he also felt unusually happy in his heart. Yes, the person he has loved for so many years is so close to him, and he is still so close.  What could be more pleasant than this? Happy time always flies by. When the clock strikes six and the dawn of St. Petersburg shines into the room through the window, the two realize that the night has passed.  Ivanovna smiled sheepishly: "I'm sorry, O'Neil, I forgot that you just got off the boat and are in urgent need of rest.  " "No, Ivana!  "O'Neil. Bunge called the other party with an intimate nickname: "I don't feel tired at all. I have slept enough on the boat!  You, on the other hand, should go and have a good sleep!  " "That's not possible!  Ivanovna smiled slightly: "As a Russian, you cannot let your guests go to bed hungry!"  At this point, she said to Natasha on the side: "Natasha, prepare breakfast for Mr. Bunge and me!"  " "Okay, my master!  "Although Natasha's face was sleepy, her mood improved when she saw her mistress. Looking at her somewhat clumsy back, Ivanovna sighed and whispered: "You  You know, I simply don¡¯t know how I would have gotten through without Natasha these past few years. O¡¯Neil, I understand now that nothing is more important than having someone who loves you by your side.  "    "Yes!  "O'Neil. Bunji lowered his head. Ivanovna's somewhat hoarse voice was like a finger constantly scratching his heart. It took him a lot of effort to prevent himself from jumping up and pouring all the savings in his heart.  The emotions that had lasted for so many years poured out. At this time, the aroma of coffee and fresh bread came over. Natasha's tray contained a coffee pot, sugar, honey, white bread, bacon, butter and Russian food.  ¡ª¡ªPickled lard. Next to the food, there is a roll of newspaper. "Mr. Bunge, are you still used to this?"  Natasha carefully placed the thin slices of pickled lard next to the slices of bread. This traditional delicacy originating from Ukraine is the favorite of most Russians, but for many foreigners, this  Growing food can seem daunting. ¡°Of course, Ukrainian Salo!  (Original name of pickled lard) "O'Neil. Bunge skillfully picked up two slices of bread, sandwiched a piece of pickled lard between them, took a bite with relish, chewed big mouthfuls, and said with a smile: "Study abroad in St. Petersburg  When I was young, this was my favorite!  "While he was talking, he picked up the newspaper on the tray, turned to the front page and started reading. Suddenly, the smile on O'Neil Bungie's face disappeared, and he stopped chewing food. He just held the food in his mouth,  Reading the newspaper blankly, Ivanovna poured coffee for the other party and smiled: "Natasha, O'Neil is a real gourmet. He must have eaten more exotic food in China and Indochina.  Weird stuff, not to mention pickled lard!  "After saying this, she noticed O'Neil. Bunji was acting strangely, and hurriedly asked: "What's wrong, O'Neil, is there any news in the newspaper?  " Onel. Bunji did not answer and handed the newspaper to the other party. Ivanovna took the newspaper and saw a line of bold letters on the front page: "Crown Prince Nikolai visited Vladivostok in person.  Host the railway groundbreaking ceremony - the Trans-Siberian Railway is about to start!  " "War, this can only mean war!  "At this time, there was no warmth in Onel Bunji's voice. In the next second, he was surprised to find Ivanovna covering her mouth with her hands. Her eyes widened in surprise, and tears fell from her almond-shaped lips.  His eyes were filled with tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, oh, Ivana, I shouldn¡¯t have, I forgot¡ª¡± Seeing Ivanovna like this, O¡¯Neil apologized at a loss, and he knew it well.  What I just said unintentionally touched the sadness of the woman across from me. You must know that her husband died in a war between China and Russia, and what he described was a war that was larger in scale and involved a wider scope.  , Ten times, a hundred times more people will die because of this war. ¡°No, O¡¯Neil, you don¡¯t need to apologize to me!  "Ivanovna quickly controlled her emotions. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and asked in a hoarse voice: "Why do you think China and Russia will go to war?  " "It's very simple. Russia has always hoped to obtain an ice-free port in the east - an entrance to the Pacific Ocean.  To do this it would have to expand southward, which would conflict with the Chinese.  The reason why no major war broke out before was simply the balance of power between the two sides - the Chinese were unable to go north; and Russia's long communication line to Europe made them unable to go south.  But now this balance has been broken, and now there are only two choices before the Chinese - either to seize the opportunity to seize the opportunity on the railway.Defeat tens of thousands of enemies before the railway is completed and retake Vladivostok, eliminating the threat from the north once and for all; or wait until the railway is completed and face ten times more enemies. The result is self-evident!  "Thank you to the book friends trainee police officer, wanhu, and qpiqpi for the reward.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 138 Far Eastern Railway

    "Oh my God, save us!" Natasha looked up at the crucifix on the wall in despair and crossed herself on her chest.  O'Neil.  Bunji looked at the sad Ivanovna and Natasha, but deep in his heart, there was a calm voice shouting loudly: "This is an opportunity for the Bunji family, an opportunity to make a fortune."  Opportunity to get rich." This calm voice was in sharp contrast to his apparent sadness, which was not meant for O'Neil.  Bunji is a hypocrite, but years of training have made his reason unaffected by emotions.  "Ivana, can you give me a pen and some paper? I need to write a letter to London, my father is there!" "Of course, Mr. Bunge!" Ivanovna wiped herself  From the corner of his eyes, he stood up lightly, walked through the aisle, and passed O'Neil.  Bunch brought him to the door of a room, and she opened the door: "This is my study, O'Neil, you can use it as you like!" "Thank you!" O'Neil.  Bunge walked to the desk and sat down. He soon calmed down and began to write on the letter paper: "Dear father, I just learned in St. Petersburg that the Tsarist government is about to start construction from Moscow to the Pacific East.  In view of the tense situation between China and Russia in Northeast Asia, I believe that a large-scale war between China and Russia is inevitable before the railway is opened to traffic.  , launching a war to completely improve the situation on its northern border - such an idea is very attractive to China's northern commander. As you and I both know, large-scale grain trade with Western Europe, especially Britain, is a czar.  The government has obtained the basis for financial balance, and whether it is building this railway or war with the Chinese, it will cost a huge amount of money, which will break the fragile financial balance of the tsarist government, and in order to make up for this deficit, the Russians have the only choice.  That is to increase the export of grain in exchange for money to launch wars and build railways. Under the current Russian village commune system, farmers have no motivation and no extra funds to improve farming techniques and improve soil. Therefore, I think.  In the near future, the tsarist government will launch a top-down land reform, dismantling the existing village community system, and replacing it with a group of farmers with rich farming experience and funds to obtain more export grain.  As a competitor of Russian grain merchants, I feel that joining this reform will be very beneficial to both the company and the family. In view of the above reasons, I hope to conduct an investigation trip in Russia for about half a year. I hope  Can obtain the consent of you and the company's board of directors! Your son: O'Neil. Bunge In St. Petersburg on November 9, 1891" After writing the letter, O'Neil.  Bunge whistled happily and glued the envelope. He planned to go to Bunge's office in St. Petersburg later and asked the other party to take the letter to London.  If the board of directors accepts his proposal, then he can legitimately stay with Ivanovna for half a year. He believes that this is enough to make her agree to become his wife.  Six days later, O'Neil.  Bunge happily received the reply from London. He opened the envelope carefully and saw a piece of letter paper and a check inside. He took out the letter and looked at it. There were only two lines written on it: "Dear  O'Neil, I'm proud of your vision and courage. You are a true Bunge man. I have enclosed a check for three thousand pounds. I wish you a happy six months, you deserve it!"  Youzhou left-behind mansion.  Gao Tingyu was sitting in the study, his face gloomy.  Three years have left more marks on his already old face, but the light in his eyes remains sharp.  "Are you sure this news is true?" Gao Tingyu put down his monocle, Ruo O'Neil.  Bangji is also here, and he will be surprised to find that the cover page of the newspaper placed in front of Gao Tingyu is also the picture of the crown prince holding a shovel to dig the first shovel of soil for laying the foundation of the train station, but this "Business"  "People's Daily" was published more than ten days ago, and the lines were filled with the same content in Chinese.  "Yes, it's completely true!" Jueluo's tone was very firm: "In addition to this newspaper, I also obtained confirmation from several other news channels. In fact, there is nothing to keep secret about this. In Britain, France, and Germany,  This news was also published in the newspapers! " "Yes!" Gao Tingyu nodded, the old man's face looked a little tired.  "You go out and leave me alone for a while!" "Yes! Commander!" Jueluo looked a little surprised, but he immediately obeyed his superior's order, gave Gao Tingyu a military salute, turned around and retreated.  Gao Tingyu stood up, walked to the wall with a candle, and began to search hard for the location of Vladivostok on the map. Then he drew a long section on the map with a pencil - starting from Vladivostok.Vostok arrived in Moscow, and then stared blankly at this line. After a while, he finally sighed: "It seems that the peaceful days are over, and a big war is finally going to happen!" Hanking.  The water in the Yangtze River never dries up, even in the dry season in winter. It only drops a little shallower, embroidering two long and wrinkled lace-like sandy beaches, giving the bold Yangtze River a graceful look.  Rhyme.  There has been less rain in the summers for several consecutive years. In autumn, a sandbar appeared not far from the north shore. By November, the sandbar stretched out a corner and connected with the shore.  It has become an unprecedented large beach in the Yangtze River.  This beach is warm dove gray, flat and smooth, like a huge mirror lying in the water. Groups of sand gulls wander leisurely on it, and their tiny footprints increasingly highlight the vastness of the beach.  Perhaps it is because the tranquility here is in sharp contrast to the prosperity of Hanking, so some dignitaries like to visit here, and the sandbank has become a scene in Hanking.  A small boat sailed slowly past the sandbar, and the boatman at the stern was waving his long tip lazily. This kind of small boat is very common on the river in this area, some are fishermen, and some are hired to enjoy the river scenery.  There were only two people in the small cabin: Chen Zaixing and Shen Hongmao. The only guard stood on the back deck, bored and accompanying the boatman who was rowing.  Both Chen and Chen were sitting cross-legged. There was a red pottery tea stove between them. The water in a small sky-blue pottery urn on it had been boiled. Streams of water vapor came out from the gaps in the urn lid and were blown by the outside.  As soon as the river wind blew, it immediately turned into a few wisps of white mist, which even obscured the faces of the two people.  "Brother Chen, you came to Hanking this time to repair the more than 20 ships from the shipyard and the Bureau of Commerce, right?" Shen Hongmao's voice broke the silence in the cabin.  Chen Zaixing smiled slightly, picked up the iron solder on the side and poked the red clay charcoal stove. The fire immediately became bright, and the bright red flames almost licked the handle of the pottery urn.  "Yes, but not entirely!" Chen Zaixing then put the iron drill aside and began to carefully prepare the tea powder and utensils, and prepared to cook the tea soup with great interest.  Shen Hongmao looked at the other party's excited expression and sneered: "Brother Chen, you have made great achievements in the Burmese family in the past three years. I thought I had forgotten that I was a citizen of Dashun! Why, come back when there are benefits?"  "A few months ago, you were very nervous in Shanghai!" "It's inevitable in business!" Chen Zaixing carefully clamped the two sides of the pottery urn with iron clamps, poured the boiling water into the tea bowl, and mixed the tea with it.  The mixture was completely mixed, and it immediately turned into a light green tea soup. Just bite the edge of the bowl, and a pleasant fragrance of tea immediately filled the small cabin. Even though Shen Hongmao had been keeping a cold face, his nose could not help but twitch instinctively at this time.  twice.  "Brother Shen, actually I didn't come to you this time to repair the shipyard or those passenger and cargo ships." Chen Zaixing carefully pushed the tea bowl placed on the small wooden support towards the other party.  Shen Hongmao picked up the tea bowl, took a sip, and sneered: "What else could it be for? Could it be that Chen Guiren, you came all the way back from Myanmar to visit old friends?" "Visiting old friends is also possible, but -" At this point,  The smile on Chen Zaixing's face disappeared: "What I want is not the ship repair yard and those old ships, but the Hanyang Iron Works!" "Haha!" Shen Hongmao suddenly laughed: "Chen Fusheng, Chen Fusheng! I really saw that right.  You, but your appetite is too big, and you even have the idea of ????Hanyang Iron Works, do you want to let you sit on the throne of the emperor?" It is no wonder that Shen Hongmao behaved like this, Hanyang Iron Works was founded in 1812,  It is the first and largest steel factory in Dashun to use modern equipment. Almost all the steel used by military industrial enterprises such as Dashun Ordnance Bureau, Dashun Artillery Factory, and Hanyang Shipyard, which are related to the fate of the empire, is produced by Hanyang Iron Works.  which provided.  Even with Shen Hongmao's boldness, he never thought of selling such an important steel enterprise to private individuals.  Chen Zaixing didn't say anything about Shen Hongmao's reaction. He just took out a telegram from his arms, handed it over, and said, "Brother Shen, please take a look at this first before you speak. I think the palace must have known about it by now." Shen Hongmao  After taking the copied message and reading it, his face changed slightly, and then he threw the copied message on the ground and sneered: "What does this mean? Crown Prince Mao Zi went to Vladivostok and he had to sell Hanyang Iron Works."  Here you go, I¡¯m afraid the imperial court doesn¡¯t have so many iron factories to sell!¡± ¡°Hongmao, you understand. Prince Nicholas didn¡¯t just go to Vladivostok. If the railway is opened to traffic, the Russian army will go south to seize it!  The south is not frozen!" Chen Zaixing said with a cold smile: "If I guessed correctly, Lord Gao's invitation to fight is probably coming." "What does that have to do with Hanyang Iron Works?" "Haha, no matter what.  Attack or defend, the army has not moved, food and grass go first, either build the railway, or build ships and take the sea route." At this point, Chen Zaixing's face was full of confidence.?: "Hanjing, the capital of this dynasty, is thousands of miles away from northern Xinjiang and beyond reach. After this time, I bet that in the next ten years, the imperial court will definitely make every effort to build railway lines in Northeast China, Mongolia, and North China.  The amount of steel needed is more than hundreds of millions. Regardless of the money or steel needed, the imperial court will encourage private-owned iron plants to be converted into government-run iron plants. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m right?¡±

 Volume 4 Leviathan 139 Rejection

    Shen Hongmao didn't speak, but his face turned red and white, revealing the excitement deep in his heart at this time.  He bent down and picked up the newspaper copy from the ground, read it carefully a few times, and suddenly sighed in a low voice: "I took a long breath to cover my tears, and mourned the hardships of the people's livelihood!" In the early morning of the next day, Jiying Hall of the Imperial Palace  .  "Everyone, have you read Master Gao's book?" Empress Dowager Deng's voice came from behind the bead curtain, and her voice was full of unconcealable worry.  "I've read it all!" Qi Zhiti coughed. He took the fold from Zao Guoquan's hand, but his right arm was trembling slightly, as if the seemingly light fold was of great weight.  "That's good!" Empress Dowager Deng coughed: "Ms. Qi, you are the chief minister, can you tell me whether it is feasible to read Master Gao's proposal?" "Queen Mother¡ª¡ª" Qi Zhiti glanced at Hu Keqin and Zao Guo with a pleading look.  He looked at their faces, but the two men lowered their heads and avoided his gaze.  Qi Zhiti turned around helplessly: "I think Master Gao's proposal is not feasible!" At this point, he paused, and then said: "But it must be possible!" Behind the bead curtain, Jiang Qingyue and Lin Wanqing  Standing next to the Queen Mother, after hearing Qi Zhiti's answer, the two couldn't help but look at each other, and saw helplessness in each other's eyes. These two female bureaucrats with rich experience in the central government also had the same views as Qi Zhiti on this issue.  "It's not feasible but it must be done? What did Qi Xianggong say?" Queen Mother Deng asked from the curtain.  "Queen Mother, according to what Master Gao said in the book, the construction of the Far Eastern Railway by the Russians will pose a huge threat to our Manchurian Protectorate, Zhangbei Protectorate, Shuofang Protectorate, and Anxi Protectorate. Moreover, the Russians  We have long hoped to obtain a warm water and non-freezing port. Originally, it was only a long way from the mainland. The Far East was sparsely populated, and shipping was frozen for half of the year. It was not enough to support the army. Once the railway was opened, the army would inevitably move south, so we should take advantage of the Russians.  When the railway was not completed, troops were sent to capture Russia's Far Eastern coastal states to deal with the northern threat. Master Gao's analysis was indeed reasonable, but Russia was also a big country similar to France and England. If it wanted to conduct an expedition to its Far Eastern states, at least  We need more than 100,000 troops, the Manchurian Protectorate is sparsely populated, and the climate is bitterly cold. If we want to launch a large-scale expedition, and several key points on the Russian side have been completely fortified, once the war starts, it will be protracted and the government's finances will simply not be able to bear it!" "  Then why do you say it is necessary? " "The capital of our empire is Hanjing, which is far away from the frontier. In fact, the governorates of Manchuria, Zhangbei, and Anxi are just governors, and there were no floating officials to govern them in the past.  Dashun is similar, they are all out of reach, and they only have some garrison troops on the border, so even if there is a conflict, they will accept the rebels and not go into battle in person. But it is different now.  The Russians have already begun building a railway from Moscow to the Far East. Even if Gao Dashun wins this time, it will not change this fact. As long as Dashun cannot connect Manchuria, Mongolia, Xinjiang and the mainland by railway, sooner or later these places will be destroyed.  Countless Russians were taken away from the railway, so this railway is a must! "Since ancient times, the best way to effectively control a newly conquered area is to build roads and canals. In this way, in the short term  Once a rebellion occurs, the army can be quickly mobilized to suppress it; in the long run, economic and cultural exchanges between the two sides can be deepened and integration can be achieved at an early date.  The Qinchi Road and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal are examples from history. Those present here are familiar with history books. Once they hear it, they will understand that the outcome of this Sino-Russian struggle actually depends not only on the battlefield, but more on both sides.  National strength, whoever can build the railway to the contested area faster will be able to control the area more firmly. This kind of struggle may not have the sound of guns and smoke, but it will be more cruel and fierce.  "In this case, the construction of the railway is imperative!" Empress Dowager Deng said: "Xianggong Qi, this is a big body. The route of the railway, the amount of land, capital, and labor required must be carefully considered. The plan will be completed in two days.  It's a meeting of the imperial court to convene ministers to discuss this matter. Before that, some of your cabinet members should come up with a rough outline to avoid being rambling. " "Yes, Your Majesty the Queen Mother!" Qi, Hu, and Zao came from Jiying Hall.  When they came out, there was a look of embarrassment on their faces. Although the three of them had not directly managed the railway construction, Dashun had also built the Pinghan Line (Beijing Youzhou Prefecture to Hanking) and the Jinpu Line (from Tianjin) in the past ten years.  to Pukou), the Beijing-Shanghai Line (from Hanking to Shanghai), the Bianluo Railway Line (from Kaifeng to Luoyang, the earliest section of the Longhai Line) under construction, and some short-distance railways.  The common feature of these railways is that they mainly travel between important economic and political centers, and the areas they pass through are mainly densely populated and economically prosperous inland areas. They are not difficult to build and recover costs quickly.  But the railway requested by Gao Tingyu is completely different. These main positions??The areas that railways in border areas pass through are generally sparsely populated, have harsh climates, and have rugged terrain. The difficulty of building railways is much greater than those that have already been started and completed. Although those border areas are rich in resources and have good development prospects, in  After the construction of the railway is completed, both the population and the economy will make great progress, but it will be difficult to see benefits for a long time. In other words, it is a completely loss-making business.  Under this situation, it is unlikely that private businessmen will provide money. The only source of income can only be government allocations. However, Dashun's finances are already stretched thin. It will take ten years to complete the railway.  The difficulty of construction can be imagined.  "Sir, we don't understand military matters. You must hurry up in the past two days and draw up a rough road map." Qi Zhiti smiled bitterly: "The Queen Mother is already concerned about this matter, but there is no need to delay!  " "A rough map is easy to describe, but a detailed map requires on-site investigation, which is not a matter of a day or two!" At this point, Zao Guoquan sighed: "Actually, it's not difficult to draw a map, it's just a matter of road construction.  Where does the necessary money come from? This is not a small number. Just the journey from Shanhaiguan in Youzhou Prefecture to Shenyang will cost no less than millions of taels. If it is to be extended to Longzhou (today's Changchun)  The cost is even more, not to mention the northwest, Mongolia and other places. That is simply an astronomical figure. " Qi Zhiti smiled bitterly and advised: "As the saying goes, you can pay back the price if you ask for it. This is what Gao Houye said.  Prices are sky-high, and the roads must be built day by day. Mongolia and the northwest can be left alone first, and the one from Youzhou must be tightened. If the Russians want to seize the ice-free port, the nearest route is from Vladivostok.  "Go south!" "That's right, but the railway from Youzhou to Zhangjiakou still needs to be started as soon as possible. With this railway, the troops stationed near Zhangjiakou can be transferred back to Youzhou as a mobile force, which is equivalent to more than 10,000 more troops.  Elite soldiers." "Well, go back and hurry up. Master Hu and I will also discuss how to raise funds!" Just as the three adults in Dashun's cabinet were discussing how to deal with the threat caused by the fluttering wings of the butterfly thousands of miles away.  When there was a strong wind and waves, there were also three people sitting at the wine table in the Luming Pavilion in Hanjing City, drinking and talking. Although these three people were far from as high-ranking and powerful as Qi, Hu, and Zao in official positions.  , but from another perspective, the influence of these three people on Dashun and even the political economy of East Asia is no less than that of Qi, Hu, and Zao.  "Come, come, come, I'll do it first as a courtesy, brothers, please feel free to do whatever you want!" Kong Zhang's face had already turned a purple color, just like the color of the silk and leather jacket he was wearing.  This is how he behaves every time he drinks to seven or eight points. At this time, his thoughts will become particularly sharp and his voice will be particularly loud. But if he passes this threshold and drinks a few more drinks, he will suddenly become depressed.  He fell down and fell asleep.  People who know him well agree that this is also a talent. At least he will not say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing at the wine table - because he has already fallen asleep by the time he loses consciousness.  "Okay, okay!" Chen Zaixing and Liu Qingyang both just touched the wine glass to their lips. They had something on their minds, so naturally they couldn't drink as happily as Kong Zhang opposite them. Their eyes flickered,  They are all trying to guess what the other person is thinking from their expressions.  "Brother Chen and Brother Liu, you still remember that we were here six years ago, and the three of us discussed raising money to build roads and quell the rebellion!" Kong Zhang finished drinking the wine and sighed: "The three of us were just people at that time.  A small role, but now Brother Liu is the chairman of Houde Bank, a director of the Shanghai Textile Sales and Raw Cotton Purchasing Alliance, and a director of the Shanghai Consultative Bureau; not to mention Brother Chen; I am the only one who is still a small role. " "Haha.  !" Liu Qingyang smiled slightly: "What does Brother Kong mean? When did the second-largest figure in the Renyi Bank, the largest in the seven northern provinces, become a minor player?  60% of the working capital is provided by Renyi Bank. This business alone is enough to make your mouth full of fat!" "Brother Liu, please stop making fun of me!" Kong Zhang smiled bitterly: "Didn't your raw cotton purchasing alliance just work?  Have you reached an agreement with the American businessman named Jefferson to purchase 6,000 tons of cotton as inventory? With this confidence, it is not up to you to decide the cotton price next year. Either the cotton merchants in Xinjiang will accept your negotiated price?  , or watch those cottons starve to death. Anyway, I just got rid of the few plantations on hand, and the remaining ones are also going to be abandoned for a year. There is no other way. At your price, you can even plant the seeds.  I can¡¯t even make the money back!¡± Thank you book friends for not cheating me and qpiqpi for your reward, thank you very much!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 140 Cracks

    "Brother Kong is joking!" Liu Qingyang smiled awkwardly. He didn't expect that he had just secretly signed an agreement with the American businessman from Jefferson in Shanghai four days ago. Kong Zhang knew about it here. It seemed that there was a mole in his family.  .  But when he thought about it carefully, it actually didn't matter. After all, there were sixty or seventy large and small cotton merchants in Xinjiang. It would not take ten days and a half for these cotton merchants to form an alliance.  Taking a step back, even if they form an alliance, they already have 30% of the raw materials for next year, and the number of spindles accounts for 65% of the total number of spindles in Dashun. Under this favorable situation, what kind of  You can only ask the other party to accept it honestly.  "But Brother Liu, you have to be careful." Kong Zhang took another sip of wine: "I heard from friends in Xinjiang that there have been more and more Russian businessmen there in the past two years, and they are all purchasing leather, wool and  Those who have cotton, I heard that the Russians are going to build a large railway that runs from east to west. By that time, I am afraid that the cotton in Xinjiang will not only be your customers!" "What?" Liu Qingyang's face changed slightly. If so,  Kong Zhang said, then the situation is completely different. Xinjiang cotton merchants and wool merchants can completely wait for the price and choose between Russian merchants and the domestic textile industry in Dashun. In 1891, the number of spindles in the Russian Empire was the largest in Europe.  In Britain alone (44 million spindles in Britain, 6 million spindles in Russia, slightly more than 5 million spindles in France, 5 million spindles in Germany, and 2 million spindles in the Austro-Hungarian Empire), ten million cotton is processed every year.  Seventy-one thousand nine hundred and ninety tons.  Such a powerful textile industry is far beyond what Dashun can match. If the railway is built and the geographical obstacles are overcome, the outcome of the competition for Xinjiang cotton will be self-evident.  "Brother Kong, where did what you just mentioned come from?" Liu Qingyang thought about it for a moment and decided to understand the details first and then make plans.  But he asked twice, but the other person didn't answer. He just sat with his chin in his hands.  Liu Qingyang reached out and pulled, only to hear a cooing sound. Kong Zhang had already fallen asleep on the table. It turned out that he had reached the limit just now.  "What a good Kong Zhang, why do you always say half of what you say!" Seeing the other party's appearance, Liu Qingyang couldn't help but feel resentful. Chen Zaixing on the side smiled and shouted to the outside: "Come here, help Mr. Kong to the guest room.  , Good job taking care of you!" The servant outside the door hurried in and carefully helped Kong Zhang out, who was already drunk.  After all the idle people had gone out, Chen Zaixing whispered: "Brother Qingyang, I'm afraid what Kong Zhang said is true. I saw a report in the newspaper when I was in Shanghai a few days ago that the Russian Crown Prince Nicholas went to Vladivostok for a visit.  The foundation of the Far East Railway has been laid. "I heard that the land in the Far East of Tsarist Russia stretches for thousands of miles, and is full of forests and ice fields. I'm afraid such a railway will not be built in a short while!" Liu Qingyang asked with a glimmer of hope.  "Where there is a will, there is a way!" Chen Zaixing sighed: "When the ancestors of the Russians conquered that ice field hundreds of years ago, the conditions were not as good as they are now. It was possible to do it back then, let alone now. In my opinion, it is better to do it first  Be prepared!" "Hey, I didn't expect this!" Liu Qingyang sighed and said in a low voice: "It's true for the imperial court. For so many years, the domestic railways have only been limited to a small amount every year, and our domestic market has never been able to compete.  It¡¯s only a small amount of production every year. Look at those old guys who can go through thousands of miles of ice. It¡¯s really amazing!¡± Chen Zaixing laughed: ¡°A few days ago!  Your father just killed the imperial court on the national debt, and now he is complaining that the imperial court has not built the railway. It is really difficult for Shen Hongmao and the others to behave!" After hearing what Chen Zaixing said, Liu Qingyang couldn't help laughing, and he shook his head.  He shook his head and asked: "Fu Xing, speaking of railways, how are your railways prepared now?" "Construction will start in January next year, stop during the rainy season, and then continue in September. It is planned to be completed and opened to traffic in 1894." Chen Zaixing laughed.  With a smile, he pulled out a map from the leather bag beside him: "After the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway is opened to traffic, the next step is the railway from Kunming to Guilin. As long as Kunming and Guilin are opened to traffic, the flow of people and logistics from Myanmar to the mainland can be  First, it leads to Guilin by railway, then to the north, you can take the Lingqu Canal to enter the Xiangjiang River, then pass through Yongzhou, Hengyang, Zhuzhou, Xiangtan, Changsha, enter Dongting Lake, and then enter the Yangtze River directly to Hanking; to the south, you can take the Li River,  Enter the Guijiang River through Yangshuo and Pingle, pass through Zhaoping, and reach Wuzhou. From Wuzhou, you can enter the Xijiang River to the east, go straight to Guangdong, and go to the sea from Guangzhou; you can go upstream to the west, and go straight to the hinterland of Guangxi, without being blocked by the British.  Now, this game of chess has truly come to life.¡± After hearing Chen Zaixing¡¯s ambitious plan, Liu Qingyang¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but shine, and he naturally understood the meaning behind it all.  In the past, the main mode of transportation from Dashun to the Indochina Peninsula was by sea. Since Singapore, which controls the Johor Strait, has become a British colony, and the British have absolute superiority at sea, the sea route has become very unstable and unsafe.  , so even if China is in Southeast AsiaWith its expatriates and huge economic advantages, it can only watch as it becomes a source of raw materials and a market for products for the Western European powers.  There is no other reason. Although the Western European powers are thousands of miles away, their huge advantages in shipping allow them to invest a large number of troops at any time to effectively control this wealthy peninsula. Under this premise, neither overseas Chinese nor local kingdoms  Possibly on the side of a losing side, even in the Kingdom of Burma, the British were given the two provinces that were the richest and closest to the sea.  But with the completion of the Yunnan-Burma-Kunming-Guangxi Railway, the situation was completely different. This channel connected to the Yangtze River system allowed Dashun to send 100,000 troops and their heavy equipment from Hanking to Mandeb within 30 days.  Le, and there is no need to worry that this road will be cut off by the enemy. After all, no matter how powerful the British Empire's armored ships are, they cannot climb onto the land to cut off this passage.  The British Empire must deploy troops from colonies around the world to this remote corner. Whether on the European continent or elsewhere, the British Empire has no shortage of old enemies with long-standing grievances.  In this case, it doesn't take a good mind to know who the final winner of this competition is.  The cruel law of distance once again plays its indisputable role here - the balance of victory will once again lean towards Dashun, and Dashun can even touch the most beautiful jewel in the Queen's crown - India.  Since ancient times, the road from Myanmar to India has been an important shortcut into the Indian subcontinent, and on this ancient land, countless ethnic groups and religions live. If the Dashun Empire is serious, it will not be difficult to find potential rebels.  "Resurrection, it seems that Dashun's hope lies in the south!" Liu Qingyang's voice was not loud, but he was shaking like a patient suffering from a fever.  "It's hard to say whether it's north or south, but from now on, it's more beneficial to go south!" "Yeah!" Liu Qingyang nodded, and immediately realized that his old friend never did business at a loss, so this  How could it be that if he abandoned his career in Burma and came all the way to Hanking, it would be without a purpose?  Thinking of this, and then connecting what happened in Hanking these days with the prospects he just mentioned, the facts are ready to come out.  Thinking of this, Liu Qingyang smiled slightly and said: "Could it be that Fusheng came to Hanking this time to take advantage of the more than 20 old ships?" "Sure enough, I can't hide it from you!" Chen Zaixing smiled slightly: "Yes, from Mandalay  As for the access to Hanking, after the Yunnan-Burma Railway is completed, it will be the Kunming-Guizhou Railway, and then there will be the waterway from Guilin to Hanking. Whether it is a ship or a ship repair yard, I have nothing on hand now. This time Hanking  I¡¯m bound to get that shipyard and old ship!¡± ¡°You have such a big appetite, you want to eat from the beginning to the end of the meal, and you won¡¯t even leave any leftovers for others to eat!¡± Liu Qingyang said half-jokingly, half-seriously!  He smiled and said: "If this matter comes to pass, I'm afraid that the business community in Dashun south of the river will have to look at Brother Chen's face to eat!"  It¡¯s just a chess game, otherwise when the railway is completed, everyone will know the value of this waterway and it will be troublesome if they want to intervene again!" At this point, Chen Zaixing smiled: "If Brother Liu is interested, you can also come and participate!  You and I are also old friends, and there are a lot of things we can talk about. " Liu Qingyang's eyes flickered, and he did not immediately respond to Chen Zaixing's proposal. He naturally knew the great prospects of Chen Zaixing's plan, but the prospects were only temporary.  Actually, actual benefits are another matter, and it¡¯s hard to say who gets the big bucks in this plan and who pays for nothing.  Businessmen like Chen Zaixing, who have money, guns, and deep connections in the political world, must be treated with caution. If they are not careful, they may be swallowed down to the bone.  "Brother Chen, it's still too early to discuss this matter. We might as well wait until the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway is opened to traffic!" Liu Qingyang smiled and walked around: "As for the purchase of ships and ship repair yards that Brother Chen said,  Our Houde Bank will not interfere, but at the same time, we also asked Brother Chen to make concessions on the import of teak and Burmese rice!" Chen Zaixing frowned slightly. He did not expect that the other party was on the Myanmar-Hanjing Road!  As a condition for cooperation, Chen Zaixing was required to make concessions in the import trade of grain and teak.  According to Chen Zaixing's advance thoughts, the proposal he had just made was mutually beneficial. Who did Liu Qingyang have to ask for further concessions on the rice and teak trade?  You must know that these two trades are extremely important sources of revenue for Shunhua Company and the Kingdom of Myanmar. At this time when one penny can be broken into two cents and used, it is absolutely impossible for Chen Zaixing to make concessions.  Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing's face also turned cold, and he said lukewarmly: "What Brother Liu said is that the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway has just started, so it's too early for me to consider shipyards and old ships!  "Having said this, Chen Zaixing yawned: "I've been tired from traveling these past few days, and I've had a few glasses of wine, so I'm a little tired."?I¡¯ll take my leave today!  "Having said this, Chen Zaixing stood up, bowed his hands to his opponent, and walked straight to the outside.

 Volume 4 Leviathan Superfluous words

    First of all, Weber would like to apologize to everyone. Due to some reasons, Chuangshi.com cannot continue to implement the original buyout contract signed by China Original and me, and I am not willing to take a share of the code here.  As for the reason, I can honestly say that the income sharing is too low and does not match the labor and energy I put in.  I don¡¯t want to blame Genesis.com, businessisbusiness. The performance of this book is not good enough for Genesis.com to be willing to take over, and Weber is not the kind of writer who is big enough to make the website pay for it honestly. If I were here  The editor's position will probably make similar decisions. This is the rule of the market: in an unstratified market, niche customers will always be forgotten. Even if there are a few companies willing to serve them, they will not be able to serve them.  eliminated due to market competition.  "Now many book friends should understand why Weber showed such anxiety in the message at the end of the book. I don't want this book to be eunuch. This is not only for economic reasons."  It is true that this book can bring me a lot of income every month, but I can also make money by publishing new books, and online writing is not my biggest source of income.  More importantly, "Xinshun: The Steel Century" is the first book that I have seriously prepared from the beginning ("Tianxia Jiedu" is just a fun beginning, and in a sense it is nothing more than a book)  It's just for fun, the old lker should know), I believe this is not the kind of book that readers will forget after reading it. I wrote this book according to the real history, although this history did not take place in this plane.  We're all going to die, but this book will leave a little bit of a mark on history for me by making many readers decades from now remember that a guy named Chris Webber wrote a book like this.  This is the ambition hidden deep in my heart.  If readers of this book feel that I agree with me on this point and are willing to pay a little money to keep this book going, then please take a look at my suggestions below.  I still have a manuscript of 40,000 to 50,000 words on hand, and I should be able to write about 80,000 words in the rest of this month. In other words, if nothing else happens, there will be about 120,000 to 30,000 words left for this book.  A eunuch.  The current collection of "Xinshun: Steel Century" is about 1,800, and it should grow to over 2,000 by the end of this month.  If I now update 120,000 words every month, based on the buyout of 70 per thousand words, the after-tax income from the website will be about 7,000.  If each reader gives me three yuan per month, then my income will be one thousand yuan less than the original contract, which is within an acceptable range.  Now I am publishing my Alipay account. If you are willing to pay to keep this book going, just transfer a few dollars to this account every month. With some confidence, by the end of this month, which is August 31st  At zero o'clock, I will check the balance in the account. If it exceeds 6,000, I will continue to update 120,000 words next month.  If it is not enough, the book will have to be eunuch. Of course, I will not let those readers who paid money pay in vain. I will return all the money to your account.  This is my Alipay account: wsadwsad_123@163.  com Sincerely, Chris Webber, I would like to add that if possible, it is best not to give just three yuan. After all, I think that a considerable part of the two thousand collections will not be paid, and there are still people who want to see the pirated posts after they are put on the shelves.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 141 The Unemployed

    Looking at Chen Zaixing's leaving figure, Liu Qingyang's face was a bit stunned, as if he had not expected such a violent reaction from the other party, but he soon returned to his usual cold expression.  He picked up the wine glass, took a sip of the remaining wine in the glass, suddenly threw the wine glass in his hand on the ground, and sneered: "Chen Fusheng, Chen Fusheng, do you still think that all the good things in the world should be yours?"  Days later, the dust settled. Twenty-two ships originally belonging to Hanking Merchants were bought by two Shanghai shipping companies, while the ship repair yard was bought by a partnership of more than ten other Nanjing businessmen.  Chen Zaixing, who came from afar, found nothing. He knew very well who was behind all this.  Finally, the first crack appeared in the close relationship between Houde Bank and Shunhua Company.  Shanghai, Shunhua Company Office.  Chen Zaixing sat at the desk, flipping through the account book carefully. Jiang Zhiqing stood aside and carefully observed his boss's face, trying to find some clues from Chen Zaixing's face. Since he accompanied Chen Zaixing to Shanghai last time, he had  He was left in Shanghai to take charge of Shunhua Company's various businesses here.  This young man who has lived in the slums since he was a child knows very well that everything he has now comes from the gift of Chen Zaixing. The big hands that pulled him out of the slums can also throw him back into the swamp in a single thought.  bottom.  The only way to maintain the status quo and continue to climb up is to maintain the trust of the man in front of you. There is no other way.  Finally, Chen Zaixing closed the account book in his hand, put it aside, and said with a smile: "Zhiqing, it seems that you have not been idle in the past six months. In addition to the grain markets in Shanghai, western Zhejiang, eastern Zhejiang, and southern Jiangsu, you have also occupied  Twenty to three percent, you did a good job!" "That's great, sir!" Jiang Zhiqing breathed a sigh of relief and replied cautiously: "I just did my duty!" "If everyone under me can do it!  If you have done your duty, why worry about failure?" Chen Zaixing smiled: "Tell me, how did you open up the grain market in these places?" "Yes, sir!" Jiang Zhiqing bowed to Chen Zaixing:  "In the beginning, I took two guys on my own and took a trip to western Zhejiang. I went to rice shops one by one and asked about them. But when they heard my accent, they wouldn't even let me in. Someone with a better temper asked me to go in.  Let¡¯s go quickly. If you¡¯re bad-tempered, you¡¯ll start yelling. One time, you almost encountered two gangsters who robbed you. If the villain hadn¡¯t brought a pistol at that time, I¡¯m afraid even the bones would have sunk into the river by now!¡± Chen Zaixing couldn¡¯t help but feel amused by what he heard!  He smiled and said, "Businesses like these have been done for hundreds of years. If you rush in so recklessly, you will naturally not look good. The rice merchants in Shanghai are all from Ningbo. If we hadn't borrowed the money that time,  With the power of Mr. Liu of Houde Bank, now even Burmese rice cannot enter Shanghai? Tell me, what method did you use to get in? " "It's easy to say, but I think I have no choice.  , I had no choice but to think of other ways, so I found dozens of storekeepers and clerks from bankrupt rice shops and told them whoever could open up the grain market in a region would give them a commission of three Yingyang per ton of rice.  These guys were so happy when they heard it. Then I gave each of them 20 yuan of travel expenses and assigned these guys to various nearby market towns. "That's it!" Chen Zaixing couldn't help hearing this.  Nodding slightly: "It's also your skill to be able to use the right people. What's the result?" "I'll tell you, sir, a quarter of the people didn't come back after taking the money. Maybe they ran away, maybe they didn't finish it.  Afraid that I would ask them for the 20 yuan for Yingyang's travel expenses; one third of them did well, so I gave them more money to keep running. " "By the way, what about the ones who have been unable to open up the situation?"  "Even if you fire me, no matter how big a store is, you can't raise waste!" "Yes, you can draw up a charter for me later. If there are any other products in the future, you can follow this plan!" "Yes, sir!"  "I must find a job today!" Ma Xingxing tidied up his clothes, rolled up the sleeves that already had rough edges and holes, so that they were less likely to be discovered, took a deep breath, and walked on.  The steps of the small grocery store in front of me.  "Sir, what do you want to buy?" The waiter greeted him enthusiastically and enthusiastically introduced the products in the store to the customer wearing a long gown: "You can tell that you are discerning. We, the Lu family,  The items in the store are cheap and affordable. Look at the iron pot, the bowls, the chopsticks, and the washbasin. They are all exquisite. You can buy them all for only two and a half yuan. If you can find them cheaper than ours in Shanghai.  Yes, come back and tell us, our store will make up the difference for you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not here to buy anything!¡± Ma Xingxing lowered his head in embarrassment, avoiding the surprised look of the waiter. After a moment, he raised his voice.  Courage raised his head again and asked: "Excuse me, do you want more in the store?"?  I can do anything¡ª" "Don't worry, I'm just a clerk in the store. This store doesn't belong to me!  "The waiter interrupted Ma Xingxing. He looked at Ma Xingxing's dress up and down, sneered, turned around and shouted to the shopkeeper who was settling accounts behind the counter: "Shopkeeper, there is a job seeker here!  "The shopkeeper responded, walked out, looked at Ma Xingxing up and down for a while, cupped his hands and asked: "Sir, may I ask where you are from?  Whose last name is it?  What kind of business did you do before?  " "I am from Ningbo. My surname is Ma and I am Mars. I used to work as a bookkeeper in Mihang and also as a shopkeeper in a grocery store. I can write and do calculations. Later, the store collapsed and I lost my livelihood. May I ask, sir, if you have any money here?  There is work to be done!  "Speaking of this, Ma Martian looked at the grocery store manager in front of him with hopeful eyes. "Oh, I am from Ningbo, I have worked as an accountant and a storekeeper¡ª¡ª" the grocery store manager prolonged his voice, smiled slightly, and said to  Ma Xingxing cupped his hands: "Sorry, the shop is not short of people!  " Ma Xingxing became anxious when he heard this. He stepped forward and stretched out his hand to stop the shopkeeper who was walking in. He said anxiously: "Shopkeeper, I can do anything and it doesn't cost much. You can just pay it as you see. Please, show mercy.  Bar!  " "Here, it's not that I'm embarrassing you. It's just that you have worked as an accountant and a shopkeeper before. You can write and do calculations, and the wages you require are small.  If I leave you behind.  What should I do if my boss comes over to meet you one day and asks you to take my seat?  "When the shopkeeper said this, he laughed, pushed aside Ma Xingxing who was blocking the front, walked back to the counter, and said loudly: "Awu, send that gentleman out. If you don't want to buy something, don't block the door and hinder the business!  " "It's your order!  "The guy responded imitating the minions in the drama, walked up to Ma Xingxing, shook the rag on his arm, and sneered: "Here, did you hear what our shopkeeper just said?  please!  " The waiter shook the rag in his hand, and half of Ma Xingxing's face was splashed with dirty water. He wiped his face in embarrassment and walked out of the store. It turned out that since Zhong Zhengchun of Cathay Rice Co., Ltd. hanged himself, the Ningbo Chamber of Commerce, which originally controlled Shanghai,  The rice banks in Shanghai also fell apart, and all the rice banks in Shanghai fell into the hands of a trading company called Shunhua. He had no choice but to follow, but he did not expect that this Shunhua trading company would merge and close these rice banks, leaving only about five.  When three-thirds of the rice was shipped, the shopkeeper named Jiang who had the extra manpower gave each person twenty yuan for travel expenses and sent them to the prefectures and counties around Shanghai to open up the market for Burmese rice.  This is simply unheard of. It should be noted that at that time, Dashun, except for Shanghai, Hanking and other central cities with relatively developed commodity economies, most towns and villages were relatively conservative, and merchants rarely entered the territory of competitors.  It's very simple. The people who run these businesses in every place are businessmen who have been in business for decades or even centuries. It is extremely difficult to break these intricate shackles, and sometimes it even costs blood.  One of Ma Xingxing's colleagues disappeared on the way back from a town. Two days later, someone saw his body on the roadside. His chest and abdomen were stabbed like a hornet's nest. After experiencing this incident, Ma Xingxing became angry again.  He also didn't dare to go to the towns designated for him, so his natural sales performance would not be much better. As a result, he was kicked out by the shopkeeper named Jiang a few months later. Although Ma Martian had some savings, he was in Shanghai after all.  Prices were high, and he already had a wife and children. Seeing his savings dwindling like water, he had to run around every day, trying to find a job, but for some reason, he kept running into obstacles.  On the street, he couldn't help but see his wife's sad face. He just felt like he had a splitting headache. Did he want to go back to his hometown in Ningbo to farm? But he had been traveling to Shanghai since he was ten years old, and the fields and houses in his hometown had long been occupied by his tribe.  Even if the tribe wants to give him a land and house out of respect for his ancestors, he can't withstand the hard work of farming. As he was thinking about it, Ma Xingxing's eyes suddenly darkened.  , was knocked to the ground violently. ¡°Asshole, are you walking without your eyes?  "Jin Sanpang stared angrily at the man lying on the ground. He was just discussing with some of his subordinates which bitch in Changsandangzi had fair skin, a good figure, and good kung fu. As they were chatting in the alley, this guy bumped into him.  A rough voice woke up Ma Xingxing. He looked up and saw several thick men in black police uniforms. The leader of the group had a shiny face and a pair of bull's eyes staring at him fiercely.  . He hurriedly got up and bowed to him: "I was distracted while walking, please forgive me!  "Jin Sanpang snorted coldly. He looked at Ma Xingxing and didn't look like he was in trouble. He was about to wave his hands and tell him to go away. When a subordinate next to him came over and whispered a few words, his eyes suddenly lit up and he sneered.  He asked, "What's your name and what do you do?"  ¡± SupportThe treasure thing is not allowed. I will return the money that has been transferred to my account to the book friend as soon as possible.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 142 Workhouse

    Ma Xingxing was stunned, and was about to report the truth, when a man rushed towards him, grabbed his arm, and said loudly: "Well, Wu San, the foreman asked you to buy half a catty of tea, so you can  As soon as I went out, there was no one around. Half the morning passed and I still haven't come back. I'm going to come out to look for you!" As he spoke, he was about to pull Ma Xingxing away. Ma Xingxing was stunned, but he was pulled away by the man.  Walk.  "Wait a minute!" Jin Sanpang on the side stopped the man with his baton and asked: "What do you do? Do you know him?" "Master!" The man turned to Jin Sanpang with a smile: "  The villain's surname is Yu Zhiheng. He is a worker at Wuxing Forge. This guy is from the same factory. In the morning, our foreman asked him to come out and buy half a catty of tea. As a result, the boy disappeared as soon as he went out. The foreman asked me to come find him. Just now  I bumped into some gentlemen in a hurry, please forgive me!" Jin Sanpang looked at the two people in front of him, and was about to question him more carefully, when suddenly there was a sound of "thief" in the distance, and he had to wave to them.  Waving his hand: "Then go back to your factory quickly, don't run around outside!" He ran towards the sound of people.  "Brother, have you admitted the wrong person?" As soon as Ma Xingxing spoke, the smile on Yu Zhiheng's face disappeared. He tugged on Ma Xingxing's sleeve: "Quickly, it's not convenient to talk here!" Ma  Martian was confused and dragged towards the alley by the roadside by Yu Zhiheng. He saw that Yu Zhiheng was getting more and more remote as he walked. He couldn't help but beat his heart and thought to himself: "Is this guy trying to trick me into a secluded place?"  Harm me." Thinking of this, Ma Xingxing looked at the man's back carefully, and saw that the man was wearing a dirty and colorless coarse cloth jacket and had a strong build. He felt more and more that his guess was reasonable, and he suddenly  He freed his sleeves and said in a deep voice: "What do you want to do? But let me be clear in advance, I don't have any money!" Yu Zhiheng was stunned when he heard this, and then realized that the other party thought he was going to hit him.  He couldn't help but feel angry and funny: "If I hadn't interrupted and pulled you away just now, you would have been drinking old rice porridge in the poor workhouse. You thought I was going to harm you. You really don't know what's good and what's good!" "  Poor people's academy? "Yu Zhiheng looked at Ma Mars for a while, and then he sneered: "You were not a craftsman before, right? I don't know which master had the bad idea.  They said that poor people who could not find jobs wandered around in the city and corrupted the customs, so they created this thing. Whenever they met poor people who were wandering around and had no jobs, they were taken to the poor people's workhouses and said that they could learn a craft to make a living.  "Isn't this a good thing? Why do you think it's a bad idea?" Ma Xingxing asked in confusion.  "You know nothing!" Yu Zhiheng spat on the ground: "The poor man Xi Yi said it sounds good, but it is actually a prison cell. No matter who is caught, their belongings will be searched first and every day.  He only had two meals of porridge, and slept on hard boards in both winter and summer. In the first three months, he did simple chores sent from various factories. If he couldn't find a boss willing to hire him within three months, he would be sent away.  Go to hard labor - road construction, port dredging, porting, etc., and be locked up with murderers and thieves. Now the bosses in the factory will be happy if they think the wages are too low and ask for more.  If they want money, they will call the black dog and take the workers to the poor workhouse without even making up any charges. "Do you think this is a bad idea?" "This can't be true, right?"  When Mars heard this, he couldn't help but stutter.  "If you don't believe it, you can go back to the fat policeman. He found out soon after he was arrested!" Yu Zhiheng sneered: "Look at the gown you are wearing, you were not a poor person in the past. If I had known, I would have let you in to taste the poor people.  Taste!" At this time, a young man ran over from a nearby alley and shouted breathlessly: "Uncle Yu, I have got rid of that fat policeman!"  We can't leave yet." Yu Zhiheng smiled and patted the young man's shoulder, and bowed his hand to Ma Xingxing: "Then let's say goodbye, just take care of yourself!" After that, he turned and left.  "Wait a minute!" Ma Xingxing became anxious when he saw that the other party was about to leave. He was like a drowning man, trying to hold on to whatever he encountered.  "What's the matter with you?" Yu Zhiheng stopped impatiently: "We were strangers to begin with, and now we have gone our separate ways after the matter is over. Weren't you just afraid that we would harm you?" "Brother Yu, I  Don¡¯t take what you said just now!¡± Ma Xingxing hurriedly smiled and said: ¡°There are everyone on the beach, isn¡¯t there anything I can do? Please forgive me!¡± Yu Zhiheng looked at Ma Xingxing for a while and smiled.  Said: "Yes, there are all kinds of people in Shanghai. I rushed over like that just now. No wonder you are defensive. Well, look at you, you are also a poor man, poor in the world."?It's a family.  If you need help from me, Yu Zhiheng, just ask. Of course, if you can't do it, don't dare to say it!  "At this point, he scratched the back of his head and laughed. "I haven't been able to find a job for several days. My savings are about to be used up. My wife and children are counting on me!  At this point, Ma Xingxing lowered his head: "I can write and do accounting, but I really can't find a job!"  "    "well!  "Yu Zhiheng also sighed: "Why don't you follow me to the factory and give it a try? A few days ago, a young worker broke his leg.  But I can¡¯t say for sure!  Ma Xingxing hurriedly bowed and said, "Thank you so much, Brother Yu!"  " Yu Zhiheng quickly stepped aside to avoid the other party's gift: "Don't thank me. This is a hard job. I think you used to be a writer, so you may not be able to endure it.  " "Whether it's a pen or a hoe, you can't rely on it when your wife and children need to eat and drink!  Ma Xingxing smiled bitterly: "Besides, looking at the current situation, if there is no work, he may be sent to the training school one day. What will the wife and children at home do at that time? Even if they know that there is a fire pit in front of them, they still have to go."  Jump inside!  " "You are right!  "Yu Zhiheng nodded: "But it's not like a fire pit. We all take care of each other. If we are tired, we can live well.  Let's do this. You and I go to the factory and have a look. If it works, I'll ask two people to move your belongings to the side of the factory later. It's more convenient!  " "Then it will be hard work!  "Shanghai Shunhua Company Office. There was a burst of laughter in the room. Chen Zaixing and a foreign businessman in a suit were sitting on the sofa talking and laughing. A silver coffee pot was banging on the stove, freshly cooked  The unique aroma of coffee fills the air, and the room is filled with a pleasant smell. ¡°Everyone, in the next five years, Shunhua Company will purchase machinery and equipment with a total value of no less than one million pounds from Europe.  .  In addition, if the interest and conditions are suitable, the company will also need a loan of no less than three million pounds, of course, all of this will have sufficient collateral.  I don¡¯t know if any of you are interested!  "Chen Zaixing's English is already very proficient. Although he still has an accent unique to East Asians, he can use it for conversation without any problem. "Mr. Chen, our foreign company is very interested in the cooperation of ghost companies!  The European businessman with a big beard replied carefully: "But as far as I know, many of the machines and equipment you need can be used for military and other special purposes. According to the laws of the British Empire, some machines  The export of equipment is restricted, so¡ª¡ª" "So if the cooperation is successful, you can get a good price, a good price that you can't refuse!  "Chen Zaixing interrupted the other party's speech with a smile: "No, no!  The British businessman tried his best to retort: ??"Mr. Chen, this is not a question of price. What I talked about with you is the imperial ban. As a British businessman, I have the obligation to abide by Her Majesty the Queen's decrees!"  " Chen Zaixing smiled and replied: "Mr. James, I admire your persistence.  But as far as I know, your company is not the only foreign company in the British Empire, and the British Empire is not the only country in the world that can produce these machines and equipment.  Even if you refuse to sell these equipment to my company, I can always find another foreign company to buy these equipment for me, just for a higher price.  And your persistence does not mean anything to your motherland. The only result is to allow your competitors to profit from it.  " Hearing Chen Zaixing's words, the British businessman named James lowered his head. From the expression on his face, it was easy to tell that he was in the midst of a fierce ideological struggle. Chen Zaixing smiled and patted his shoulder.  He whispered: "Mr. James, as far as I know, there is a saying in your country that if a law cannot protect the interests of its businessmen, then the law has no meaning!  The purpose of this ban is not actually to prevent me from getting these machines and equipment. As I just said, as long as I can afford a high price, I can always get these machines and equipment from a certain businessman, either the British Empire or a  Other countries.  The real purpose of the law was to enable a certain clever British businessman to make a higher profit than usual from the business, wasn't it?  " "Okay, Mr. Chen, you convinced me!  James finally nodded. He stood up and stretched out his hand to Chen Zaixing: "However, I have to spend more money to open up various joints, so the price must go up by 100%."  " "No, thirty percent!  "Chen Zaixing did not reach out. "Thirty percent?  This is absolutely impossible, you should know how much risk we take!  Eighty-five percent, no less!  "Forty-five percent is the most. You must know that the Germans can also produce these equipment. Their original price is only 100% of yours."Less than eighty.  "Mr. Chen, the quality of German products cannot be compared with the high-quality products of the British Empire."  "James's voice raised two tones, but then his voice softened again: "But because of my deep personal friendship with you, I can make a little concession, 70%, no more.  More, this is the final bottom line!  " "Fifty-five percent. In addition, I will open an account in your name at Standard Chartered Bank. As long as the contract is signed successfully, there will be an extra 70,000 pounds in it.  "Having said this, Chen Zaixing stood up and extended his right hand to the other party. "Okay!  James thought for a moment, shook his head and reached out to hold Chen Zaixing's right hand: "Mr. Chen, I have to admit that you are a very good negotiator. As soon as I return to London, I will be stripped down by my boss."  leather!  " Chen Zaixing smiled and handed the other party a cup of hot coffee: "Don't worry, I'm not someone who forgets old friends.  Besides, don¡¯t you already have a thicker, warmer layer of skin now?  "At this point, the two of them laughed tacitly. "Sir, there is an emergency telegram from Mandalay!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 143 Bad News

    A voice came through the door. Chen Zaixing bowed slightly to James and said, "Excuse me, Mr. James!" "Please feel free, I can appreciate these two wonderful pieces of porcelain!" James smiled and pointed.  Two exquisite porcelain plates on the coffee table nearby.  "Thank you very much!" Chen Zaixing walked quickly to the door, and Jiang Zhiqing, who was standing by the door, hurriedly handed over a copy of the telegram.  Chen Zaixing opened it and took a look, his face changed slightly, and he saw only six words on the message: "Luo Lin was born prematurely, come home soon!" "You immediately prepare for me a ticket for the nearest passenger ship to Myanmar!" Chen Zaixing said lowly.  He ordered in a loud voice.  "Yes, sir!" Jiang Zhiqing nodded, turned around and was about to leave, but was pulled back by Chen Zaixing: "After I leave, take my film and go to the Consultative Bureau and let you work in the Poor Workhouse.  Find more forging and machinery workers and send them to Myanmar. The iron factories and railway construction sites are in urgent need of such people. Also, have the two porcelain plates on the coffee table wrapped and sent to Mr. James tomorrow.  Go home!" "Yes, sir!" Mandalay, Royal Palace, Luolin Palace.  This gorgeous building that combines Southeast Asian and Chinese characteristics was rebuilt on the ruins of the original building after the Xipao Rebellion six years ago. Due to Chen Zaixing's personal hobbies, this building does not have any of the features commonly seen in Southeast Asian architecture.  A large number of reliefs and sculptures of gods, Buddhas, demons, and asuras were replaced by rockeries, pools, wooden pavilions, bamboo forests, and courtyards full of Jiangnan garden characteristics.  Among the palaces, this palace has the strongest living atmosphere. Unlike other buildings in the palace, it looks strict and scary. It is more like a temple shared by humans and gods than a human residence.  But today, the atmosphere of this building is completely different. Various statues of gods and Buddhas fill every corridor and house. Along with these statues, groups of monks wearing red and yellow robes pour in.  , these monks burned incense candles and recited scriptures that no one could understand. The sound of their scriptures mixed with the atmosphere of sandalwood, adding an extra uneasy atmosphere to the palace.  On the lawn outside the gate, about twenty nobles and monks looked at the building that was used as a delivery room not far away with complicated emotions. These people were either powerful nobles or extremely famous people in Myanmar.  Religious leaders are all important people who usually stomp on the ground and the ground will shake. But at this time, they couldn't even enter the courtyard and could only stand outside and wait silently.  These old foxes who have been in the political circle for decades know well that the health and gender of the child who is about to be born, as well as the safety of the mother and child, will have a great impact on the fight for the Kingdom of Myanmar in the next few decades.  Being part of it will also have a great impact on their future interests.  "Master Yu Wen, Your Majesty the Princess has been in the delivery room for four hours, but she hasn't come out yet. Look at this -" A nobleman in a light red brocade robe asked in a low voice to the monk aside.  It was not high, but it was enough for everyone present to hear clearly. Although the other nobles and monks tried their best to pretend not to care, they still instinctively came closer.  The monk carefully looked at the New Army soldiers standing in front of the gate not far away with guns, and replied in a low voice: "Both Your Majesties are descendants of the gods, and all the prayers and divination performed before have been obtained."  Auspicious answer, so it will be fine!" "That's natural, that's natural!" Not getting the expected answer made the nobleman a little embarrassed. He carefully observed the other person's face for a while and gritted his teeth.  He asked in a low voice: "Honored Master, the Buddha has given you enough wisdom to master the most subtle mysteries of the law. I have a small worry that has never been answered. I hope you can relieve this worry for me. I don't know if you can."  "Okay?" The monk looked at the nobleman in surprise, as if he was wondering why the other party suddenly raised this question at this time, but he still nodded: "Of course, if the Buddha once gave me some wisdom, then it is.  In order to relieve the troubles of the world, how can a monk refuse the request of the world? " "Your Majesty, my question is if Her Majesty the eldest princess gives birth to a son, then whether this son also has a sacred power?  Where is the bloodline?" The monk frowned. He had roughly guessed the other party's intention, but he still nodded: "Yes, if it is the son born by the eldest princess, he will naturally have sacred bloodline, but this one  The bloodline is just far away from the god¡¯s bloodline!¡± ¡°According to the law, only the sacred bloodline can ascend to the sacred throne, otherwise this child will not be protected by the god.¡±  "Yes!" The monk's face became more and more ugly: "But His Majesty the King is still young and has enough time to give birth to a sacred offspring.?, they are the true owners and heirs of the throne, and what you just said will not happen at all.  " "Yes, His Majesty the King and his descendants are naturally closer to the bloodline of the gods, and naturally have more full rights to ascend the sacred throne.  "The noble's voice became deeper, and his eyes became gloomy: "But who knows what will happen?  The blood of the gods cannot make the king immortal. A glass of poisonous wine and a dagger can solve the problem.  " "You¡ª¡ª" The monk's eyes widened, and he wanted to rebuke the other party loudly, but he couldn't open his mouth. At this moment, there was a commotion in the crowd, and the two of them turned around and saw Luo Qin and Diok.  , Maung Ji and his party are walking this way along the corridor "See Your Majesty!"  " The nobles and monks hurriedly bowed to the visitor. The three people did not stop. They just nodded slightly and walked into the courtyard quickly. Looking at the backs of the three people, the atmosphere on the lawn outside the courtyard changed.  It was weird. In the delivery room, Luo Lin was lying on the bed. Although the midwife beside her kept wiping the sweat off her face with a towel, new sweat continued to drip from her forehead and tangled her long hair.  They were all wet. Compared to her swollen belly, her pale face looked extremely small and pitiful. The two midwives held her little hands and encouraged her in a low voice: "Your Majesty, please use a little more strength.  Use a little more force and it will come out immediately.  " Luo Lin nodded. She no longer had the strength to speak. The nearly four hours of torture had exhausted most of her strength. At this time, she could only make a low moan. The severe pain in her lower body made her think  She had been torn apart, and beads of sweat the size of soybeans were rolling down her forehead. A thought suddenly flashed in her mind - was she going to die here? Luo was walking in a hurry outside the delivery room.  Quickly rushing towards the door, a tall, dark-skinned Sikh officer stepped forward to stop him and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, please wait here. Your Majesty the eldest princess is giving birth now!"  " "Simba, get out of the way, I want to go in and see how my sister is doing!  "Luo Qin waved his arms irritably, as if this could make the person in front of him disappear. But the Sikh officer did not get out of the way. He stretched out his arms, and his burly body blocked Luo Qin's way like a wall.  "Your Majesty the King, please wait outside, you can't go in now!  " "Get out of the way, I am the king!  "Luo Qin's voice raised a tune. He stared at the ignorant guy in front of him with wide eyes. He knew that most of these brother-in-law's private mercenaries were originally British mercenaries. After the mutiny, they were afraid of returning to India and being subject to the British.  Only human punishment remains in Myanmar: ¡°You traitors and bastards who deserve to be hanged!  "His voice was full of contempt and disgust that could not be concealed. A trace of angry blush appeared on Simba's dark face, but it was not obvious. He controlled his emotions, took half a step back, and backhanded  Holding the handle of the knife at his waist, he drew out his sword and drew a horizontal line on the ground: "Dear Your Majesty, the order I accepted is that no one, including you, can enter the delivery room during the delivery of Your Majesty the Princess.  I will apologize to Mr. Chen for disrespecting His Majesty after he returns, but before that, anyone who dares to cross this line will pay the price with his life!  "Having said this, Simba made a gesture, and the dozen guards behind him took a step back and took off the rifles from their shoulders. Looking at the black muzzles in front of him and the cold eyes of the soldiers, Luo Qin trembled all over  Getting up, he wanted to yell, reprimand, or order the New Army soldiers outside the door to come in and drive away these "despicable" Sikh soldiers, but these sounds froze in his throat, and an already unfamiliar emotion took over.  Luo Qin knew very well that this was fear in his mind and body. ¡°Your Majesty, please wait a moment. Now is not the time for Your Majesty to see you!  "A voice came from behind, it was Diok's voice. It seemed like a thawing potion, which restored Luo Qin from his stiff state. He nodded and stepped aside. An attendant had already brought a chair.  Come over and let him sit down. Seeing the other party retreat, Simba returned the sword to his sheath and made a gesture. The soldiers also hung their rifles back on their shoulders and stood aside. At this moment, there was a sudden sound from inside the room.  There was a high-pitched scream, followed by several cries. Luo Qin jumped up from his chair and shouted: "How is my sister? Is the baby out?"  "In the delivery room, Luo Lin lay exhausted on the bed. Her face was as pale as paper. The baby's cry came from one side, but an irresistible tiredness enveloped her and made her fall asleep. "Your Majesty,  His Majesty!  " I don't know how long it has passed, but a familiar voice woke Luo Lin up from her sleep. She opened her eyes with great effort, and what came into view was a man with wrinkled and slightly red skin.The midwife next to me said excitedly: "Your Majesty, look, it's a son! It's a son!"

 Volume 4 Leviathan 144 Hemorrhage

    "Great!" The last stone in Luo Lin's heart finally fell to the ground. If there is anything else that worries her, it is that she has not left her husband a true heir. There is no doubt that their first child, Chen Songqing, is smart and capable.  Cute, but a daughter is a daughter. Since Chen Zaixing married a wife like Luo Lin, the possibility of taking a concubine is slim, so Luo Lin has the obligation to give birth to a son for him - a true heir.  "Oops, His Majesty is suffering from massive postpartum hemorrhage!" A scream came from the other side of the bed. Luo Lin raised his head with difficulty, just in time to see that the white sheet on which his lower body was cushioned was rapidly turning red - this  was the last thing she saw, and then she passed out again.  Outside the delivery room, Luo Qin was so anxious that he jumped up from his chair. If Diok hadn't stopped him, he might have tried to rush into the delivery room again.  Diok laboriously told him that as a king and a man, it was filthy and unlucky to enter the delivery room at this time. He only had to stand outside the delivery room and wait for a while before he could see his sister and the newborn baby.  ¡ª¡ªIn another, cleaner room, of course.  Luo Qin managed to control his impatience, but ten minutes passed and no one came out of the delivery room to tell them everything. On the contrary, there were doctors and nurses in white coats busy going in and out of the delivery room.  Now even Luo Qin could see that something was wrong with the situation. At this time, a doctor walked out quickly and whispered a few words to Simba. Luo Qin could no longer bear it and rushed forward quickly and grabbed him.  The doctor's sleeve asked sternly: "What's going on? How is my sister now?" "Dear Your Majesty the King!" The Chinese doctor hired by Chen Zaixing with a high salary carefully withdrew it from Luo Qin's hand.  Right hand: "It's a boy. Everything is fine with the child. As for the eldest princess, the situation is very critical. She suffered from massive postpartum hemorrhage!" "Hemorrhage?" Due to lack of medical knowledge, Luo Qin was not able to understand the true meaning of this word, but  Still, he instinctively understood the dangerous situation his sister was in.  Tears quickly flowed from his eyes.  "Doctor, please save my sister, you must!" Luo Qin said in tears: "I can fulfill all your wishes, gold, ivory, gems, land, women, anything is OK, as long as my sister is safe!"  "Thank you for your generosity!" The doctor smiled bitterly: "I will do my best without your reward. But even King Solomon cannot buy one more day of life with gold. Please forgive me, I am going in."  Luo Qin looked at the doctor's back, tears streaming down his cheeks. Ever since his father was killed by the traitor Xi Pao six years ago, the horrible feeling had gripped him again.  No, this time is even worse. No matter how bad the situation was six years ago, my dear sister never separated from herself for a moment.  But today is different. The god of death has grabbed my sister's throat. What should I do if my sister is gone and I am left alone in the world?  "Your Majesty the King!" A voice came from behind. Luo Qin turned around. It was Diok who spoke. His face was also full of concern and worry. Obviously, like himself, he also heard what the doctor just said.  .  Luo Qin sobbed and asked: "Counsellor Diok, will my sister die?" "Her Majesty the eldest princess has made great contributions to the country, and the gods and Buddhas will definitely bless her!" Diok replied in a low voice:  "But before Her Majesty the eldest princess recovers, Your Majesty, you must shoulder your responsibilities. You are the king. Before Her Majesty the eldest princess recovers to health enough to take charge of the government, you must govern the country so that she can rest in peace and recuperate!" "Well!  ! I will work hard until my sister recovers, and I will hand the kingdom back to her properly!" Luo Qin wiped away the tears on his face and nodded fiercely. He looked back at the delivery room not far away and said fiercely.  Turning his head, he said to Diok: "We are going back now, but we have to keep a few people here. Whenever there is news about my sister, please notify me immediately!" "Yes, Your Majesty!" Throughout the conversation, Maung Ji  He had been silent. He had just been released from prison not long ago, and he just watched Diok comforting Luo Qin quietly, as if he was a person outside the incident.  When Diok walked past Maung Ji, he gently tugged on his sleeve and whispered: "Follow me, there's still time!" Two days later, late at night, Luo Qin was suffering from a splitting headache.  He was carefully reading the pile of documents in front of him, and an attendant outside the door walked quickly to his side and whispered a few words in his ear.  Luo Qin stood up abruptly and asked with a trembling voice: "What do you think happened to my sister?" "Her Majesty the Princess sent a message just now, asking you to come over and hurry up!" "Okay, okay, I will  Come over now!" Luo Qin dropped the half-read document in his hand and followed.The entourage walked out quickly, and by the time he arrived at Luo Lin's residence, it was already one o'clock in the morning.  When Luo Qin came in, she was saying something to her daughter who was leaning on the bedside. The doctor was standing aside with a sad expression.  "Sister!" Seeing Luo Lin's look, Luo Qin's throat seemed to be blocked by an invisible plug, and his eye circles became red.  "It's Luo Qin!" Luo Lin's voice was very weak. She smiled at her daughter: "Mom has something to tell your uncle. Songqing, would you please sit aside and play for a while?" "Okay!" Grandma Chen Songqing  He responded with a milky voice and walked aside.  Luo Qin suppressed the sadness in his heart, walked to the bed and knelt down, grabbed his sister's hand, and whispered: "Sister!" "Luo Qin, why are you like this!" At this time, Luo Lin's face was extremely pale, and he even gave  He felt transparent, his hands were even colder, and a chill penetrated Luo Qin's heart.  Suddenly he understood in his heart: his sister's life will not last long. In a few hours, or even half an hour, or ten minutes, the person who has the closest blood relationship with him in the world will also be the person who loves him most.  will leave this world.  When he thought of this, tears flowed out of Luo Qin's eyes uncontrollably.  "Luo Qin, don't cry. Why are you crying? Everyone has this day. I am not dying, I am just going to the world where my father and mother are." Seeing his brother crying, Luo Lin stretched out his arms just like he did in the past.  She wiped Luo Qin's face with her right hand, but she no longer had the strength to do so. She could only use her fingertips to brush Luo Qin's cheek and put it down feebly.  Seeing his sister like this, Luo Qin couldn't help but lay on her chest and burst into tears. Luo Lin stretched out his right hand and gently stroked his brother's hair, just like they did when they were together in the past.  A few minutes later, Luo Qin raised his head. His eyes were already red and swollen.  Luo Lin said softly: "Brother, after I leave, you must consult Susheng's opinion on everything. It is too difficult for you and me to rule the kingdom." "Yes, sister!  "Luo Qin nodded. For some reason, he felt that his sister's face had become more transparent.  "Maybe my sister's life is about to end!" He couldn't help but think to himself.  "Brother, can you do me a favor? Bring that child to me. I want to take a look at him, but I don't have the strength to turn over!" "Okay, sister!" Luo Qin walked to the other side of the bed.  , carefully picked up the baby who was sleeping very sweetly, walked to Luo Lin's side, carefully placed it next to her sister, and whispered: "Sister, is it convenient for you to see if I put it here? Sister? Sister?"  " Luo Qin's cry received no response. His sister was lying on her side on the bed, with a peaceful smile on her face, but life had already left this body in those few seconds.  "Sister!" A painful roar came from the house, mixed with the baby's cry, which seemed particularly terrifying.  Twenty days later, Mandalay.  Chen Zaixing walked down the steps tiredly. What greeted him on the pier were Diok and Luo Qin. Both were dressed in black, and there was a white flower on Luo Qin's chest.  Seeing this scene, Chen Zaixing's face instantly turned gloomy.  "What happened? What happened to Luo Lin?" "Sister, sister!" Luo Qin's voice choked up again, and Diok on the side quickly added: "Twenty-two days ago, Her Majesty the eldest princess was born prematurely. The child was  It was saved, but His Majesty suffered from severe postpartum hemorrhage. Two days later, two days later¡ª" At this point, Diok also lowered his head.  Chen Zaixing closed his eyes. The bad news hit him hard. After a while, he used his willpower to control himself.  "Where is Luo Lin's body? I'm going to see her!" In the icehouse, Chen Zaixing looked at his wife's body in the glass coffin. Perhaps due to the freezing, the face of the body was a little deformed. It took Chen Zaixing a while to find it.  Connect the following wax figure-like thing with your wife.  After staying alone in the icehouse for twenty minutes, he walked out of the icehouse and immediately told Diok and Luo Qin who were waiting outside that he was feeling very sad due to Luo Lin's sudden death, so he needed to  After returning to his manor to recuperate for a period of time, he will also bring his wife's body back to the manor for cremation and burial next to the small lake.  "That was Luo Lin's favorite place during her lifetime. I hope she can be buried there!" Chen Zaixing said with some choking.  In order to prevent his stupidity from being exposed, although Weber has registered Weibo, he has never used it much. Recently, he found that it is still somewhat useful.  The following is my meager account (http:\/\/weibo.com\/u\/1834933490). I hope book friends will also follow it and strive to have more than 2,000 fans in August.Book friends who like to collect books, please!  http:\/\/weibo.  com\/u\/1834933490

 Volume 4 Leviathan 145 Sorrow

    Diok said that he understood Chen Zaixing's grief, but he still had to carefully remind Chen Zaixing that although Her Majesty the Princess has left, His Majesty the King still cannot do without a loyal and experienced advisor like Mr. Chen. If possible,  He hopes that Mr. Chen will not abandon the kingdom and continue to assume the responsibility of consulting on state affairs.  When describing these words, Diok always emphasized the words "consultant" and "consultation" intentionally or unintentionally.  Chen Zaixing immediately stated that he had been struck down by the great pain of losing his wife. He now had neither the will nor the ability to shoulder his responsibilities. As for helping the king govern the country, he believed that there were many loyal and experienced nobles and officials in the kingdom.  can shoulder this responsibility. The Kingdom of Myanmar will not stop moving forward just because of the death of Her Majesty the Princess. For example, Counselor Diok, you are a very good consultant, and Wu Maung Kee can also stand up and shoulder this responsibility.  As for himself, let him return to his manor to mourn his deceased wife.  As one of the parties involved, Luo Qin could not get in the conversation at all. It was even difficult for him to fully understand the true meaning hidden under the gorgeous diplomatic rhetoric of Chen Zaixing and Diok.  But this cannot be blamed on him. It is too difficult for a seventeen-year-old boy who has not participated in actual political operations to understand this.  Emotionally, he hopes that Chen Zaixing can stay and continue to help him. After all, he is his sister's husband and the person who helped him regain the throne six years ago. But on the other hand, he feels sad for his brother-in-law's performance.  He was happy. In a sense, his sister died so early because he gave birth to an heir for him. This man could only be worthy of his dead sister if he showed enough grief.  As a result, it was not until Chen Zaixing went to pick up the baby boy who lost his mother just after birth that Luo Qin found the opportunity to face him alone.  ¡°Brother-in-law, I, I¡ª¡± Luo Qin wanted to say something, but got stuck mid-sentence.  "Stop talking, I understand what you want to say!" Chen Zaixing reached out and stroked Luo Qin's hair, just like he did during his escape six years ago. Then he hugged the young man fiercely into his arms and whispered: "  She is a good wife, a good sister, a good daughter, and a good mother. It is a pity that fate is unfair to her. Let us live well and miss her! When you have a child, you must tell him what a wonderful person he once was.  Good aunt, if this aunt is still alive, she will love him so much, she must tell him!" "Definitely!" Luo Qin closed his eyes tightly to prevent tears from flowing out.  Finally, Chen Zaixing pushed the young man out of his arms, patted him hard on the shoulder, turned around and walked quickly towards the carriage outside the door.  "Sir, are you going to the manor now?" Oba asked in a low voice.  Chen Zaixing is sitting on the carriage, and his daughter Chen Songqing is sitting opposite him, looking at her father opposite with curious eyes. At her age, it is difficult to understand the true meaning of death, and naturally she cannot understand the grief of adults.  Chen Zaixing reached out and rubbed his daughter's hair, thought for a moment, and ordered in a low voice: "Simba, go and prepare a sedan. I will change it when we get to the city gate." Simba's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood Chen Zaixing's intention.  Meaning, he didn't say anything, nodded and prepared to leave, but was stopped by Chen Zaixing.  "Immediately order all mercenaries to be on alert. All ammunition will be distributed to the soldiers. Half of them will be in the barracks and the remaining half will be in the manor. Also, send someone to Ren'an Qiang and notify the Burmese Colonel.  The situation in Myanmar may be unstable, and we need their support if necessary!" "Yes!" Chen Zaixing leaned on the leather cushion of the carriage, his eyes dark and incomprehensible. No one knew what he was thinking deep in his heart at this time.  , Chen Songqing, who was usually lively and naughty, seemed to be infected by the atmosphere in the carriage at this time, and sat quietly in his seat without saying a word.  That night, Chen Zaixing and his party returned to Babu Manor safely. He immediately changed into mourning clothes, personally sent his wife's body to the crematorium next to the lake, and lit the pyre himself.  Looking at the soaring flames, Chen Zaixing's eyes were solemn, and the monks' chanting sounds could be heard in his ears. The rich chanting sounds were mixed with the sound of the wind by the lake, as if even the elves in nature were chanting in some unknown language.  Chen Zaixing listened carefully for a while, but couldn't tell what he was talking about.  He sighed and whispered: "Alin, do you have anything else you want to tell me? Hey, you are always like this, hiding everything in your heart and wanting to bear it alone, even after leaving  I still can¡¯t let go! I¡¯ve been running around outside all these years, and I¡¯ve spent so little time with you and my children. I thought I could make up for it in the future, but I didn¡¯t expect you to leave so early¡ª¡±  Here, Chen Zaixing was already crying. After he came back, he suddenly learned that his beloved wife had passed away, but he had to suppress his emotions and arrange everything properly.It was only when I returned to the manor that I vented my anger. The cries were mixed with the crackling sound of burning wood, echoing in the night sky, and it sounded even more miserable.  After more than an hour, the fire on the pyre gradually extinguished. Two monks who were responsible for collecting the bones walked onto the crematorium, carefully picked up the remaining ashes into a beautiful porcelain jar, and presented them to Chen Zaixing.  Chen Zaixing looked lovingly at the porcelain jar containing his wife's ashes, and said softly: "Alin, I know that the two children and Luo Qin you couldn't let go of the most before you left. Don't worry, as long as I, Chen Zaixing, am still here, those  "Young people should not try to play tricks." "Two days later, an uninvited guest came to the Babu Manor, but it was Privy Council Counselor Diok. After meeting with Chen Zaixing, he made two requests: First,  Invite the other party to attend the state funeral ceremony as the husband of Her Majesty the Eldest Princess; secondly, hand over the body of Her Majesty the Eldest Princess and bury her in a traditional royal cemetery.  "There is no problem in participating in the state funeral ceremony. But -" Chen Zaixing said this and changed his voice: "I have cremated Alin's body. I plan to bury her on a small mound by the lake of the manor, which was where she was during her lifetime.  My favorite place, Alin was most afraid of being alone when she was alive. This way, my children and I can be closer to her and spend more time with her!¡± ¡°This¡ª¡± Diok smiled bitterly: ¡°Mr. Chen, I understand very well!  Your love for the late eldest princess, but according to the tradition of the kingdom, the royal family must be buried in a special royal cemetery, and there are also special monks to worship. " "All the royal family?"  Chen Zaixing frowned: "Probably not. There are so many royal bloodlines, there's no reason why they should all be buried in one place!" At this point, Chen Zaixing's face clearly showed the expression "Don't coax me."  "It is true that not all members of the royal family will be buried in special cemeteries, but Her Majesty, the eldest princess, has been in charge of state affairs for many years and defeated the traitor Xipao. She is well-known among the people and is not an ordinary member of the royal family!" After listening to Diok's explanation!  , Chen Zaixing lowered his head and thought for a long time. Just when Diok thought that the other party was about to say yes, Chen Zaixing suddenly stood up and said in a deep voice: "Alin is a member of the royal family, and she is my wife and the mother of my child. I believe her.  I prefer to be with the people closest to me. As for worshiping and making offerings, you can do it in the manor!" After saying that, he turned and walked into the house. Seeing this, Diok hurriedly shouted: "Mr. Chen, this matter concerns the nobles of the kingdom!  Please think twice about what you think of the people!" "What do you think?" Chen Zaixing turned around with a sneer on his face: "What do you think of A Lin or me?  Just look at the feudal monarchs in India and you will know what will happen to those nobles who are eating from people's plates. As for me, I don't care what some people think of me!  Come and see us off!" Having said this, Chen Zaixing turned around and entered the room.  When Diok saw this, he had no choice but to leave sadly.  The unhappy expression on Diok's face disappeared as soon as he got on the elephant, and was replaced by the pride of having succeeded. He tapped his knees rhythmically with his knuckles and said with a smile: "Okay, very good."  Okay! Sure enough, Chen Zaixing refused to hand over the body of the eldest princess. When I came here, I was still thinking about how to get him to refuse. I didn't expect it to be so easy. It seems that the good times these years have made Chen Zaixing a little forgetful!"  , Diok couldn't help but laugh in a low voice.  ¡°Sir Counselor, are you going back to your home or to the palace now?¡± A follower asked from outside.  "Go to the palace first!" At the palace, Luo Qin was wearing the king's gorgeous crown, but his face was a little pale and his eyes were red and swollen. It was obvious that he had not gotten over the pain of losing his sister just now.  "I am here to see you, Your Majesty!" Diok knelt on the ground and kissed the steps at the king's feet.  "Get up quickly, Master Diok!" Luo Qin moved his body unaccustomedly: "This is not a formal occasion in the hall, so you don't need to perform such solemn etiquette." "No, Your Majesty!" Diok  After completing the etiquette meticulously, he got up from the ground: "You have just ascended the throne and your power is not yet stable. As the counselor of the Privy Council and the head of the ministers, I must be more careful in my words and deeds to establish your prestige!" After hearing the other party's answer, Luo  A grateful look appeared on Qin's face: "Oh, you are really a role model for ministers! By the way, did you go to Babu Manor today? How is brother-in-law? You told him to return to the court to assist  My business?" "Your Majesty, you have too many questions at once, please allow me to answer them one by one!" Diok smiled: "I did go to Babu Manor today and met Mr. Chen.  He looked sad and tired and looked like a completely different person, and to be honest, I never thought he would look like this!"

 Volume 4 Leviathan 146 Plans Within 1

    "Oh, no wonder he behaves like this!" Luo Qin sighed: "My sister is still so young. He went to Hanking, but no one came back. He didn't even see her for the last time!" "Yes, but  This also shows that Mr. Chen and His Majesty the Eldest Princess have a deep friendship. Your Majesty was right when you dared to marry him despite the disapproval of the world!" Diok complimented a few words and changed his meaning: "But I asked him at the beginning!  Mr. Chen returned the body and attended the funeral, but his reaction was quite fierce, claiming that the body had been cremated and would be buried in the manor. After several attempts by Wei Chen, Mr. Chen persisted and I had no choice but to leave. As for inviting him.  He didn't give any reply about coming back to assist His Majesty!" "Well, my brother-in-law must have been too excited and didn't expect this." Luo Qin smiled and said, "It's indeed not appropriate to mention this at this juncture.  Let¡¯s talk about it later. Councilor, it¡¯s your fault!¡± Diok hurriedly bent down and said respectfully: ¡°Very good, Councilor!¡±  He got off the throne and patted the other party's shoulder gently: "I'm sorry for everything!" "I dare you to serve me to the death!" Diok raised his head, his face already filled with tears.  Outside the palace, Diok walked out of the palace gate. An attendant hurriedly greeted him and asked in a low voice: "Master, where are you going now?" "Go back!" Diok climbed onto the elephant expressionlessly, like a slave.  He carefully lowered the curtains for him, and the cage immediately became dark. Only a little light came in through the gaps in the curtains, and reflected on Diok's face, making him look even more eerie.  "Retreat to advance? Chen Zaixing, you are still playing those old tricks!" Diok suddenly said to himself: "But once you let go of power, it will not be so easy to catch it. Once Luo Lin dies,  , your closest connection with the Burmese royal family has been severed, but you have so many financial resources and benefits, how many people are jealous! How can you keep it without this divine card?  It¡¯s a joke! But if Chen Zaixing retreats, many of those stupid nobles will definitely come forward and force you to stand up again. That¡¯s when you¡¯ll die! Dance, monkeys!  Dance hard, so that Mr. Diok can have a good time!" Babu Village Manor.  Simba walked quickly through the corridor, his heavy leather boots stepping on the teak floor, making a dull sound that passed through the long corridor, making the building even more gloomy.  Soon, a corner appeared in front of Simba. After being inspected by a guard, Simba entered a small patio. He stopped hesitantly. Several windows were dark, and no light came from inside.  come out.  "Is it Simba? The door is unlocked, come in!" At this time, a familiar voice came from the room. Simba swallowed, opened the door and walked in. He saw a little firelight just lighting up the room, but  It accentuated the darkness in the room.  "I wanted to be alone for a while, so I didn't light the lamp!" Chen Zaixing shook his right hand and threw the extinguished matchstick on the table. Simba noticed a few gold coins scattered on the table.  "How was it? Where did Diok go after leaving the manor?" Simba stood up straight like a conditioned reflex: "Tell me, sir! Counselor Diok went to the palace after leaving the manor, and then went home.  I'm not going anywhere else!" "Yes!" Chen Zaixing nodded. He suddenly noticed that Simba was still standing there and pointed to a chair next to him: "Sit down! Simba, private occasions don't have to be so formal.  "Yes, sir!" Simba sat down, but still sat upright. This former Sikh warrior seemed to like this kind of military style very much.  "Simba, what do you think Diok, this seemingly normal Privy Councilor, did after he left the manor?" "My lord, I am a soldier, not a wizard, so I don't  I don¡¯t know what he did!¡± Simba paused briefly as he said this: ¡°But I think you shouldn¡¯t spend your energy on guessing what he is thinking or doing, but on how to no matter what he thinks.  No matter what I do, I can't threaten you!" "Simba, your way of thinking is really linear!" Chen Zaixing couldn't help laughing when he heard Simba's aggressive answer: "But you are right, regardless of Diok.  No matter what he thinks, I can't place my hope on his loyalty now, after all, this is the man who has betrayed two kings!" At this point, Chen Zaixing stood up and paced back and forth in the room, the faint kerosene light shining brightly on him.  His figure is projected on the wall, like a mythical giant.  Suddenly he stopped, stared into Simba's eyes, and asked: "Simba, can I expect your loyalty?" Simba suddenly stood up and asked Chen XiChen Zaixing made a military salute: "Sir, please give me the order! Except for Shunhua Company, we have nowhere to go!" "Very good!" Chen Zaixing smiled slightly: "You should choose two trustworthy people now, go  Once inside the city, please ask Maoji to come out of the city the day after tomorrow." "Yes, sir!" Simba gave Chen Zaixing a military salute and turned around to go out.  Listening to the footsteps gradually fading away, Chen Zaixing sat back in the armchair and turned on the kerosene lamp a little brighter. The light shone on the coffee table next to the seat, revealing an exquisite urn.  Chen Zaixing stretched out his hand and stroked the smooth wall of the bottle, and said softly: "Alin, as soon as you left, all kinds of clowns popped out again. But it doesn't matter, they won't be rampant for long, I will let them go after a while  Everyone, go down below. This kingdom belongs to you and me. It will be left to Songqing and Songwen in the future. No one can take it away!" Unlike most Burmese nobles, Maung Kyi did not react when he saw Luo Lin's death.  The kind of ecstasy that "it's finally our turn" and "the opportunity has finally arrived" is the kind of confusion of not knowing what is ahead.  He knew very well that after the Tin Robe Rebellion a few years ago, the Kingdom of Myanmar was actually no longer the completely independent country it used to be. The current kingdom was full of internal contradictions and was just like a broken earthen pot fixed with iron hoops.  The death of Luo Lin means that the most important iron hoop is broken, and the broken earthen jar will immediately turn into a pile of broken tiles.  Of course, he didn't know whether the kingdom could be reborn after this great catastrophe, but one thing was certain, that was, millions of people would die in this catastrophe. The existing members of the royal family, nobles, monks, etc.  Everything would be changed beyond recognition, and it was questionable whether the kingdom itself would even exist.  Facing the possibility of such a catastrophe, Maung Kee's heart was filled with fear and trembling.  Therefore, while other aristocratic monks were colluding with each other, getting official appointments and making promises, applying themselves to the upcoming drama, and preparing to perform a wild dance, he was hiding alone at home, thanking guests behind closed doors, and was in panic all day long.  As a result, there were a few ignorant people who came over to try to win over him at first, but after these people hit a wall, no one came again. The front door of Maung Kee Mansion was deserted.  After dinner that day, Maung Ji took a walk alone in the back garden as usual. This house has been in the hands of his family for three generations, and a lot of effort has been spent on this garden over the years.  Although it was already the end of November, Mandalay is located in the subtropics, with flowers and fruits growing all year round.  As Maung Ji walked along the path in the garden, he felt waves of refreshing fragrance coming from all around, and his upset mood gradually calmed down.  "Is this Mr. Maung Kee?" A voice with a slight accent came from behind the bushes.  Maung Ji took a step back warily and asked in a deep voice: "Who is it?" "Don't worry, I mean no harm!" A tall man walked out from behind the bushes, raising his hands to indicate that he had no weapons.  Maung Ji felt relieved when he saw that the other party did not come over and that he had no weapons. He asked in a low voice: "Who are you and what are you doing sneakily?" "I am Lord Chen Zaixing's secret envoy. I think you should  Have you seen me!" There was the sound of matches rubbing in the air, and then Maung Ji saw a fire rising on the opposite side. With the light of the fire, he could see the familiar black face on the opposite side, it was the boy named Simba.  The Sikh commander of the Chinese mercenaries.  "It's you, Simba! Why don't you come in through the front door?" Maung Ji did not relax his vigilance. He carefully put his right hand into his arms and held the handle of the gun.  Since Rollin's death, he has always kept a loaded revolver hidden on his person in case of emergency.  "Mr. Maung Kee, please be careful. If you hold the gun like this, it will be bad if it goes off and hits you!" Simba's voice came over: "And at this distance, if I want to hurt you, you have no chance to use it.  That pistol!" At this point, his raised hands suddenly shook, and Maang Ji immediately felt a cool breeze blowing above his head, and then there was a crisp sound from behind. When he looked back, he saw a branch directly in front of him.  fell down.  "As for why I didn't come in through the main entrance, it's because there are too many eyes with ulterior motives in Mandalay at this time. My master doesn't want people who shouldn't know about it to know about it!" Maung Ji sighed,  He took his right hand out of his arms: "Okay, please tell me, you, no, it was Chen Zaixing who asked you to come here." "My master asked me to tell you that I hope you can go out for an outing in the city the day after tomorrow.  Relax your overly nervous mood." "That's it?" "Yes, that's it! Good night!" The tall figure in the darkness bowed to Song Shen and took two steps back.  It disappeared into the trees. Maung Ji heard a few sounds of branches being trampled, and then it became quiet.  Thank you book friend Dashi, qpiqpi for the reward

 Volume 4 Leviathan 147 Plan within Plan 2

    "Simba, Simba?" Maungji shouted twice more, but there was only the sound of insects in the air at night, and he was sure that the mysterious man was gone.  Maung Ji walked to the broken branch, bent down and picked it up. He reached out and touched the broken branch. It was very smooth. It should have been suddenly cut off by some sharp weapon. He called a servant to search nearby with a lantern for a while.  Finally, I found two metal rings the size of fists. The outer edges were polished very sharply. These should be the weapons Simba used in demonstrations just now.  Maung Ji took the two metal rings and looked at them for a while before sighing and going back to the house.  Two days later, he took a few followers and left the city. Along the way, he carefully observed his surroundings, but found nothing unusual.  At three or four o'clock in the afternoon, when he was about to return to Mandalay, several men on horseback appeared, and they quickly approached Maung Kyi and his party.  "Wu Maung Kee, long time no see!" Chen Zaixing stretched out his right hand to the other party: "I have a campsite not far away, can I go and sit for a while?" Maung Kee looked at Chen Zaixing, and it was not difficult to see sadness on the other person's face.  The traces left behind are two deep wrinkles on the originally smooth forehead. In the past, he was always filled with arrogance and conceit, but his eyes could not hide the sadness.  He sighed and took Chen Zaixing's outstretched right hand: "Yes, it's been a long time since we talked together." Maung Ji followed Chen Zaixing and his group through the bushes and saw a makeshift straw shed.  Dozens of armed guards stood around.  Maung Ji frowned slightly and whispered: "Master Chen, you are always so guarded wherever you go!" "That's because there are too many people who want me dead!" Chen Zaixing pointed to Mazar opposite and signaled to Maung.  Ji sat down: "But you are not that kind of person. You are a good person, a person who truly loves this country. There are very few people like you!" Maung Ji was a little embarrassed by Chen Zaixing's sudden compliment.  , he coughed and muttered: "Mr. Chen, did you spend so much effort just to tell me this?" "Of course not!" Chen Zaixing motioned to the men on the side to go away, and suddenly lowered his voice and said: "Luo Lin is dead  "Maung Ji was stunned when he heard this, and replied in a daze: "I know, Her Majesty the Princess has been dead for more than twenty days." "Maung Ji, you know very well that this country was finished six years ago.  , which Luo Lin and I rebuilt together, and now that Luo Lin is dead, the legal bond between me and the royal family has also been broken. If we don't do something, this country will soon fall into the trap of internal careerists.  The conspiracy and the invasion of foreign enemies fell apart!" At this point, Chen Zaixing stopped and looked into Maung Ji's eyes quietly.  Maung Ji didn't speak. He lowered his head to avoid Chen Zaixing's scorching gaze. Deep down in his heart, he knew very well that what the other person said was right, but he knew even better that everything Chen Zaixing had done in Myanmar was for his own benefit.  For Chen Zaixing, the Kingdom of Myanmar is not a homeland, but a place to gain profits.  This can be seen from the fact that Chen Zaixing betrayed the interests of the kingdom without hesitation during the negotiations.  Collaborating with such a Machiavellian filled him with guilt.  Seeing the other party¡¯s behavior, Chen Zaixing guessed what Maung Ji was thinking. He did not urge him, but waited silently.  After about half an hour, Maung Ji raised his head and asked: "Chen Zaixing, please tell me directly what you want me to do. Tell the truth, the whole truth. This is the only basis for our cooperation." "Ensure your own safety,  And serve as Privy Council Counselor! This is the only thing I need you to do! "Privy Council Counselor? Did Diok betray you?" Maung Ji's eyes widened.  "No, it should be said that I have no evidence yet!" Chen Zaixing smiled: "But during this period of time, I have always felt that there are some problems within the kingdom, but I don't know where the problem lies. I suspect that there is a person hiding behind the scenes, playing tricks.  , From a comprehensive analysis, Diok is the most likely, after all, he controls the Privy Council and the secret agents. " "Is this just the result of your imagination?" Mao Ji sneered: "I'm afraid people like you.  I have been suspecting that someone is playing tricks behind your back all day long. As far as I know, Diok has been serving you loyally. This year alone, he has uncovered at least a dozen aristocratic plots against you! " "That's true!  Maybe! But how do you explain that after uncovering so many conspiracies, these conspiracies have become more numerous and more organized? " "That's because your perverse actions have aroused the anger of the entire kingdom -" said  At this point, Maung Ji's voice suddenly stopped. Apparently he also discovered the flaw in his words.  "Wu Maoji, this is what I like about you - you are sensible and willing to face reality. Smart people are always lovable!" Chen Zaixing smiled and patted his palms twice: "These nobles react?I am not doing it for some lofty beliefs, but for power and interests. In the final analysis, it is interests.  Yes, Shunhua Company's actions have harmed the interests of many nobles, but it has not harmed the interests of all nobles. Moreover, a considerable number of nobles have benefited from selling shares and confirming annuities. You can't deny this!  In this case, there may only be a few nobles involved in the conspiracy. Most of the nobles understand that driving me away will only destroy everything existing, unless someone stands up and assures them that after driving me away,  He was able to re-stabilize the situation and deliver on all the promises he made to them.  Do you think there are many such people within the kingdom?  " Maung Ji was finally convinced by Chen Zaixing's eloquence. He was silent for a long time and whispered: "But all this is your guess after all, you have no evidence!  " "There is no need for evidence in political struggles, Wu Maung Kee.  If I win, there will be dozens of historians and monks trying to legitimize my actions!  Besides, do you remember the nobleman named Meng Chi?  " "Meng Chi?  The man who died in the well in my backyard?  " "Yes, it's him!  "Chen Zaixing made a gesture, and the guard behind him handed over a leather bag. Chen Zaixing opened the mouth of the leather bag and threw it in front of Maung Ji. Maung Ji hesitantly picked up the leather bag and opened it. It was all golden.  Burmese shield - a new gold coin minted by the Kingdom of Burma. Maung Kyi was careful about a gold coin, looked at it and asked: "What are these?"  " "These were found from the home of Meng Chi's widow!  "Chen Zaixing took the gold coin, held it between his fingers and blew it hard. The gold coin spun quickly and made a dull sound. Chen Zaixing sneered: "These gold coins are gold coins, mixed with a lot of copper.  Meng Chi's family took it out and was discovered by a businessman. The businessman happened to be a subordinate of Shunhua Company, so he sent it to one of my men.  After inspection, it was found that although these gold coins were **, they did come from the Royal Mint.  "    "What?  "Maung Ji's face changed drastically. He naturally knew what this meant. The chief officer of the mint was Diok's confidant. A large number of prostitutes appeared here, and they also appeared in the hands of Meng Chi's family. All of these are linked together.  That explains a lot of things. ¡°Haha!  "Chen Zaixing sneered a few times: "My people tracked down all night, and later I learned from the man at the mint that these coins were minted under the order of Lord Diok, and Meng Chi was also a spy under Diok.  Those ** were used to pay him.  Master Diok is a great person. He has played so many tricks behind my back. Unfortunately, he is still a bit stingy. He even uses money to pay his spies. The spies who work for him are so pitiful!  "Speaking of this, Chen Zaixing couldn't help laughing. Looking at Chen Zaixing laughing loudly, Maoji couldn't help but be dumbfounded. He never thought that Chen Zaixing already had so many chips in his hands. If nothing else, he just committed fraud in the mint.  The crime of embezzling the king's property and forging a coup was enough to knock him to the ground forever. With Diok in hand, it was just a piece of cake for Chen Zaixing to deal with the aristocratic opposition who colluded behind the scenes.  . Seeing all this, Maung Ji breathed a sigh of relief about the future of the kingdom, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness in his heart - Could it be that the various resistances in this country are just a joke in the eyes of this man? "Since  So, I¡¯ll take my leave now!  Mao Ji stood up and said, "With Master Chen here, the kingdom will be as stable as a mountain!"  " "No, we can't say it's rock solid yet!  Chen Zaixing smiled: "Only with your support will the kingdom be safe!"  "    "I?  Maung Ji couldn't help laughing: "Master Chen, please stop joking. Diok, me, the people, and the nobles are just playthings in your hands. You have money, mercenaries,  If these were not enough, Ren'an Qiang's Dashun garrison should be added.  It's ridiculous that those nobles thought that your status would be shaken by the death of Her Majesty the Princess. They are so ridiculous!  What else do you need from me, a plaything?  Or a decoration?  " "No, Wu Maoji!  I am not Burmese, and I do not have the energy to serve as Counselor in the Privy Council.  If I removed Diok, someone would be needed to take his place, and I couldn't leave the kingdom's prime minister in the hands of yet another conspirator.  Among the Burmese nobles, you are the only one suitable for this position. You are a sober person, and you deeply love this country and will not destroy her for your own ambitions and selfish desires!  " "Indeed, I will not be stupid enough to resist you, so that you can comfortably suck the wealth of the kingdom without being hurt by a certain spike!  " Maung Ji had a sad expression on his face. He knew very well that he had no choice but to make this point of useless resistance verbally. "Thanks to book friend Jingji, trainee police officer, dadadadada, and qpiqpi for the reward.  !

 Volume 4 Leviathan 148 Plan within Plan 3

    Chen Zaixing smiled slightly: "Wu Maungji, it is true that Shunhua Company has obtained huge benefits from the kingdom, and will also obtain greater benefits. But Shunhua Company is not the only one who has benefited. The royal family owns a large amount of equity in the company, and every year  You can get a direct income of nearly 300,000 taels of silver from the company's dividends. If you take into account other aspects of cooperation with Shunhua Company, the royal family will benefit even more. You should know that without these incomes, it is impossible to build a new army.  , Without the new army, can your ongoing modernization reform be successful? Those nobles and monks who were forced to sell their land have already launched a rebellion!" After hearing what Chen Zaixing said, Maung Ji couldn't help but feel dumb. He knew in his heart what Chen Zaixing had just done.  Everything said is true.  Facing the tide of modernization at the end of the 19th century, patriarchal countries like Myanmar often fall into a dilemma: if they want to catch up with the world's trend and carry out modernization reforms, they must introduce advanced foreign culture,  Advanced technology and a large amount of capital, but this will destroy the country's original social structure and national culture, cause a large amount of wealth to flow out, disintegrate the original society, and rapidly intensify internal conflicts, eventually leading to the disintegration and semi-colonization of the country;  And if they do not carry out this kind of reform, although they can temporarily maintain the independence of their own country and nation, as time goes by, the gap in national strength with those first-mover countries will become wider and wider, and in the end they will still be used violently.  Open the country and fall into an even more embarrassing situation.  Therefore, in this era of late-developing patriarchal legal countries, the intellectual elites have generally fallen into a painful state similar to schizophrenia. The old path for thousands of years has no longer worked. Some people believe that we should return to the "beautiful world".  "past", seeking a development path that was completely different from that of the Western powers at that time; others believed that we should thoroughly learn from the Western powers and quickly enhance our own national strength. Anyone and anything that stood in the way of this path should be ruthlessly destroyed.  But more people are in between the two groups. They want to learn the development methods of Western powers and maintain their country's leading position.  But I also want not to damage everything that is old and familiar.  Maung Kee is one of them. Intellectually he understands that everything Chen Zaixing said is right, but emotionally he cannot accept everything Chen Zaixing does.  This was also the reason why he felt extremely painful.  Chen Zaixing looked at the silent Maung Ji with pity, patted him on the shoulder gently, and whispered: "Wu Maung Ji, I know you can't make such an important decision all at once. You can go back and take your time."  Consider my proposal. But please pay attention to your own safety. Mandalay will become very unsafe in the future. I don't want people like you to die in vain. You have to know that only with you!  Only those who stand by me will have a future in this country!" Maang Ji did not speak. He looked up at Chen Zaixing for a while, nodded, stood up and walked out. Chen Zaixing made a gesture, and two Sikh guards came forward.  escorted him out.  Chen Zaixing was sitting alone on the horse. Suddenly, he turned around and asked, "Simba, do you think what I did is right?" "Sir!" Simba glanced at Chen Zaixing in surprise and answered in a rich voice.  : "I think you shouldn't ask this question to someone like me. It's history and future generations who should judge whether what you did is right or not. People like me who are of the same era as you can't answer it!"  "Haha!" Chen Zaixing suddenly laughed when he heard Simba's answer: "Simba, you are really a strange guy, but you are right. People like me don't need to be responsible to anyone. The only person who needs to be responsible is  History: When I came to this country, there were only elephants and wooden boats, and it was full of miasma-filled forests and wilderness. By the time I left, this fertile land would be covered with railroads and rivers everywhere.  Everyone is interested in steamships, the factories produce snow-white cloth, the land is well cultivated, the mines provide treasures that have been hidden for thousands of years, and the army equipped with iron-clad ships and rifles and heavy artillery protects the country.  Prove that I am right, and future generations will also prove that I am right! " "My lord, I am very happy to see you get back on your feet! I know what losing Her Majesty the Princess means to you, but your fate is no longer just that.  Your destiny is the destiny of millions of people. Please remember this at all times! " "You are right, Simba. I will kill these worms within twenty days.  Sweep it all away, and then start building the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway. We have wasted too much time!" Five days later, it happened to be the Kasaya Presentation Festival. According to Burmese custom, on this day, faithful men and women should present cassocks to the monks.  To show their respect for Buddha.  Since the entire country in Myanmar believes in Buddhism, this festival is actually not just a festival for Buddhists, but a national festival.  On this day, the Privy Council will also adjourn as usual, and all the nobles and kings will go to the temples to worship the Buddha and give large amounts of alms to the monks.  That day Diok got up as usual.Early in the morning, as usual, he had breakfast in the dining room while reading various reports that had just been delivered. As a counselor of the Privy Council and the largest spy chief in the kingdom, his time was very tight, which made him almost no longer have a personal life.  A historian who despised him very much described this figure who played a very important role in the history of Myanmar at the end of the nineteenth century in his work: "Although Mr. Diok did not have real talent and vision, I had to  Admitting that he was a man of astonishing energy and astonishing self-control, the man who for a long time actually held the highest power in the kingdom lived an almost ascetic life, and he regarded himself as  Everything - time, health, money, security, etc. are invested in the pursuit of unlimited power. This manipulative conspirator is always spying on this, buying that, and asking this for his life.  The Sersites (a character in Homer's epic poem in ancient Greece who was hunchbacked and loquacious, referring to Diok's despicableness), was loyal to others and then betrayed him as soon as he turned around.  ) destroyed several masters and dozens of friends in this pursuit that was doomed to fail. When he finally reached the end of his destiny, he continued to do his old job - playing conspiracy again.  , It¡¯s a pity that this time the web of conspiracy entangled his own body and trapped him in the quagmire!¡± ¡°Master! Wu Wenche¡¯s servant is waiting for you outside, and his master sent him to bring you a letter!¡±  The servant's announcement interrupted Diok's meal. Wenche was a moderate nobleman who was quite powerful in Ren'anqiang in the south. He was one of the people Diok had always attracted, but this person faced Diok.  Oak has always been quite cautious in wooing him, and it wasn't until Luo Lin's death that his attitude became a little looser.  Diok felt excited when he suddenly sent a servant this time - it seemed that his hard work had finally paid off.  "Take him to the study!" Diok picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth, straightened his clothes, and walked to his study.  When he walked into the study, the servant was already waiting inside. He knelt down and saluted Diok in a reserved manner, took out a letter from his arms and presented it with both hands, and whispered: "Your distinguished master, I  The owner asked me to forward this letter to you!" Diok took the letter and opened it. An intriguing smile appeared on his face. The content of the letter was simple - Wenche invited him to come together tomorrow.  Going to a certain monastery to make alms to monks is a very normal behavior for most Burmese people on this day. The Kasaya Presentation Festival has now become an activity for family and friends to travel together.  But there are many things that the two can discuss during this process - the Wenche family has donated a large amount of real estate and slaves to this temple for several generations, so this temple is a pretty good place for secret talks.  "Is there anything else your master wants you to bring over?" Diok asked as he carefully put the letter back into the envelope.  "No, the master just asked me to say hello to you on his behalf!" "Well, when you go back, please tell your master that I am very happy to be invited by him and I am looking forward to meeting you tomorrow!" "Yes, distinguished master!  "Take him out, give him a silver shield from the counting house, and ask him to buy himself a drink on the way back!" "Thank you very much for your generosity!" The servant knelt down again.  Diok waved his hand reservedly. After everyone left their room, he walked to the kerosene lamp, opened the lampshade, and put the letter to the fire.  As the flames burned, the white letter paper quickly curled into gray and black, and then a tongue of flame jumped on the letter paper. When there was only a small piece of letter paper left next to Diok's finger, he threw the corner of the letter paper to  In the charcoal stove nearby.  Early the next morning, Diok left home on horseback with two attendants. Although the subsequent meeting was very ordinary, his years of work habits still allowed him to minimize the possibility of being discovered by others.  When he arrived at the temple, it was already past nine o'clock in the morning. Wenche's butler was standing at the door looking around. When he saw Diok arriving, he immediately came up to him and held the reins of the other man.  With a trembling accent, he said: "Master Diok, my master is waiting for you in the wing in the backyard!" Diok looked at the middle-aged man with some pity. It was obvious that his master trusted him and had already told him part of the inside story.  , and this butler may not be worthy of his master's trust.  Diok smiled and patted the other party on the shoulder: "Feed my horse more hay, and the water the horse drinks from should be warmer!"

 Volume 4 Leviathan 149 Plan within plan 4

    The butler's reaction was a bit excessive. He jumped back and looked at Diok with an almost hostile look. However, he quickly understood that this was just a false alarm and hurriedly bowed to Diok.  He saluted: "Yes, my lord, please forgive my gaffe. I am really not suitable for today's work!" "I understand, I understand!" Diok smiled: "Relax, the biggest spy in the kingdom  The boss is right in front of you, so you don¡¯t need to be so nervous!¡± The butler tried his best to smile, but unfortunately he only twitched his lips twice.  Diok shook his head helplessly and walked into the temple.  Not a single monk was seen along the way. It seemed that Wenche had made a lot of preparations to keep the meeting secret. Finally, at the end of the passage, a fat middle-aged man appeared next to the Bodhisattva statue.  A smile appeared on Diok's face, and he opened his arms, ready to step forward and give the other person a hug.  But soon the smile on his face stiffened.  Another man walked out from behind Wen Che, it was Chen Zaixing.  At this time, heavy footsteps came from behind Diok. He turned his head in fear. It was Oba, the captain of Chen Zaixing's personal guard. Behind him were six or seven Sikh soldiers with live ammunition. The black muzzles of the guns were already there.  Aimed at Diok's two followers.  "What's going on!" Diok shouted to Winche. He now understood why the housekeeper at the entrance of the temple was so nervous.  Wenche shrugged his shoulders awkwardly, wanting to say something but didn't.  Chen Zaixing patted Wen Che on the shoulder, smiled and took two steps forward: "Mr. Diok, on the order of His Majesty the King, I arrest you!" "Your Majesty the King? Arrest?" Diok shouted desperately:  "I am the Privy Councilor of the Kingdom of Myanmar and a nobleman. You are just a Dashun person and do not have any official position in the kingdom. You have no right to do this!" "Really?" Chen Zaixing smiled: "I am indeed just a Dashun person.  , but I have just been appointed by His Majesty the King to become a consultant to the royal family." Having said this, Chen Zaixing took out a ruby-inlaid ring from his arms and showed it around, then carefully put it on the ring finger of his right hand.  "Indeed, with your official position and identity, no one can arrest you, let alone harm you, if you have not done anything inconsistent with your identity!" At this point, Chen Zaixing showed a sarcastic smile, and he  After making a gesture, several Sikh guards rushed up and pushed the two followers to the ground in a few strokes.  Facing the danger, Diok quickly calmed down. He looked at Chen Zaixing with a sneer and asked: "Your distinguished royal advisor, which law of the kingdom have I violated?" "For example, ordering the director of the mint to secretly  Create a murder, secretly kill the nobles of the kingdom and dump the bodies in the backyard of the nobles of another kingdom to frame the other party¡ª¡ª" At this point, Chen Zaixing paused: "Do you want me to continue?" Diok's  His face turned as pale as a death, and he fell to his knees. The card thrown by Chen Zaixing just now hit his vital part.  Diok knew very well that with Chen Zaixing's shrewdness, as long as he found these two clues, it would only be a matter of time before he could follow the clues and find out his previous arrangements.  And now that he has fallen into his hands, he has enough time to dig out these hidden bombs one by one.  "To be honest, I admire you very much, Mr. Diok!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "If my wife hadn't died due to dystocia, I would have almost thought that her sudden death was your arrangement!" said  At the end, Chen Zaixing's words suddenly revealed a violent tone, which made Diok shudder even while he was kneeling.  "If I tell all the truth, can I still survive?" Diok asked with difficulty.  "No, but I can ensure that your family will not be implicated." Chen Zaixing rejected the other party's request without hesitation: "Because you are too dangerous. I still don't fully understand why you do this. I  The entire kingdom has been handed over to you, but you are still playing dangerous tricks behind the scenes and constantly stirring up trouble among the nobles. Don't you know that this will destroy everything, including yourself?  He must not continue to live in the world!" Diok lowered his head and said in an almost soliloquy tone: "Actually, I also understand that it is dangerous to do this, but I have no choice.  I have the blood of two kings on my hands, and one of them is the biological father of the current king and the eldest princess. This is like a symbol of a sinner. You won't understand. I dream about you almost every night.  Throw me out as a sinner. The more I know and do, the more I am afraid, because I know that as long as I do not hold the highest power, I may become a victim in the political struggle at any time, which only puts me in the wrong position.  at this locationThe giant hand can throw me from the high position at any time and smash me to pieces!  " Chen Zaixing did not interrupt Diok's words. He looked quietly at the man who was writing in front of him. There was even a bit of pity in his eyes. Perhaps in a sense, he and the man in front of him were different.  They are the same kind, walking alone on the road to the peak of power. The only difference is that they have won and the other party has failed. "Mr. Diok, the time is almost up!"  "Chen Zaixing carefully read the confession sent by Diok: "You can choose the way of death!  " "Can I ask what kind of death you have arranged for me?  " "There are several kinds, such as falling off a horse and falling to death!  " "This is a novel way to die!  Diok laughed, with a bright smile on his pale face: "Just this one!"  " Chen Zaixing didn't speak. He just nodded to Auba behind Diok. Auba stepped forward and stretched out his arms to hug Diok's ribs. With a strong movement of his arms, Chen Zaixing immediately heard a cry.  With a dull sound, several of Diok's ribs were broken, and the sharp broken bones pierced his internal organs. Blood immediately poured out of his mouth. Oba put his body on the ground, and Diok was on the ground in pain.  After struggling for a while, he stopped convulsing. Early the next morning, the palace issued an obituary. The leader of the Kingdom's Privy Council, His Majesty the King's most trusted assistant, and the distinguished Privy Councilor Lord Diok accidentally fell off his horse while riding out yesterday.  He fell and was trampled by a frightened horse. After resuscitation efforts failed, His Majesty the King felt extremely sad and ordered Lord Theok to be buried next to the royal cemetery and gave his widow an annuity in recognition of Lord Theok.  After years of loyal service to His Majesty and the Royal Government, the King also appointed the leader of the moderate aristocracy, Maung Kee, as the new Privy Council Counselor, and appointed Chen Zaixing, the chairman of Shunhua Company, as the King's Special Advisor.  Chen Zaixing was not as leisurely as he seemed. He was like a duck lying on the water. Although he was motionless on the water, his feet were paddling under the water. During the days when Diok died, he followed his own routine.  Using the clues and the list that Diok handed over, he directed his men to arrest and interrogate day and night to either dig out the spy network and "bombs" left by Diok during his lifetime, or use them for his own purposes. Chen Zaixing had made up his mind.  Today, when his wife has passed away, the next Diok must not be allowed to appear in the Privy Council of the Kingdom of Myanmar. This is the first day that the new Privy Council Counselor Maung Kyi takes office. According to tradition, the de facto Prime Minister of the Kingdom will give a speech.  , first express loyalty to His Majesty the King, briefly explain his main political views in the future, and finally pray for the blessings of gods and Buddhas on the kingdom. After hundreds of years of operation, all this has already formed a fixed pattern.  When they walked onto the podium at the feet of the king wearing the unique majestic attire of a Privy Councilor, most of the nobles were in a relaxed mood waiting for a gorgeous speech. "Distinguished colleagues!  I am not here today as you expected, to reveal my sincere heart to Your Majesty, nor to pray to the gods and Buddhas, but to find out among us the worms in the kingdom and the traitors who have betrayed Your Majesty's trust!  "When Maung Ji said this, he paused for a moment, and the nobles under the podium buzzed in surprise, like a hornet's nest being poked. "Silence, silence!  "The Speaker of the Privy Council who was on duty to preside over the day tapped the ground with his cane, making a dull sound. Soon the crowd fell silent again. The Speaker turned to Maung Kee and nodded, indicating that the other party could continue his speech. "Maybe colleagues will  Surprised, why should I raise this matter in the Privy Council on such a sacred and solemn moment today, instead of choosing a private and more suitable place to raise this accusation?  That's because this traitor has destroyed the foundation of the kingdom, is sucking the essence of the kingdom, and is committing extremely serious crimes.  Therefore, I have to raise it here and beg for the help of your colleagues' strength and wisdom. Without your help, I will accomplish nothing, because the power of that traitor is too powerful!  " "Master Counselor, don't beat around the bush, please just tell me the name of the person you want to accuse. Or is he here too, making it difficult for you to tell him?"  "A noble shouted loudly, causing a group of people around him to laugh. "Silence, silence!  "The Speaker had to continue tapping the ground with the end of his cane. "Yes, the person I want to accuse is here today!  "Maung Ji's eyes swept to his right. As the king's special adviser, Chen Zaixing was sitting there, looking at him with a smile. "This person is him!  "Maung Ji suddenly turned around and pointed his right hand at Chen Zaixing. He was very pleased to see that the man who had always seemed to control everything had a look on his face at this time.? showed a look of surprise and anger.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 5 out of 150

    "Maung Ji, are you crazy!" Chen Zaixing stood up staggeringly and shouted loudly: "You bastard, we agreed in advance that this was not the case -" But his voice was immediately interrupted by the shock of hundreds of nobles below.  The cry was drowned out.  "Silence, silence!" The Speaker was hitting the ground hard with his cane again, but this time he could not suppress the shouts of the nobles.  It wasn't until Maung Kyi opened his arms and the nobles shouted to each other: "Wu Maung Kyi has something to say, please be quiet, everyone, be quiet!" The crowd gradually became quiet.  Maung Ji turned around and faced Chen Zaixing directly. At this time, Chen Zaixing had recovered from the frightened state at the beginning. Although his face was still livid, there was still a smile on his lips, and his eyes were like some kind of carnivorous beast.  Staring at Maung Ji fiercely.  "Indeed, I have made an agreement with you! Today, here, I will accuse dozens of Privy Council members suspected of forgery and involvement in conspiracy, strip them of their noble status, and throw them into prison. Indeed, they are the worms of the kingdom.  , hateful criminals, such punishment is completely in line with justice and the will of gods and Buddhas. But I remember there is a saying in ancient Chinese books, "When the tiger and the wolf are in power, how about the fox?" If I let people like you, Chen Zaixing, go.  If I don¡¯t care about the national thieves who control the kingdom, put shackles on the kingdom, and plunder hundreds of millions of wealth from the kingdom every year, but catch the little thieves who create chaos and play conspiracies, then I, Maung Ji, are being unfair.  He has no qualifications to ascend to this sacred position. Dear colleagues, please tell me now, what should I do?" Maung Ji's loud and rich voice echoed under the towering dome of the Privy Council Hall, which was full of people.  The fan-shaped seats of the nobles were silent for a while.  Maung Ji's lips trembled slightly, and beads of sweat the size of soybeans seeped out from under his skin. It could be seen that he was extremely nervous at this time. Just when he thought everything was over, a voice suddenly came from the seat.  Burst out.  "Hang! Hang Chen Zaixing on the big tree on the roadside!" "Hang him!" "No, it should be beheading. Hang the traitor's head at the city gate and let the crows peck out his eyes!" "Use a big gun to kill him!"  Trampled to death by an elephant, this is the fate he deserves!" The roar of hundreds of people almost overturned the dome of the hall. Hundreds of clenched fists and raised arms were like a dense forest. Maung Ji turned around and looked at Chen Zaixing proudly!  , behind him were countless nobles who were almost in a state of madness. Many nobles threw all the gadgets they could find, such as canes, snuff bottles, etc. at Chen Zaixing, and they suddenly fell to the ground.  Chen Zaixing had already recovered from the initial shock. He walked straight to King Luo Qin, leaned down and said softly to Luo Qin: "Your Majesty, why don't you go and rest for a while? This place is very important to your health.  It's too noisy!" Luo Qin, who was stunned by the unexpected scene, heard Chen Zaixing's words, which was like a life-saving straw for the drowning man. He hurriedly replied: "Brother-in-law, you can say it.  Yes, I am indeed a little dizzy now!" He stood up and left.  "Your Majesty!" Maung Ji shouted sharply and stepped forward to stop Luo Qin: "My colleagues and I are your loyal servants, why do you want to leave at this time?" "Loyal servants?" Chen Zaixing sneered.  He said softly to Luo Qin: "Luo Qin, do you still remember where the scar on your sister's forehead came from? If I am gone, do you think you can still control these nobles? Or is this Wu  Can Song Shen control these nobles? " Hearing Chen Zaixing's words, Luo Qin's already pale face immediately turned as pale as a death. Apparently he remembered the hard objects thrown by his sister here by the nobles many years ago.  The experience of smashing his head, and now the same situation happened again. The difference is that the sister who has always loved and protected him is no longer in this world.  "Ng Maung Kee!" Luo Qin's voice became firmer: "I have 100% trust in Mr. Chen. Also, if I knew everything that happened today in advance, I would not agree with you  Appointed as Privy Council Counselor!" At this point, he nodded to Chen Zaixing: "I will leave the rest of the matter to you, brother-in-law! I allow you to use all possible means!" "Yes, Your Majesty!  !" Chen Zaixing bowed deeply to Luo Qin.  Luo Qin nodded and walked straight away from Maung Ji without even looking at him.  Maung Ji's face turned as pale as death. Chen Zaixing sneered, walked straight to the speaker, patted him on the shoulder: "I request to speak!" The speaker tapped the ground twice with his cane with a dull look, and shouted  : "The distinguished Mr. Chen Zaixing, Special Advisor to the King, requested to speak!"Immediately there was a burst of angry curses, and some young and strong nobles even planned to rush to the podium in an attempt to attack Chen Zaixing directly, but a group of royal guards rushed in from outside the door and drove them away.  Chen Zaixing looked at the messy assembly seats with a disdainful sneer on his face.  "Dear nobles of the kingdom, don't you even have the patience to listen to me, a person who is about to be hanged?" Chen Zaixing said loudly: "I believe that many of you will understand after listening to what I said.  He immediately changed his position." The meeting gradually became quiet, most of the nobles returned to their seats, and the guards who maintained order also withdrew from the outside of the meeting hall.  Chen Zaixing said loudly: "First of all, I want to ask everyone here a question: Why do you have to hang me on a tree? Just because I am not a Burmese? Or is it for other reasons? If it is really what you want  , Chen Zaixing dies, and Shunhua Company leaves Myanmar, then who can provide enough funds to maintain the new army? If another Songcan appears, who can protect your land, estates, property and life safety?  ?¡± Chen Zaixing¡¯s barrage of questions silenced the nobles at the table. These nobles also knew the current financial situation of the royal government. After losing the most fertile delta area, the financial revenue of the Kingdom of Myanmar  has been greatly reduced, while expenditures have increased.  Both the establishment and maintenance of the new army and the repayment of the indemnity advanced by the Shanghai Banking Group will require more money. Coupled with the huge compensation that needs to be paid to the nobles for the land reform, the kingdom's financial situation can only be maintained in a bleak way.  to describe.  If Chen Zaixing is executed and Shunhua Company is driven away, even if we do not consider the damage this will bring to China-Myanmar relations, just reducing the annual dividend of hundreds of thousands taels will be a huge hole.  Not to mention Song Shen, who has become a nightmare for the nobles of the Kingdom of Myanmar. This legendary figure who set off more than 100,000 Burmese peasants to participate in the uprising has not yet been arrested. Most of the nobles believe that this damn evil thief should have died of illness somewhere.  An unknown ditch fell into the ground, but there is a legend circulating among the farmers at the bottom: This great hero is still alive. He is hiding in a safe place, waiting for the opportunity to lead the farmers to revolt again and establish a new nation.  There is heaven on earth where everyone has a field and food to eat.  This legend is like a bamboo thorn that has penetrated into the hearts of the nobles, making them sleepless and worried that one day their nightmare will come true.  "If you think you want me to kill someone no matter what, then I can leave this country unconditionally! But before that, I must tell you a piece of definite news! Song Shen, the leader of the thug, he  He is still alive, at least three years ago he was still alive!" There was an uproar among the nobles. If it was just a nightmare just now, then the nightmare has turned into reality. The scary guy is still alive and may raise his arms at any time.  He led thousands of peasants to take up arms, stormed manors, burned down warehouses, and hanged themselves and their families.  Many nobles immediately remembered the tragic time a few years ago and trembled all over.  "Where is he, Lord Chen? Why don't you catch him and hang him!" "Yes, why don't you hang him? Your behavior is betrayal!" "I'm sorry, I just know that Song Shen is still alive, but I don't  I don¡¯t know where he is!¡± Chen Zaixing smiled: ¡°One of us knows where Song Shen is. At least he once released that person from his own home!¡± ¡°The traitor is the one who colluded with the devil.  Devil! "If the level of those nobles cursing Chen Zaixing a few minutes ago was ten, then their hatred for the noble who released Song Shen now was one hundred, or even more.  After all, Chen Zaixing did not deprive them of their property, and he would not harm them as long as the nobles kept to themselves. But Song Shen was different, it was an incomprehensible hatred.  "Who is it? Tell us who it is!" "Yes, who is it? Catch him!" Chen Zaixing turned around, looked at the panicked Maung Ji with a sneer, and slowly pointed his finger at him: "Wu  Maung Ji, wasn¡¯t it that you brought Song Shen back to your home one day three years ago and then sent someone to send him out of Mandalay City? If you want evidence, I can let you know now?  Invite your butler and ask him to recount the situation at that time." Maang Ji was speechless at this time. He never thought that the encounter with Song Shen a few years ago would turn out to be what he is today!  The bane of his family, and the housekeeper who had served his family for two generations would betray himself.  Chen Zaixing walked to him with a smile and asked: "Are you curious how I know all this? In fact, Diok did all this. He bribed your housekeeper a long time ago. For him,  , you are the most worthy competitor to watch out for! I have been sorting out his files these days!I discovered it only then.  In fact, it's nothing. It's really nothing. I can understand how you feel about the farmer named Song Shen. He should be a noble and brave person. Such a person is always easy to win the favor of others.  I was originally prepared to keep this information unknown forever, but you have disappointed me so much today!  "Having said this, Chen Zaixing gently patted the other party's shoulders twice and walked away. Thank you to book friend qpiqpi and trainee police officer for the reward. By the way, if readers think the article is good, please vote for it and reward it.  Can you give me some points? According to the system of Chuangshi, ten clicks equal one popularity, and one recommendation vote equals ten popularity. One dollar equals one hundred gold coins and ten popularity. If the reward falls on my head, it will cost me a few dollars.  That's okay, the main reason is that this result is too cheating.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 151 Ending

    "Maung Ji, you traitor who has brought disaster to the country, I must kill you!" Finally, a roar broke out among the nobles. This shout was like a fuse. The angry nobles rushed towards the podium, but this time it would not happen again.  There will be no guards to keep order.  The first nobleman who rushed up punched Maung Ji hard on the face. Maung Ji didn't try to resist. He just staggered back two steps, shook twice and then stood still.  But more nobles came up, and they angrily beat Maung Ji with their fists, feet, elbows, and knees. Soon Maung Ji fell to the ground, and blood flowed from his wounds and seven orifices.  come out.  When the nobles dispersed again a few minutes later, there was only an unrecognizable corpse left on the ground.  In this way, the political storm caused by Luo Lin's sudden death ended.  The result was something neither party had expected before. The two noble leaders recognized as the most prestigious and capable among the nobles of the kingdom died suddenly. The only difference was that Diok still retained his reputation, and  However, Maung Kyi was ruined among the nobility. After killing him, the nobles who hated him tied his feet and dragged his body backward through the streets of Mandalay, and finally from a cliff on the bank of the Irrawaddy River.  Everything from his head and feet was thrown away. Maungki's home was set on fire by the mob, and his wife and three young children were stoned to death by the mob.  The nobles used the most brutal behavior to show what would happen to anyone who dared to touch their interests.  The last person to ascend to the throne of Privy Council Counselor was a moderate aristocrat named Winche. This middle-aged man, who was known as a good old man among the aristocrats and monks, was like a marionette, completing the instructions from behind one action after another.  , which made Chen Zaixing angry and funny at the same time. He had to comfort himself that not everything in the world is good. In any case, this man is hundreds of times better than the two men in front of him. At least he doesn¡¯t have to worry about being cheated all day long.  A stab in the back.  The last bit of time in 1891 passed silently. After Chen Zaixing basically stabilized the situation in Mandalay, he suddenly discovered that the start date of the Yunnan-Burma Railway was approaching.  He had no choice but to rush to Kunming by land under the escort of a guard team to preside over the groundbreaking ceremony.  Kunming.  The trumpeter¡¯s chest was so strong that it almost burst his military uniform, and the exciting military music finally reached its final climax.  Chen Zaixing looked worriedly at the teacher next to him, Wu Hanmin. Although this old man, who was over sixty years old, was wearing a thick mink robe, the cold wind in February was still quite unbearable.  "Teacher, why don't you go to the tent and rest for a while? The wind is still very strong in February!" Chen Zaixing asked carefully.  "That's all, can my old bones survive?" Wu Hanmin shook his head, and the stubborn old man asked in a low voice: "How many years will it take for your railway to be completed?" "From Kunming to Mandalay Plan"  Three years, and another three years from Kunming to Guilin!" Chen Zaixing replied in a low voice.  "That means there will be another six years!" Wu Hanmin seemed to be talking to himself: "I am already sixty-four this year. With this old face, as long as I don't take the initiative to retire, Her Majesty the Queen Mother will not let me  I am destined to become an official, but I don¡¯t know if this old bone can survive another six years. You have to hurry up!¡± ¡°Yes, teacher, the student must work hard and never let the teacher down.¡± Chen Zaixing¡¯s forehead.  A layer of sweat immediately broke out on his face. He knew in his heart that his construction would never have gone so smoothly if he hadn't had a teacher who was the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou. Since the teacher had spoken, there must be a reason.  "Well, that's good, that's good!" Wu Hanmin smiled: "Among my students, you are not the one with the highest official position, but you cause the most trouble, but I like you the most and have high expectations for you.  The best, do you know why?" Chen Zaixing hurriedly bowed and said, "The students are very frightened when they think of the ridiculous things in the past. Please punish me more!" "Haha, get up!" Wu Hanmin is very talkative today.  Nong: "There is only one reason. Because the times have changed, the old method no longer works. No matter how big those student officials are, they are just another Wu Hanmin and another Wang Qinian, but what's the use? It's better to let them  If you take a different path and try it, you might be able to find a new path, so I protect you in every possible way, hoping that you can find a different new path!" Chen Zaixing lowered his head, with mixed feelings in his heart!  , after a while, he whispered: "The teacher expects so much, the students can't afford it!" "You can deserve it, you can deserve it! You must be worthy of it!" Wu Hanmin said with a smile: "I won't be able to survive this for a few years.  You are about to be buried. The world does not belong to you young people. The most important thing for young people is ambition. If you are as young as me, what future will you have?" At this time, the music had ended, and Wu Hanmin took it over.  There was a very fine long-handled hammer in the hand of the attendant. When he walked to the first section of track, Chen Zaixing hurriedlyHe placed the prepared road spikes on the sleepers beforehand, waiting for Wu Hanmin to knock them into the sleepers.  "Come on, Fusheng, this is your railway!" Wu Hanmin did not swing the hammer, but looked at Chen Zaixing quietly. Chen Zaixing wanted to refuse, but saw the earnestness in the teacher's eyes and swallowed the words when he reached his lips.  , he stood up and took the hammer from the teacher's hand, and knocked the road spikes into the sleepers one by one. There was only one thought in his mind - "We must find a way out!" Shanghai, Wuxing Forge.  The workshop was noisy, and the air was filled with metal powder, making people almost suffocated.  Although it was the middle of winter, the heat from the furnaces made the workers sweat profusely. Many of them were shirtless, manipulating iron tongs, placing forgings on the platform, and using forging hammers falling from the air to forge them into finished products.  Suddenly there was a sharp whistle outside - it was time for lunch. The tired workers put down their work and slowly walked out of the snow-covered open space outside the workshop, preparing to eat.  "Yu Zhiheng, Ma Mars, Xu Dacheng, Xu Dabao, Xu Erbao¡ª¡ª" The factory manager read the names of the workers loudly. Whenever he read someone's name, the factory security guards standing aside stepped forward and read out the names of the workers.  The name of the worker was pulled out of the crowd.  The workers looked at this scene inexplicably, with an ominous premonition in their hearts.  The manager finally finished reading the names. He sneered and said to the workers: "Okay, you guys just pack up and get out. The factory owner has already fired you." "Why? We're doing a good job, why?  Fire us?" Yu Zhiheng was the first to react and walked over to the manager to ask what was going on. At this time, the other workers behind him also understood and started making noises.  Several security guards and factory managers surrounded him.  "What are you going to do? Do you want to hit someone?" The manager couldn't help but feel timid when he saw the workers rushing up. He backed away and shouted loudly: "Here comes someone, someone is making trouble!" "Who is going to make trouble!"  There was a cold shout from the side, and Yu Zhiheng turned around to see a dozen police officers in black clothes holding long guns walking towards them. The leader had a rough face, wore a leather hat, and was holding a gun in his hand.  A revolver, but it was Jin Sanpang, who was looking at himself with a sneer: "Is there any more king's law? I've said ugly things before, but the Consultative Council already has new laws. Who the hell dares to gather a crowd to cause trouble?"  All of them will be shot on the spot. Beating to death is in vain. Do you understand that?" Seeing Jin Sanpang appear, the steward quickly squeezed out from behind the factory security guard, pointed at Yu Zhiheng and shouted: "Third Master,  Third Master, this guy is the one who gathered to make trouble, and a few of his accomplices behind him, just take them all." "It turns out it's you guys, take them all and send them to the poor!  "As soon as Jin Sanpang waved his hand, the policemen who extended their hands surrounded him. The workers started to stir uneasily. Facing the policemen with live ammunition, many people began to retreat timidly. Yu Zhiheng and others were immediately exposed.  "Third Master, we are all honest workers!" Yu Zhiheng saluted Jin Sanpang in a neither humble nor overbearing manner, and spread out his hands full of carbon black and metal powder for the other party to see: "Look, how many of us are there?"  We all just came out of the workshop, and the workpieces inside were still cold. The manager read our names and insisted that we were gathering to make trouble. This is a little unreasonable! " Jin Sanpang looked at Yu Zhiheng and the others!  He held up his hands and looked back at the factory manager with some doubts.  The factory manager took two steps forward and smiled at Jin Sanpang: "Third Master, don't listen to their sophistry!" Then he turned around and his expression changed immediately: "Yu Zhiheng, how dare you say that you didn't gather a crowd?  There's trouble. Did you and the workers in the receiving workshop say five days ago that they should form a team and ask the master to process the money, otherwise they would quit working together? Did you tell the workers at the coal pile two days ago that they wanted to work every day?  The time cannot exceed twelve hours? Is this a gathering of people to cause trouble?" "Organizing a strike?" A smug smile appeared on Jin Sanpang's face immediately: "Come here, give me these.  They are tied up. The directors of the Advisory Board said that thieves and robbers can be let go, and no one who organized the strike can escape the net!" The policemen came up and beat Yu Zhiheng and several of his men with their fists and rifle butts.  A companion, his blood quickly fell to the snow, which was particularly conspicuous.  The rest of the workers watched all this angrily, but no one dared to come out, the police guns and the terrifying prospect of being fired were like glue binding their legs to the snow.  "Workers! Everyone needs to stick together!" Yu Zhiheng tried his best to resist the two policemen who were besieging him, and shouted loudly: "The factory wants us to work fourteen hours a day, but the wages we are paid are not enough.  My wife and children couldn¡¯t even get enough to eat. In which month, no one broke his finger because he was too tired. Before the injury healed, he was kicked out of the factory and left on the street.??Starve to death!  Look, look, everyone is getting into a group and fucking them!  ¡± First of all, I would like to thank book friends qpiqpi, Canglong Yihou Poyunguan, trainee police officer, and Kumuhuangxue for their rewards. I saw in the discussion forum that they didn¡¯t want to read it because Shun is not a Han dynasty. I can only say that it¡¯s you who shouldn¡¯t read it.  No one is forcing you to make a choice. But if you say that Li Zicheng is from Dangxiang and therefore Shun belongs to the Han dynasty, then I can only say that there is no guarantee who his ancestors were two hundred years ago. Many book friends estimate that their ancestors were also Mongolian.  , Xianbei people, Khitan people, etc. The Chinese nation has always valued culture rather than blood.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 152 Arrest

    Hearing Yu Zhiheng's shouts, several younger workers took a step or two forward, but were immediately stopped by the people around them.  The factory manager shouted triumphantly: "Hit me hard, beat me hard, and kill these poor people who dare to organize a strike!" "Workers, how long are you going to endure it!" Yu Zhiheng just shouted  Here, suddenly he received a heavy blow on the back of his head. As soon as his vision went dark, he fell to the ground. The last voice he heard before unconsciousness was Jin Sanpang's voice: "Well beaten, they are all tied up. Go back and press  Pay a reward!" When Yu Zhiheng woke up, he was already lying in a cell full of people. He moved his body with difficulty. The fists and gun butts of the previous policemen left behind  The scars were starting to show up now, and every rib in his body seemed to be complaining about what had just happened, which made him groan.  "Brother Zhiheng, you're awake!" A concerned voice came from the side immediately. Yu Zhiheng struggled to open his swollen eyes with only a line left, and then he saw clearly that it was Xu Dacheng. He smiled bitterly and asked:  "Dacheng, where are we?" "Where else can we be? A training center for the poor!" Xu Dacheng took a sip: "Those gentlemen know how to name names. This place is obviously for us poor people, so there are still poor people there.  "You guys are all evil-minded, otherwise you can't get rich!" Yu Zhiheng cursed and moved his body hard to make himself more comfortable, but this immediately caused a burst of complaints from the people next to him.  This room, which was only about ten square meters in size at most, had nearly forty people crammed into it, just like a can.  "How long have we been here?" Yu Zhiheng asked.  "It's been more than a day!" Xu Dacheng smiled bitterly: "It doesn't matter if there are more people, at least it's not cold anymore!" "It's been so long? Why don't I feel it? Where are the others?" "Of course, you've suffered so much  "Come on, I thought you were dying!" Xu Dacheng patted Yu Zhiheng's shoulder lovingly: "The other people left when they came in. They should be in other rooms." "It's been so long. Did you send food?"  Yu Zhiheng asked.  "Sending food? What a beautiful idea you have!" Xu Dacheng said with a wry smile: "I just asked everyone to relax for a while, otherwise it would be more uncomfortable to have urine and urine everywhere in the room. Damn it, this training center is darker than a prison cell!"  "You just know, it seems that you had something to do in the factory before!" A person next to him interrupted: "I've been here twice, and the process - forget it, don't mention it!" Xu Dacheng hurriedly asked  Said: "Yes, we are all from Wuxing Forge. Brother, you are familiar with this place. Do you know what to do with us?" "What else can we do? Work hard for three months for nothing, two meals a day, one dry and one thin; three  After a few months, the men came to select people. If they were not selected, they would work for another three months; if they were not selected, they would work hard for five years, with wooden beds, hot sun, shackled feet, digging ports, and paving roads.  He is a strong young man, and after five years he is already an old man." When the man said this, he looked at Xu Dacheng and Yu Zhiheng: "But you two are skilled, so you should be better.  After working as a coolie for a month, he was picked up by the gentlemen. "While he was talking, there was a sound of a key being inserted into the keyhole, and the room immediately became commotion. Everyone was pushing towards the door, wanting to breathe more.  A few breaths of fresh air.  With a clang, the iron door was opened, and bright sunlight shone in. Yu Zhiheng instinctively covered his eyes with his right hand - his eyes, which were accustomed to darkness, were stimulated by the sudden appearance of sunlight, and tears flowed horizontally.  "Come out, come out, let the air out, let the air out!" Following the guards' shouts, people in the room rushed out. They moved their sore hands and feet and curiously looked at the scene outside. Only a few guards could be seen next to them.  There was a large steaming wooden barrel and a large bamboo basket filled with light yellow cornmeal steamed buns. The unique aroma of the food made the crowd who had not eaten for almost two days stir.  "Don't move, don't move!" Several guards waved their whips and yelled, "Whoever moves again will be dragged out and beaten to death!" They finally suppressed the crowd's excitement.  The leading guard bowed to the man in a three-piece suit behind him and said, "Mr. Jiang, these were the ones yesterday!" "Yeah!" Jiang Zhiqing took off his lambskin gloves and fanned in front of his nose.  The group of people in front of them had been imprisoned for two days, and they were released once in the middle. The smell was very strong.  Although Jiang Zhiqing is no stranger to all this, it happened many years ago. Now he is the general manager of Shunhua Company's Shanghai branch, and he is also a prominent figure in Shanghai. For these bad things,  The memory naturally avoided it subconsciously.  "I am Manager Jiang from Shunhua Company!" Jiang ZhiqingHe coughed and said: "Who among you can do any crafts? It can be a carpenter, a stonemason, or a blacksmith!" The crowd remained silent, and they were all on guard against this sudden gentleman. Past experience told them that such an uninvited guest would  It's often not a good thing.  "Is there no one there?" Jiang Zhiqing had an impatient look on his face, but the crowd remained silent.  Jiang Zhiqing walked to the bamboo basket, took a steaming steamed bun and walked to the crowd. He raised it high and shouted loudly: "See, anyone with skills will be given a steamed bun and a bowl of millet porridge immediately."  "The temptation of food finally worked. A dark and thin young man rushed to Jiang Zhiqing, stretched out his hands and shouted: "I worked as a carpenter in the village!" "Okay!" Jiang Zhiqing took the steamed bun in his hand.  He threw it to the young man and ordered to the steward behind him: "Give him a few more, let him eat enough!" The young man did not catch the wowotou, and the wowotou fell to the ground. He immediately picked it up and also  Not caring about wiping off the stains on it, he stuffed it into his mouth, and the air was immediately filled with the sounds of chewing and swallowing.  Jiang Zhiqing looked at the young man, smiled slightly and shouted to everyone: "See, as long as you can do crafts, you can have wowotou to eat and porridge to drink! Who else?" "I can be a mason!" "Me too!  Yes!" The hungry people finally couldn't bear the temptation of food anymore. They swarmed forward and stretched out their dirty hands to the bamboo basket.  The guards pushed aside the crowd to prevent the bamboo baskets and wooden barrels from being overturned. A proud smile appeared on Jiang Zhiqing's face, and he took out a cigarette from the cigarette case, struck a match, and lit the cigarette, enjoying himself.  Sucked up.  "Mr. Jiang, just leave the rest to us!" The head guard came over and said with a smile: "This place is very dirty, don't get your clothes dirty!" "That's fine! We'll send you to Wusong for dinner.  Go to the dock and pay per person! " "Don't worry!" The leader's eyes narrowed with laughter: "We've settled this matter!  He took out the cigarette case and threw it to the guard leader: "Give points to the brothers. Let us know next time something similar happens. Our company still needs people!" "Easy to say, easy to say!" The leader's eyes were filled with laughter.  When Jiang Zhiqing walked away, he carefully smoked a cigarette, took a deep breath of intoxication under his nostrils, and put the cigarette back into the cigarette case. Just kidding, he couldn't even smoke such a high-end cigarette.  How could he be wasted by those Yakuza?  After a while, he turned around and walked towards the workshop, shouting to the workers who were devouring their steamed buns: "Listen up, eat our steamed buns and drink our millet porridge.  You have to listen to us honestly, otherwise you will see it, do you understand? " People were eating and drinking with steamed buns and porridge bowls, but no one answered the words of the guard leader.  However, the head guard was not angry because of this. In his view, these workers were just animals that knew how to work. Since they were animals, don't expect them to answer normally, as long as they could work.  Thinking of the reward he was about to receive, he shook the whip in his hand proudly and ordered to his subordinates: "Look at them all, let them eat well, and we will be on the road after dinner!" Yu Zhiheng sipped the millet porridge and looked at each other.  Compared with others, Yu Zhiheng ate much slower. By the time he finished the bowl of millet porridge, Xu Dacheng had stuffed at least three steamed buns and had two bowls of millet porridge in his stomach.  "Dacheng, Dacheng?" "What's the matter, brother Zhiheng?" Xu Dacheng drank up the remaining porridge in the bowl in one gulp: "Why did you eat so much? Are you feeling unwell?" "I'm fine!" Yu Zhiheng  He shook his head: "Have you ever found it strange that those guards were too kind to us?" "Too kind? I didn't think so?" Xu Dacheng looked at the decreasing number of steamed buns in the bamboo basket, and his attention was obviously gone.  Moved over there: "Do you have anything else to say? I'll get some more. I don't know when the next meal will be?" At this time, several guards brought in another basket of Wo Wo Tou.  , a burst of cheers broke out from the crowd, and Xu Dachen's tense nerves suddenly relaxed.  "Don't you think it's strange? They took us out of the factory and didn't give us any work. They just let us eat and drink. Is this studio really doing good things?" Xu Dacheng was stunned after hearing this.  At that moment, he also felt that something was wrong, and the situation before him was very different from what he had heard in the rumors. However, his appetite and his optimistic personality soon took over: "Whatever, I'm going to die anyway. Brother, I'll take a few more  Come here, eat more. If the sky falls, the tall man will bear it." Yu Zhiheng thought about it and could only sigh.  Half an hour later, everyone had almost eaten.  The guards began to move peopleAfter rushing back to the room, the people who had already filled their bellies became docile, and some even started to laugh. It seemed that the life in this poor workhouse was not so difficult after all.  Thank you very much Captain Zeon for the tip, there will be another update tonight!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 153 Threats

    At dinner time, the cell door opened again, and people walked out easily, but this time there was no steamed buns or millet porridge outside.  The guards shouted loudly and drove the people to the riverside, where a steamer was leaning on the pier.  People looked at the boat with some surprise. Some people wanted to run out, but were stopped by the guards outside. The head guard shouted loudly with a loudspeaker: "Everyone get on the boat. We will go to Jiangbei to work for half a year, and we will give you food every month."  I still have five yuan of wages to live in, so get on the boat! " "I won't go. I still have a wife and children at home. I don't want to work in Jiangbei!" A worker ran away from the crowd in panic and shouted.  The head guard grabbed the worker and scolded him fiercely: "If you don't go, how dare you eat steamed buns and millet porridge at noon? Those steamed buns and porridge were all paid for by the factory owner. If you don't go, you have to pay for the porridge first."  "I don't have any money now. If you let me out, I'll pay you back when I get home!" "Go back? Do you think I'm a fool?" The guard said with a cruel smile on his face: "Come here, give it to me!"  I'll teach this guy a lesson and let him know that the millet porridge and steamed buns in this studio are not good to eat!" "Okay!" Several wolf-like guards rushed up immediately, using sticks and sticks, and in a short time, they killed this guy.  The workers were beaten into disgrace.  The head guard pointed at the man who had passed out and shouted to everyone: "Did you see that? This is what happens if you eat something and refuse to admit it. Anyone who doesn't get on the boat will end up like him!" When people saw this tragic scene, they were as silent as a chill.  Got on the boat.  When a guard saw that the people were almost there, he carefully said to the leader: "Boss, everyone has gone up. Let's throw this one up too. Mr. Jiang said that the money is calculated on a per-person basis. One more person will get more money."  "Ah!" The leader thought for a moment, waved his hand and said, "Forget it, Mr. Jiang wants people to do work. You just dealt such a heavy blow and killed them, how can we still work?"  Isn¡¯t this just a deal? If you make Mr. Jiang unhappy, you won¡¯t be able to do anything else! ¡°But you still have a good idea! How to deal with this guy?¡±  , the workers were being driven into the bottom cabin. Yu Zhiheng looked at the shore and saw two guards dragging the unconscious worker on the ground to the dock and throwing him forcefully into the river. The worker struggled twice in the river, and soon  It was soon submerged by the river.  "Beast!" He gritted his teeth angrily, and a sharp pain came from his lips. It turned out that he had bitten his lip unconsciously just now.  "Why don't you go in and see the Dragon King?" The guards waved their whips above their heads and made a whining sound to intimidate people.  The cowering people walked towards the stairs leading to the bottom cabin. Yu Zhiheng, who was pushed to the bottom cabin by the crowd, suddenly had a premonition in his heart that he might never return to this city again.  In March 1892, the climate in London at this season was pleasant. The westerly wind blowing from the North Atlantic brought warm and moist winds, and also brought spring to Britain.  Rain falls on the countryside of England, causing grass, barley, and wheat to grow rapidly, and the air is filled with the breath of spring.  But this was not so pleasant for London at the end of the 19th century. The rain would only make the ground full of mud. The gloomy sky and the large gray and black buildings in the East End of London were simply like those in Dante's poems.  It's like the palace of Satan.  "Damn rainy day!" Belfort looked angrily at the mud on his leather shoes and trousers. Although he had paid enough attention, the mud splashed by another carriage passing by on the street when he got off the carriage still made his efforts fail.  It was empty. It was not a good idea for a gentleman about to take part in a regular vote in the House of Commons wearing a pair of muddy trousers. The opposition MPs would joke about it.  During a parliamentary election, if Balfour is lucky enough to be prime minister, their memory will be enhanced until the end of their political career.  "Master, you can go to your office and sit for a while. I will go back to your residence immediately to get a new pair of clean trousers. I won't delay your trip to the House of Commons!" the valet whispered.  Balfour looked at his pocket watch: "Well, I will leave for the House of Commons at 2:10 in the afternoon. There are still forty minutes, I think this time is enough!" "Don't worry!" The manservant bowed to Balfour,  He got into the car again. Watching the carriage leave, Belfort walked up the steps to his office.  As an important member of the ruling Conservative Party and close to the Prime Minister, Balfour has a small office on the 10th. He often looks at documents in the office for a while before the meeting, and at the same time plans in his mind how to deal with the situation.  In parliament, Balfour was different from his uncle in refuting his opponents' attacks. He was always known for his cold expression and sharp words in parliament.  Belfort comes into himselfHe went to the office, took out a small pack of smoked salmon sandwiches he had just bought from the club, got himself a glass of sherry, and began to read the documents and newspapers sent over the past two days. Like most of the elites of the British Empire, he  He is also one of the patients with stomach problems. His heavy work makes regular meals a luxury for him. He has become accustomed to eating his own lunch before a meeting at three o'clock in the afternoon, and then working until late at night, eating something before going to bed.  Come to fill your stomach.  Suddenly, Belfort's hand stopped reaching for the sandwich, and his eyes stopped on a document. After a while, he stood up, walked quickly to the bookcase on the wall, and found a thick map.  The book, quickly turned to a certain page, and while looking at the map with his finger against the document, he spelled the word in a low voice: "M, a, n, d, a, l, a, y." Mandalay  ', found it. K, u, n, m, i, n, g, 'kunming', and g, u, i, l, i, n, 'guilin' damn¡ª¡ª" With Belfort's words  As his fingers moved on the map, his face gradually became gloomy. Finally, he closed the map and cursed in a low voice: "This damn Gillings, does he spend all his time in those Southeast Asian countries?"  The Chinese have already begun to build this vital railway line, and he just mentioned it a few words in an inconspicuous document. Doesn¡¯t he know what this means? "Belfort said?  Cursing under his breath, he put the document and the atlas under his arm, quickly rushed out of the office, and walked towards the Prime Minister's office.  Balfour's office is not far from that of the Marquess of Salisbury. Of course, the Marquis's office is much larger than Balfour's, and it also includes a small reception room where the private secretary and typist will be.  Let the Prime Minister meet guests according to a pre-booked list.  "Ethel! I have urgent business and need to see the Prime Minister immediately!" Balfour walked quickly into the reception room and shouted to the private secretary who stood up hurriedly.  "Mr. Balfour, please forgive me, the Russian Minister is inside!" The private secretary hurriedly came up to him. He approached Balfour and lowered his voice: "About the Trans-Siberian Railway, in order to build this railway, the Russians are almost everywhere.  The world borrows money." As the Prime Minister's personal secretary, Ethel understands how much the Prime Minister likes and trusts his nephew. Perhaps this Balfour will inherit the political legacy of the Marquis and reach the pinnacle of power in the British Empire.  In the past, investing more emotionally in him would have paid off handsomely.  "Yes! It's no wonder that it is so. Only in this way can the Tsar control his vast and desolate territory. But I don't think the Prime Minister will be happy about this news?" "Of course, if the Russians complete this railway  , their power will also extend to the Far East, and may even threaten India. The Royal Navy has no way to cut off the Russian railway lines. This is simply a nightmare come true for the Prime Minister! " A bitter smile appeared on Balfour's face!  , he said in a tone as if he was talking to himself: "A nightmare come true? No, this is already reality, not a nightmare!" "Already a reality?" The private secretary frowned and asked in confusion.  "What do you mean? Mr. Belfort, I don't quite understand!" "I think you will understand soon!" Belfort shook his head, as if to get something out of his mind.  Going out, the door to the prime minister's reception room opened and the Russian minister came out.  When he saw Balfour, he bowed to him gracefully and said in proficient English: "Nice to see you here, Mr. Balfour, do you want to meet His Excellency the Prime Minister?" "Yes, Your Excellency,  It's such a blessing to meet you here! " "Really?" The Russian Minister's eyes suddenly stopped on Balfour's trousers. Balfour immediately realized that his stain had been discovered by him, and he couldn't help but feel a wave of excitement in his heart.  Irritated, he whispered: "Your Excellency, although my conversation with you has made me very happy, my duties require me to end this encounter. If possible, can I be invited to go to the Royal Opera House next Tuesday? At that time  Verdi's opera will be performed!" The Russian minister raised his eyebrows slightly. He was a little surprised by Belfort's sudden invitation, but he quickly regained his composure and replied with a smile: "Verdi?  I like his opera very much. It has the carefree joy that is unique to Italians. In comparison, we Russians are too gloomy. I'm looking forward to seeing you next Tuesday?" He asked Belfort.  Right hand.  "See you next Tuesday!" Belfort shook the other person's right hand firmly and pushed the door open.  "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I have something very important to tell you!" Balfour walked into the room and saw the Marquis of Salisbury struggling to stuff his left hand into the sleeve of his coat. Apparently, the other party was ready.Off to the House of Commons for the afternoon session.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 154 Imperial Security

    Hearing Balfour's voice, the Marquis of Salisbury stopped. He looked at the clock on the wall and asked: "Very important? Balfour, it's already two o'clock sharp." "I know.  Uncle!" Balfour stepped forward to help the Marquis of Salisbury put on his coat, and said in a low voice: "But this matter is related to the safety of the empire!" The Marquis of Salisbury looked back.  Belfort glanced at him, as if to confirm whether his nephew was exaggerating.  He shrugged his shoulders, sat down on the chair behind the desk again, and sighed: "Belfort, anything that happens in the world now will be related to the safety of the British Empire. The British Empire is really too big, and it fills the world.  We have to go to every corner of the world to protect her interests. " "No, no, no! This is different! It's not a remote island or a barren beach that is threatened, it's our foundation, our feet.  The continent is India. Without India, the British Empire cannot continue to exist! " "India?" When the Marquis of Salisbury heard the word, his eyes changed immediately, and he moved his fat body in his chair.  He moved his body so that he could sit more comfortably: "In that case, Belfort, please tell me!" "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, please take a look." Belfort took out the document just now from his armpit and handed it to Yusuo.  Marquis of Oldsbury: "This is a document sent back by the Governor of Burma. The document says that the Chinese have begun to build a railway from Mandalay to Kunming, and they also plan to build a railway from Kunming to Guilin.  Railway." As Balfour spoke, he turned the map book to the page just now, and he took a red pencil and drew it on the map.  "You see, if the Chinese complete these two railways, they can go from the capital to Guilin along a waterway composed of natural rivers and artificial canals, and then transfer to the railway to Mandalay. This journey can only take two days at most.  Ten days, and controlling Mandalay means controlling the entire central and upper Myanmar. The Chinese can use this as a base to directly threaten India. This is simply a disaster! " "Why is the report coming now?  ? "The Marquis of Salisbury's expression did not change, he just subconsciously stroked his thick beard, but those who knew him well knew that this was a sign of his rage.  "It happened once. Do you remember that Chen Zaixing? He started planning to build this railway as early as 1886 after signing the "Anglo-Burmese Treaty" with us. However, the imperial officials in India did not take him too seriously at that time.  , because they believe that the Chinese are unlikely to spend a lot of money and manpower to build a railway in such a remote place when there are still many places in the mainland where railways have not been built. After all, Yunnan is a very remote province even for the Chinese.  ! " "Their duty is not to predict whether the Chinese will build it, but to tell London the known information so that we can make a judgment. Now it seems that their prediction is wrong!" The Marquis of Salisbury!  The voice became excited. As the Prime Minister of the British Empire, he certainly knew the importance of India to the empire.  India is not only the most important source of raw materials and product sales market for the empire, but also the most abundant source of human resources. Without the constant flow of cheap human resources from the Indian subcontinent, the British Empire would be unable to rely on the limited human resources in the empire and several autonomous territories.  The Empire was unable to stand up to the constant challenge of numerous enemies on the European continent and elsewhere around the globe.  Balfour did not speak. He knew in his heart that the political future of the colonial official named Gillings was over. The Marquis of Salisbury would never allow his subordinates who made such a big mistake not to pay the price.  Although I once had a crush on him, work is work, and no one in his position would tolerate such a mistake.  "Do you think it is possible to save this situation? For example, let the Chinese stop building this railway?" asked the Marquess of Salisbury.  "You can try, but the possibility of success is low!" Balfour replied: "After all, it is too late, and the Chinese have firmly controlled most of Myanmar. Unless we launch a full-scale war, otherwise  The invasion of Burma will make the Chinese speed up the construction of the railway! " "You are right, Balfour!" The Marquis of Salisbury shook his head: "Only a full-scale war can solve the problem, but we cannot launch this now!  At least we can't start this war alone. There are too many enemies of the empire!" At this point, the voice of the Marquis of Salisbury became deeper. He had been fighting for the British Empire for more than 20 years.  The lion also showed a hint of old age at this time.  "If you can't stop the Chinese from completing the railway, the only way is to stop them from going south!" Balfour whispered: "Chen Zaixing is not the emperor of the Shun Empire, nor is he the prime minister. The resources and financial resources of the Shun Empire are also limited.  ?"¡ª¡ª" "You mean to change the direction of this eastern dragon?"  " "Yes, historically speaking, the most powerful enemies of the Chinese people have always been the Tatars on the grasslands, so the most powerful army of the Chinese Empire has always been on the long Great Wall in the north!  But the emergence of modern firearms changed everything.  Muskets and artillery with bayonets completely ended the military advantage that horse-mounted archers had brought to the Tatars for thousands of years. In a sense, the Shun Empire in the past hundred years was the most powerful weapon in East Asia for thousands of years.  The most powerful empire on the continent, because he no longer needs to spend his main energy on defending against powerful enemies in the north!  " "You are right. If it were not for our arrival, sooner or later the Chinese would have conquered Japan, North Korea, the entire Indochina Peninsula, and the islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.  The emergence of new technologies has made those geographical barriers in the past no longer an insurmountable difficulty, and modern military equipment is inseparable from huge manpower and wealth, and the Chinese are not lacking in both. When I think about them there are 400 million  People who almost belong to the same ethnic group and believe in the same religion, I think it is a nightmare!  "The Marquis of Salisbury showed a frustrated expression on his face. "Indeed, the Chinese will be able to do this sooner or later, if we don't exist!  Balfour smiled and said: "Uncle, I remember you mentioned in a letter to me in the past that the secret of the success of the British Empire is to control the oceans and important islands, peninsulas, straits, and estuaries of important rivers.  The mainland and the colonies are closely connected, and the inland areas are not contested. This can reduce the consumption of manpower and material resources, and it is easier to gain allies in diplomacy.  More importantly, the cost of land transportation is much higher than that of sea transportation. As long as the ocean is controlled, the throat of the inland empire will be strangled.  However, I think that with the advancement of railways, the situation has changed. Only empires that control the heart of the Eurasian continent can control mainland islands, and empires that control mainland islands can control the world.  "The Marquis of Salisbury keenly heard the implication of Balfour's words. He tapped the table twice with his knuckles and asked: "You mean Russia?  " "Yes, dear uncle, the construction of the Russian Far East Railway will not fail to arouse the vigilance of the Chinese. The Tatars' backward technology and lifestyle cannot maintain a standing army that can threaten their northern border defense.  But the Russians can. If the long distance in the past made these two giant beasts feel safe, the emergence of railways has shortened the distance between the two.  The beasts will rush together.  " "Okay, this is a good idea, but the gunpowder magazine still needs a primer.  The Marquis of Salisbury looked at the clock on the wall and stood up unsteadily: "The time is coming. By the way, are you familiar with the Russian Minister?"  " "Are you talking about the gentleman who just went out?  "Belfort smiled: "I just invited him to go to the Royal Opera House to listen to Verdi next Tuesday.  "The Marquis of Salisbury stopped, with a surprised expression on his face. Gradually his expression turned into a smile: "Belfort, you are always so smart. I really don't know how old I am without you.  What should a guy do!  "The Marquis of Salisbury shook his head with emotion and patted Balfour gently on the shoulder. "Don't say that, uncle, at least before I entered the political arena, you had already fought enough with the gentlemen in the House of Commons.  Almost thirty years and you¡¯re still fighting!  " Hearing Balfour's compliment, the Marquis of Salisbury laughed happily. As a politician who has been in the political arena for many years, he did not have a good impression of his colleagues in the House of Commons. In a sense,  He said that they were his eternal enemies, the Marquess of Salisbury, no matter what he did on stage, these opposition MPs with big bellies and three-piece suits would respond with sharp sarcasm and vicious attacks.  , Thinking of this, the Marquis of Salisbury felt resentful. ¡°Well, let us meet the challenge of the gentlemen in the House of Commons. Whether it is the Russians, the Chinese, or the Liberals in the House of Commons, we must defeat them!  "Speaking of this, the Marquis of Salisbury waved his arm fiercely. March 1892, Youzhoufu Railway Station. With a high-pitched whistle, the train slowly drove into the platform. Youzhou in April was still  It was just the early spring season, and when the air flow from the chimney encountered the cold morning breeze, it immediately showed a puff of white smoke. This was the result of the hot steam trying to condense into small water droplets when encountering low temperatures.  When he walked out of the carriage, small drops of water fell down from the collar of his coat, as if a drizzle had fallen, which made him shiver. Thank you Captain Zeon, 150338371, and qpiqpi for the tip!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 155 Exercise 1

    "I have been ordered by Marshal Gao to welcome Mr. Siba from the Ministry of War in Hanjing!" A standing tall officer gave a military salute to Batu, and then made a right-hand downward gesture. He was already waiting on the platform.  The band immediately beat drums and played majestic military music.  Batu returned a military salute. The officer took a step back, made a sign to the carriage door behind him to get on, and whispered: "Please get in, sir. Marshal Gao is already waiting at the camp outside the city!" Batu nodded.  Nodding, he quickly stepped onto the carriage, followed closely by the two accompanying officers carrying suitcases who also boarded the carriage.  Batu looked at the military band playing music outside the car window, looking a little dazed. He had just been transferred back to Hanking from Zhenhai, Zhejiang two months ago and became the most important department in the Ministry of War - a doctor in the Fang Department. But he still  Before he had time to familiarize himself with the new working environment, he received a new order - to go to Youzhou, as a representative of the Ministry of War, to participate in the upcoming military exercise - a military exercise that mobilized almost the entire Dashun North China military force.  exercise.  The Staff Department of the Ministry of War, which is in charge of the maps of each province, the narration of merits of military officers, verification, rewards and punishments, pensions, and military inspections and tests, can be said to be the most important department in the Ministry of War during the Ming and Qing dynasties.  As the chief officer of this department, although he has not been in office for a long time, Batu still knows a thing or two about the inside story of this large-scale exercise that has not been seen in decades. When Dashun's finances were very tight, Gao Tingyu was able to take over from the head.  The only possibility for the assistant to get the money for the exercise is that the threat from the north has become serious enough that it has to be taken seriously.  And being able to enter the center at this juncture and become the official of the most important department is also consistent with the reform of the military system that he has always advocated, establishing a national mobilization system, increasing the reserve of non-commissioned officers, and changing the professional military system to a compulsory military system.  Inseparable from the appeal.  When he thought about the responsibilities of this trip, Batu felt his shoulders become heavy.  "Sir, can you lower the curtains?" A calm voice interrupted Batu's thoughts. He raised his head and saw that the officer who greeted him just now was speaking to him. He whispered: "The commander ordered  "Everything about this exercise must be kept secret. Youzhou Prefecture is an important commercial center in the north. There are many Russian businessmen here. I'm afraid there will be some tricks!" "You did the right thing!" Batu nodded lightly.  I stomped my feet. After getting off the heated luxury car, my feet were numb with cold.  "That's it for Youzhou. I'm afraid that Mongolia and Manchuria will be even colder. It seems that I have been serving in the south all these years and I am still not prepared for the northern climate." Batu smiled bitterly. He looked at the officer and lowered his voice.  The voice said: "When is the specific date for the start of the exercise?" "I'm telling you, your Excellency, I am only responsible for welcoming you. Please ask Marshal Gao directly for the specific date when the exercise will start!" "That's it!"  They all nodded, but they were secretly surprised. This officer was so tight-lipped that even he, a superior officer from Han Dynasty, was rejected. Gao Tingyu had been in the Northland for nearly thirty years without a single defeat. It seemed that he was definitely not lucky.  To.  Batu and his party left the city and walked another ten kilometers before arriving at a large, continuous camp. The telegraph poles carrying the notification lines leading to the telegraph office in the city were one after another. The end of the yard could not be seen at a glance.  Supplies piled high on the mountain.  Batu couldn't help but be secretly shocked after watching this. The scale of this exercise was so large that Dashun had not seen it for a hundred years. Could it be that the situation with the powerful neighbor to the north had become so bad?  The officer led Batu through four or five sentry posts and walked into a rather ordinary-looking farmyard. He asked a young officer who came out of it, turned around and asked in a low voice: "Sir,  Marshal Gao is holding a military meeting inside. Do you want to wait outside for a while? " "No, I was originally participating in the exercise as an observer." Batu nodded to the officer and walked into the courtyard.  After passing through a courtyard, he saw dozens of officers sitting upright in the hall inside. A young officer wearing pince-nez was holding a thin stick and explaining loudly on the hanging military map.  The young officer is not tall, but has a thick build. He has a huge head on broad shoulders. He is somewhat bald, and his raised forehead shines in the light. Judging from his slightly bowed legs, he should be an old cavalryman.  .  "Shh!" Batu made a silent gesture to signal the officer leading the way not to interrupt the explanation. He sat down in the last row and listened carefully to the middle-aged officer's explanation.  "According to the current information available to our military, the Russian military in the Far East probably includes two infantry divisions and a naval brigade responsible for guarding ports. The sailors of the Pacific Fleet can also form two or three if necessary.  The total number of the regiment's marine troops, plus some garrison troops, does not exceed 40,000, of which only about half are mobile troops. These are Russia's entire strength in the Far East. If war breaks out,The latest reinforcements from the other side must also come from Central Asia. Even if we do not consider the containment effect of the Anxi Protectorate, they will not arrive until three months later. Their number is also quite limited. Those arriving from Europe  The time required for reinforcements will be more than six months, and the Far East region's own resources cannot sustain more troops.  " "What if the Trans-Siberian Railway is opened to traffic?  "An old voice asked, and Batu noticed that it was Gao Tingyu himself who spoke. "Then this is difficult to predict, because we don't know the specific route and railway running speed of the Trans-Siberian Railway.  But even if the worst single-track railway is used, the number of trains traveling in a day and night is more than 30 trains. If one train carries 20 standard trains, then there are 600 trains in a day.  We calculate based on one wagon carrying eighty infantrymen, their weapons and equipment, and half a month's supply.  If the total length of this railway is 10,000 kilometers, and the train runs 1,000 kilometers a day, then ten days after the outbreak of the war, the first batch of troops from Europe will arrive in Vladivostok. If Russia can make this railway  At full capacity, it will transport about three infantry divisions of soldiers and weapons and equipment to Vladivostok every day.  So if we were to win the war, we had to defeat the Russians before their European reinforcements arrived, or capture the Far East before the railroad could be built.  " Hearing this, there was a gasp of air among the officers. Batu, who was sitting in the last row, couldn't help but smile. This was the first time he met this middle-aged officer who was rather academic. He was here.  In the eyes of an officer, tens of millions of people and weapons have been abstracted into simple numbers. War seems to be just a simple numbers game, with big numbers overwhelming smaller numbers. Equations, tape measures, maps and pencils have replaced bayonets and rifles.  A thousand lives in exchange for moving the front line on the map by five centimeters is a very cost-effective deal. The war has completely changed. "There is something wrong with your calculations. The Russians simply don't have that many locomotives and carriages. If you follow your calculations."  Algorithm, all the trains returning to Europe from the Far East are empty. All the locomotives and trains in Russia are not enough if they are left on this railway!  "An officer retorted loudly. "This is just a theoretical calculation!  "The middle-aged officer adjusted his pince-nosed eyes and replied in a deep voice, as if he was answering a student's question in class: "But it will take at least a few years to complete the railway. You can't guarantee that the Russians will not be able to do it during this period.  Get enough locomotives and wagons.  Besides, this is a war, and anything can happen in a war. The Russians can completely transfer all their European locomotives and wagons to the Trans-Siberian Railway, and temporarily buy or rent locomotives and wagons from their European neighbors to temporarily replace them.  Shortage!  " "We can send a partial division to cut off this railway line. Except for a few key points on the long border defense line, neither side has a dense defense line. As long as we send troops, it will not be difficult to cut off this railway line!  "Another officer replied loudly. "But our company's railway from Youzhou to Zhangjiakou is still under planning, and it will not start construction until at least a year later.  If nothing else happens, before the Russians complete the Far East Railway, Dashun can only complete the journey from Youzhou to Shengjing and then to Heilongjiang.  Railway construction in Mongolia has not yet entered the agenda.  Without railways, Dashun simply could not maintain an army to enter the enemy's border for long-term operations.  Even if we can send a small number of troops across the border to destroy a small section of the railway, the enemy troops who occupy key points along the line can quickly repair it. Without reliable rear supplies, it is impossible for our army to occupy and hold on to a certain railway point.  !  The Russians do not need to use heavy troops to guard the national border. The seven or eight hundred kilometers of desolate areas on both sides of the national border are themselves the best defense.  ¡± Everyone fell silent. Although the narrator¡¯s voice was not high, the power of the strict logic contained in it was irresistible. These people have been fighting on the northern border for more than ten years or even decades.  They all know that outside the Great Wall, except for the densely populated and resource-rich Liaoxi Corridor, large-scale military movements in the vast tundra zones of Inner and Inner Mongolia and even Siberia are extremely difficult. Soldiers  Every grain of grain and every bullet needed must be transported from the interior thousands of miles away, and the only means of transportation are the most primitive camels and carts. This fragile supply method determines this kind of battle.  The method is very dangerous. ¡°That¡¯s it for today¡¯s military discussion!  Gao Tingyu's old voice broke the silence: "Everyone, think about it when you go back. The more time you spend on the deduction now, the more you will gain!"  ¡± Thanks to the book friend Lian Shen Ting Wei Yu and the trainee police officer for the reward. There will be another update in the afternoon.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 156 Exercise 2

    "Yes, Marshal!" Everyone stood up, gave Gao Tingyu a military salute, and walked out of the door in accordance with order.  Many people have seen the unfamiliar face of Batu, with surprised expressions on their faces.  Batu didn't wait for anyone to ask questions, and quickly walked up to Gao Tingyu and gave him a military salute: "Master Gao Hou, I'm going to serve as a doctor, and Batu is here to standby!" "That's it, that's all!" Gao Tingyu said with a smile.  He waved his hand: "You are from the Ministry of War. How can I tell you what to do? All you have to do is say a few nice words after you go up!" "The Marquis is joking! The kid wasn't even born when you were eating military rations!"  Batu smiled: "But before leaving, Lord Zaohou told me to bring more eyes when I come to Youzhou, and open my mouth!" "Zao Guoquan, Zao Guoquan! This person is Tai  Smart!" Gao Tingyu sighed: "Well, I have the title of minister after all. I have also read some of your previous excerpts, and it is quite reasonable. It's just that-"  At this point, Gao Tingyu stopped talking, as if he was a little confused. After a while, he said: "It's just that there's a lot of movement!" "Is there a lot of movement?" Hearing Gao Tingyu's comment, Batu's face changed.  He couldn't help but reveal a wry smile.  This old man was truly worthy of being an important minister of the country. He had a sharp eye and caught the biggest problem in his plan at a glance.  For example, according to Batu's original plan, he planned to imitate the Western military system and set up a total of forty-five divisions of troops in Dashun to replace the existing establishment with battalions as the largest unit.  The specific distribution is as follows: there are a total of 20 divisions in the northeast and Mongolia, a total of five imperial guard divisions in the capital Hanking and nearby Nanjing, Shanghai, and Xiangyang, a total of 12 divisions along the coast, and a total of 12 divisions in the southwest and other parts of the interior.  Eight divisions.  It seems that the northeastern direction is over-strength, but usually these frontier divisions are understaffed and need to be mobilized to make up for the shortfall; while the five Guards divisions are oddly full, and together with other armies, they can completely overwhelm them.  The most powerful northern group.  Moreover, after the reform of the new military system, since most of the soldiers are mobilized conscripts, a large amount of military expenses have been saved, which can be used for updated equipment and strengthening the training of sergeants.  But this reform also virtually broke the dual military structure of "officers-soldiers" that had existed since the mid-eighteenth century.  In the past, Dashun's officers were mainly made up of landowners, businessmen and children of wealthy urban civilians, while the soldiers were mainly landless and bankrupt farmers or farmers with little land (this can reduce the destructive impact on agricultural production. As for these people  After entering the army, these peasants received harsh training, relied entirely on military pay, and were isolated from society until they were no longer able to continue serving.  The advantage of such an army is that it is highly skilled in military technology, and both officers and soldiers have received many years of training; as long as it can pay military salaries in full and on time, there is no need to worry about the army not being loyal enough to suppress the people's resistance internally; but this kind of army also has its disadvantages  Disadvantages: A large amount of military pay consumes most of the government's fiscal revenue; soldiers are not proactive enough and will be at a loss when they lose the command of officers; it is a one-time army, and once it suffers serious losses, it cannot be replaced in a short time  Recruits come to restore combat effectiveness.  According to Batu's new military system, the original "officer-soldier" structure will be broken and replaced by the "officer-sergeant-soldier" system. In peacetime, only officers, sergeants and service personnel will be retained in the army.  There are only two-year conscripts, as well as those with more technical skills.  Once wartime arrives, each regiment will fill the gap with conscripts from the nearby area in the past few years and enter a wartime state.  The biggest advantage of this new method is that it can build a huge army several times the size of the past at a much smaller cost. Although the combat effectiveness of the army cannot be compared with the standing army of the past, it is not much different, and more importantly  What's more, as long as the backbone of the army - well-trained officers and sergeants - has not suffered a devastating blow, it can be replenished with a steady stream of new recruits to restore the army's combat effectiveness.  But this new military system also has its problems: as a new thing - the sergeant, he plays an extremely important role in the new army. First of all, he must master the military skills that soldiers should have, and in a short period of time, he must master the military skills that soldiers should have.  Within this time, he must teach the newly recruited mobilization soldiers around him; he must also have enough courage and prestige to lead the soldiers to attack and resist desperately in the most difficult situations; finally, he must learn to manage the new recruits and ensure the basic order of his unit.  and the physical health of soldiers, and understand basic tactical knowledge to command soldiers in war and replace dead junior officers when necessary.  In this way, in a sense, the army is in the hands of the sergeants. Whether in peace or war, it is they who train, educate, and lead the soldiers. It is they who endure the pain with the soldiers in a trench.  They also share the joy of victory with the soldiers.  There is no such deep gap between sergeants and soldiers as there is between officers and soldiers. However, the background of sergeants is inseparable.?As in the past, they were all landowners, businessmen or wealthy citizens.  The reason is very simple. The new army needs too many sergeants. According to the calculation that a division requires 1,800 sergeants and 300 officers, Dashun's 45 standing divisions need 81,000 sergeants. Dashun  It is simply impossible to find so many children of landlords and businessmen who are willing to endure the hard life of soldiers to serve as sergeants, especially sergeants who do not have the same glamorous appearance and bright future as officers.  As a result, the chain of absolute control of the army by officers, that is to say, the upper class, has been loosened. Most members of the army are farmers or workers temporarily mobilized from the middle and lower classes of society, and those who directly command them are also from similar backgrounds.  With only a small number of superior sergeants, it is difficult to ensure that the new army can be docile to the court and the property owners as it was in the past.  Once a rebellion occurs, the new army will not be in disarray like in the past because there is no officer command. Sergeants with rich experience can completely replace the positions of middle and low-level officers. This is a huge threat to the old system.  "I know this change is very dangerous, but there is no way. Dashun's enemies are too powerful!" Batu whispered: "I have calculated that just to deal with the Russians who built the Trans-Siberian Railway, it will take a lot of effort.  With an army of twenty divisions, if the Japanese supported by the British are added, this number will double. In Annan and Burma, the number of new enemies may appear at any time.  It can't be any less!" "I understand!" Gao Tingyu's voice could not hide his tiredness: "The reason why I conducted this exercise is to see if it is possible to solve the Far East problem once and for all before the railway is completed.  "Hearing this, Batu's body couldn't help but tremble. He understood exactly what Gao Tingyu just said.  This was a massive war that dwarfed the scale of the wars Dashun had experienced in defeating the Manchus and Oirat Mongols.  Regardless of the number of troops mobilized or the production of steel, the Russians are the leading army power in the entire Europe, and their navy is far superior to Dashun's small fleet. Once the war begins, it means thousands of  Thousands of lives were reduced to nothing, tens of thousands of tons of ships were sunk, cities were reduced to ruins, and billions of dollars of wealth were burned by the flames of war, but none of this guarantees victory and peace.  As an old proverb goes, "War can start as long as one party declares it, but peace can only come if both parties agree!" "Whoever was explaining on the stage just now is very unfamiliar!" Batu coughed.  After a sigh, he decided to change the topic to ease the heavy atmosphere.  "You are talking about Lieutenant Shi. He is a scholar under my command!" Gao Tingyu turned to the middle-aged officer who was packing the map and said, "Quisha, come here and meet Mr. Ba from the Ministry of War!"  The young officer responded, walked over quickly, and gave a military salute to Batu: "My surname is Shi, and my name is Liusha. I am from Hebei. He serves under the commander. I have long heard that Master Batu led troops to defeat the British."  , the story of subjugating Myanmar, I am really lucky to see you today! " "It's all in the past!" Batu was in a good mood when he heard the other party mentioning his past pride, and he said this person just now  He was very interested in the explanation and said with a smile: "Captain Shi, I was sitting in the back just now. I couldn't hear very clearly. I have a few questions and I still have some doubts. Can you help me clear up my doubts?" "This -" Shi Huaisha  He glanced at Gao Tingyu who was standing aside with some hesitation. Gao Tingyu coughed and said: "Master Ba is a doctor from the Ministry of War's Staff Department. He was ordered by Master Zao, the Minister of War. I'm a little tired. You guys can chat slowly."  !" After that, he turned around and left slowly.  "Farewell, Marshal!" Batu and Shi Huaisha hurriedly bowed to say goodbye. When Gao Tingyu walked out of the room, the two couldn't help but smile at each other. Shi Huasha explained with some embarrassment: "Mr. Ba, I was speechless just now.  "I hope you'll forgive me!" "It's okay! It's a confidential matter, and it's appropriate to keep it tight!" Batu smiled slightly. He naturally knew that Shi Huaisha had just asked Gao Tingyu if he could tell him, and he knew it in his heart.  Much of this information was collected by the Northern Military Government after decades or even hundreds of years of operations in Russia's Far Eastern states. If it is accidentally leaked, it will be an irreparable loss for Dashun: "Shi Xiaowei, if you wait for  If you find it difficult for me to ask, you can just tell me the conclusion, and there is no need to mention the source of the information!"

 Volume 4 Leviathan 157 Exercise 3

    When Shi Huaisha heard that Batu was so considerate, he couldn't help being surprised and happy. He never expected that the man in front of him who came from the Ministry of War would be so considerate. He quickly bowed and said: "Thank you, Mr. Batu, for your understanding!"  He nodded, walked to the map and looked at it carefully for a while, then asked: "I see that the marks on your map can be divided into two situations, right?" "Exactly!" Shi Huaisha was drawing on the map.  , while explaining: "This exercise is mainly to test the war against Russia under two circumstances. First, around 1895, our side had completed the railway line from Youzhou-Shengjing-Jilin, and the Russian side  The railway line from Moscow to Vladivostok has not yet been completed. Under this premise, we will use sixteen battalions with a total of 200,000 troops to launch an attack on the Russian Far East in early summer. The ultimate goal is to destroy Russia.  The empire's army forces and Pacific Fleet in the Far East will seize the key points of Khabarovsk, Amur, and Ryazan in the Russian Far East and the main military port of the Pacific Fleet, Vladivostok, and seize the coastal border areas of the Far East to once and for all resolve the other threats to our north.  The preparation phase for the offensive began at the end of winter in 1894. In this way, although the weather was cold, it could avoid the traffic problems caused by the melting snow and floods in the early spring in the Northeast and the freezing and muddy roads. Moreover, it could also use the normal rotation of border defense forces at the end of the year to attack our mobile forces.  Carry out corresponding rotations and mobilizations to avoid allowing the enemy to predict our actions. More importantly, the enemy's Pacific Fleet's ability to move will be restricted" Batu listened carefully to Shi Huaisha's explanation of the attack.  The details of the plan were very complicated, but well organized. The mobilization, supply, movement, deployment, and attack of nearly 200,000 troops were explained in great detail by Lieutenant Shi. He even carefully calculated the supplies and transportation.  The number of railroad cars and boats required by these armies was tabulated in detail.  Obviously, such a huge plan cannot be completed by him alone, nor can it be completed in a short time. Gao Tingyu had been preparing to launch a decisive attack on the enemies in the north many years ago.  "None of the veterans left behind by the late emperor are fuel-efficient! People in the world say, 'Northern Gao is better than Nanzao', and Nanzao is indeed not as good as Beigao!" Batu sighed secretly in his heart.  "The campaign will be divided into the following stages. In the first stage, special attack methods will be used to blockade the Vladivostok military port, and then the main force will be used to surround the port fortress and carry out siege operations. The secondary force will be used to threaten the enemy defenders in Khabarovsk and win the battle.  To capture Vladivostok before summer, destroy the Russian Pacific Fleet, and lay the foundation for the next phase of the offensive, in order to achieve the above goals, our army besieging Vladivostok must be strengthened with siege artillery with a caliber of more than 22 cm, and the engineering troops must be strengthened.  Special training to destroy the enemy's fortress-based defenses and lay a temporary railway line from Jilin to the Sino-Russian border to transport heavy artillery for sieges. "" Use special methods to block the Vladivostok military port.  "Temporary railway line?" Batu was almost stunned by the other party's words. He knew very well that the railway from Youzhou to Shengjing had just been approved by the cabinet, and the bonds to raise funds had not yet been issued.  The You Railway (Zhangjiakou to Beijing) has just been completed.  The maximum caliber 122mm howitzer field gun that the Hanking Arsenal can produce was just finalized last month. Even the equipment for the Imperial Guard will have to be at least three or four years away. This kind of siege heavy artillery with a diameter of more than 22cm  The manufacturing difficulty will only become more difficult, and there are only a handful of companies in the world that can manufacture them, such as Britain's Armstrong, Germany's Krupp, France's Toulouse Arsenal, and Russia's Tula.  As for special methods to blockade a huge military port like Vladivostok, it is far beyond Batu's imagination.  "Stop, stop!" Batu interrupted the other party's eloquent speech. Shi Huaisha looked at Batu's face in surprise and asked in a low voice: "Sir, was there anything I said wrong just now?  "That's not true." Batu sighed and asked, "But where are the 22-centimeter-plus siege artillery and the temporary railway line from Jilin to the Sino-Russian border?"  We know that we don¡¯t have these things now, and I¡¯m afraid we may not have them in the next few years!¡± ¡°I know, but I am an officer who makes plans. My responsibility is to make plans to win and point out the various equipment and materials necessary!  . To win the battle against the Russians, the first step is to destroy their Pacific Fleet. Otherwise, during our attack, their fleet will continue to bombard our rear ports and transport ships and send marines to land, which will affect us.  Both parties are a major threat, and the Russians have fortified this city a few years ago. There are dense traffic trenches, permanent fortifications, and various firepower launch points on the periphery of the city. Without large-caliber attacks.  We cannot capture this military port in a short period of time without the city¡¯s heavy artillery, and without the railway line, even if we have heavy artillery, we cannot move to the fortress in time. My requests are all well-founded!?I know your request is well founded!  Batu was already a little angry at Shi Huaisha's words: "But we don't have these things now, and we may not have them in 1895."  " "Then this is not my problem. My task is only to find a solution, not to create the things needed for the solution!  " Batu has been completely conquered by the other party's answer that lacks a sense of reality. He closed his eyes, pressed his temples that were aching faintly, and heard Shi Huaisha's cautious question in his ears: "Excuse me, Mr. Ba, are you  Do you also want to hear about my plans for a near-term attack on Russia?  " "No need, I have a headache!  "Batu waved his right hand feebly. He felt extremely tired from this period of communication with this strange new officer. Gao Tingyu's residence. "Master Marquis, where did you find this god?  Batu asked with a face full of pain: "You were not present at that time. If you were present, you would have made him angry to death!"  " "Master Ba, please have some tea. This is the finest Longjing."  "Gao Tingyu made a gesture, and the guard who had just presented the hot tea immediately withdrew. He pointed to the hot tea on the coffee table with a smile, and said with a smile: "What's the matter? Huaisha said his twenty-two centimeters again.  Heavy siege artillery, suicide attacks by torpedo boats, and shipwrecks blocking the harbor channels and so on?  It seems like he had a very good conversation with you, otherwise he wouldn't have said this.  "    "What?  And torpedo boats?  Shipwreck blocking waterway?  "Batu's eyes widened. He thought that Shi Huaisha had come up with all the weird ideas just now, but he didn't expect that there were even weirder ones that he hadn't told him. "Well!  The primary purpose in the plan he formulated was to recapture Vladivostok and destroy the Russian Pacific Fleet.  The competition for the Far Eastern border states is not taken very seriously!  Gao Tingyu took a sip of tea and smiled slightly: "Actually, Huaisha's idea also has its own reasons. Although this exercise is about attack, the purpose is offensive defense."  For Dashun, the threat of the Russian army is far less than that of the Pacific Fleet. Even if the Far Eastern Railway is built, the Russian population in the Far East is still limited. Although Lao Maozi has been eyeing our Manchuria and Korea in recent years, they have  The focus is still on Europe. As long as there is a problem there, sooner or later we will have to turn around.  The navy is different. It may go south to attack our coastal ports at any time. It is better to pull out this stinger to save worry.  " "Good tea!  Batu also took a sip of tea and immediately came back to his senses: "Is there a problem over there?"  Sir, do you think the Russians will fight in the west?  " Gao Tingyu nodded: "Yes, but not now.  , some robbers will not kill each other when robbing, but will join forces to rob, but when the robbery is over, they will turn around and kill each other. These Western devils have almost divided the world, and it is almost time to kill each other.  !  At this point, Gao Tingyu paused for a moment and asked, "Master Ba, what do you think of Huaisha?"  " "This -" Batu thought about the wording for a while and whispered: "Colonel Shi is a smart man, but he'd better not get too big a job.  " "How do you say this?  " "He thinks things too simply, as if fighting is like playing Pai Gow. If there is one enemy, he will have two, and if there are three enemies, he will have four. He is focused on defeating the enemy on the battlefield, but there are some people in this world.  Things can't be won on the battlefield, and not all battles can be won. Look, he only needs so many people to fight Vladivostok, and even if the court is turned upside down, he may not be able to sustain it!  " "That's what you said!  Gao Tingyu nodded: "But talents are rare. If it is convenient, you should take him with you when you go back. You will need him for your military and political reform."  " "Well, that's fine!  " Starting from the second day, this actual military exercise began. The first ten days were marching and camping from Youzhou to Zhangjiakou. After four days of marching, there were a total of five battalions of Shunjun (the battalion here is Shunjun)  The largest fixed military unit (probably similar to later divisions) marched a distance of about 400 kilometers. During this process, Batu participated in this march as an observer. He noted with satisfaction that during this long march.  During the long march, most of the troops maintained good order, and the soldiers and horses were well taken care of. There were not many stragglers and injured troops, and there was no situation where heavy weapons were out of touch due to insufficient camels and livestock.  The camping also maintained good order, which shows that the daily training of this part of the Shun Army was very good. During the breaks of the march, each battalion also organized corresponding tactical and shooting training, and Wen Huaisha served as the commander of a certain cavalry target.  , and also conducted a review as a demonstration unit. Batu was surprised to find that this officer who gave him a somewhat bookish impression at first seemed to be a completely different person during the review. He was riding a black horse with only white legs.  The stallion came to the front of the troops under review. At first he used the command, and later he used the saber (the so-called "silent drill").) and later used trumpet tones.  Actions such as changing formations, marching, turning, changing direction, standing still, aligning, etc. Finally, the full range of cavalry unfolded into three skirmish lines and charged towards the enemy to surround them. Shi Huaisha himself, as the commander, was in the center of the assault formation,  Leading the full range of cavalry, they rushed towards the high ground where the headquarters was located. Behind the cavalry on both sides were cavalry cannons and Green cannons on carriages. After quickly occupying a favorable position, they pointed the muzzles at the impact of the headquarters.  Target.  Standing on the high ground, Batu looked at the more than a thousand sabers held high and the rumble of horse hoofs in front of him, and his face turned slightly pale.  Thank you to book friends Captain Zeon and 150338371 for your reward. Please give me recommendation votes, clicks, rewards, and collections. I don¡¯t know why, but I have a lot more collections, but the monthly recommendation votes have never increased. It¡¯s so strange!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 158 Exercise 4

    "Wan Sheng! Wan Sheng!" When the cavalry rushed to the high ground and were still more than fifty meters away, they began to slow down. They shrank their formation and moved closer to Shi Huaisha in the center. Shi Huaisha jumped off his horse.  , walked quickly to the high ground, ready to report the end of the exercise.  "Very good, very good!" Gao Tingyu interrupted Shi Huaisha's report: "Now go down and continue with the next subject!" "Yes!" Shi Huaisha gave Gao Tingyu a military salute and retreated.  "The next part is the detour and side attack of the cavalry!" A loud order came from the high ground. Shi Huaisha took a breath, turned around and shouted the order to the soldiers behind him. The cavalry executed it quickly and accurately.  orders from superiors.  The officers on the high ground looked with satisfaction at everything that was pleasing to the eye below, but Batu turned around and walked back. After taking just two steps, Gao Tingyu's voice came from behind: "What's wrong? Didn't you do a good job?  "No, very good. I will ask Captain Shi to be transferred to the Ministry of War when I return!" Batu replied: "I never thought that he was not only an excellent staff officer, but also such a good cavalry officer."  "Master Ba, I am old, but Dashun still needs soldiers, excellent soldiers!" "I understand!" Batu sighed, "I will recommend him to take up the post.  "How about Fang Silai?" That night, the exercise troops received instructions that a certain enemy force broke through the border wall in an area 120 kilometers north of Zhangjiakou and was advancing towards Zhangjiakou.  All the exercise troops began to rush to Zhangjiakou immediately. The battalion where Shi Huaisha was located took on the most difficult task. He had to march south of Zhangjiakou with force to protect the safety of the railway line from Zhangjiakou to Youzhou.  The cavalry mark commanded by Shi Huaisha served as the vanguard of the main force of the battalion. In other words, this cavalry mark not only had to complete a long-distance march in a short time, but also had to perform marching vigilance tasks and be constantly prepared.  On the one hand, it can quickly launch into battle with the "enemy forces" and create the most favorable conditions for the main force of the battalion to engage in "battle".  In order to further observe his future colleague from the nearest distance, Batu also participated in this arduous march.  The flag marched for twenty-two hours, and the cavalry flag traveled nearly 70 kilometers and rested twice, each time for three hours. At dawn, the sentry at the front reported to the commander that in Youzhou¡ª  -On the other side of the Zhangjiakou railway line, enemy troops are moving towards the Zhangjiakou Railway Station.  On the ground near Zhangjiakou, friendly forces covering the area near the railway hub have begun fighting.  "What should we do now?" Batu asked in a low voice. As an observer, he could not directly participate in the battle during the acting.  "I will go to the front team now to take a look before I can make a decision!" Shi Huaisha responded quickly. He clamped his horse between his legs and arrived at the front team a few minutes later. Batu remained silent.  Followed.  "Teng Jing, how is the situation up front?" Shi Huaisha asked the commander of the front team loudly.  "Report to the commander, the enemy has about two thousand infantry, arranged in a battle formation, moving towards the high ground in front on the other side of the railway line. Our defenders in the high ground have begun fighting, but have not encountered the enemy yet.  Security and reconnaissance troops! " "So the enemy infantry has not noticed that we have entered this area?" Shi Huaisha asked, pointing to the winding railway line in the distance. The railway roadbed was built on the high ground.  The ground is more than two meters long, forming a natural barrier, blocking the view from the other side of the railway.  "Yes, I think so!" "Very good, this is a good opportunity!" Shi Huaisha turned to the officer of the cavalry artillery team behind him and ordered: "Let your Green Cannon and Mountain Artillery troops quickly seize the railway  Use the vantage point on the roadbed to kill the enemy's flanks with artillery fire!" "Yes, sir!" Shi Huaisha kicked the horse in the stomach, galloped in front of the cavalry, drew his saber, and shouted: "  Cavalrymen, follow my orders, form your formation, and prepare to attack!" Under the protection of two accompanying officers, Batu climbed onto a section of the railway embankment, where he could clearly see, under the smoke of simulated artillery fire,  The "enemy" infantry that was moving to the high ground just now was retreating in chaos. Shi Huaishabiao's cavalry crossed the railway, formed a formation as they marched, and rushed towards the flanks of the retreating enemy infantry. They were further away among the woods.  In the video, the "enemy" artillerymen were turning their muzzles in a panic, but it was obviously too late. On the real battlefield, the only option for these artillerymen was to surrender.  "After a long forced march, it can also inspire the morale of the subordinates to maintain the combat effectiveness of the army. After encountering the enemy suddenly, it can quickly determine the situation, make the correct determination, and rationally use the existing troops and weapons in hand to defeat the enemy.  Launch a swift and violent attack on the weak point, and then take advantage of it.?After the victory, he carried out a brave pursuit and expanded the results of the victory. It seems that he is not only an excellent staff officer, but also an excellent tactical corps commander.  "Batu thought secretly in his heart. Gao Tingyu solemnly recommended such a person to himself. Batu was also prepared in his heart, but he did not expect Shi Huaisha to be so outstanding. "But he is a theater commander on the northern border.  Officials push the central government to launch a war. Isn¡¯t this a good precedent?  An ominous thought flashed through Batu's mind: "Whether it is war or peace, the emperor, the cabinet, and the court should have the power to decide."  Being provocative is taboo in any dynasty or generation!  ¡± North Korea, Busan, Japan Street. Akiyama Haogu was sitting on a rickshaw, looking at the scenery on the roadside with great interest. Everywhere he looked, he saw houses and shops with Japanese characteristics, and many signs had Japanese characters on them.  The Korean language is full of familiar Japanese accents. It turns out that Busan faces the Japanese island of Tsushima across the sea; it faces the Nakdong River in the northwest and has an archipelago barrier in the south. It is the southern gateway of the Korean Peninsula.  The port city located at the southernmost tip of the Korean Peninsula has been designated as a trading port since the early 15th century. It mainly conducts commercial trade with the Japanese and allows the Japanese to settle here. Therefore, Busan is home to a large number of Japanese merchants and their servants.  A special street for Japanese expats has been formed. ¡°It¡¯s no different from home!  "Akiyama Yoshiko showed a satisfied smile on his face. He was a middle-aged man in his early thirties. Unlike most Japanese at that time, Akiyama Yoshiko was tall, fair-skinned, and had a European-style face.  He had a Prussian beard on his upper lip and chin like most Japanese people who had received Western education at that time, and a black top hat on his head. Japanese girls passing by the road occasionally cast admiring glances at him, but he didn't do anything about it.  No feeling. ¡°Sir, the Wave Valley House is here, it¡¯s here!  "The rickshaw stopped at the door of a shop that deals in high-end ready-to-wear clothing. Akiyama Hoku got out of the car, took out a silver dollar from his pocket and handed it to the driver, and said with a smile: "Take the rest and sell some new clothes for the child.  , I saw the way you were eating rice balls just now. You have a lot of kids, right?  " "Thank you so much, sir!  "The rickshaw driver took the silver dollar in surprise and joy. He had just been eating barnyard rice balls for lunch while waiting for the guests. This kind of inferior food was very abnormal even for the rickshaw driver at the time. "It's okay, I did too.  Coming from a family with many children!  "Akiyama Yoshiko smiled and walked towards the Hatani House. The Japanese officer, who had just undergone three years of formal cavalry training in France, rang the doorbell at the door. With the crisp ringing, a man wearing wooden clogs smiled.  He came out and bowed to him: "Sir, what do you want to see?  " "Please tell Mr. Hasani for me that Akiyama from Tokyo has arrived!  " "Please come in and wait a moment!  "The waiter cordially invited Akiyama H¨­ko into the house, and took out wooden clogs for him to put on. Akiyama H¨­ko sat down comfortably on the tatami. After a while, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from outside.  "It's Akiyama-kun!  A middle-aged man in his forties with short stature opened his arms enthusiastically: "It's really you. I haven't seen you in five or six years. I really miss you!"  He and Akiyama Haogu hugged each other warmly, and looked at each other carefully for a while: "You still look so attractive to women, how is it? How have you been in France for the past three years?"  Are you still in the military?  " "Ahhhh!  You guy, being good-looking is the most useless thing to a man, right?  "Akiyama Haogu showed a somewhat bored look on his face, and immediately smiled and said: "Don't talk about these meaningless things, Mr. Hasani, do you have any wine?  Let's have a good drink!  " "You guy, you should be at least a Major, Lieutenant Colonel or something now, right?  Is he a big shot now, or is he still the same?  "Haiya patted Akiyama Hoku's shoulder in an angry and funny manner, and shouted to the door: "My dear, go get the wine quickly, and ask Jihei to go to the small valley house and buy some whale meat to cook (Japanese).  Whale meat stewed with sugar, soy sauce, and ginger) and tuna flakes. Akiyama-kun and I want to have a few drinks!  "    "yes!  A middle-aged woman's reply came from outside the door. Akiyama Haogu said with a smile: "I'm sorry for disturbing you, but drinking is a bad habit of mine and I can't change it."  But we don¡¯t need anything like Yamato-dishi. Hatani-kun and I just want to drink, and just have some pickled radish or something!  " The woman from Namiyama came in with a tray. She lifted up the hem of her kimono, knelt on the ground, and placed cups for Akiyama Hiko and her husband. She smiled and replied: "Akiyama-kun, you are too polite.  , my husband always complains that no one drinks with him. Today you are here just so you can drink with him to his heart¡¯s content!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 159 Dongxue Dao 1

    "Haha, Madam, I heard you say that, then I, Akiyama, won't be polite!" Akiyama smiled and took off his hat and put it aside, revealing his bare head underneath. Seeing the surprised expression on Bo Gu's face, Akiyama  Hao Gu touched his bald scalp with an embarrassed smile on his face: "I got a serious illness in France, and all my hair fell out. But it's okay, it saves a lot of things, for a samurai  , This can be regarded as a lucky thing!" Bo Gu didn't know what to say for a while, so he could only raise the wine glass in front of him and said: "Come, cheers to our reunion!" "Cheers!" Qiu Shanhaoguqing.  He clinked the wine glass opposite him and drank the wine in one gulp.  The two chatted and chatted, and in the blink of an eye they had been drinking for three rounds.  Akiyama Yoshiko suddenly put down his wine glass, pushed the suitcase beside him forward, opened the lid, and revealed twelve thick stacks of Japanese yen.  "What does this mean?" Bo Gu frowned and asked.  "Hatani-kun, these are the army's special expenses secretly raised by Yamagata-kun. The total is 120,000 yen." Akiyama Yoshiko smiled: "The purpose of my visit this time is to conduct a staff trip in North Korea.  To investigate the geography of North Korea¡¯s main military points, there are four or five companions coming with me this time. We need a local guide with a solid reputation. I hope you can help me! " "No problem, just wait a few days.  , I will prepare your identities and guides, and you can pretend to be a businessman who buys ginseng and copperware! Is there no problem? "Haiya has already prepared in his heart, Akiyama Yoshiko has a bright future in the Japanese military.  The young handsome man suddenly came to his store in Busan. He couldn't be just to have a few drinks with himself, the owner of a clothing store, right?  "There is no problem with this, but if possible, please arrange our status to be lower down, so that we are not so noticeable, and we can see more of the situation at the bottom of society in the Li Dynasty. This is very important!  "There is no problem with this, but I'm afraid you can't do it, Mr. Qiu Shan. You are too tall and your skin is too fair. You don't look like a poor man!" At this point, Bo Gu laughed: "After all, he is still a handsome man."  Take advantage, Mr. Qiu Shan, you don¡¯t need to carry dozens of kilograms of goods on your back for dozens of miles a day, and you have to kneel down on the roadside no matter where you meet, no matter whether it¡¯s snow or mud on the ground.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really a tragedy.  What a country!¡± Qiu Shan Haogu sighed: ¡°Mediocre nobles and bureaucrats ride on the heads of the people and dominate, and they are servile to foreign enemies. They rely on the power of the sovereign state to squeeze the people and live a luxurious and luxurious life.  This situation must be broken!" At this point, he punched the ground, and the wine glass in front of him was knocked to the ground, and the sake inside flowed to the floor.  "Ah! Mr. Qiu Shan, you still have this temper!" Bogu quickly stretched out his hand to straighten the wine glass and said with a smile: "You have an excessive sense of justice. Haha, does the empire really want to use troops against North Korea? That would mean war with Dashun.  Ah, that¡¯s a great enemy!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Akiyama Yoshiko nodded: ¡°It¡¯s true that Dashun is a great enemy, with ten times more manpower and material resources than us, but we have seen it from the Ryukyu incident.  Here we are, the British are on our side. As long as the Japanese Empire seizes the opportunity and uses the power of the West, it will definitely defeat Dashun and become the master of the entire East Asia!" Bo Gu's face became serious, and he spoke softly!  Pushing the suitcase back: "Akiyama-kun, please take this money back. Identity and guide will cost you a few dollars, so use it in more useful places. Shunguo's financial resources are ten times that of Japan, we must save some money."  !¡± Akiyama Hoku pushed the suitcase back again: ¡°No, these are not just money for identity and guide. I won¡¯t be able to stay here for long. You can use this money to buy intelligence and necessary people when needed.  , these are very useful!¡± North Korea, Daejeon.  A long official road winds down the hillside. The slopes on both sides of the road have been reclaimed by industrious farmers into dry land, and are planted with barley and potatoes, which are relatively cold-resistant crops. In the distance of the road, a small river flows through.  This wealthy valley is divided into two. It is early April now, and groups of Korean farmers wearing high hats and white robes with national characteristics are hunched over planting rice in the paddy fields next to the river.  "Mr. Guide, is this Wuling?" Qiu Shanhaogu asked the guide on the side with a smile. At this time, he had a white cloth wrapped around his head, wearing leggings, and carrying a large wooden box on his back. He looked like an ordinary Korean businessman.  .  "No, Wuling has to pass through Daejeon and walk more than ten miles to reach Daejeon. We haven't reached Daejeon yet!" the North Korean guide replied with a smile. This traveling businessman introduced by the boss of Boguwu spoke kindly and paid generously.  , and quickly won his favor.  "So that's it!" Qiu Shan Haogu looked at the sky and said, "Then the one in front of youIs the river called Jinjiang?  "    "yes!  The guide turned back in surprise: "Have you been here before?"  " "Yes, but that happened a long time ago, and I have long forgotten it now!  Akiyama Yoshigu smiled and patted his bald head: "How about we go to the river to rest for a while. There are many farmers near the fields, and we can also do some business by the way!"  "    "Oh well!  "When the guide thought that his salary was calculated based on time, he smiled and nodded. Akiyama Haogu shouted a few words to the men behind him, and the group walked along the road towards the river. These men dressed as porters observed carefully  Looking at the surrounding scenery, several people took out pencils and white paper clamped on the wooden board to start sketching. If there are officers who are familiar with military surveying and mapping business here, they will be surprised to find that these sketches are very professional.  The group of people arrived at the river and found a shady place to sit down and rest. Akiyama Hoku and his men sold small commodities such as needlework, salt, and soybean oil to the villagers while speaking half-baked Korean, and inquired about the villagers without leaving any trace.  After more than an hour, the two officers walked to the riverside and began to carefully measure the flow rate and depth of the river to find fording points when necessary.  After the report from his subordinates, he ordered to stop resting and continue on his way. ¡°Mr. Haruta!  The guide smiled and called Akiyama Haogu's forged name: "Are you and your companions really strange people?"  " Qiushan Haogu was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said: "Mr. Pu, why do you say that?  " "Judging from your appearance, you should be a person who has read books. Your companions can also draw and write. They should all be learned people. Why do you want to come to North Korea to be such a hard-working businessman?  North Korea is a very poor country. Even in good years, the people here can only eat half full. If there is a slight famine, many people will starve to death. They don't have the money to buy many of your goods.  " Akiyama Haogu replied thoughtfully: "Actually, North Korea is not a poor country. It has many rich resources, but its people don't know how to use them.  If someone would teach the locals how to use it, this place would change!  " "Is there such a thing?  " "Of course, some people in the West already know that using factories to produce fertilizer can make the same fields grow two or three times more food, so that everyone can eat white rice!  "    "real?  "The guide had an incredible look on his face, and then he looked at Akiyama Haogu with a completely different look: "Then you are really a man of great knowledge!  It would be great if this could really happen.  " "What do you mean it's really like this!  If you're lucky, this will become a reality in ten or at most twenty years, and you can definitely see it all with your own eyes!  "Qiu Shanhaogu smiled. "I'm not that delusional. I'll be satisfied if I can see my son living a life of eating white rice every day!  "The guide stood up from the ground with a smile, patted the dust on his butt: "It's almost time to rest, let's set off!  ¡± Akiyama Haogu¡¯s group set out from Busan and headed north along the west side of the Korean Peninsula. Passing through Daegu, Gimcheon, Yeongdong, Daejeon, Cheonan, and Suwon, by mid-May, they had arrived at an important port in the waist of the Korean Peninsula.  After walking a few dozen kilometers north of Incheon, we entered rugged mountains and plateau areas. On a protruding rock by the sea, people were sitting around drinking water and resting, looking at the sea on the right and looking at the danger in the distance.  Looking at the mountains, an officer couldn't help but sigh: "Compared to Japan, the mountains and rivers in this country are really majestic!  " "I heard that on which side of the sea, China's mountains and rivers are even more majestic!  "The person who spoke was Akiyama Haogu, and everyone's eyes lit up. These people are all top students of the military academy. They are basically from feudal families. They have received good sinology education since childhood. Someone said in a deep voice: "Donglin  Jieshi to view the sea.  "This song "Stepping out of Xiamen. Viewing the Sea" was written by Cao Cao, a famous poet, statesman and military strategist during the Three Kingdoms period. It is a household name in Japan, and people immediately responded.  .  The water is so sluggish that the mountains and islands stand tall.  There are many trees and lush grass.  The autumn wind is bleak and the waves are rising.  The journey of the sun and the moon can be traced out of it.  The stars are as brilliant as if they came from within. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ¡± They were all young and middle-aged men. The heavy and thick voice fully demonstrated Cao Mengde¡¯s melancholy and vigorous poetry style. The strong sea breeze blew like a blade, blowing their hair around. Almost everyone felt as if they were  Returning to the reef across the sea more than a thousand years ago, a kind ofThe unspoken excitement surged in my chest, as if it was about to burst out at any moment.  Thank you to book friend 150338371 for the reward!  Ask for favorites, recommendation votes, and rewards!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 160 Dongxue Daozhong

    "How majestic, how majestic!" the officer sighed. He pointed to the winding mountain road and sighed: "Three hundred years ago, Hideyoshi's army marched north along this road. Today we  We are here again, but when will the army of the Japanese Empire be able to advance along this road to the mainland? "There will be a day!" Akiyama Haogu said firmly: "  The harder we work now, the sooner this day will come!" "Yes, let's go!" "Don't rest, my whole body is full of strength now!" The men jumped up from the ground and walked along enthusiastically.  The mountain road goes down.  The guide looked at these excited people with some surprise. After a hard morning's trek, he didn't sit down for a few minutes. He yelled a few times at the sea in a language he didn't understand, and suddenly became as excited as if he had been on stimulants.  Setting off, he didn't look like a caravan porter.  "Don't they feel tired?" the guide said to himself.  Just walking by, Akiyama Haogu heard the words and gently patted the guide on the shoulder: "If you really work hard for your country, you won't feel tired!" "Country? My country?" The guide was confused.  He blinked his eyes, as if he didn't understand what the other person was saying.  Seeing the look of the guide, Akiyama Yoshiko couldn't help but laugh: "It's too early to tell you this now, but you will understand one day in the future!" Unlike Akiyama Yoshiko, the other Japanese officers in the caravan were  He was very contemptuous of the North Korean guide. When the guide walked away, an officer whispered: "Qiu Shanjun, why are you wasting your words with that kind of person? What do people like this kind of muddle-headed people know about saving the nation and surviving in East Asia?"  The principle of "co-prosperity" "Matsuyama-kun, what you said is wrong!" Akiyama Haogu retorted seriously: "There are always very few people in this world who understand the truth at the beginning, even in our country.  Country, if it were not for Fukuzawa, Yoshida (Fukuzawa Yukichi, Yoshida Shoin), they were all famous Japanese educators and enlighteners during the Meiji period. Yamagata Aritomo, Ito Hirobumi, Takasugi Shinsaku, Kido Takayoshi and others all came from Yoshida  Among Shoin's private schools, Yoshida Shoin was killed at the age of thirty because he opposed the reactionary rule of the shogunate.) Such sages advocated at the risk of their own lives. What is the difference between us and these Koreans?  The manpower and material resources are more than ten times that of ours. It has been the overlord of East Asia since ancient times. If we want to realize our lofty ideals, we must enlighten the people of the backward nations and unite to jointly deal with powerful enemies.¡± Hearing the truth of Akiyama Haogu.  , the officer named Songshan bowed to him sincerely: "You are right, then what should we do?" "The royal family of the Li Dynasty has been pursuing the principle of 'big things' for hundreds of years. First, they relied on the Ming Dynasty, and then they relied on the Ming Dynasty.  Dashun came to maintain their decadent rule at home. It is impossible for us in Japan to bring them to our side. Therefore, our visit this time is not only to examine North Korea's military geography, but more importantly, to explore North Korea.  Where the people are suffering, visit the heroes hidden in the wilderness, help them, and unite with them to overthrow the Li Dynasty and establish a new civilized country. This is the only way to win! " Akiyama Haogu and his party passed through Incheon Port!  , began to enter the mountains of northern North Korea.  The surrounding terrain gradually changed from paddy fields to hills and dry land, and the distribution of villages gradually became sparse. It was common to walk for a long time without seeing a single village.  Compared with the southern part of North Korea we passed through before, the farmers in the north are even poorer. Many people cannot afford currency such as copper coins to buy the groceries carried by Qiu Shan and others, but can only exchange rice or other special products. Everywhere in the village  What is visible is the sallow and thin face and the dull expression that has been oppressed by years of suffering, which makes some Japanese officers who come from rural areas feel a little pity.  On this day, Qiu Shan and his party arrived in a village. After selling some needles, threads, and groceries they brought with them, it was getting late, so they borrowed a dilapidated house at the entrance of the village from the villagers for a temporary stay.  Around eleven o'clock in the evening, Daisuke Matsuyama, who was on duty as a sentry, was taking a drowsy sleep when he suddenly heard some faint noises next door.  He thought that the villagers were coveting the property of his group and wanted to take advantage of the night to do harm to his group. He quickly got up to check and saw a bright spot on the wall. He walked carefully to the wall and found that there was a bright spot on the wall.  Through the gap, the light from outside came through.  Daisuke Matsuyama carefully looked out from the gap and saw more than a hundred villagers sitting around, listening attentively to a man in his thirties wearing a white coat and a high crown speaking loudly. Daisuke Matsuyama eavesdropped for a while and listened.  Not understanding the other party's fast-talking Korean, he had no choice but to wake up Akiyama Yoshiko.  Qiu Shanhaogu carefully climbed out of the outer wall, and then tiptoed from the shadows beside the wall to the lecture venue. He only heard the middle-aged man among them loudly saying: "In the Hancheng palace, the long-night banquet will never stop.  Promoting excellent prostitutes to perform hundreds of playsThe wine pond and the meat forest cost a huge amount of money.  But that generation doesn¡¯t farm or weave, so isn¡¯t the money they consume coming from our generation?  In addition to the regular taxes, there are countless various kinds of labor levies and miscellaneous taxes. The farmers work hard all year round but do not have enough to eat. If they are slightly in trouble, their sons and daughters are sold, and many villages starve to death.  All these things have left thousands of people in ruins, every village is crying, everyone is complaining, and the people of all walks of life are in panic.  The two groups of officials and even the rich are both fish and meat for the common people. How can the evil people not regard them as enemies?  !  Their survival depends entirely on the people. Why do they put our people to death?  Therefore, the people look forward to the country's demise day and night. If someone speaks, they will say that the country will be destroyed, saying: "This dynasty must perish. It must perish. Why not perish early?"  '" Akiyama Haogu listened and translated it into Japanese in a low voice for his subordinates. "Akiyama-kun, I heard you say that you wanted to look for heroes in the grass. I thought it was just a joke, but I didn't expect that I actually met you here.  arrive!  " Hearing Matsuyama Daisuke's excited voice from behind, Akiyama Haogu smiled slightly: "There must be grass within ten steps. North Korea is three thousand miles away, so how can there be no heroes?  Keep an eye on this person later. After the meeting, you and I can see where he lives and then make plans!  " "Yes, Mr. Qiu Shan!  "Daisuke Matsuyama nodded. At this time, the speech of the man in white had ended. Under his leadership, the people in the village sang a Chinese poem in a solemn tone: "Golden bottles of fine wine, thousands of people's blood, jade plates of delicious food, thousands of people's blood."  The surname is Gao.  When the candles fall, the people shed tears, and where the songs are loud, the voices of complaint are loud.  " After everyone recited this Chinese poem, they dispersed. Only the middle-aged man said a few words to a few villagers, and then walked outside under the guidance of two village elders. Qiu Shan was very ancient and  Matsuyama Daisuke and the other two hurriedly followed up and saw the man entering a relatively clean house. He must have gone to rest. Akiyama Yoshiko and Matsuyama Daisuke looked at each other, and they both saw excitement in each other's eyes.  With a look on his face, he knew that now was a good time, otherwise they were not familiar with the local terrain. Once this mysterious man got lost, it would be extremely difficult to find him. ¡°You stand guard at the door!  "Qiu Shan Hao Gu whispered to his companions, and then he carefully climbed over the wall and walked to the door. He looked around and saw that there was no one around. He carefully took out the dagger from his arms and unlatched the door, and got into the door. Qiu Shan Hao Gu had just brought it with him.  After taking two steps towards the door, there was a sudden soft sound, and something suddenly tripped under my feet. Immediately, someone inside the door shouted: "Who is it?  " "Damn it, there is a mechanism!  " Qiu Shanhaogu reacted immediately. He jumped up and pressed down the man who had just sat up on the Kang table. He pulled out a dagger and put it against the other person's throat. He whispered: "Don't move!  " The man on the kang only felt a pain in his throat. He quickly stepped back and realized that he had been restrained. He was indeed a hero. He sneered and said, "He must be the lackey of Governor Zhao!"  If you want to kill me, then kill me. If I, Quan Zhun, were afraid of death, I would not have entered Dongxue Taoism!  " "Is it accurate?"  Dong Xuedao?  "Akiyama Yoshiko couldn't help but feel secretly happy after hearing this. He didn't expect that the other party would reveal his identity without having to ask. He had also heard about H¨­gakudo from Hasani, and it was somewhat similar to the Ichikuzon sect of the Warring States Period in Japan.  The adherents of North Korea's local religion are mainly poor farmers from the middle and lower classes. He slowly took back the dagger, took two steps back and said with a smile: "It turns out to be Mr. Quan from Dongxue Dao. I have no ill intentions. I just did it to prevent you.  I screamed in fright, and when I caused trouble, I forced myself to use a sharp knife. Please forgive me!  " "What an adult or a villain!  The man sat up from the fire bed and sneered: "I, Quan Ding, am definitely just a poor man. I don't deserve such a respectful title from you. But what is your origin?"  Sneaky!  " "My name is Qiu Shangu, from Busan. I am a small businessman, and I happen to be passing through this place on business.  I heard a noise outside in the middle of the night, and I was afraid that a robber was coming, so I went out with my companions to see what was going on. By chance, we happened to run into your association's meeting. If it is true or not, you can find out at dawn!  "Quan Yanzhun snorted coldly and said nothing. Qiu Shan Haogu took out a box of matches from his arms, struck it twice to light the oil lamp next to the fire pit, and handed the match over: "Look, this is ours.  One of the goods was sold to two villagers during the day. You will know as soon as you ask!  " Quan Quan Zhun picked up the matchbox and saw the Japanese words on it carefully under the light. He threw it aside in disgust: "Japanese product!  " Akiyama Haogu pretended to be embarrassed and sighed: "Yes, I am also a North Korean. I hope to sell goods produced by North Korea, but what can I do?  North Korea can¡¯t even produce its own matches!  " Hearing Qiu Shan Haogu's deliberately pretended Busan accent, Quan Junzhun's tense face softened, and he whispered: "I don't mean to blame you, please sit down, but why are you sneaking around?  Come in?  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 161 Dongxue Dao 2

    "Because I have a very important news to tell you, and it cannot be heard by others!" Akiyama Haogu lowered his voice: "Are you the leader of Dongxue Dao?" Quan Quan looked at Qiu Shan suspiciously  Dressed in such an ancient style, he secretly wondered if this person was a government spy, but in the end he carefully replied: "I'm just the successor of a county. What's the matter?" "Acceptor?" Akiyama said firmly.  Keep this word in mind: "Okay, I just listened to your speech, and I think what you said makes sense. We should indeed overthrow the corrupt officials and let the poor live a good life. But to do this, we need to  Weapons cannot defeat officers and soldiers with bare hands. My mother is the daughter of a Japanese businessman, so I know many Japanese businessmen." At this point, Akiyama Yoshiko paused: "The civil war in Japan has just ended, and there are many redundancies.  The weapons are for sale. I heard that a Japanese businessman in Busan has a batch of old firearms that need to be disposed of. If you need them, I can help you get rid of them. " "Old firearms?" Quan Zhun looked at the one in front of him.  The tall man with fair skin had a suspicious look in his eyes. Finally, he said solemnly: "Dong Xuedao is just a group of poor people helping each other. It has no intention of using force to achieve its own goals. We don't need firearms."  , I don¡¯t have the money to buy these firearms, thank you for your kindness!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Akiyama Yoshiko suppressed his disappointment, bowed to the other party with a smile, and said with a smile: ¡°If you change your mind,  You can send someone to the Hagu House in Busan Japan Street and say that he is a friend of Akiyama, and the owner of the house, Mr. Hagu, will receive you well!" At this point, Akiyama took two steps back and walked out of the house.  Quan Quan was sitting in the room with a gloomy face and flashing eyes. No one knew what he was thinking at this time.  The next day, when Akiyama Haogu opened his eyes that had not slept all night and saw the first ray of sunshine appearing on the horizon, he still did not wait for the messenger sent by Dong Xuedao, which made Akiyama Haogu a little disappointed.  Just when he was considering whether to take the initiative to visit the Dongxue Dao leader named Quan Yanzhun, Matsuyama Daisuke rushed in from the outside panting and loudly said: "Qiu Shanjun, that Korean has run away!" "Run away!"  " Qiu Shan Haogu was stunned when he heard this, and then asked: "Who are you talking about? " "Who else could it be? I just went out to pack things and happened to see Quan Zhun with a few of his men.  They are leaving, they are in a hurry. How about we catch up? They won¡¯t be able to get very far.¡± ¡°Catch up?¡± Qiu Shanhaogu hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, ¡°Forget it, we want to help.  They, this will only have the opposite effect. There will be opportunities in the future. Besides, I have already laid the bait, so I am not afraid that he will not bite the hook." At this point, Akiyama Yoshigu showed a mysterious smile on his face.  "Bait? Bite the hook?" Matsuyama Daisuke was confused by some of the two-foot-long monks. In the midst of doubts, Akiyama Haogu patted his shoulder and said loudly: "Okay, Quan Yan is definitely gone, and we are on our way.  Gentlemen, you must work hard today!" Hanjing, the Yamen of the Ministry of War.  "Ba Langzhong, are you crazy?" Zao Guoquan slammed the document in his hand on the table: "Why would you hand over such a bastard? Tell me, who wrote this document?" He said  He looked at Batu, who was standing straight and silent in front of him, just looking down at the floor, and repeated: "Who is it?" Batu raised his head and said in a deep voice: "Sir, it doesn't matter whose hand this document comes from.  , the important thing is that after passing through my Batu¡¯s hand, it naturally represents my Batu¡¯s meaning!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, okay!¡± Zao Guoquan was so angry at Batu¡¯s words that he said three good words in a row.  Batu walked back and forth four or five times before he suddenly stopped, pointed at the other person's nose and shouted angrily: "I asked you to go to Gao Tingyu's place to open more eyes and open your mouth less, I didn't ask you to come back and write these bastard things.  , look at what you wrote: 'Train 90,000 sergeants, equip and train forty-five divisions of the army through the conscript system, and build a longitudinal and two to three parallel railway lines in the Northeast. '  Launch an attack before Russia's Trans-Siberian Railway is completed, occupy Vladivostok, and solve the Far East problem in one fell swoop. 'You are going to destroy the country!' Batu's face remained as usual, and he did not even raise his voice: 'Sir, I am the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of War.  My responsibility is only to point out the existing dangers from my perspective and propose what I think is the best solution. As for the rest, I cannot know what impact the Far East Railway being built in Russia will have on our northern border defense situation.  The threat is also obvious. It has been rigorously proven in this document that 45 divisions are the minimum number of troops for Dashun to deal with existing threats. This does not include the navy and other fortress garrison and military academies.  Sir, we are soldiers and we cannot turn a blind eye to the enemy's threats. There will be a heavy price to pay." "Looking at Batu is like steel.With a so-like face, Zao Guoquan couldn't help but sit down slumped.  He is different from Batu. At this time, he is no longer a pure soldier. As a member of the Dashun cabinet, in this position, Zao Guoquan cannot only consider defeating his opponent on the battlefield. He has to consider  There are more things, such as whether Dashun has the ability to equip so many troops, and the impact of military reform on the country, etc.  There is no need to consider these things, but he has to consider them, so the answers given by both sides to the same question are completely different.  "This document was given to you by Gao Tingyu?" Zao Guoquan asked in a low voice.  "No!" Batu hesitated for a while and whispered: "It was written by one of his generals named Shi Huaisha. I have promised Lord Gao to transfer this person to my subordinates." "Why?"  "Talents are rare. This man is a very good general. Whether it is establishing a compulsory military service system or formulating a combat plan against Russia, we cannot do without him." Zao Guoquan stared at Batu's face, but in the end he still stood by his opponent.  With a normal face, he lowered his head: "Put this document with me first. You can go down first!" "Yes, sir!" Batu gave a standard military salute to Zao Guoquan and withdrew.  Zao Guoquan was the only one left in the house. The light reflected his figure on the window, lingering for a long time, making him look particularly lonely.  In the political hall, Qi Zhiti flipped through the booklet in his hand and laughed as he looked at it: "Guo Quan, what do you mean by giving this booklet to me? Is this really what you meant?" "Of course not.  !" Zao Guoquan smiled slightly: "This is written by one of my subordinates. I thought it was interesting, so I took it to have a look at it. I thought it was just for fun and to relieve your boredom!"  I believe what Zao Guoquan said. A word or a look from people like them has special meaning. Since the other party brought out this information, how could it be just for fun.  Thinking of this, Qi Zhiti turned the fold to the end and saw that the place where the signature was signed had been scratched out with an ink pen, and the name of Batu, the doctor of the Ministry of Fangsi, was written on the side.  "Children of the Ministry of War? Batu?" Qi Zhiti tried hard to search for this name in his memory. Suddenly he tapped his thigh and asked: "Sir, is the doctor of the Ministry of War the same name who was pacified a few years ago?"  That Burma-protecting captain¡¯s military officer?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the man!¡± Zao Guoquan nodded: ¡°He was transferred to Zhenhai as the commander-in-chief. After I joined the cabinet, I also transferred this person to the military department.  "You are an acquaintance!" Qi Zhiti said slowly with an intriguing smile on his face: "Young man Zaoda, you have someone to help you!" "Young man Zaoda?"  After being stunned for a moment, he came back to his senses and realized that the noble person in the other party's mouth was referring to him, so he could only smile slightly: "Ms. Qi, your current status as a doctor is a result of your hard work and has nothing to do with someone earlier.  Although the content is a bit complicated, he is a doctor in charge of the Ministry of Finance, not a minister of household affairs. There are some things that he should not consider in the first place. He only needs to think carefully about who he may have to fight and how to win?  ?¡± ¡°Master Zao is quite right!¡± Hu Keqin nodded, and after reading the booklet, his old face looked quite solemn: ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the military strategy.  , but this analysis of the increase in military strength in the Far East after the completion of the Russian railway is very accurate; if the military strength required for war and the corresponding layout of transportation trunk lines are also very reasonable, "the most important thing for the country is to sacrifice and fight."  There's nothing wrong with bringing the doctor's note here to show to us old guys." Seeing Hu Keqin agreeing with Zao Guoquan's behavior, Qi Zhiti couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Although he was the chief assistant, if  The other two colleagues in the cabinet disagreed with him, so he couldn't forcefully veto it.  He forced himself to smile, picked up the fold again, weighed it in his hand, and asked: "Ms. Hu, do you mean you agree with this fold?" "That's not true!" Hu Keqin's face was full of confusion.  , two almost snow-white eyebrows stood up: "Although there is some truth in this excerpt, it is frivolous to say that the person who proposed the excerpt is going militarily. In five years, he completed the journey from Youzhou to Changchun, and from Anton to  Shenyang's railway means that nothing will be done in the mainland in the next five years." Hearing Hu Keqin's change of tone, Qi Zhiti cheered up and said with a smile: "It's true what Mr. Hu said!  Building roads within the pass is a completely different matter. It would be good if you can build half a kilometer of railway within the pass with the cost of building one kilometer of railway outside the pass. If the contents of this document are exposed, there will be no uproar in the court. "Although he is not from Jiangnan, but  The wife he married was from a wealthy family in Jiangnan, and many of his disciples came from prominent families in Jiangnan. Being able to get to this point is inseparable from the support of Jiangnan Shilin. If Dashun has all the railways in the next five yearsAll the money was thrown out of the customs, and there was no contact with Jiangnan. Just the family would be in trouble.  Thank you to book friends Trainee Police Officer, Captain Zeon, qpiqpi, 150338371, and Ye Liuxiao for the tips. The page recommendations for this book are almost gone. If possible, please help me recommend it to my friends. Thank you very much!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 162 Financial Tightness Part 1

    "But there are old men outside the pass who are looking around, but there are none inside the pass!" Zao Guoquan was anxious when he heard this. He did not expect his cabinet colleagues to agree to all the requirements in the document, but he still had high hopes for the construction of the railway.  After all, reforming the military system involves a lot and has no benefits, while building railways still has a lot of rewards.  "Sir, don't worry, I don't mean to oppose the construction of the railway outside the customs." Hu Keqin smiled and asked Qi Zhiti: "Ms. sir, I remember that you proposed raising taxes to build the railway two months ago.  Later, when everyone objected, we had to give up!" Qi Zhiti became furious when he heard this: "Huh, these short-sighted people will oppose it as soon as they hear that taxes are to be increased, but if they don't increase taxes, where will the money come from?  Railway? It¡¯s really ridiculous!¡± ¡°It¡¯s human nature to want to take advantage of it!¡± Hu Keqin smiled: ¡°But isn¡¯t this a good opportunity?¡± Qi Zhiti was also very alert and responded immediately.  Come over: "Mr. Hu, do you mean to use this discount to increase taxes?" "Yes, it's not our fault that the Russians built the Far East Railway, right? It's not our fault that the border defense burden in the north of China is too heavy, right?"  Either increase the troops or build the railway, whichever is the lesser, these people still understand! " "Good morning, Mr. Hu!" Qi Zhiti was immediately overjoyed. As the chief minister of the Dashun Dynasty, it was not like he could say anything about everything.  Jiuding, the Empress Dowager and the inner court can just give it up. The most difficult thing to deal with is the crows in the outer dynasty. Unlike the past Han dynasties, these officials who pride themselves on being clean are no longer just tools for the imperial power to check and balance the ministers in power.  There are various huge interest groups looming behind these public officials. Through the mouthpieces of these world-famous "Qingliu", these interest groups disguised their own interests and demands as various requirements in line with Confucian creed and imposed pressure on the court.  pressure.  The officials also obtained huge economic returns and political capital in this exchange, because people at that time evaluated these officials as "low-ranking but powerful. Although the official rank was no more than six ranks, they were all ministers in the capital."  Hand it over!" In this case, no matter what Qi Zhiti, as the prime minister, wants to do, it is impossible not to consider the pressure of these clear streams.  "As long as the tax increase is passed, what it will be used for and where it will be done is another matter!" Hu Keqin said with a smile: "According to a certain company, the section from Youzhou Prefecture to Shenyang should be repaired first.  Firstly, it is true that the northern border defense needs this railway, and secondly, the area that this railway passes through is a densely populated area outside the customs, and it is easier to obtain returns in economic and other aspects. " After listening to Hu Keqin's words, Qi Zhiti couldn't help but nodded slightly.  He naturally understands the unfinished meaning of Hu Keqin's words just now. If the money raised from the tax increase is only used to build this section of the railway, then there will naturally be excess. Then the officials representing interest groups from various places will fight for it in their respective areas.  There are endless disputes over the construction of a railway in the local area. As a minister in power, I can naturally join forces with them and profit from it.  Moreover, compared with building railways in distant frontiers, it is easier to recover costs and even make profits by building railways in densely populated inland areas, which is also extremely important to subsidize the court's tight finances.  Zao Guoquan, who was on the side, heard that Qi and Hu were only talking about the railway construction and did not mention anything about the reform of the military system. He couldn't help but feel a little anxious. After all, he was also the Minister of the Ministry of War, and the military system was a matter of  After all, it was his authority, so he couldn't help but ask: "What about the reform of the military system in the book?" "Reform of the military system?" A trace of boredom flashed across Qi Zhiti's well-maintained fair face: "This matter  The matter is very important, so let¡¯s wait until the opportunity arises!¡± When Zao Guoquan heard this, he didn¡¯t know that the other party was trying to shirk the blame, but he knew very well that in the past few years, whether it was Russia, Japan or  Britain is advancing by leaps and bounds in terms of military strength. If Dashun stops moving forward, it will only be left far behind.  Although the part about military reform in Batu's report is of great importance, it is indeed imperative. If we take a step slower today, I am afraid that we will have to pay a very heavy price in a few years.  He gritted his teeth and said in a low voice: "Ms. Qi, I also know that these matters are extremely important, but the Russians from the North are advancing day and night, and there is no way to delay them. It is better to preempt Gao Houye's power and let him use part of the army to pilot it. Let's see.  Let¡¯s see how things go!¡± Seeing Zao Guoquan¡¯s insistence, Qi Zhiti couldn¡¯t help but give him no face at all, so he nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s fine, but we need to make it clear to Marquis Gao in advance whether the military expenditures of the imperial court are  I'll give you an extra penny." "That's natural, that's natural!" Zao Guoquan hurriedly laughed.  Shanghai, Houde Bank.  In the office on the top floor, Jiang Zhiqing carefully lit a cigar for Liu Qingyang. Liu Qingyang tried to take a few puffs, then suddenly threw the cigar aside and coughed violently.Jiang Zhiqing hurriedly stepped forward and gently patted his back.  Liu Qingyang finally regained his composure and asked while wiping his tears: "Ahem! Zhiqing, what did you bring? Why does it smell like this!" Jiang Zhiqing touched his head in embarrassment and said with a bitter smile:  "Cuban Havana cigars! The best cigars. It is said that each cigar is rubbed from the thigh of a big girl. My master sent it to you from Myanmar!" "Forget it, I can't enjoy this blessing.  Get up!" Liu Qingyang stuffed the unfinished cigar back into the exquisite teak box on the table: "Just tell Husheng that I am still going to smoke hookah cigarettes, so he should keep this cigar for himself!  "Yes, yes!" Jiang Zhiqing put away the cigar box with some embarrassment: "Director Liu, my husband was originally going to come to Shanghai in person about the railway debt, but you also know that the situation in Myanmar is not good recently.  Stable, so¡ª¡ª" "Okay!" Liu Qingyang interrupted Jiang Zhiqing: "You don't need to say it, I know all about the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway bond issue, but it's not that I don't want to help him in the market now.  Funds are tight, and everyone's position is tight. Railway bonds cannot be issued, but the interest rates are very high! " "Vampire!" Jiang Zhiqing cursed inwardly, but forced a smile on his face.  Lai: "That's right, that's right! But it's only April now, and it's not the time to settle accounts, so how can the capital position be tight? Besides, the collateral for the railway bonds is solid. After the Ping-Han and Jin-Pu railways are completed,  It¡¯s all money pouring out, and it¡¯s a sure-profit deal. No one will buy such a good bond, right?¡± ¡°Hi!¡± Liu Qingyang sneered and pushed a newspaper on the desk in front of him.  Pat: "Xiao Jiang, your news is too outdated. Haven't you heard that the imperial court is about to issue railway bonds. Beiji (Youzhou-Jilin) ??Line, Changchun Line (Changchun-Dalian)  , An Shen line (Andong means Dandong-Shenyang) adds up to tens of millions of taels of silver. How can there be so much extra money when such a big plate comes out? Your Shunhua company's brand is very hard, very hard.  "The court?" "Huh?" Hearing Liu Qingyang's words, Jiang Zhiqing couldn't help but be stunned. He quickly picked up the newspaper and took a closer look. The lines of bold and bold characters on the front page were like bombs that made him dizzy. There was no need to go.  Looking at the map, he knew that compared with these railways, the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway that Chen Zaixing was working hard to build was simply a caterpillar-like existence.  Faced with the huge amount of funds required for this series of construction, the entire Dashun will be very short of funds in the next few years or even more than ten years. If Chen Zaixing wants to raise funds by issuing bonds, the interest price he will have to pay will be very considerable.  "The imperial court, why does the imperial court suddenly want to build so many railways, and they are all in one place?" Jiang Zhiqing asked stutteringly.  "The imperial court is going to fight with Lao Maozi!" Liu Qingyang sighed at this time, with a heavy look on his face: "It is obvious that we have to build so many railways in the Northeast while leaving so many places in the mainland alone.  You have to fight with Lao Maozi! In my opinion, in as little as three years or as long as five years, we, Dashun, will have a battle with Russia in the north. If it is wrong, just gouge out my eyes!" "  We are going to fight with Russia!" Jiang Zhiqing's face turned pale. He stood up unsteadily and whispered: "Master Liu, I have something to do and I have to leave first!" For Chen Zaixing in Myanmar, this  The news was like a bolt from the blue. Whether it was to build a railway or the upcoming rubber plantation plan, a huge amount of money was needed. Although the trade operated by Shunhua Company could bring him huge profits, the business he opened was really  It's too big, mercenaries, the Ren'an Qiang Oil Refinery, the Kunming Machinery Factory, and the Kunming-Guizhou Railway Exploration Plan are under construction.  These huge plans are like deserts, sucking up his capital flow, so once the plan to issue bonds through the Shanghai financial market fluctuates, the whole situation becomes dangerous.  "Sir, this is the payment burden sent by Mr. Wenche. The water canals in Bagan are in disrepair. Four hundred thousand kyats are needed to pay the workers' wages and material costs!" "Sir, this is the payment to be made this month.  Please sign the mercenary's pay receipt!" "Sir, the three thousand tons of rice to be sent to Shanghai this month have been loaded. If you have no other orders, they will be shipped this afternoon!  , Manager Ji has received a telegram from Kunming. The railway has entered the mountainous area, and the next payment will be delivered before the end of this month. The workers¡¯ wages and material fees are all in a hurry!¡± One by one, officials walked in!  In Chen Zaixing's office, he reported on various matters between Shunhua Company and the Kingdom of Myanmar. The manuscripts fell on Chen Zaixing's desk like snow flakes, and soon they became several hills.  Thank you book friend AgoujiaBenxiong, vf, 150338371¡¯s reward, there will be another update in the afternoon.  Looking forward to more collections, recommendations, rewards, and clicks.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 163 Money is tight

    "I understand. Leave it all here. Let me be quiet for a while. Don't let anyone come in!" Chen Zaixing nodded and made a gesture to ask the other party to leave. The secretary quickly and carefully exited and took the room with him.  Door.  Chen Zaixing picked up the top telegram, but the words on it were like a bunch of flies, flying around. He had to put down the telegram, closed his eyes, stretched out his hands and slowly rubbed his sore eyes.  "So tired, really too tired!" Chen Zaixing lowered his head tiredly. Countless things seemed to be weighing heavily on his shoulders. If Luo Lin had been his partner and helper in the past,  , now only Chen Zaixing is responsible for all this.  The execution of Diok and Maung Kyi certainly eliminated the two most prestigious rebel leaders among the Burmese nobles and frightened potential opponents; but on the other hand, it also killed the two most talented politicians in the kingdom.  Wen Che, the counselor of the Privy Council, is far from Diok and Maung Ji in terms of ability and prestige. He is not so much a prime minister of the kingdom as a clerk, who handles various matters in the Privy Council.  The same question was presented to Chen Zaixing unchanged, allowing Chen Zaixing to make his own decision.  There have been several times when Chen Zaixing wanted to smash these documents on the middle-aged man's face, telling him to get out immediately and give up his position as Privy Council Counselor to someone more suitable for him.  But Chen Zaixing suppressed his impulse in the end. The reason is very simple, because he caused all this himself. Killing Diok and Maung Kee not only killed the most talented politicians in the two kingdoms, but also frightened them.  Many potential talents have been left behind. If Chen Zaixing drives Wen Che away, there may be a dilemma where no one dares to take over.  "Wen Che, this bastard, has never made any progress, and even this little shit has to happen to me!" After resting for a while, Chen Zaixing looked at the request report sent by Wen Che, and cursed through gritted teeth while using  The seal on his ring was covered with ink pad to show his agreement.  He picked up the next report and saw another payment report. Chen Zaixing's temples began to hurt again, and he had to reach out and massage them gently.  "Damn it, it's money again. Where can I get so much money!" Chen Zaixing slammed the report on the table, and the white paper was immediately scattered on the floor.  The current situation is obvious. Regardless of whether the information about the imperial court's large-scale debt issuance for railway construction is true or not, it is certain that Liu Qingyang wants to take this opportunity to kill himself severely.  If you accept the other party's bond issuance conditions, the result is likely to be that your hard work will end up being a wedding dress for others. The Yunnan-Burma Railway will fall into the hands of Houde Bank, and the entire Shunhua Company will also be strangled by the other party.  , this is unacceptable to me.  As a banker, it was natural for Liu Qingyang to do this. He could either find new sources of income in other ways, or he would have to accept the other party's harsh conditions.  "Increase taxes in Burma?" Chen Zaixing instinctively thought of the most direct way, but he quickly rejected his idea. Under the joint oppression of Shunhua Company and Burmese noble monks, the lives of Burmese farmers have reached below the starvation line.  If taxes are increased, it is more likely to spark new riots.  More importantly, even if new taxes are levied from Burmese farmers, they will only get physical goods. It will take a cycle to convert these physical goods into currency. In this vacancy, Chen Zaixing has no money to continue running the project, and the project cannot  Stop work before passing through the mountainous area, otherwise in the rainy season, the abundant rain brought by the Indian Ocean monsoon will wash away everything, and all the previous efforts will be in vain.  "Request payment report." At this moment, a report suddenly came into Chen Zaixing's eyes. A flash of inspiration flashed in his mind, and he pulled out the white paper and took a closer look.  "A total of 150,000 pounds will be paid to five banks in the Shanghai Banking Group this month to repay the loan" Seeing this, Chen Zaixing's eyes suddenly blurred. He rubbed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and said bitterly: "You  I am unkind, Liu Qingyang, if you are in the first year of junior high school, don¡¯t blame me for being in the fifteenth year!¡± ¡°Sir, what are your orders?¡± Chen Zaixing sat back on his chair.  He had already regained his usual composure, and what appeared in front of the men who came in was Chen Fusheng again, who seemed to have everything under control.  "Tell Counselor Wu Wenche to stop the repayments that will be paid to the Shanghai Banking Group this month and suspend the payments. Also, all future repayments and interest will not be issued without my consent!" The staff looked at it in surprise.  Taking a look at Chen Zaixing, as a subordinate who has followed him for many years, he naturally knew that the loan originally used to pay the indemnity of the "Anglo-Burmese Treaty" had a lot to do with Chen Zaixing himself. At this time, he suddenly ordered the Kingdom of Myanmar to stop returning the indemnity.  For what?  Is it to fill the company's funding gap during this period?  Think ofHere, the clerk suddenly lowered his head. What happened next was too deep for a small person like me to touch.  "Yes, sir, I will rule Lord Wu Wenche right away!" "Well, you can bring another message to Wu Wenche for me, and I will invite him to my manor for dinner." "Yes, sir!" the clerk said deeply.  Chen Zaixing bowed, took two steps back, then turned around and exited the door.  The residence of the Counselor of the Privy Council.  "What, the consultant asked me to go to his manor at night?" Winche's eyes widened, and it was easy to see from his trembling fingers that the person involved was in a state of panic.  "Yes, Mr. Chen asked me to tell you to invite you to have dinner at the manor tomorrow!" "Okay, okay, I understand!" Wenche repeated it twice instinctively, and made a gesture to signal the other party to leave.  , this nobleman with mediocre courage and talent did not know what was hidden behind this invitation, but the unknown itself was the biggest fear, especially at this juncture, it filled Wen Che's heart with fear.  The personal servant on the side whispered: "Master, if you really don't want to go, you can send someone to tell Mr. Chen that you are temporarily sick!" "How can this be done? It will make the consultant think that there is something wrong with me!" Wen Wen  Che immediately rejected the personal servant's suggestion. He paced back and forth in the room several times and whispered: "Get ready, we will set off later." "Yes, sir!" When Wen Che's motorcade arrived at Chen Zaixing's manor,  It was completely dark. After entering the gate, there was a stone pillar every seven or eight meters on both sides of the road. On the top of the stone pillar was a kerosene lamp. The kerosene was the product of the newly built Ren'an Qiang Petroleum Processing Plant.  Wenche looked at the two rows of bright lights in surprise, illuminating the road clearly.  "Welcome, Mr. Counselor!" Chen Zaixing, dressed in Tsing Yi, stood by a pavilion not far from the gate of the manor. He smiled and bowed to Wen Che in the car. Wen Che quickly got out of the car and bowed.  He bowed and said: "Please forgive me, I didn't expect you to be waiting here." "Wu Wenche, there are not many distinguished guests like you!" Chen Zaixing smiled and held the other person's arm, and walked side by side to the pavilion:  "You are the only guest tonight, so we can relax." Wen Che finally felt relieved when he saw that there was nothing else in the pavilion except a few drinks and dishes on the stone table, and there were no guards around.  With a tone, he quickly smiled and said: "It's an honor for me to be invited by you!" Chen Zaixing smiled, stretched out his hand to signal the other party to sit down, he made a gesture to the maid to exit the pavilion, and poured wine for himself and Wen Che himself.  , raised his glass to the other party, and said with a smile: "This glass of wine should be regarded as my congratulations on your assumption of the position of Privy Council Counselor!" Wen Che hurriedly raised his glass in response, and said with a smile: "This is all thanks to Master Chen.  , No one would be able to get into this position without being an adult!" "Haha!" Chen Zaixing smiled and filled himself up with a glass of wine, but said nothing.  Wen Che looked at Chen Zaixing's appearance and couldn't help but wonder again. Could it be that the other party had some conspiracy to bring him here today?  Chen Zaixing took two sips of wine and saw the other person sitting there, staring at him with dull eyes. He quickly pointed to the plate in front of him and said: "Come, eat food, eat food, my master chef's first-hand Su Bang  The dishes are the best in Dashun, and you will never find another one in Mandalay." As he spoke, Chen Zaixing took a spoonful of braised oriole for Wen Che.  "Thank you, sir!" Wen Che quickly picked up a chopstick and was about to put it into his mouth when Chen Zaixing's deep voice suddenly came to his ears: "Wu Wenche, are you afraid of me?" Wen Che's right hand suddenly shook, and the chopsticks were holding  The braised oriole immediately fell on the skirt of his clothes, and he hurriedly cleaned it up. His hands were shaking from the hot braised oriole.  Chen Zaixing smiled and stretched out his chopsticks to help him pick it off, and shouted to the outside world: "Bring me some clean clothes." "Thank you, sir!" Wen Che hurriedly clasped his hands to thank him. He was uneasy in his heart, thinking about what to do.  Only then can he answer Chen Zaixing¡¯s question just now.  "Wu Wenche, are you worried that you will be killed by me like Diok and Maung Ji?" Wenche nodded instinctively, then realized his mistake and quickly shook his head to deny it: "No, no, completely  No, not at all!" "Haha!" Chen Zaixing smiled: "Do you know why Diok and Maang Ji died?" Wen Che looked at Chen Zaixing's face carefully and said in a low voice, "They have evil intentions, right?  His Majesty the King is unfaithful, so that¡¯s why¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Chen Zaixing waved his hand and interrupted Wen Che: ¡°There are only two of us here, you don¡¯t need to say that.¡±??Scene talk!  There was only one reason why they ended up like this.  "    "what reason?  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 164 Under financial constraints

    "They took the wrong path. Both of them have done a lot for me, but they are unwilling to follow me wholeheartedly, and they want to find their own way. But they never thought that they would not be able to do it in that position.  You know how many people you have offended, but once you leave my protection, isn't it just a dead end? So these days, you can only go one way to the end, and you must not be on both ends, either you have to go to the end with me honestly, or you can go to the end.  Even if you are determined to fight me to the end, there will be an outcome. For example, that Song Shen, won't he be alive and well?" When Chen Zaixing said this, he patted the other party's shoulder gently and said with a smile: "Wu Wenche,  What do you think?" "My lord, that's what you said!" Wen Che listened intently to Chen Zaixing's words, and instinctively nodded in agreement. Then he realized that there was something wrong with his answer, and hurriedly added: "My lord, I mean yes.  I will follow you honestly!" "Actually, it doesn't matter whether you follow me or not. The important thing is to think clearly and keep going!" At this point, Chen Zaixing patted his head and said with a smile: "Look at me.  , I asked you to come to dinner, and I said these boring things, I will punish myself with a glass of wine!" After that, he drank the wine in one gulp.  "My lord is drinking, and I will serve as my companion!" Wenche quickly raised his glass, and only then did he feel the coldness on his back, which turned out to be soaked with sweat.  Late at night, Wen Che staggered onto his carriage, but as soon as he got on the carriage, his eyes became clear, and he recalled in his mind the words Chen Zaixing said at the dinner table: "Don't go the wrong way!"  "There is only one way to the dark." He couldn't help but tremble secretly in his heart. He knew very well that Chen Zaixing's invitation to him for this meal today was not a simple threat, but more of a hint not to do stupid things and force the other party to kill him.  .  If Wen Che's mood before dinner was uneasy, then after this dinner, he had been freed from that state of constant panic.  "Thanks to the blessing of our ancestors, I finally saved my life!" Hanjing, Department of Military Affairs, Ministry of War.  "Go and ask Lieutenant Shi to come to my place. I have something important to tell him." Batu looked at the document in his hand and ordered to the clerk on the side without raising his head.  "Sir, Captain Shi is not here. He has not come to the Ministry of War for seven or eight days!" "Not here?" Batu raised his head in surprise: "Where is he if he is not at the Ministry of War?" "Sir, he seems to have gone to the shipyard!  The clerk replied: "I heard from a colleague under Shi Xiaowei that within two days of coming to the Ministry of War, Mr. Shi was running around Hanjing, and then he was squatting in various machine factories for three days. At most, he was in the early morning.  He disappeared in the Yamen. I heard a few days ago that he even moved his bedding to the shipyard. "The clerk was quite gossipy and told the story of Shi Huaisha's whereabouts after he came to the Ministry of War.  "Luancinqin, how can he run around because he is from the Ministry of War? Find him quickly!" Just as Batu finished speaking, he waved his hand again: "That's all, time is running out, he must have gone to the shipyard, I'll go directly  Go to the shipyard to find him! "Hanjing Shipyard is one of the three major military shipyards in Dashun (Hanjing, Jiangnan, and Tianjin). It is also the largest and most technologically advanced one.  Considering that the largest battleship at that time had a displacement of only more than 10,000 tons, the Hanking Shipyard, located in the hinterland of Dashun, did not have to worry about attacks from enemy ships, nor did it need to worry about the water depth limiting the maximum tonnage of the ships built. There were also Hanyang nearby.  A large number of heavy industries represented by iron works, machinery bureaus, and arsenals serve as the foundation.  From a military and economic perspective, Hanyang is undoubtedly the most important town in Dashun.  When Batu found Shi Huaisha in the shipyard, he was gathering with a group of workers around a long black object in the shape of a cigar, about five to six meters in length.  Batu shouted angrily: "Huaisha, Huaisha, what are you doing here?" Shi Huaisha raised his head, with an unexpected expression on his face, and then smiled and said: "Why are you here, sir?  Come and take a look, this is an interesting guy!" "What the hell, go back to the military headquarters!" Batu couldn't help but see the oil stains all over his body, and he was smiling without realizing it.  He was so angry that he cursed: "Running around all day long, this is Hanking, not Youzhou!" "Only Hanking has so many factories!" Shi Huaisha smiled nonchalantly: "  Nowadays, war is different from the past. An officer must not only know how to command operations, but also have rich knowledge of engineering and science. Otherwise, it will not work. Look at this thing, it is very useful to the Dashun Navy. " "  Isn't it just a torpedo?" Batu had served as a commander in Zhenhai for several years. He had never eaten pork and had seen pigs running away. He took two steps forward and lowered his voice: "The reply from the cabinet boss has already come down.  We agreed to use a few battalions in the northern armies to try out the reform of the military department. We must go back and get a letter quickly, otherwise the night will be long and we will have many dreams!¡± ¡°Really?¡±He slapped his thigh and almost jumped for joy. He grabbed his leather bag and wanted to leave, but then changed his mind.  He asked the craftsmen: "Anyway, we are almost ready. Mr. Ba is the doctor of the Zhifang Department, so let him see the results of your days!" When the craftsmen heard Shi Huaisha's words, their eyes were filled with excitement.  Everyone showed excitement. Hanking Shipyard has almost undertaken the construction of one-third of the Dashun warships. Naturally, they understand what the Staff Department of the Ministry of War does, and they can show the results of their efforts to the staff of the Department.  This opportunity is not easy.  The craftsmen said hello, then pushed the trolley carrying the torpedo to the shore, used a crane to load it into a special device, and began to pump compressed air into it.  "Since you know what this thing is, I won't waste any more words!" Shi Huaisha walked to Batu with a smile and watched the craftsmen busy at the side.  Batu looked at the craftsmen with some boredom and sneered: "Lieutenant Shi, after all, I have served as a commander in Zhenhai for several years. I have always seen torpedoes. They are indeed powerful and very concealed. They are very powerful in a narrow place."  The water area is indeed very useful. If you think of using this thing to block the Russian ports, it would be good. But the problem is that this thing is slow and has a short range. The most important thing is that it is impossible to hit here.  The navy purchased a few samples and tried them out before throwing them all into the warehouse. "That's good, that's good!" Shi Huaisha was not annoyed after hearing this and said with a smile, "Even your Excellency thinks so."  , the Russians will be even more unprepared." At this time, a craftsman came over and said, "Both adults, they have been loaded. Which target is it?" Shi Huaisha turned his head and looked at the water of the river.  He saw a seventeen-eight-meter-long floating lighthouse about a thousand meters away. It was slowly swaying with the ups and downs of the waves. He pointed at the lighthouse and said: "Just use that one. Set the depth to one and a half meters."  That's enough, otherwise we won't be able to see clearly. ""Yes, sir!" The craftsman bowed, turned around and ran towards the launching device. Batu picked up the telescope and looked in the direction of Shi Huaisha's finger, and sneered.  He said, "Huaisha, are you kidding me? At such a long distance, not to mention a floating lighthouse, even a thousand-ton ship may not be able to hit it." "Haha, that's not necessarily the case!" Shi Huaisha's face showed.  He smiled mysteriously: "Well, let's make a bet. If we win, I'll ask you to be the host at Luming Pavilion tonight and treat me and these craftsmen to have a drink. How about it?" "  How difficult is it? Can you make such a sharp weapon that you can't bear to pay for a drink?" Batu smiled and said, "I'm just afraid that you don't have the ability!" Shi Huaisha didn't say anything, and he walked towards the group of craftsmen.  Next to him, he asked loudly: "Are you ready?" "Everything is ready, let's wait for the order!" "Okay, target lighthouse, launch!" Following Shi Huaisha's order, the leader of the craftsmen pulled the trigger hard.  .  Driven by a large amount of compressed air, the torpedo jumped into the water from the launch tube like a big black fish. The propeller at the tail rotated at high speed, and the compressed air at the tail jet left a straight white water mark on the water.  Seeing all this, Batu's expression became nervous. He quickly raised the telescope and looked at the target.  A few minutes later, a huge explosion occurred at the floating lighthouse. The energy burst out from the explosion of four hundred kilograms of yellow water lifted tens of tons of seawater into the sky, forming a huge white water column. When the river water returned,  After falling into the river, the floating lighthouse on the river had completely disappeared, replaced by countless fragments floating on the water.  "How about it? Mr. Ba, I, Shi Huaisha, am determined to eat this banquet at Luming Hall!" Shi Huaisha laughed proudly.  Batu stared at the river with a look of disbelief on his face. Suddenly he punched Shi Huaisha hard and cursed angrily: "You bastard, you dare to use a torpedo full of medicine."  Come for an experiment, you are going to die!" "This, this!" Shi Huaisha was frightened by Batu's roar. At this time, the sudden explosion attracted the guards, who were carrying bayonets and rifles.  The guards rushed over here, and piercing sirens sounded from time to time in the distance. It was obvious that more guards were on their way.  "I am Batu, the doctor of the Ministry of War!" Batu casually showed his badge to the running guard leader: "An internal secret weapons test is going on here, please ask your people to set up a cordon around it.  "Don't let people who shouldn't come in!" "Yes, sir!" The guard leader quickly gave a military salute to Batu, then turned around and yelled at his subordinates, and soon a circle of guards appeared around him.  "You guys did a great job!" Batu put Shi Huaisha aside, walked straight to the craftsmen, and said with a smile: "I will report it to Lord Shangshu immediately after I go back.?Your generous rewards.  But now you must collect all relevant information. This new weapon is very important and must not be leaked to foreigners!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 165 Onboard the Rurik

    This was the first time in his life that the leading craftsman saw a big man talking to him so kindly. He shouted at the top of his voice: "Yes, sir, don't worry, we will never tell anyone!"  "    "very good!  You are all heroes of the empire!  "Batu stretched out his hand and patted each craftsman's shoulder gently. He turned around and his face immediately became serious. "As for you, Captain Shi, it is wrong to leave your post without permission!  At this point, Batu's face suddenly became cheerful: "But this will not happen again. You should record all this in the report to me!"  " "Yes, sir!"  "Shi Huaisha also burst into laughter. He stood up straight and gave a military salute to Batu. "Okay, now we can go to Luming Pavilion!  I believe I won¡¯t spend too much money tonight!  ¡± Luming Pavilion The private room was brightly lit, the wine table was full of delicacies, and the glasses were already filled with fine wine. As the host, Batu sat at the head, while Shi Huaisha kept company, and the other craftsmen sat around.  Open. Although these craftsmen had changed their clothes before coming, it was obvious that they were not very adaptable to the current environment. Almost everyone was sitting there stiffly, not even daring to reach out and touch chopsticks, let alone drink.  It¡¯s time to eat food. ¡°Master Wang!  "Batu called out the name of the leading craftsman. "The little man is waiting for the master's orders!  "Master Wang stood up instinctively, half-bowed and faced Batu, looking respectful and obedient. "Relax!  I invite you all to come here today firstly to celebrate the success of the new torpedo and have a good drink; and secondly to understand the secrets involved.  How can I speak when you look like this?  " "That's what the adults said!  "Master Wang sat down carefully, reached out and picked up the wine glass and put it to his mouth and touched it lightly. He had already drank the wine. Batu didn't want to say anything after seeing this, but everyone relaxed a little after that. "Mr.  Sir, you have seen this afternoon, right? With this thing, we can launch a surprise attack at night, sink and damage the entire Russian Pacific Fleet in the military port overnight, changing the balance of naval strength between the two sides in the northern seas.  "While speaking, Shi Huaisha was gearing up, as if he was about to attack Vladivostok at night. "Stay, stay!  We¡¯re here for a drink tonight, so you can stay away from the war!  " Batu stopped his subordinate's words with some laughter and tears. He joked that it was too outrageous to discuss the plan to attack the Russian Pacific Fleet in front of these craftsmen. "Master Wang!  Batu picked up the wine glass and stood up: "We have all seen the power of the new torpedo just now. How did you make this thing maintain a straight course? Can you explain it to me?"  " Master Wang quickly stood up and said with a smile: "You can't be your drinker. In fact, this method is easy to say. Sir, have you ever played with a top when you were a child?  " "Gyro?  Batu was stunned when he heard this and asked: "Of course I have played with it before, but what does this have to do with the torpedo?"  " "Sir, the reason why this torpedo cannot maintain a straight course in the water is because there is no standard. There are waves in the water, and the torpedo has no one to control it, so it naturally drifts with the waves.  The advantage of a top is that as long as it rotates, its longitudinal axis will always remain perpendicular to the cross section.  Just install a gyroscope on the head of the torpedo, and then adjust the tail according to the direction of the gyroscope, and the torpedo will naturally maintain a straight course!  " Batu thought about Master Wang's words for a moment. Although he still couldn't fully understand how to do it, he still understood the general principle. He couldn't help but sigh: "It is true that everything has knowledge. This method is simple to say.  But without Master Wang¡¯s advice, I¡¯m afraid a certain family would not be able to understand it in this life.  Master Wang, let me toast you again!  " "Where, where, you are a person with a university education, how can you compare with our little tricks!  "Master Wang was about to give in, but was stopped by Batu. "What are you asking from a university to a primary school student? Master Wang, do you know that with just this method of yours, you can save the bloodshed of 100,000 people, which is worth thousands of kilometers?  land, millions of taels of silver.  " Master Wang was stunned by the consecutive parallel sentences in Batu's words. He turned his inquiring gaze to Shi Huaisha, hoping to get confirmation from this familiar officer, and received a smile of approval from Shi Huaisha. This and  The middle-aged man who has been dealing with machine tools and iron pliers for twenty years was a little panicked and murmured to himself: "How can I afford this? How can I afford this!  " "I deserve it, I definitely deserve it!"  Batu said loudly: "After I return, I will report it to the Ming court. The Ministry of War will set up an award to reward craftsmen who have made outstanding contributions. Once a year, the number may not be much, but there must be five hundred taels!"  how?  " "Ashamed, ashamed!  "ListenMaster Wang's eyes shed tears of emotion at the news of Batu.  Russia, St. Petersburg.  St. Petersburg at the end of April has entered the most beautiful season of the year. The ice floes on the Neva River have completely disappeared. The sun shines on the dark river water, reflecting a broken golden light. Not far away is the river flowing into the city.  At the mouth of the Baltic Sea, waterbirds fly on the water, swooping down from time to time to pick up a fish. Since this is exactly the exit route of the Kronshlott base of the Russian Baltic Fleet, you can often see Russian boats painted dark gray.  ** Ship figure.  Wealthy citizens cruised on the sea on white-painted yachts, creating a leisurely scene.  "O'Neil, is that how the regent married the princess?" Ivanovna blocked the lower half of her face with a folding fan, but Bunji could still see the sweet smile on the other person's face.  "Yes, now they have a lovely daughter. When I left Myanmar, Her Majesty the Princess was already pregnant. If everything goes well, they should have another Highness now." O'Neil.  Bungie answered with a smile while rowing the oar hard.  Obviously, the inspection of the Russian grain industry he mentioned in his letter to his father was just an excuse. In the past few months, he had spent his time with the charming Russian beauty in front of him instead of the fertile black soil of Ukraine.  On.  "Oh, what a romantic story this is!" Ivanovna closed her eyes. The blonde beauty was obviously fascinated by the romantic story in Bungi's mouth.  Look at the lover in front of you, O'Neil.  Bunji swallowed and was thinking about how to formulate words to express his love to the other party.  His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shout from in front of the yacht.  "Rurik! Rurik! Long live the Tsar! Long live the Tsar!" Onel.  Bunji turned his head and looked towards the bow of the ship in astonishment, and saw a majestic ship moving slowly along the route towards the Kronshta base, only seven or eight hundred meters away from his ship.  From this distance, the baroque-style tall masts, towering ship sides, huge angle of attack, and the vaguely visible cannons on the deck gave viewers a huge impact. Both sailors and passengers on the yacht were mesmerized.  Waving their hats and cheering loudly at the huge warship.  "Long live!" A familiar cheer came from behind Bunji. He turned his head in astonishment, and what caught his eye was Ivanovna's beautiful and red face, Onel.  For the first time, Bunji felt that the beauty in front of him was so strange.  He stuttered and asked: "Ivana, is the name of this warship the 'Rurik'?" "Yes, sir! This is the 'Rurik', the pride of the Russian Navy!" A voice  From O'Neil.  From behind Bunji, the speaker was a burly blond man with a big beard. Judging from the St. Andrew's Medal on his chest, he should be a Russian naval officer.  He smiled and pointed at the warship: "Please allow me to introduce you to the 'Rurik'." At this point, he paused for a moment, turned around and pointed at the approaching warship and said like a treasure trove:  "The 'Rurik' has a displacement of 11,300 tons and a maximum speed of 18 knots. It is equipped with four 203mm rapid-fire cannons and 16 152mm rapid-fire cannons. There is an armor plate on the hull waterline that is enough to withstand 203mm heavy artillery. It can  Carrying 2,000 tons of coal, if the use of sails is not considered, it can last 10,000 nautical miles without loading coal. " "A very powerful warship that fully lives up to its name! (The Rurik dynasty ruled the East Slavs!  The first dynasty of the ancient Rus¡¯ kingdom)¡± Onel.  Bunji had regained his composure, although he was not so welcoming to the uninvited naval officer in front of him, especially when he found that the other party was staring at Ivanovna behind him with burning eyes.  "Major Alyosha, Baltic naval officer!" The officer smiled at O'Neil.  Bunji held out his right hand.  "Onel. Bunji, businessman!" Bunji reluctantly shook the other person's hand. He was thinking about how to introduce Ivanovna when he suddenly felt his right arm touch a soft body.  , but it was Ivanovna who gently reached out and took his arm, saying softly: "Ivanovna, Onel is my fianc¨¦!" Onel.  Bunji turned around in disbelief, and happened to meet Ivanovna looking at him with a smile. At this moment, he seemed to feel that the whole world was smiling at him, and even that hateful naval officer was not that lovable.  Tired of it.  He turned around with some stuttering, adjusted his thoughts, and asked in a low voice: "Major, I don't think the 'Rurik' will belong to the Baltic Fleet for a long time, right?" Alyosha's face showed surprise.  With an expression on his face, he immediately smiled and said: "Mr. Bunge, you are really a man with extensive knowledge. Indeed, the Rurik is about to complete its trial voyage, and will soonGo to Vladivostok to become a member of the Pacific Fleet, and I will be her gunnery commander.  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 166 Rurik

    "Pacific Fleet? Gunnery Chief?" O'Neil.  Bunji asked on his face: "Then why are you not on your warship? Didn't you just say that the 'Rurik' had just completed her maiden voyage?" "I am such an unlucky man!" Alyosha's face  He showed an annoyed expression: "Appendicitis broke out the night before the ship's maiden voyage. The pain was excruciating. As a result, I had to miss the maiden voyage." "Nothing, you are on the long journey to Vladivostok.  , enough time to familiarize yourself with your position!" O'Neil.  Bunji smiled and patted the Russian officer on the shoulder. At this time, he was filled with joy and looked at everyone with pleasure.  "I hope the captain has not replaced himself with a new gunnery commander!" Alyosha shrugged. At this time, another officer called his name and ran over. He could only nod apologetically to Bunji and leave.  opened.  O'Neil.  Bunji turned around, looked at Ivanovna hesitantly, and asked in a low voice: "Dear Ivanna, what did you just say that I was yours?" Ivanovna lowered her head, her face white.  He bit his lower lip with his teeth and remained silent. His golden hair looked transparent under the sunlight.  Just O'Neil.  When Bunji felt desperate, he suddenly heard the soft voice of the other party: "Fianc¨¦! O'Neil, if you are willing too!" "Yes, yes, of course I am willing!" O'Neil.  Bunji replied excitedly, his thin face unique to lowlanders flushed with excitement, and he stammered: "I just, just can't believe that I deserve such happiness!" "Why don't you deserve it?"  What? O'Neil, as soon as you got the news about me, you traveled halfway around the world to see me. Any woman would be moved by you. Am I not a woman?" Bunji looked at the lover in front of him, dreaming.  Said: "Wonderful, wonderful Ivanovna!" London, No. 10 Downing Street.  "This is a provocation and a major threat to the British Empire. I ask for additional funding in Parliament to build a new type of armored cruiser!" First Lord of the Admiralty William Palmer shouted loudly to the Prime Minister, the Marquess of Salisbury.  .  "Please calm down, please calm down!" Balfour on the side smiled and comforted: "The British Empire is so vast, we can see new threats every day, but I think the biggest threat to the empire is those who are specialized in  Backbenchers with bad ideas." Balfour's joke aroused the memories of the First Lord of the Admiralty and the Prime Minister, and they couldn't help but nodded heavily.  Seeing that the First Lord of the Admiralty was almost out of breath, Balfour laughed in a low voice: "The purpose of your request to build a new armored cruiser is to deal with the Russian 'Rurik' class cruiser, right? He is really right  Is the empire such a big threat? " "Yes!" The Navy Minister's face became serious: "The displacement of the 'Rurik' exceeds 10,000 tons, which is already larger than most of the battleships we have.  Large. He is equipped with 4 203mm main guns, 16 152mm rapid-fire guns, and is paved with homogeneous armor at the waterline that is enough to deal with 203mm cannons. None of our cruisers can fight against him; and his largest  The speed is a full 18 knots, which is faster than any of our battleships. Moreover, this kind of battleship can carry up to 2,000 tons of coal, which is enough for it to sail 10,000 nautical miles without stopping at a port. The Russians are also equipped with sails to save coal.  The purpose of deploying the 'Rurik' in Vladivostok on the east coast of the Pacific is simply too obvious." After hearing the words of the Admiralty Minister, Balfour and the Marquis of Salisbury looked pale.  They became solemn. As senior British politicians, although they had never been naval admirals, they knew very well that due to natural geographical defects, the Russian ocean fleet was forced to be divided into three parts-Pacific Fleet, Baltic Fleet,  Black Sea Fleet.  Since the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea are actually two inland seas, they can only be connected to the Mediterranean and the North Sea through two narrow straits. However, these two straits are not controlled by the Russians. Therefore, once a war breaks out, the two fleets will often  Being blocked in the inland sea, it is impossible to go far out to the ocean, let alone gather the entire navy to form a large fleet to fight the enemy in a decisive battle to gain control of the sea.  Therefore, the three fleets of the Russian Navy have also formed their own unique style. The main task of the Baltic Fleet is to control the Baltic Sea and protect St. Petersburg. Since the waves in the Baltic Sea are much lower than those in the North Sea and other oceans, and there are a large number of islands, reefs, and peninsulas along the coast; so generally  The warships of the Baltic Fleet have relatively low freeboards and place more emphasis on minesweeping, landing, and anti-landing operations; the main opponents of the Black Sea Fleet are the Turks and the powerful British Mediterranean Fleet. Its purpose is to defeat the Turkish fleet and attack Istanbul or prevent the British fleet from entering the Black Sea.  Then protect your own military port and serve as a fleet to contain the enemy fleet.  Only the Pacific Fleet faces the vast Pacific Ocean and is basically unlikely to be blocked, and the nearby large shipsBoth the Shun and Japanese fleets are very weak, so the actual enemy of the Pacific Fleet is the British Empire's navy. In view of the huge power gap between the two sides, the strategic purpose of the Russian Pacific Fleet is not to defeat the British main fleet and seize control of the sea, but to dispatch ships with high speed and strong endurance.  The cruise squadron attacked the British merchant fleet around the world, bombarded its colonies, and cut off the lifeline necessary for the survival of the British Empire.  The "Rurik" is a special warship built under the guidance of this idea. Its firepower and armor are enough to overwhelm the British high-speed cruiser fleet; and its speed is enough to avoid the enemy's main fleet; originally, due to Russia's  There are no overseas colonies that serve as coaling stations, and the lack of fuel limits the range of activities of the raiding ships. However, the huge coal bunker and spare sails of the "Rurik" solve this problem to a considerable extent.  The Pacific Fleet with the "Rurik" virtually posed a huge threat to the British colonies and merchant fleets throughout the Far East.  "Palmer, I think you are right!" The Marquis of Salisbury nodded: "We should prove to the Russians that any provocation to the maritime security of the British Empire is unacceptable. After today's meeting, I  I will talk to Mr. Gladstone in the club. I believe that he will work with me in the interests of the British Empire." "Haha!" Belfort suddenly laughed.  The Marquis of Salisbury turned his head seriously: "Belfort, what are you laughing at?" "Nothing, Your Excellency Prime Minister, it's just that I remembered a joke in a French newspaper: 'If we build a missile with short endurance and powerful firepower,  Capital ships will be understood as a threat to the British mainland; if we build cruisers with strong endurance and speed, they will be understood to attack British merchant ships and colonies all over the world. It seems that we are still old on this issue.  The neighbors know us better!¡± Hearing Balfour¡¯s joke, the Lord Admiralty and the Marquess of Salisbury laughed. As a true British gentleman, he should maintain a true sense of humor no matter what the situation.  There is no doubt that Belfort achieved this.  "Actually, I think why not look at the growth of the Russian Pacific Fleet from another angle. In a sense, this is also a good thing!" "What do you mean? Balfour." The Marquis of Salisbury was keen.  I felt that there was a profound meaning in Belfort's words.  "Your Excellency Prime Minister, the strength of the Russian Pacific Fleet is certainly a threat to the interests of the British Empire in the Far East, but it is a more direct threat to the Chinese, especially in connection with the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. In the near future, China  People are about to face a more powerful and greedy neighbor. You must know that on the Chinese territory, there is an ice-free port that the Russians have longed for for centuries. If I were a Chinese general, I would not be indifferent to these.  "You're right, Balfour!" The Marquis of Salisbury laughed and glanced at the Lord of the Navy: "Palmer, what do you think? Kill two birds with one stone. We can kill two annoying people at once."  "Of course, this is a very good idea!" The Navy Minister was much more realistic: "It is true that there is a high possibility of conflict between China and the Russians in the north, but this does not mean that there will definitely be a war.  . And besides China, North Korea also has immovable ports suitable for warships. If the Chinese and Russians are wise enough, they can reach a compromise at the expense of North Korea. As for the Chinese, they can get compensation in the south, as far as I know.  "We know that the Indochina Peninsula is much more economically profitable than the Siberian wilderness." "If we sit back and do nothing, things are likely to develop in the direction you said. But as far as I know, in any case.  There are very few people with clear minds in the country, and most people will be blinded by immediate or personal interests and ignore the huge dangers in the future. On this issue, I believe that Russia and China will be no exception.  , As long as we provide certain inducement, I believe that things will develop as we hope." At this point, Balfour whispered: "For example, we can propose that the British Empire provide China with a special amount to build railways.  Or the loan to purchase the heavy artillery produced by the Armstrong factory, what do you two think? " "This is a good idea!" The Marquis of Salisbury nodded: "But how can you guarantee that the Chinese will not use these heavy artillery against them?  What about the fortress in Yangon? You must know that the Chinese had a fierce battle with us in Myanmar just a few years ago. "It's very simple. If the Japanese take action in Korea, the Chinese will definitely not use these weapons."  We cannot control when the Russians take action against the enemy in the south, but we can control the Japanese. Moreover, the French have common interests with us in this matter. They have large loans to the Russian government.  Have a great impact??!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Superfluous words

    I was preparing to update this morning when I saw a post from book friend ¡®Report Master¡¯ in the discussion forum, asking me to work harder. He also said that this book is by far the best modern novel and I don¡¯t want it to die prematurely.  I don¡¯t dare to say that it is the best modern novel so far. At least I personally think that if "Lingao Qiming" can be regarded as a modern novel, it is definitely better than me. Dozens of characters are all lifelike.  The richness of the materials on characterization and social class is not something I can match. The Scer Masters are definitely much better than me alone.  The writing skills, readability and mastery of historical materials of the time in "Usurping the Qing Dynasty" are beyond my reach. The only thing I can do better than Oscar is that I write honestly, have relatively few social activities, and do not interrupt casually.  What's more, he is also more honest and won't write bad checks randomly or cheat on monthly passes.  However, several people have already said this in the discussion forum, and several have spent a lot of effort to write hundreds of words in posts, which shows that this book is a good book.  But what about the results of this book?  Everyone can see the clicks, popularity, recommendation votes, and rewards. I can tell you about the collection: 2250. This number can only be said to be unsatisfactory at best. It is probably ranked 70-100 in Chuangshi (if I didn¡¯t overestimate myself)  ), ranked fifteen or sixteen in history.  I have no motivation to ask the editor for this achievement, and it will have a considerable impact on the buyout price of my next book (if Chuangshi is still willing to buy it out for me). A book that some people call "currently  Isn't it ironic that "the best modern literature so far" has only this achievement?  I just saw that the ¡®Report Master¡¯ rewarded me with 100 gold coins. I am very grateful, but I just want to say, why can¡¯t these 100 gold coins appear in June?  Would it be more useful to me then?  Why are people who think this book is good not willing to spend a few dollars, or think of ways to improve their user level and cast a few recommendation votes?  If you don't want to do this, can you advertise for me outside and recommend this book?  If the collection of this book reaches 5,000 or 7,000, and its popularity reaches 1,500 or 2,000 a day, I believe that the editor will buy out my contract. Even if the price is lower, I will continue writing. I hope to see the book  Some readers should also read it, so everyone is better off.  Unfortunately, the result is not like this. In fact, the relationship between readers and authors is very simple. We write books seriously and produce good works, and readers will give us corresponding financial rewards. However, due to the particularity of online literature, only some of them  Readers pay, and others can free ride, and these people are used to free riding, and they take it for granted, and even think that this kind of free riding is also a support for me. This status quo leads to only those readers who have a strong tendency to pay.  Only authors who belong to a group of readers can survive, and I happen to be one of those readers who are not so inclined. However, Weber is not the kind of writer who is willing to get tens or hundreds of dollars to code hundreds of thousands of words a month.  So being a eunuch is a matter of course.  Finally, Weber sincerely apologizes to the readers who have enthusiastically supported this book with practical actions. No matter what, I owe you the book Eunuch.  As for other people who thought this book was good but didn't do anything about it, I can only say I'm sorry.  Finally, I just handed in my last manuscript yesterday, and there are still tens of thousands of words left, so please feel free to enjoy it!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 167 Checks and Balances

    "You are right, Balfour!" A satisfied smile appeared on the Admiralty's face. He knew very well how much the French wanted to take revenge on the Germans and regain the lost Alsace and Lorraine.  But the German Empire that unified the states had a formidable German army of millions. Faced with the pressure of such an army, even the French, who were famous for their pride, could only find ways to find allies to share the pressure.  Since the British at that time still maintained the inherent policy of "glorious isolation", the only powerful partner the French could find was the Russians. Joining the Chinese could defeat the Russian bear who turned its expansion focus to the east and make it turn west.  The French will be very happy.  Not to mention that this war will definitely destroy Russia's fragile financial balance and make it even more dependent on French loans.  For the French, whose country is founded on finance, this is simply a good deal with a sure profit and no loss.  "Belfort, are you willing to go on a trip?" The Marquis of Salisbury laughed: "First to Paris, then to Russia, and finally to the Far East. This trip is entirely in your own name.  The next government will not give you any authorization. Of course, all expenditures will be paid by the Ministry of Finance. I will say hello to William. You can choose the most comfortable transportation, the best hotel, the best wine and Black Sea caviar.  Damn it!" At the end, the always serious Marquis of Salisbury made a rare joke.  "The best wine and caviar, all reimbursed, my God! This is a great trip! To be honest, I'm a little jealous!" the Lord Admiralty joked from the side.  "Dear Palmer, if you are also interested, I would like to have an extra traveling companion." Belfort smiled.  "It's a pity that this is impossible. As the First Lord of the Admiralty, I have to fight in Parliament for the appropriation of new warships. Believe me, this is no easier than facing the poisonous arrows and spears of the African indigenous people!" "I know this, at least the indigenous people  I just want to eat your flesh, but our respectable colleagues want to swallow your bones too!¡± Balfour¡¯s witty reply caused the three people in the room to smile knowingly. These three Conservatives!  Members have all experienced how powerful the opposition party is in the House of Commons. If there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies in the British Empire, the Conservative Party has eternal enemies in the House of Commons. Those opposition members are like a group of sharks.  , as long as they smell the slightest smell of blood, they will pounce on them and tear the cabinet members into pieces.  Baoshan, Yunnan, formerly known as Baoshan City and Yongchang in ancient times, is located in the southwest of Yunnan Province, bordering Myanmar. The northern line of the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway planned by Chen Zaixing entered Myanmar through Dali and Yongping, and then arrived in northern Myanmar.  The important town is Myitkyina, and then along the Irrawaddy River to Mandalay, the capital of Myanmar.  Chen Zaixing chose the northern route for two reasons: first, although the northern route is far away, the places it passes through are Dali, Baoshan, and Yongping, all important towns in northern Yunnan. There are a large number of expatriates doing business in Myanmar and they can get their support; second,  It can save money. There is a waterway connecting the section from Mandalay to Myitkyina. The construction can be postponed and replaced by water transportation until funds are sufficient.  Moreover, the key points of the railway are all north of Mandalay. If the British army comes from the south, Mandalay can be occupied only by conquering the key points on the Irrawaddy River one by one, which will not threaten the supply line of the Shun army; while the Shun army can back up the supply line, and  The pros and cons of fighting and retreating can be seen at a glance.  ¡°Everyone¡¯s getting off the bus, everyone¡¯s getting off the bus!¡± A rude roar woke Yu Zhiheng from his sleep.  He raised his head, and the strong subtropical sunlight shone in from the open car door. He instinctively squinted his eyes, built a shelter with his hands, and looked out.  "Did you stop midway again?" Ma Xingxing on the side was also woken up and asked drowsily.  "It doesn't look like it!" Yu Zhiheng replied in a low voice. The group of them first took a boat from Shanghai up the Yangtze River. When they arrived at Yueyang, they changed boats and headed westward on the Xiang River. They took boats and horses all the way to Kunming, and then they were blocked.  Entering the train car and rumbling toward the southwest, Yu Zhiheng and the others only felt that the weather was getting hotter and stuffier, and it felt like they were about to peel off a layer of skin from their bodies.  "It's finally over, mother. After traveling such a long way, you still thought you were going to sell us as piglets to Nanyang!" Ma Xingxing was stuck in the carriage for more than two days, with only two temporary stops along the way.  After coming down to eat, even urinating and defecating in the car, the feeling can be imagined. Now that we have reached the end, he is very excited no matter where he is.  Yu Zhiheng saw the ones in front of him and said to Ma Xingxing in a low voice: "Old Ma, your eyes light up when you get off the car. When you see Da Xu and his two sons, say hello. We are unfamiliar with this place. Let's hug together."  Better!" "Yeah!" The two got out of the car and saw the hot sun above their heads. The railway ended not far away. There were rails, sleepers and large hay sheds piled on both sides of the road.  The end is full of sexThere are probably more than a thousand workers working on the upper body.  "What a big scene!" Ma Xingxing exclaimed. He looked at the guard on the side and asked, "Ask brother, where is this place? Where does the railway lead to?" "Crack!" The guard couldn't help but break up.  He whipped Ma Xingxing and cursed: "Prisoner on death row, who allowed you to speak? Why don't you go to Daoji's side and queue up? If you dare to move again, I will beat you to death!" Ma Xingxing couldn't bear the pain, so he had to  Baotou got out of the way, and the guards waved their whips and shouted loudly, driving them to the other side of the roadbed. They lined up in carriages. A middle-aged man with only one eye walked up to a mound and looked  Looking at the bewildered people below, he pulled out the pistol from his waist and fired into the air, shouting: "Quiet!" When he saw the people calm down, he nodded with satisfaction, inserted the pistol into his arms, and shouted loudly  : "You are all redundant. No matter the court, family or family, you are not needed, so you are here. I only have three requirements here: work hard, eat well, and don't get into trouble. As long as you do  By the above three points, I guarantee that you will all be able to live well and get wages, otherwise -" At this point, the one-eyed man paused for a moment, pointed at the laborers who were working hard on the foundation and said loudly  : "Look at those Burmese people, you don't want to end up like them!" People looked around blankly, and many people didn't understand what was going on.  Seeing the state of everyone, the one-eyed man nodded with satisfaction, pointed his finger at his nose, and said loudly: "My name is Cao Da, obey me, and you will survive!" Ma Xingxing was confused.  Rushing into a camp, the burning pain from the whiplash on his face reminded him that this was not a dream.  Yu Zhiheng dragged him into the camp, received distributed clothes, and was driven into the hut. Suddenly, Ma Xingxing jumped up and shouted: "Where is this place? I want to go back. I still have children and a wife."  , I want to go back to Shanghai!" "Shut up, you idiot!" Yu Zhiheng pushed Ma Xingxing to the ground and cursed in a low voice: "Do you want to die? Didn't you hear what Cao Da said just now?  I bet he would be very happy to have the opportunity to warn others! " "How could this happen? How could this happen!" Ma Xingxing suddenly fell to the ground and cried bitterly. He had actually just realized what happened, but subconsciously  Li still can't accept all this.  The next morning, Yu Zhiheng and the others started work. Since both he and Ma Mars had experience working in a forging factory, their work was more technical and easier.  Their main job is to nail the sleepers and rails laid on the roadbed with spikes, and to repair some machinery that was damaged during the work.  Yu Zhiheng and Ma Martian soon discovered that compared to them, the Burmese laborers who were responsible for the heaviest work, such as digging roads and transporting gravel as ballast, received far less food and accommodation than Yu Zhiheng and the others.  , the supervisors' attitude towards them was even more brutal. If the supervisors only used insults and whips to deal with domestic workers like Yu Zhiheng, then they simply used sticks and nooses to deal with the Burmese workers.  More than once, Ma Mars saw supervisors beating Burmese workers who violated the ban to death and then hanging them from trees next to the railway. In the same situation, Chinese workers usually only deducted their wages for the day, and at most they could only get paid.  A few whips.  Regarding all this, the vast majority of domestic workers have mixed feelings. They are both frightened by such terrible encounters and at the same time grateful that such encounters have not happened to them. Some even  Feeling gloating about these foreigners.  After all, there exists in the human soul such a despicable feeling, which is to take pleasure in the misfortunes of others.  But Yu Zhiheng belongs to a very small number of people. Although many domestic workers also have a simple sympathy for Burmese workers, few people can vaguely feel that the supervisors have different opinions on the two as he does.  The treatment was not because the overseers belonged to the same country as them, but to increase the contradiction between the two and prevent them from uniting to resist oppression.  Of course, due to the lack of cultural limitations, Yu Zhiheng could not express this feeling in rigorous language, but his innate wisdom and rich experience made him feel that what separates people is not language, skin color, race and other external factors.  The difference is whether they have a large amount of property, whether they rely on their own labor for a living or rely on various means to profit from others, and their different positions in society.  Compared with the overseers and the big bosses behind the overseers, the Burmese workers who don't understand the language, have different appearances, and are covered in dirt are more like his compatriots.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 168 Disagreement Part One

    It was already September, and the scorching sun was scorching the construction site. Even the antiseptic tar applied on the sleepers had turned semi-solid, making squeaking sounds from time to time.  Under this situation, even the supervisor was too lazy to urge the laborers to work. Yu Zhiheng and his companions were squatting in the shade of a tree and eating lunch. Suddenly, he heard someone scolding: "Burmese barbarians, get away!" Yu Zhiheng  Looking up, he saw a Burmese worker with an upper body naked standing five or six meters away from them, with a look of longing on his dusty face.  "Get away, don't stop your grandpa from eating!" Ma Xingxing stood up and cursed. He was doing well these days. Because he could write and do calculations, the supervisors valued him quite a lot and often asked him to do some calculations.  It was an easy job, and I just returned to my team after finishing it.  "Rice, eat!" The Burmese worker stretched out his hands and uttered a few vague words, but judging from his appearance, he should be asking Ma Mars and the others for some rice.  ¡°Get out of here and don¡¯t pee, you deserve to eat rice!¡± Ma Xingxing yelled while picking up a stone on the ground and pretending to throw it.  "Wait a minute!" Yu Zhiheng stood up, reached out to hold Ma Martian, and walked to the Burmese worker, only to find that the man was only fourteen or fifteen years old, a half-grown child. He poured the rice from his bowl into the other man's.  In his hand, he whispered: "Take it and eat it!" The Burmese worker looked at the rice and then at Yu Zhiheng, tears streaming from his eyes. He did not eat, but knelt on the ground and kowtowed twice to Yu Zhiheng, then stood up and  He ran away with the rice in his hands.  "Brother Yu, why did you share the food with that Burmese guy? We don't have enough to eat -" Ma Xingxing was interrupted by Yu Zhiheng when he was halfway through speaking: "Stop talking, he was also raised by his parents.  Humans are not animals. I won't die if I eat less. I just treat him as a good deed. Besides, if you look at him like this, I'm afraid he didn't ask for it for himself!" "Haha!" Ma Xingxing laughed dryly and said nothing.  Yu Zhiheng sat back on his seat. The person next to him moved some rice from his bowl and said with a smile: "Brother Yu, I'll give you some more." "Thank you, but I really don't have much appetite!" Yu  Zhiheng pushed the bowl back: "I just saw that Burmese man like that. He is still a human being!" "What can I do? People have different fates!" Ma Xingxing sighed: "Brother Yu, you pity him, then who else pity him?"  We, we are miserable too! Working hard in the wilderness, sleeping in shacks, dying from the sun during the day and freezing to death at night, we don¡¯t know when it will end!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°When will it end?  "There was a burst of complaints from the crowd. These people are basically workers from Shanghai. No matter how poor they are in Shanghai, they have seen the most gorgeous and prosperous urban scene in Dashun. They were suddenly thrown into Yunnan and Myanmar.  When building a railway in the poor mountains and rivers of the border, the gap is not small. If it were not for not knowing the surrounding roads and having overseers with guns and ammunition watching, they would probably have escaped a lot.  Yu Zhiheng didn't speak. He frowned, as if he was thinking about some extremely difficult problem. Suddenly he picked up a bowl and scooped out a large bowl of tea soup from the wooden bucket nearby, poured it in, and went to lie down under the shade of a tree.  .  The days in southern Yunnan in September are very long, and it doesn¡¯t get dark until after 7 o¡¯clock. The workers returned to their huts tiredly, and lay down one after another after dinner.  The heavy labor made them fall asleep quickly.  But Ma Mingxing was different. He could write and calculate and he didn't have to do heavy physical labor. When he returned to the shack, he even washed his face and scrubbed his sweat-stained body - this was a trace of his past life.  , began to hesitate whether to sleep in that shack that smelled extremely strong of sweat, and now he began to think about how to get himself a single-person shack.  At this time, Ma Xingxing suddenly saw a sway in the grass not far away, and it was obvious that there was a beast or person inside.  He carefully picked up a stone and threw it into the grass. A scream immediately came from the grass.  "Who is that person? Come out quickly, or I'll call someone!" Ma Xingxing was sure it was a person, and his courage immediately increased.  After a while, a man emerged from the grass, covering his head. He must have been hit by a stone just now.  With the help of the moonlight, Ma Xingxing vaguely recognized the Burmese worker who prayed to them for rice at noon.  "What are you doing here? Thief!" Ma Xingxing became alert, his eyes flashed and he began to look for any sticks around to defend himself.  "No, no!" The Burmese worker waved his hands quickly, looking very nervous. Ma Xingxing raised his voice: "Then what are you doing here? Leave quickly, or I will call the supervisor!" "What's going on?"  Yu Zhiheng's voice came from behind. It turned out that he had been a soldier and had a very light sleep. He was awakened by the voice of Ma Xingxing in the hay shed. He came out to see what happened and happened to meet him.When the Burmese worker saw Yu Zhiheng, he felt as if he had met a relative. He stepped forward and started talking. Yu Zhiheng quickly asked him to slow down. Fortunately, this Burmese worker had been working here for more than a year, and he was able to deal with the supervisor.  I have learned a lot of Chinese vocabulary, although it is a bit confusing, but with the help of hand gestures, I can understand the general idea.  It turned out that this Burmese laborer was from a province called Mon State in southern Myanmar. Suddenly one day soldiers came to the village and said that the village had become the property of the king. They drove them out of the village and set fire to all the houses.  They also deceived them into giving them new land and allowing them to move to a new village.  But in the end they were transported here to work as hard labor.  His sister became seriously ill a few days ago and was lying unconscious on the thatched bed. She only said she wanted to eat some rice, so he had no choice but to beg from Yu Zhiheng.  Not long ago, his sister died, and he was determined to escape from himself and return to his hometown no matter what.  After listening to the Burmese boy's story, Yu Zhiheng couldn't help but sigh and asked in a low voice: "What is your name? Where is your hometown of Mon State? How far is it from here?" "My name is Meng Ka, how old is it?  I don¡¯t know how far it is. I know that it took almost two months to arrive by boat and walk.¡± ¡°Two months?¡± Yu Zhiheng smiled bitterly: ¡°Forget it, Mengka, think about it.  It's a long way, and you only know the name of your hometown. How can you find it? It's better to stay here. If you go back, you will only lose your life!" "No!" Meng Ka shook his head stubbornly: "Stay here.  There is only death, I have no relatives around me anymore, even if I die, I will die on the way home!" Looking at Meng Ka's determined expression, Yu Zhiheng didn't know what to say for a moment. At this time, he couldn't help but think of it!  Without him, this child still has a hometown to return to, but what about himself?  Where is your hometown?  As he said, staying here is also death, so why not die on the way home?  At least there is a glimmer of hope.  "Well, I can only wish you a safe journey!" Yu Zhiheng sighed.  "Thank you for your kindness!" Meng Ka saluted Yu Zhiheng with his hands together, took out a small bag made of banana leaves from his arms, opened it and saw a small ball of hardened white rice inside.  "This is the rice you gave me. Although my sister did not eat it, I am still very grateful to you. A kind person like you will definitely be blessed by the Buddha!" ??At this point, Mengka put the rice back into his hands.  After wrapping it up, he turned around and walked towards the grass.  Seeing the young man's back disappearing in the grass, Yu Zhiheng sighed and walked into the hay shed again, but Ma Xingxing did not do so. He looked at the direction Meng Ka left with flashing eyes, and suddenly turned around in another direction.  Run.  The next morning, as usual, Yu Zhiheng took his wooden bowl and prepared to have breakfast. Suddenly he saw a corpse hanging on the tree by the roadside. However, this was an extremely common thing. The guards often executed Burmese people.  Laborers hung from trees lining the roads to intimidate other workers.  But this time, Yu Zhiheng felt something different. He looked back for a while and found out what was the reason.  The corpse of the worker hanging from the tree was the Burmese boy named Meng Ka last night. At this time, he was covered with scars. It was obvious that he had suffered extremely cruel torture before his death.  "Brother Yu, what's so interesting about this corpse? I feel unappetized so early in the morning. Let's go quickly. Even the porridge will be watery at night." A voice came from behind. Yu Zhiheng turned around and saw Ma Martian.  Standing behind him, he covered his nose with his right hand holding the wooden bowl, his face full of disgust.  "It's Mengka, Mengka was hanged!" Yu Zhiheng's voice was not loud, but it was full of strong emotions, as if something was about to burst out.  "Meng Ka? Who is Meng Ka?" Ma Xingxing looked confused: "Brother Yu, let's go, a Burmese savage, be careful of being exposed to the smell of corpses, and he will get sick if he gets sick!" As he spoke, he wanted to  He stretched out his hand to pull Yu Zhiheng.  Yu Zhiheng took a step back, let go of Ma Xingxing's pull, and whispered: "That's the half-grown child who begged us for food yesterday for his seriously ill sister. The one who said he wanted to escape back to his hometown, he is Mengka!" "Oh!  Oh, I remembered, it's him!" A trace of panic flashed in Ma Xingxing's eyes. He lowered his head and pretended to be sad: "Yes, this kid is quite pitiful, let's go eat.  !" He turned around and left, as if he wanted to escape from something.  Yu Zhiheng looked at Ma Xingxing's strange behavior, and a terrible thought suddenly flashed in his mind. He stepped forward suddenly, grabbed the other person's arm, twisted Ma Xingxing around, and stared into the other person's eyes.  Asked: "Ma Xingxing, did you inform the guard after what happened last night?"

 Volume 4 Leviathan 169 Under Disagreement

    "What's the matter? There's no enmity between me and that kid in the past life and the future life. Why should I tell you a secret?" Ma Xingxing forced a smile, but his eyes were very wandering, and he didn't dare to look at Yu Zhiheng.  The more Yu Zhiheng looked at him, the more suspicious he became. He grabbed the other person's collar and asked sternly: "You didn't come back for so long after I entered the shack last night. You said you didn't go to report. Then what on earth did you do? Tell me quickly.  " "Go, go -" Yu Zhiheng's barrage of questions left Ma Martian speechless. After all, what else could he do if he didn't sleep in a shack late at night?  Yu Zhiheng's eyes were like sharp swords and he forced Ma Xingxing into the corner. Finally, he broke free from Yu Zhiheng's arm and shouted in a vented voice: "Yes, I informed the guard, so what? Don't I?"  Can you escape by informing on this guy? I don¡¯t believe that this guy can walk thousands of miles back on his own. Besides, he is from the same country as the guards. What¡¯s wrong with helping his own family?¡± ¡°Beast!¡±  Zhiheng interrupted Ma Xingxing's outburst with a fierce punch. The heavy blow knocked Ma Xingxing to the ground, and bright red blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.  "You hit me because of that Burmese dog?" Ma Xingxing looked at Yu Zhiheng in surprise - the companion who had always taken great care of him.  "Of course I'm going to beat you, you beast!" Yu Zhiheng growled in a low voice: "A half-year-old child is gone like this. Have you forgotten how you came here? A member of the same country? You treat the guard as a member of the same country.  Do the guards think you are from the same country? What difference does it make between us and those Burmese people? Do you have more rice in your bowl and less taro and corn every week?  ? When the guards beat you, they used whips instead of wooden sticks. After the beating, didn't they hang you on a tree in public?  Where did all those books go?" Ma Mars sat on the ground, speechless as he was refuted by Yu Zhiheng's words.  Yu Zhiheng glanced at him twice, spat on the ground in disgust, and walked away.  After Yu Zhiheng walked away, Ma Martian raised his head, looked at the corpse on the tree, his eyes wandered, and said to himself: "It's not my fault, it's not my fault. You are dead anyway, you might as well let me  Tell the guard that you can get a clean shack, better food, and clean clothes, and you can get rid of the heavy labor. I, Ma Mars, am different from you coolies. I can read and know how to calculate. How can I be like you?  Living the same life, I am doing the right thing. Someone else in my position would do the same thing. Everyone in this world is just for themselves and will climb up by stepping on other people¡¯s heads. You, Yu Zhiheng, are a fool.  I'm not!" At this point, Ma Xingxing seemed to have convinced himself. He got up from the ground, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and walked to the place where he had breakfast.  On the morning of that day, Cao Da, the supervisor leader, announced that Ma Martian would become the accountant of the camp, specializing in managing the distribution of food, clothing, wages, and statistical calculations of workers' workload. At the same time, he also moved out of the workers' camp and moved to the row where the supervisors lived.  In the wooden house.  After hearing the news, almost all the workers who knew each other congratulated Ma Xingxing, and enthusiastically extended their friendship, asking the other party to take more care of them in the future.  But Yu Zhiheng, who was closest to Ma Mars and cared about Ma Mars the most, did not go over. He just stood aside and watched everything coldly.  Xu Dacheng walked over with a smile. He had just gone to say hello to Ma Xingxing. When he saw Yu Zhiheng standing here unable to pass, he couldn't help but asked in surprise: "Lao Yu, why don't you go say congratulations to Lao Ma?  The old brother from the forge, it's better for us to have this accounting matter fall on him!" "Humph!" Yu Zhiheng snorted and didn't answer, just turned his head to the side.  Xu Dacheng became even more strange when he saw this: "Lao Yu, what are you doing? Who made you angry? Why are you like this? Forget it, you can go and congratulate Lao Ma later. Anyway, he and you are destined to die.  Good friend, I¡¯m not in a hurry. But you have to come to help Lao Ma move tonight. If you don¡¯t come, it¡¯s unreasonable!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to move, I won¡¯t go!¡±  "It's hot, are you sick?" Xu Dacheng stretched out his hand and touched Yu Zhiheng's forehead: "What kind of idleness are you doing? Although Lao Ma doesn't usually get close to the rest of us,  But he is a scholar, and of course he is different from us rough guys. We are all old brothers who came from Shanghai together. For my sake, I just treat him as a normal person and I must go to help with the moving at night!  "Old Xu, you don't know!" Yu Zhiheng finally couldn't bear it anymore and explained the circumstances of his encounter with the Burmese boy named Meng Ka last night, and how Ma Mars betrayed the Burmese boy to the supervisor and led to Meng Ka's murder.  Finally, Yu Zhiheng said in a deep voice: "Ma Xingxing is using other people's lives in exchange for his own benefits. That Mengka is still a half-grown child. How can I go to someone who does such a wolf-hearted thing?"Congratulations?  " "Is there such a thing?  No wonder -" Xu Dacheng showed a surprised expression on his face, but soon his expression softened: "Lao Yu, what Lao Ma did was unethical, but after all, that Meng Ka is a Burmese.  , Lao Ma is our old brother, we can¡¯t fall out with our own brother over a Burmese man!  How about I go over and talk to Lao Ma later, ask him to come over and give you a good scolding, and then apologize to you, and you just pretend that this never happened, okay!  "While talking, Xu Dacheng turned around and ran to Ma Xingxing regardless of whether Yu Zhiheng agreed or not. He pulled Ma Xingxing over without anyone saying anything, and said: "Old Ma, Lao Yu just told me about that matter.  , Ordinarily you did something wrong in this matter, but we are all good brothers, and there is no need to be unhappy because of a Burmese barbarian.  Lao Ma, just ask Brother Yu for help!  " When Ma Xingxing heard this, his face turned pale, but he quickly replied: "Brother Dacheng is right. I did not consider this matter.  Brother Zhiheng, please forgive me. I will never betray my brothers in the future. If I violate my oath, I will be struck by thunder!  " At this point, Ma Martian swore a poisonous oath and bowed deeply to Yu Zhiheng. Seeing that Ma Martian apologized according to his request, Xu Dacheng hurriedly turned to Yu Zhiheng and said: "Lao Yu, look at Martian's words  We¡¯ve all talked about it so far, why don¡¯t you take a stand!  " Yu Zhiheng couldn't resist Xu Dacheng's affection, so he could only nodded: "That's it, let's end this matter here!  " "That's right!  "Xu Dacheng was overjoyed when he saw this. He grabbed the right hands of Yu Zhiheng and Ma Martian and stuffed them together. He said with a smile: "We are all good brothers who have been through life and death. The most important thing is harmony.  Lao Ma, now that you are prosperous, you must not forget your brothers.  I know this person best about Zhiheng. He has a sharp mouth but a tofu heart. He has nothing to say to his brother. Even if you feel uncomfortable hearing a few words, you can't hold grudges!  " "That's natural!  Ma Xingxing smiled: "If it weren't for Brother Zhiheng, I don't know where I would have lost my life. Besides, I did a terrible job in this matter. Not to mention receiving a few scoldings and two punches, even if  Brother Zhiheng wants to take my life back, and I, Ma Mars, can only give it to me with both hands!  " "That's right. It is absolutely impossible for people to walk in the world without loyalty!  "Xu Dacheng laughed, patted Ma Xingxing on the shoulder, and reached out to pull Yu Zhiheng. Seeing this, Yu Zhiheng could only sigh and walked over. Two days later at night, Yu Zhiheng was going to the water as usual.  While washing clothes, four or five Burmese people suddenly walked out of the way and surrounded him, looking like they were looking for trouble. Yu Zhiheng frowned, put down the tub and clothes in his hands, and asked: "Who are you, what are you doing?"  Why block my way?  " These Burmese workers were not dressed in rags like other Burmese workers on the construction site, or even with their upper bodies naked. Instead, they all wore coarse cloth uniforms and straw sandals similar to those of the supervisors. Yu Zhiheng was also a little surprised to find that the Burmese man in the lead  The bridge of his nose was straight, his eyes were sunken, and his eyes were gray, not black like most Burmese people. After looking at Yu Zhiheng carefully for a while, this strange guy spoke in Chinese at a very slow speed.  Asked: "I am the leader who was just sent to manage the Burmese labor force. My companions call me Gray Eyes. You can also call me that."  I came here to confirm something. Two days ago, a Burmese worker named Meng Ka escaped and was caught. He was then hanged.  Do you know about this?  " "What happened?  Yu Zhiheng felt panicked. He thought for a moment and replied in a low voice: "No, I don't know. There are so many workers in Myanmar that I can't tell whether they are called Mengka or something else!"  " The gray-eyed brows frowned dangerously, and the Burmese people on both sides also made a dangerous stir, but he did not have an attack, but continued to ask in a calm tone: "If you don't know who Mengka is, I  Let me remind you that two days ago, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old Burmese laborer begged you and your companions. It was you who gave him some rice. He is Meng Kha. Do you remember it now?  " "I remembered, it was him, yes, but I didn't know he had been hanged!  "Yu Zhiheng tried his best to pretend to be surprised, but his efforts were unsuccessful. The sharp gray eyes stared into Yu Zhiheng's eyes, and soon Yu Zhiheng had to lower his head to avoid the other party's gaze. "  No, you are lying, you already know about Mengka's death!  "Gray eyes suddenly said: "Before Mengka was about to escape, he had told his good friends that before running away, he would first go and thank the kind person who gave him rice.  Then run away again.  But not long after he escaped, the guards were seen chasing him with hunting dogs. The guards originally didn't find out until the roll call the next morning. This meant that someone had tipped off the guards!  "At this point, the gray-eyed man stopped talking and looked at Yu Zhiheng coldly.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 170 goals

    Yu Zhiheng remained silent because he didn't know what he should say at this time. He only felt a biting cold current running down his spine. An instinct told him that the Burmese man with gray eyes in front of him was not simple. If  If he is not satisfied with his answer, he will kill him without hesitation.  "I didn't tell the guard! I won't tell anything else!" Yu Zhiheng raised his head with difficulty and replied in a deep voice. Then he closed his eyes and prepared to face the fate of death.  The Burmese people around them roared, and many raised their sticks and stones to surround them, but Gray Eyes made a stop gesture. Just when Yu Zhiheng was wondering why no one had done anything yet, he suddenly heard Gray Eyes.  The low voice said: "You are hiding something, but it doesn't matter, the time is still long, I have enough time to find the truth. Yu, if it is really you who told the guard, you will not be able to escape punishment even if you escape to the ends of the earth.  "Yes!" At this point, Gray Eyes made a gesture and left with all his men, leaving only Yu Zhiheng standing there alone.  Yu Zhiheng stood there blankly for a while, then picked up the bucket and dirty clothes on the ground and left.  On the way back, a Burmese man broke the silence and asked Hui Yan: "Chief, do you think that Dashun man named Yu is really not an informer?" "Yes! I think so!" Hui Yan said.  Eyes nodded: "Among so many Chinese, he was the only one who gave Mengka rice. This shows that he is a very sympathetic person. It is unlikely that a person like this would inform the guards. After all, Mengka is just  A half-year-old child! Of course, people's hearts are unpredictable, and it cannot be completely ruled out that he later changed his mind and snitched to the guards. But if this is the case, he should get some benefits that snitches usually get, such as wine and good food.  Food, clothing or job promotion cannot be hidden in the camp, and there is no need to hide it. After all, he did not betray his companions, but the fact is that he did not receive any reward, so I think it should be Mengka.  On the way to thank this person, he was discovered by others, and then the other person reported it to the guard. " "You are right!" The Burmese man nodded in surrender, and then sighed: "But.  If this is the case, it will be too difficult to find the informer! " "No, I believe this person knows who the informer is!" Gray Eyes smiled: "Otherwise, he wouldn't be so nervous just now, and there would be no need to start.  Pretending to know nothing!" "Then why didn't he tell us honestly? He was almost beaten to death by us!" "This whistleblower should be a very close friend of his.  I don¡¯t want to cause trouble to my friends, so we just need to look for this person named Yu. Anyone who has been promoted or rewarded in the past few days is very likely to be an informer!"  "Yes, that must be it!" The workers burst into excited cheers.  "You guys go immediately to find out which of the Chinese workers has suddenly received a reward in recent days. Start with the one named Yu, but don't alert others, got it?" "Yes!" About a mile away from the railway construction site  There is a valley four kilometers away, and a long and narrow river flows out along the valley. At the outlet of the valley, a pool of about two acres in size is formed, and this pool is the source of drinking water for all workers.  There is a small two-story wooden house under the shade of the mixed forest beside the water pool. This is the residence of the general coordinator of the Yunnan branch of Shunhua Company. As soon as the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway started construction, he rushed between Kunming and the construction site.  time to coordinate the progress of multiple departments such as steel plants, wood processing plants, and machinery repair shops.  Since there were a large number of Burmese laborers at the construction site and there was a lack of experienced managers on hand, he transferred Gray Eyes, a capable man working in the mine, to the construction site, along with several of his capable men.  "Grey Eyes, you've been at the construction site for a few days, what do you think?" Ji Jianzhang took out a bottle of champagne from the ice bucket with a smile, poured two glasses, took one for himself, and handed another one to Gray Eyes. For this substitute  The Burmese foreman with whom he solved the problem of mine production was already very informal with him in private.  As a senior manager of Shunhua Company, he knows very well how high the status of the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway under construction is in Chen Zaixing's heart. It can be said that everything Chen Zaixing has done so far has revolved around this railway line.  , if you can complete this railway before the construction deadline, you will definitely be able to occupy a very important position in this promising company.  Gray Eyes took the wine glass, but did not drink it. He replied in a deep voice: "Mr. Ji, after observing these days, I feel that the construction site is very poorly organized for the workers. It is true that the guards and supervisors are working hard, but the effect is  But it's very general. Whips and sticks can solve part of the problem, but?It is impossible to solve all problems. After all, this is a railway construction site, not a prison. Your purpose is to build a faster and better railway, not to torture and execute those workers!  " "Very good, you said it very well!  "Ji Jianzhang nodded and saw that Gray Eyes did not drink the wine he handed him. He smiled and said: " Gray Eyes, try the wine I gave you. It tastes very good, especially in such weather.  You don't have to be so reserved when we're alone together, just relax!  " "Thank you, Mr. Ji!  " Gray Eyes picked up the wine glass and drank it in one gulp. A liquid with a strange and irritating taste flowed into his mouth, and then he coughed violently. Seeing his appearance, Ji Jianzhang laughed: "This is your first time.  You shouldn't drink so much and quickly in one drink.  Would you like another drink?  "| "No need, I think this is not suitable for me!  " Gray Eyes frowned and rejected Ji Jianzhang's proposal. Ji Jianzhang shrugged his shoulders with some regret, poured himself another glass, and said with a smile: "In that case, forget it!  This is fine French wine, and a bottle costs five pounds! Gray eyes, tell me what your plans are.  " "First of all, unnecessary whipping and sticks should be reduced. It is true that appropriate whipping can force workers to work harder, but this must have a limit and must not harm the workers' bodies. More importantly, it will stimulate workers' hostility.  Emotions make them maliciously sabotage and destroy tools during the project, which is very detrimental to the project.  I suggest that supervisors be prohibited from whipping and beating workers at will. If workers are to be punished, they must be publicly executed in front of all workers after the day's work is completed. The crime must be announced before execution. This can not only serve as a warning, but also  It also reduces workers¡¯ hostility.  " "Well, very good, very good!  Ji Jianzhang nodded: "Indeed, the situation you mentioned happened some time ago. Several Burmese workers deliberately changed the construction signs at night. As a result, they were not discovered until several days later. The work of those days was completely ruined."  It was all in vain, and although they were later executed, time could not be undone.  Discuss this matter with the project commander and draw up detailed rules, as soon as possible!  " "Yes, Mr. Ji!  "The gray eyes nodded and continued: "Second, the workers' accommodation conditions are very poor. As far as I know, many Burmese workers live in a hut with nearly twenty people. The weather is already very bad now.  , if there is an epidemic, many people may die at once, which will have a great impact on the project!  " "Well, you are right. Tomorrow I will have people clean up the workers' camp. It will also be cleaned regularly in the future, and a special patient area will be established to isolate them to avoid the spread of disease!  " Seeing Ji Jianzhang accepting two of his suggestions in succession, Gray Eyes couldn't help but feel refreshed. He gritted his teeth and continued: "Third, I think that for workers, especially Myanmar workers, the current lack of remuneration must be changed.  status.  "At this point, Gray Eyes paused, looked at Ji Jianzhang's appearance, and felt that the other party was not angry, so he continued: "As the saying goes, a hundred whips are not worth a reward, only the workload of the worker can be rewarded.  Only by linking it with remuneration can workers be able to work with all their strength.  As it is now, there is no way to motivate workers. In fact, there is no need to pay real money. You can set a total value. As long as the accumulated workload of workers reaches this total value, you can let them go home.  , or get a piece of land.  As far as I know, there are still large tracts of wasteland waiting to be reclaimed around the railway and in central and northern Myanmar.  " After saying this with gray eyes, he looked at the other party uneasily, waiting for Ji Jianzhang's answer. But Ji Jianzhang didn't make a sound for a long time, just slowly tasting the wine in the glass, just as he was already a little impatient.  While staying, I suddenly heard Ji Jianzhang say: "Gray Eyes, do you have selfish motives as a third party?  " Gray Eyes gritted his teeth and replied: "This subordinate does have some selfish motives, but - " " That's all!  Ji Jianzhang interrupted Gray Eyes' words: "It doesn't matter if you have selfish motives. Who in the world has no selfish motives? Don't be afraid of selfishness. As long as you can do things well, I, Ji Jianzhang, still have the courage!"  "Having said this, Ji Jianzhang walked to the desk and sat down: "Come here!  " Gray eyes walked to the desk and saw Ji Jianzhang tapping somewhere on the map on the desk with his finger: "It is now September 15th, 1892, and it will be the end of April in 1893, which is the beginning of the rainy season.  By now, the railway must be built here!  "The gray eyes looked at the map and saw a red dot under Ji Jianzhang's finger, with three Chinese characters written on the side - "Ganbaidi".

 Volume 4 Leviathan 171 Guarantee Part 1

    Shanghai Port.  Chen Zaixing stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the dock that was slowly approaching in the thick fog. He couldn't remember how many times he had been to the largest city in the Far East, but no matter which time he had been, he had never been as depressed as this time.  , anxious about the future.  The reason is simple. Not long ago, a draft drawn by Shunhua Branch in Shanghai was refused by Houde Bank.  As a successful businessman, Chen Zaixing knew what this meant. Most of the lucrative businesses operated by Shunhua Company relied on the vast domestic market of Dashun. If Houde controlled the entire South China financial market,  The harm caused by the bank's refusal to pay can be imagined.  The reason why all this happened is simple. In May of that year, in order to fill the funding gap caused by the construction of the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway, Chen Zaixing asked the Ministry of Finance of the Kingdom of Myanmar to suspend the payment of compensation loans to the Shanghai Banking Group for two months.  Chen Zaixing quickly made up for the money through various means and sent a telegram to apologize to Liu Qingyang, but it still happened.  This was also the reason why he had to rush to Shanghai in person, although deep down in his heart, he did not want to leave Mandalay at this time.  ¡°Sir, please put on some more clothes, it¡¯s too windy outside!¡± Guard Captain Oba said in a voice that didn¡¯t match his burly body.  "Yeah!" Chen Zaixing nodded and took the coat.  Suddenly, he looked back at Oba and whispered: "Oba, if I remember correctly, you haven't been back to your hometown for many years, right? After this matter is over, go home and have a look.  "Thank you for your kindness. But you have forgotten that we are a group of deserters in our hometown. We will only cause trouble to our families!" "That was a few years ago!"  , No problem!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile: "After this trip, go back to Punjab. I remember that you have two younger brothers. I will give you fifty pounds to buy some gifts for them and your parents!  "Thank you, sir. Thank you very much, really!" Oba awkwardly searched for the words to express his gratitude. He usually hid his feelings under his big beard and dark face.  The big man is not that good at expressing his feelings in words.  Chen Zaixing smiled and patted him on the shoulder: "It's nothing, you deserve this!" Through this exchange with his guard captain, he felt a little warmth in his heart and his sadness was reduced a lot.  "Sir!" Jiang Zhiqing stood at the foot of the escalator and asked diligently: "The carriage is just outside. Would you like to go to the company to have a rest first or go to Houde Bank immediately?" "Go to Houde Bank. You are in the car."  Please report the specific situation to me. I'm in Shanghai on a tight schedule this time and can't stay too long!" "Yes, sir!" Jiang Zhiqing didn't ask any more questions. He carefully helped Chen Zaixing into the carriage and asked the guard captain Oba.  He took the seat next to the coachman and then boarded the carriage.  Other members of Chen Zaixing's entourage boarded another carriage behind them.  The group of people walked in the direction of Houde Bank.  On the carriage, Chen Zaixing closed his eyes slightly and asked: "Zhiqing, can you first tell me about the situation in Shanghai during this period?" "Yes, sir, considerable municipal power in Shanghai has actually been vested in the city council.  bureau, and almost all the directors of the Advisory Bureau are prominent businessmen in Shanghai, so the Liu family and his son have considerable power in the municipal affairs. Last time I raised the matter of issuing bonds on your behalf with him, he replied that now the court also has.  We need to issue bonds to build the Northeast Railway, and the market position is very tight, so our interest rates are going to go up -" "Zhiqing, I won't tell you what I know, keep it short!" Chen Zaixing interrupted Jiang Zhiqing, and Jiang Zhiqing hurriedly  Said: "But later I heard that the imperial court did not actually want to issue bonds to build the railway. It seemed that it wanted to issue new taxes and let each province raise funds on its own to solve the funding problem. If we were not deceived, Houde Bank should have wanted to deceive us at that time.  "The local government raises funds on its own?" Chen Zaixing suddenly opened his eyes and asked, "What's going on? Please tell me in detail!"  The rest may be paid in cash or from the land. How about I collect the newspaper later and send it to you tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Chen Zaixing nodded: ¡°We need to hurry up on this matter!¡±  !¡± Houde Bank, Waiting Room ¡°Mr. Chen, please wait here for a moment. Mr. Liu is meeting an important guest!¡± A well-dressed clerk said to Chen Zaixing with a smile: ¡°If you need anything,  You can ring the bell here and someone will come in right away to take your orders! " "Thank you, I don't need anything now!" Chen Zaixing nodded, and the clerk left.  Only Jiang Zhiqing and Chen Zai were left in the house.?, two people.  Jiang Zhiqing sneered: "It's such a big deal. 'I'm meeting an important guest.' Mr. Liu's dignity has increased!" "Zhiqing, don't say such useless words!" Chen Zaixing's face was so calm that no one could see it.  It was unclear what he was thinking: "We are here to do business this time, and we have to do things well as the first priority!" "Yes, sir!" Jiang Zhiqing hurriedly lowered his head and said yes. He knew in his heart that although Chen Zaixing's face was  He didn't show anything, and I'm afraid he already had a knot in his heart. As his master, he was in danger, so he had better be careful when speaking, so as not to get into trouble.  After about twenty minutes, the clerk just walked in, smiled and extended his hand to invite you: "Mr. Chen, please, Mr. Liu is waiting for you in the office!" Chen Zaixing nodded and walked out of the guest room, which was similar to the guest room.  Liu Qingyang's office was separated by a corridor. When Chen Zaixing went out, he happened to see a white man with gray hair walking around the corner of the corridor.  Chen Zaixing frowned slightly. The clerk had opened the office door for him and he walked in.  "Fu Sheng, we haven't seen each other for more than half a year. Is everything okay?" Liu Qingyang stood up from the executive chair, came over to greet him, reached out to hold Chen Zaixing's hands, and whispered: "I know about my brothers and sisters. I'm sorry.  "Come on!" Seeing Liu Qingyang like this, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but feel a little moved, but he still controlled his emotions: "Thank you, Brother Liu. Hey, if I know what I am doing, I will definitely be very grateful!" "Hey!  "Liu Qingyang asked Chen Zaixing to sit down on the sofa and sighed: "I also visited Her Majesty the Eldest Princess several times when I was in Myanmar. She was a beautiful woman and a heroine. Brother Fusheng, you are a match made in heaven, but I didn't expect that it would never be a holiday.  , The voice and smile are so vivid before my eyes, but now the person is separated from the yin and the yang, what a trick of fate!" At this point, Liu Qingyang paused and asked in a low voice: "Fusheng, is it convenient for you to come to Shanghai this time?  There won't be any problems if I leave you there, right?" When Chen Zaixing heard this, he couldn't help but be slightly surprised, knowing that Liu Qingyang was touching his bottom. It seemed that the tenderness the other party expressed just now was just to induce him to relax his guard.  It's just a little trick that will make it easier to sneak in next time. Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing's eyes turned cold, but he said with a smile: "It doesn't matter, Luo Lin is gone, and Luo Qin is here. Besides, I just punished him a few months ago."  A few ignorant traitors, I believe that there will be no more ignorant people in the kingdom in a short time. "Since Brother Fusheng said so, there is no problem!" Liu Qingyang laughed, but he  Although his laughter was loud, for some reason it didn't sound joyful at all.  "Hypocritical!" Chen Zaixing cursed in his heart, and then said straight to the point: "Qingyang, I won't beat around the bush anymore. I came to Shanghai this time just to deal with the dishonored check of Shunhua Company. Tell me, what should I do?  Only then can we solve this matter!" "Brother Fusheng, this matter makes me very embarrassed!" A look of embarrassment appeared on Liu Qingyang's face: "According to the relationship between you and me, there will be no problem, but this is all because of Myanmar.  The Kingdom delayed the payment of the Shanghai Bank Syndicate Loan, so several old people on the board of directors had to pay penalty interest in accordance with the rules. It took a lot of effort for me to convince them to just press the check.  Being able to sit in his position makes a big difference in the weight of his words. Houde Bank is not my only one, Liu Qingyang. How about this? In a few months, I will mention it to the board of directors? " " Qing.  Yang, you should know that this is the most tense time for both the Kingdom and the Burma Railway. I can't leave easily. You also have shares over there. Please tell me how to resume paying checks. Please tell me.  Hearing what Chen Zaixing said, Liu Qingyang laughed: "Fusheng, you should know that what we care about most when opening a bank is reputation. Everyone knows that the Kingdom of Myanmar belongs to your family, Chen Fusheng."  If you delay the payment, the stick will only hit you, Chen Fusheng! It is not impossible to pay the check, but there is a condition. You must have a reputable person to guarantee Shunhua Company in case of risk.  We can also recover some losses. After all, your Shunhua company has guns and cannons, and most of its assets are in Myanmar. If you refuse to repay the loan, won¡¯t we, the cashier bosses, all have to jump into the river? " Liu Qingyang showed his trump card?  , Chen Zaixing said nothing.  According to the practice of the banking industry, there are not many companies or individuals qualified to guarantee this kind of guarantee. In order to obtain this kind of guarantee, Shunhua Company must pay a considerable price, such as large sums of funds and regular reports on the other party's own company's operations.  The situation will wait, the guarantee will be canceled if there is any news. To put it simply, there is a noose tied around Chen Zaixing's neck, and when the noose will be tightened, it depends entirely on other people's wishes.  "If I agree to this condition??Who can provide this kind of guarantee in Shanghai?  " Chen Zaixing asked in a low voice. "It's all on this piece of paper!  "Liu Qingyang picked up a piece of white paper from the table and handed it over. Chen Zaixing saw a few names of people and companies written on it. It was obvious that the other party had been prepared for it.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 172 Under Guarantee

    "Please forgive me, because I am a director of Houde Company. According to the rules, I cannot provide guarantee for others. Otherwise, I could have provided guarantee for you, Fusheng!" Liu Qingyang's face was full of sincere apology.  "You don't have to apologize. Everyone has their own position!" Chen Zaixing smiled, put the note into his arms, stood up and said, "Since that's the case, I'll leave first." "Resurrection, it's rare for you to come.  On a trip to Shanghai, why don't I set up a table at Deyue Tower to take care of you? " "No, you've seen it too. I really don't have time. It's not too late to bother me again after this matter is over!"  When Chen Zaixing said this, he bowed his hands to the other party and walked outside.  "When a villain succeeds, he takes advantage of others' danger!" In the carriage, Jiang Zhiqing cursed and spat, but Chen Zaixing's face was calm as usual, and he ordered in a deep voice: "Go back to the company first!" "Master, what should I do? Really go and beg for help.  How many people are on the list?" Jiang Zhiqing asked carefully.  "Let's take a look at the situation first!" Chen Zaixing responded casually and asked: "By the way, Zhiqing, are there any good Huaiyang restaurants in Shanghai? For smaller ones, let's forget about Deyuelou? It's September, and it's the time for crab fat.  It¡¯s time for the market!¡± Jiang Zhiqing was stunned when he heard this. He didn¡¯t expect Chen Zaixing to have the leisure to eat crabs at this time. After a while, he came back to his senses and hurriedly replied: ¡°Yes, yes, there is a restaurant over at Nanqiaokou.  The Huaiyang restaurant is called Jufengtang. The owner is a son of a fallen salt merchant. He is not very good at running the family business, but he is very good at eating, drinking and having fun. Although the store is not big, only four or five shops, the craftsmanship is outstanding.  It¡¯s really amazing, the Huaiyang cuisine is the best in Shanghai!¡± At this point, Jiang Zhiqing stretched out his right thumb and raised it high.  "Then let's go to the one at Nanqiaokou. I'll take a nap first. Call me when we get there!" "Yes, sir!" Jufengtang at Nanqiaokou.  "Master! Watch your step, the threshold is high!" A waiter lifted the door curtain for Chen Zaixing, turned around and shouted loudly: "Three masters inside, hello!" "Three men!" came a voice from behind the patio.  In response, it oscillates back and forth between the narrow walls, forming a wonderful harmonic effect.  Chen Zaixing, who had already changed into a Tsing Yi hat, flicked his wrist, unfolded the gold folding fan in his hand, and shook it twice, looking like a rich young man often seen on the beach in Shanghai.  Jiang Zhiqing and Aoba followed behind, and they walked straight through the patio and into the main room inside. They saw a plaque hanging on the main room with four gilded characters on it, "Meng Chang's Legacy".  "Master, please wipe your face!" As soon as he walked in, a servant brought a steaming towel. Chen Zaixing took one and wiped his face twice. His spirits were lifted. He threw the towel to the servant.  Suddenly, I saw a middle-aged man in his early forties sitting in the main seat of the main hall. He was wearing a well-dressed man and was holding a snuff bottle to enjoy it. He didn't get up to greet him, as if he hadn't seen the three of them at all.  Chen Zaixing couldn't help being stunned, turned around and asked in a low voice: "Zhiqing, what's going on? How can someone in the restaurant business behave like this?" "Sir, this is the fallen salt merchant and the owner of Jufengtang.  , surnamed Tan!" Jiang Zhiqing stepped forward and whispered: "Although this surnamed Tan's family business has collapsed, his arrogance has not collapsed. He obviously has no money to support his family and has to open a catering business, but he pretends to be a good person.  It's like treating guests to dinner. On the surface, Jufenglou is not a business, we are all guests at his house." Chen Zaixing was stunned and asked, "Do you need to pay?"  "Give it!" Jiang Zhiqing said with a smile: "But it's not a meal in name, but a gift from a friend. The price is also famously expensive. After all, his ancestors have been in the Zhongmingding Food family for five or six generations, so they spend all their food and drinks."  First-rate, the people who come here are all respectable people, so it¡¯s not bad!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a cover-up?¡± After hearing what Jiang Zhiqing said, Chen Zaixing couldn¡¯t help but feel happy. He thought of what he had just seen on the patio.  The four big characters "Mengchang's legacy" contrast well with this man's style.  "Sir, what you said is wrong. This master wants to put on airs and deceive himself, and he won't bother anyone, so why not? After all, isn't everyone acting these days? The top deceives the bottom, and the bottom deceives the top.  There are many people whose wives lie to their husbands, and whose sons lie to their fathers. Compared with this man, how many people are waiting for him? " After hearing Jiang Zhiqing's words, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but be stunned. Although these words were rough.  It sounds like just the angry words of a cynic, and is often biased, but when you think about it carefully, it is endlessly memorable.  For example, if I say that I have no feelings for my late wife, it is absolutely impossible. After all, the tenderness and love between husband and wife for several years are not fake.  It would be unreasonable to say that there was no mutual use between himself and Luo Lin. After all, without him, Luo Lin would not be able to ascend the throne of the regent princess, let alone??As for taking charge of the Kingdom of Myanmar, he might become a puppet toy of some ambitious person within the kingdom, and his end would be extremely miserable.  If he didn't have Luo Lin, he wouldn't be able to control the Kingdom of Myanmar and create a huge foundation in just a few years.  Truth and falsehood, love and interests are merged together and cannot be separated at all.  ¡°When something is fake, it is also true, and there is nothing but nothing!¡± Chen Zaixing sighed. Many things in this world cannot be true, otherwise they will only bring trouble to themselves.  Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a little dispirited. He closed the folding fan in his hand and said, "Let's go and see how the Tan family's crabs are doing." On the wine table, the cups and plates were already in a mess, and the two maids were carefully removing them from the dining table.  After removing the crab shells piled up as high as a hill and serving the sweet rice wine soup for digestion, Chen Zaixing patted his belly twice and said with a smile: "Brother Du, brother Du, I have never betrayed you today. If you are in trouble someday, please help me."  Don't betray me!" "What this brother said is wrong. Isn't there such a thing as repaying a favor with a favor? Isn't it a little pretentious to repay a favor with a meal?" A voice came from Chen Zaixing.  He heard something coming from behind, and he quickly turned around to see that the person speaking was the son of a fallen salt merchant who was playing with a snuff bottle in the hall just now and turned a deaf ear to him.  At this time, he was bringing the snuff bottle to his nose and looking at himself with a smile.  Chen Zaixing quickly stood up and said with a smile: "My eyes are stupid, I didn't see my brother come in, please forgive me for being rude!" The owner of the shop stuffed the snuff bottle into his purse, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Brother said  What are you talking about? You are the food, clothing and parents of someone like me, so what's wrong with that? The crabs are pretty good, right?" "Not bad!" Chen Zaixing gestured to Jiang Zhiqing on the side to give him the reward.  , smiled and said: "I have eaten all kinds of crabs in Myanmar, but this is the first time they are cooked so well." "Sorry, there are so many people at home, and I don't care about dignity." The shop owner took it.  He weighed the reward, stuffed it into his arms, and said with a smile: "You said you have been to Myanmar, where do you do business?" "Is that so? Brother, do you know where it is?" Chen Zaixing asked in surprise.  It seems that a son of a run-down salt merchant would not know that there is a country like Myanmar in Southeast Asia.  "I didn't know it at first, but in the past two years, the market in Shanghai has been full of Burmese rice. Even if I don't know, it's difficult!" The shop owner smiled helplessly: "It's just a hardship for the people in Jiangnan. Once Burmese rice comes in, it will also  I don¡¯t know how many well-to-do families have been reduced to extreme poverty. I originally had two farms in the countryside, but now it¡¯s better to give them to tenants and no one will grow them. There is nothing you can do. After a year of hard work, the rice you have grown is not there.  I can¡¯t sell it for the price, hey!¡± At this point, he shook his head with a look of despair on his face.  "Oh?" Chen Zaixing asked calmly: "Then how are you two Zhuangzi doing now?" "What else can I do? I sold it to the head of the village at a discount. I also know that he is up to something, but what can I do?  ? If you sell it to him, you can still get some cash. If you don't sell it to him, you won't even get a grain of rent. Hey, there is no way to live in this world!"  Isn¡¯t the business at Jufengtang very good? Besides, the cheaper rice price is a good thing for you, right?¡±  "Brother, your accent sounds like you are not from Shanghai. What are you doing in Shanghai this time? Do you want to do business or be an eunuch?" "Yes, you do business." "Oh, then I wish my brother a lot of money and everything goes well!"  "The shop owner smiled. Then he looked at Chen Zaixing's face and whispered: "Brother, I have to say something that is inappropriate. I see that you have a rather gloomy look on your face. Why don't you say it and let me hear it?  Anyway, you and I met here by chance, and we will be strangers after today, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me telling you that I¡¯m pregnant with you.¡± Chen Zaixing looked at the shop owner and saw his plump face.  , with thick cheeks, obviously someone who is used to being pampered, but his eyes are quite bright, which is different from the ordinary children of wealthy families.  Seeing this, Chen Zaixing was moved in his heart and said with a smile: "Actually, it's nothing. I have some business in Myanmar and need to use Houde Bank for capital turnover. However, I was a little short of money some time ago. I defaulted on two installments of the loan and took over Houde Bank.  I refused to pay the bill issued by my account. This is what I came to Shanghai to do. " "That's troublesome!" The shop owner's expression changed slightly and he asked, "What does Houde Bank say?"  "The bank said that only if a trustworthy person provides me with a guarantee can it continue to recognize the bills issued by the small account!" "You must not agree!" The shop owner tapped the table: "This is an old trap of the bank.  , as long as you fall into his trap, he will swallow your bones and flesh, so you must not agree to it!""Oh?" Chen Zaixing is not unaware of the disadvantages of guarantees, but it is unusual for the restaurant owner in front of him, a descendant of a run-down salt merchant, to know so well what kind of background this person has. Thinking of this, Chen Zaixing glanced at the people beside him.  Jiang Zhiqing, but Jiang Zhiqing's eyes were also confused.  "Brother, this guarantee is not for nothing. If you give the bank a profit, you will give the guarantor at least six or seven percent. How much profit can you make from doing business? It's all for free for the bank.  That's it. This is still when everything is going well. If there are some setbacks and the bank gets stuck, you will be completely screwed. Then he will buy all your assets at a low price and then sell them at a high price to enjoy huge profits.  . If you make money, he will get free interest, and if you lose money, he can use your property to pay off the debt. You will not suffer any loss, but in my opinion, you would rather not do it if you take the risk.  This business can¡¯t fall into this trap!¡±

 Volume 4 Leviathan 173 Standard Chartered Bank Part 1

    After hearing what the shop owner said, Chen Zaixing couldn't help but look at him with admiration. The shop owner was not that amazing in appearance, and his stomach was not full of lion heads and crabs. He had only been working in this business for many years before he understood the bank's tricks.  The shop owner can speak clearly and logically, and regardless of his practical ability, he must have a good vision.  Thinking of this, he decided to test whether the other party was a person who could only talk about big things.  "But my business is very big. I'm already halfway through it. I've invested a lot of money in it and I can't get out. What do you think I should do?" "If that's the case, that's going to be troublesome!" The shop owner frowned.  Just when Chen Zaixing was secretly disappointed, the shop owner suddenly said: "Then why don't you try a foreign bank? They have two systems with the local banks in Shanghai, and maybe they don't need guarantees." "Foreign bank?" Chen Zaixing frowned.  He frowned. The shop owner's suggestion was unexpected, but no matter what, in this situation, it was always a dead end.  Chen Zaixing thought for a moment, raised his hands and said with a smile: "I have been chatting with my brother for a long time, but I have never asked you about your name and celebrity. How rude!"  "Xiao Ke's surname is Chen!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile, but he didn't say his name.  "It turns out to be Mr. Chen. Thank you for meeting me!" Chen Zaixing stood up and said, "Brother Ziji, I have benefited a lot from coming to Jufeng Pavilion tonight. I will definitely come back to visit you someday. It's getting late, so I'll say goodbye!" "Then!  Just wait and see!" Tan Yunsong laughed and sent Chen Zaixing out the door.  There was silence on the carriage, only the crisp sound of horseshoes hitting the bluestone roadside could be heard.  Jiang Zhiqing looked at Chen Zaixing's face, finally couldn't bear his temper, and asked in a low voice: "Master, do you really want to go to a foreign bank?" "Huh?" Chen Zaixing didn't say anything, just hummed noncommittally, Jiang Zhiqing  After hearing this, Zhiqing didn't know whether the other party agreed or objected, so he had to continue: "Master, I don't know much about banks, but I also heard you say that the foreigners on the Yunnan-Burma Railway will definitely not like them. If we go to them  , Isn¡¯t it inviting a wolf into the house?¡± ¡°Zhiqing, foreigners are not monolithic. You have dealings with Gillins and several other foreign companies. Now that Liu Qingyang is trying to get in trouble, you can¡¯t just let him do whatever he wants. Let¡¯s deal with the bills first.  Take a look!" "Yes, sir!" Jiang Zhiqing sighed and lowered his head.  Shanghai, Standard Chartered Bank Shanghai Branch.  This British bank was founded in 1853 as a royal chartered bank. From the beginning, its purpose was to serve the lucrative Far East trade. Its first three overseas branches were established in Calcutta, Bombay, and Shanghai.  As one of the three earliest overseas banks of Standard Chartered Bank, the headquarters of Standard Chartered Bank in Shanghai is located in a four-story Baroque-style building built of light yellow marble.  With two large stone pillars in the Ionic style.  The gorgeous stone carvings on the front arch of the building seem to show off the strength of Standard Chartered Bank to passers-by.  "Mr. Belfort, we have arrived at the Shanghai branch of Standard Chartered Bank!" Gillings carefully opened the car door and stretched out his hand to help Belfort in the car, but Belfort jumped off the carriage with the unique agility of an athlete.  , smiled and said: "Mr. Gillings, I think it will take some time for the bad weather in London to damage my joints." "Of course, of course!" Gillings withdrew his hand in embarrassment and passed through London not long ago.  An old friend, he has learned that the big shots at the top are not so satisfied with his work in Myanmar and intends to replace him with a younger and more ambitious newcomer.  Gillings was very frightened by this news. Of course, his cooperation with Chen Zaixing in recent years has gained him huge wealth, especially the ongoing rubber plantation. If successful, it will bring him a rolling river of wealth.  It even pushed the Gillings family to the throne of the richest people in Britain.  But it is precisely because of this that he is even more unwilling to leave Myanmar at this time and be replaced, because Gillings knows in his heart that everything he does now relies on his position as the Consul General of the British Empire in Myanmar. If he loses this position, Chen Zaixing will definitely  I will kick myself away and cooperate with others instead.  Therefore, he tried his best to please Balfour in front of him, trying to get this big man who had a great say in front of the Prime Minister to say a few good words for him.  "Mr. Gillings, I think your life in Myanmar is not bad!" Belfort looked at Gillings' slightly swollen belly half-jokingly and half-seriously: "Compared to the last time I met you, your  The waistline is at least two sizes too big!" Gillins's face turned slightly red, and the other person's words had a richer meaning in English.??meaning.  Obviously, the big man in front of him was not ignorant of what he was doing in Myanmar. He quickly explained: "Yes, Mr. Balfour, I did make several successful investments in the past few years, but not  Forgetting the sacred duties laid upon me, all this is but a small preparation for a life of humble retirement by Her Majesty's faithful servant. You should know that I am but the third son in my family, and of my father's legacy.  There is not much hope." "Mr. Gillings, please do not interpret what I just said as doubt about your loyalty and diligence. Her Majesty's servants do not mean poverty. Even old Cato has spent a lot of money.  Just focus on your own estate, as long as his wealth does not conflict with the empire's cause." Balfour smiled and patted his shoulder: "We can go in now. Mr. George must be waiting for us very anxiously."  Gillings's heart skipped a beat, but he forced a smile on his face and said repeatedly: "That's natural, that's natural!" Belfort and Gillings walked into the door, and there was Best, general manager of Standard Chartered Bank Shanghai Branch.  George was a tall and thin Irishman. He stood in front of the door and carefully observed Belfort with the dark green glasses behind his monocle. After a moment, he slowly took off his monocle and gave Belfort a reserved smile.  Bowed, stretched out his right hand and said: "Welcome, Your Excellency!" "Please call me Belfort!" Belfort held the other person's right hand and whispered: "I came to Shanghai in a completely private capacity.  "I understand!" George made a gesture of invitation and whispered: "So, Mr. Balfour, what can I do for you? The headquarters in London has sent me a message.  In the telegram, the Chairman asked me to wait for your orders!" "No, no!" Balfour said with a smile: "Mr. George, you don't have to be so formal. I just came to this country as an observer. If possible, wait.  I'll ask you to answer a few questions for me alone. " "Yes, Mr. Balfour!" George nodded, then he turned around, gently opened a door, and said to Gillings who was following Belfort.  : "Sir, this is our waiting room. There is coffee and sherry. You can stay here for a while!" Gillings stood there awkwardly, watching George and Belfort disappear into the corridor.  corner.  "Mr. Balfour, I don't know why you came to Shanghai with Gillings!" George poured two glasses of wine and handed one to Balfour: "It's not that I want to say bad things about him behind his back, but in the past few years,  , this Mr. Gillings has made a fortune, made a fortune. Do you know, he cooperates with the Chinese to operate rice, tin mines, teak, and kerosene. All of this used to belong to us British, but now the Chinese  He stepped in. Last year alone, he remitted no less than 150,000 pounds from Standard Chartered Bank to London." Belfort took a sip of wine calmly and said with a smile: "Mr. George, I thought I was a manager of Standard Chartered Bank.  You will be more loyal to your customers' secrets!" George waved his hands impatiently and said, "Come on, Belfort! Throw those bitch codes and ethics aside. You should know this very well.  What did Gillings do? He gave up the territory that originally belonged to British businessmen to the Chinese, and then made huge profits from behind. What kind of business ethics should we talk about for such a traitor? " "Mr. George, let us first separate patriotism and business?  Put aside the issue of the relationship between morality!" Belfort smiled, obviously he did not want to discuss how to deal with Gillings at this time: "As a senior banker in the Far East, I would like to ask you a question.  , What is the current financial situation of the Dashun government? Do they have enough strength to complete its railway construction in Northeast Asia within five to ten years? " George did not answer immediately. He walked to the sofa and sat down slowly, taking off his shirt.  He took out a deerskin handkerchief from his pocket and began to slowly wipe his glasses. Finally he whispered: "Mr. Balfour, your question is very broad. It is difficult for me to answer you in a short time. China is a very huge country.  , her population and territory exceed the total of the entire Europe, which determines that the Dashun government cannot adopt any single method to rule and manage this country. I think it was God who enlightened the emperors of China and gave them wisdom to rule.  And maintain this huge empire." Belfort keenly sensed the unfinished meaning in the other party's words and asked, "So you mean that the financial situation of the Dashun government is very bad? They are unable to complete the railway construction in Northeast Asia?"

 Volume 4 Leviathan 174 Standard Chartered Bank

    George laughed, and the unique Irish rigidity on his face suddenly melted: "Mr. Balfour, you are very smart, but you misunderstood what I meant. It is not that China does not have the resources and money to complete the railway project, on the contrary, this  A great country contains unparalleled human and material resources. Can you imagine how terrifying the 400 million people who have been united by a culture and tradition since the time of King Alfred are organized once they are organized?  Europe will tremble in the face of the new 'Yellow Peril'." "But after all, they can't do it now, can they?" "Yes!" George nodded: "The internal differences in this country are huge.  In this city, industry and commerce are already very prosperous, transportation is developed, new factories are constantly being built, energetic bankers are competing fiercely with us, and this huge city is also connected to the rich and huge inner city through a natural river.  It is connected to the mainland, which has a population of no less than 60 million and countless agricultural areas, forest areas, and mines. However, at the same time, the vast majority of the people in this country are still uncivilized farmers.  Apart from a few necessities, there is no economic exchange with the outside world. Apart from agricultural taxes, a small amount of salt tax, and wine tax, the government cannot obtain other financial resources. This is why China is such a large and rich country, but the financial resources controlled by the government are so small.  "Less." Belfort nodded. George didn't actually finish what he said, but it was enough for him who was extremely well-educated.  Generally speaking, taxes can be roughly divided into circulation taxes and property taxes. For example, taxes on assets such as land tax and house tax are property taxes, while taxes such as income tax, consumption tax, value-added tax, salt tax, and alcohol tax are circulation taxes.  .  In ancient times and even in modern times, because generally speaking, most property owners belonged to the upper class, it was extremely difficult to pass or even increase property taxes. The upper class often used their political advantage to obtain tax exemption privileges or  It is extremely difficult to pass on the taxes you should pay to the disadvantaged; and the tax rates on different assets, the determination of asset owners, and the valuation of the assets themselves are all very difficult, and the cost of taxation will also be very high, so generally  Generally speaking, asset taxes cannot be set too high, otherwise ordinary people in the middle and lower classes of society will go bankrupt due to transfer taxes from the upper classes and their own lack of economic capabilities, leading to the collapse of the entire country.  Therefore, between two countries with similar sizes and similar economic levels, there will not be much difference in the property taxes that the government can collect. Otherwise, the country that levies excessively high property taxes will perish due to social collapse.  The circulation tax is different. Since large-scale flows of people and logistics are inseparable from cities as economic centers, and most goods have market prices at that time, there is no problem of valuation difficulties. You only need to wait for transportation in the city or dock.  It is enough to set up a small number of tax cards in major roads, so the collection cost of circulation tax is much lower than that of property tax.  More importantly, circulation tax is different from property tax. It is a type of tax that can be avoided. If a merchant feels that he cannot make a profit after paying the tax on this transaction, he will naturally not carry out the transaction, and naturally he will not have to pay tax.  Generally speaking, the poor do not need to buy many goods except for a few necessities that they cannot produce, and naturally they do not need to pay circulation taxes.  In this way, there will be no result that the people at the bottom will be unable to survive, and eventually the society will collapse and the country will be destroyed. Therefore, the social cost of the circulation tax is much lower than the property tax. The government can increase the tax rate to 30% or 50%.  into, or even higher, to get a lot of tax money.  However, in a country like Dashun with a vast territory and extremely uneven economic and social development, if the government increases the share of circulation tax in its own taxes, it will actually increase the burden on a few economic center areas, because in the northwest and southwest  , Northeast, central and other regions, the commodity economy is very underdeveloped, and the natural government can obtain very little circulation tax; while in economically developed regions such as Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Jinling, Hanking, etc., there are staggering amounts of funds and commodities every day  If there is a tax on the inflow and outflow, then the businessmen and factory owners operating these industries will have to pay a lot of taxes.  You must know that these economically developed areas can naturally produce more scholars in the imperial examinations, not to mention providing more economic support to central officials. If officials are required to make decisions that are unfavorable to them, there is no doubt that they must  It is extremely difficult politically to achieve this.  This is why even though there was a huge amount of stock wealth in Dashun society at that time, the government was in a long-term financial crisis and was unable to carry out extremely important infrastructure construction.  "Thank you for your explanation! So is it possible for the Chinese to raise funds for railway construction in other ways? Such as joint-stock companies, bond issuance, etc. After all, the government's increase in taxes is only one way, and there are other ways besides this.  "It's possible, but it's very difficult!" George nodded: "I want to tell you a fact. In this country, there is both scarcity and excess of capital."Now.  Their private capital is still too weak, their total amount is too small, and they have unrealistic expectations for profits. They are unable to afford such a long-term construction period as the railway company.  In many cases, this excess capital is often invested in destructive speculative activities. The result is that huge amounts of money are pocketed by a small number of scammers, while entrepreneurs who really need funds suffer from lack of funds and are unable to improve technology and expand production.  If it is true, as you say, that people in this country want to raise social funds to build railways, I think the biggest possibility is that it will become a carnival for speculators.  " Belfort said nothing. He walked to the window of the office and quietly looked at the flow of people on the street not far away. After a while, he suddenly asked: "George, do you know?  I am here to help the Chinese speed up the construction of their northeastern railway network.  "    "Yeah?  George frowned. Obviously Belfort's words surprised him, but a banker's instinct made him ask: "Is this a good deal?"  "    "certainly!  Balfour turned his back to George and replied: "The Russians are building the Trans-Siberian Railway. The Chinese have only two choices. Either take back Vladivostok before the Russians build the railway and destroy the Russian Pacific Fleet."  ; Or only face the Russians' "one hundred thousand bayonets", and the entire northern coast will be exposed to the threat of the Russian Pacific Fleet.  They had no choice but to accept our terms.  "    "Like This?  So what do you need me to do, go to Hanking to meet the Minister of Household Affairs of Dashun?  Or¡ª¡ª" "No, no, it's too early!  "Belfort turned his head, walked to George, and touched the other person's wine glass gently: "I don't know enough about Dashun's specific situation now, so I have to observe it for a while.  Moreover, Dashun officials are not fools. If we propose a loan now, we will not be able to get the best conditions. Only when they are desperate is the best time for us to take action.  " In the reception room, just as Gillings was tasting some questions about the origin of the twelfth sparkling wine, the door finally opened. Belfort walked in, and he stood up quickly, but he just drank it.  The wine seemed to have put a layer of glue between his butt and the sofa. If it weren't for the support of Gillings' arm, he would have almost sat back on the sofa. "Dear Gillings, it seems you are here.  Not idle either!  "Belfort's eyes swept across the wine glasses on the table, and a clear smile appeared on his face. "Excuse me, Mr. Belfort!  "Gillings tried his best to keep himself vertical to the ground. "No need to apologize!  " Belfort quickly grabbed the other person's arm to prevent Gillins from sitting back on the sofa: "Now we have to leave here.  " Just as the two people boarded the carriage and were about to leave, Gillings suddenly saw two familiar figures getting out of a carriage behind him through the gap in the curtains. Perhaps it was because alcohol weakened his self-control and made him instinctively  He said: "Chen¡ª¡ª" "Chen?"  " Belfort quickly opened the curtains, but he only saw the two figures disappearing into the row of gorgeous Ionic columns in front of the Shanghai Standard Chartered Bank. He turned around and asked: "Gillings,  Do you know these two people?  Chen what?  " "It's Chen Zaixing, and the other one is his subordinate in Shanghai, Jiang Zhiqing.  Gillings hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell the truth: "It's strange why the two of them are here now, but maybe I saw it wrong. After all, what I saw just now was just the back."  " "Stop!  "Belfort knocked twice on the wall of the carriage with his cane, and the carriage stopped immediately. He jumped out of the carriage and ran quickly to the bank building. Gillings had to follow him. He was already a little drunk.  It was easy to follow them. When the two arrived at the door of the bank, George's personal secretary at the door hurriedly greeted him with a smile: "Mr. Belfort, did you leave something behind?"  " "Do you recognize the two people who just went in?  "Belfort asked. Seeing Belfort's serious face, the clerk quickly replied: "One of them is Mr. Jiang from Shunhua Company, and the other one is unknown. The two of them are here to see Mr. George.  "    "very good!  Belfort looked back at Gillings: "It seems I should re-estimate your drinking capacity!"  "The door to the reception room was closed tightly. The teak door covered with leather was like a loyal guard, protecting the secrets inside. Belfort walked back and forth anxiously, took out his shorthand folder from his purse, and wrote a few lines.  He tore off the note, called the secretary and said, "Go in now and give this note to Mr. George.  " In the reception room, George looked at the two yellow men in front of him with a smile. Jiang Zhiqing was just thinking of introducing Chen Zaixing.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 175 Standard Chartered Bank Part 2

    "This is my employer, Mr. Chen Zaixing, the chairman of Shunhua Company. The reason for coming to visit you today is" At this time, the door was pushed open, and the personal secretary quickly walked to George's side and took out a  The note was handed over, and George smiled apologetically at the two people opposite him. He took the note, picked up his monocle and looked at it carefully. There were only two lines on the note: "George, I have something extremely important to think about right now."  I want to discuss it with you, please come out immediately." The signature below is Arthur.  Belfort's beautiful cursive signature.  "I'm sorry, gentlemen, my wife suddenly became ill. The doctor is already at my home. I have to go back immediately!" George stood up and stretched out his right hand: "If you are free, please  You can go to my house in the evening two days later and continue this pleasant conversation! " "Of course!" Chen Zaixing shook the other person's right hand in surprise. Although he had not yet had time to make his request, it was obvious that he was  It would be more beneficial to make the request in a more private setting.  He shook the other person's right hand hard and said: "Then I'll take my leave first. I wish your wife good health!" "Thank you, Mr. Chen!" George shook Jiang Zhiqing's hand hard again, and at this time the personal secretary came forward with a  Chen Zaixing and Jiang Zhiqing left the reception room.  After a moment, the door was pushed open again, and Belfort and Gillings walked in.  "Mr. Balfour, for your request, my wife has been seriously ill in bed. Now, could you please give me an explanation for doing this?" "That Mr. Chen just now defeated the British Empire in Burma a few years ago.  That Dashun official, is this a good explanation?" Belfort smiled and walked to the sofa and sat down: "And it is him who is presiding over the construction of a railway from Mandalay to Kunming." "Kunming?  "There was a confused expression on George's face. It was obvious that this successful banker did not know much about Kunming, a southwestern city.  "Yes, Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province. Let's put it this way, if he completes this railway, he can connect Mandalay and Hanking with railways and canals. In just two months, the Chinese  You can send two hundred thousand troops to a place only twenty days away from the richest province in India. Now you can understand what kind of person this is?" "Oh God!" George made an exaggeration of drawing a gun and shooting.  Gesture: "Why didn't you write more clearly in the note just now? Otherwise, it only took me five seconds to get a St. Patrick's Medal (one of the highest knightly orders in Great Britain, specially awarded to people of Irish descent)!"  "No, no, no, this is for your own good. At that time, he was protecting the young prince and princess from the rebel army. He traveled through a large uninhabited rainforest during the rainy season, and led an expeditionary force to defeat the rebels.  "Do you think it is wise to engage in a duel with such a man?" "Well, Balfour, I now understand why you are so hated in the House of Commons. You are too direct.  "English!" George spread his hands: "Can you tell me why you interrupted this meeting?" "Do you know why Mr. Chen came to see you?" "Why did he come to see a bank manager?"  "It's just for money. Is there any other reason?" George smiled: "But what surprises me is that Mr. Chen has run so many profitable businesses and still wants to borrow money from Standard Chartered Bank."  , You must know that he has a very deep relationship with Liu Qingyang of Houde Bank! " "Compared to the great project he is undertaking, his financial resources are too small. After all, Mr. Chen is not a king yet.  Borrowing money from Standard Chartered Bank may also be due to a rift in his relationship with their domestic bank." At this point, Belfort turned to Gillings aside: "If I remember correctly,  Mr. Gillings, in your latest report, it was mentioned that the Kingdom of Myanmar's return of the loan to the Shanghai Banking Group was delayed for two months. "Yes, Mr. Balfour!" Gillings nodded, with admiration in his eyes.  , he was very aware of how busy Mr. Balfour was along the way. On the ship from Yangon to Tokyo and then to Shanghai, he was almost buried in the pile of documents. He only mentioned it casually in the report.  , I asked the other party to write it down unexpectedly.  "That explains everything!" George smiled knowingly: "Thank you very much, Mr. Balfour. This will put us in a very advantageous position in the subsequent negotiations." "George, I don't mean to hinder it.  You get the maximum profit for Standard Chartered Bank, but I want to wait a moment, do you understand what I mean?" "Slowly?" George frowned: "Are you saying not to show our trump card first?  No problem, but how long will it take?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t work.¡±Long term, dear George, believe me, you will be richly rewarded!  "Belfort stood up and stretched out his right hand. The atmosphere on the carriage was very solemn. Jiang Zhiqing carefully looked at Chen Zaixing's face, guessing his master's mood. Obviously, the purpose of the trip was not achieved, which made Chen Zaixing feel unhappy.  Great. ¡°Zhiqing, do you think we will succeed this time?  "It was Chen Zaixing who broke the silence. "This.  "Jiang Zhiqing hesitated for a while. Before he could decide how to answer, Chen Zaixing smiled bitterly: "I see that even you think the future is not good!  " "Master, actually you don't have to worry so much. It's okay if the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway is a little slower.  "Jiang Zhiqing comforted in a low voice. "No, you don't understand this feeling!  Chen Zaixing smiled bitterly: "Do you know?"  I have a feeling, just like walking alone in the wilderness late at night, I always feel that there is a beast following behind me. As long as you slow down, it will pounce on you and bite you to death. I have tried my best over the years.  , but every time late at night, I am always afraid that somewhere is slow.  " Seeing Chen Zaixing like this, Jiang Zhiqing didn't know how to comfort him for a moment, so he could only sigh: "Master, you don't have to worry too much. We will see the result tomorrow anyway, so why don't you get more energetic before talking!  "    "Um!  " In the evening of the next day, Chen Zaixing took Jiang Zhiqing to George's home. It was a two-story Victorian-style building. Behind the building was a small garden. The dinner started in the garden. According to George's Ireland  The custom is almost all cold meals, so Chen Zaixing was fine with it. Jiang Zhiqing stuffed two mouthfuls of stewed lamb tripe into his stomach and almost vomited it all out. He could only eat dry bread and drink milk. Chen Zaixing was thinking about how to make a request to George.  , suddenly a voice came to my ears, ¡°Mr. Chen, I never expected to meet you here!  " Chen Zaixing turned his head in surprise and saw Arthur Belfort standing in front of him, looking at him with a smile. Behind him was Gillings, who greeted him awkwardly. "Damn it, I got hit by that.  A British trap!  "Chen Zaixing immediately understood what was going on. He didn't believe that all this was a coincidence, especially when he saw the hostess of the banquet, George's wife, walking out of the kitchen with a smile on her face, holding a roasted breast in both hands.  Pig. ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Belfort, when did you come to Shanghai?  "Chen Zaixing pretended to be surprised, opened his arms, and made a hug gesture. Belfort hugged Chen Zaixing gently and replied: "It's just a private academic trip!  Mr. Gillings is my tour guide. You should know that he had a wonderful trip in this ancient country a few years ago, and his travel notes also caused a sensation in the Oriental academic circles in London!  This makes me very envious.  " "An academic trip?  This liar!  "Chen Zaixing cursed secretly in his heart, but his face was still full of smiles: "That's great, Mr. Gillings, you should also send me that travel book. You know, without my help  , it¡¯s impossible for you to write that travelogue.  "    "This is real?  "Belfort turned his head and saw Gillings smiling bitterly and nodding: "That's your fault. A British gentleman shouldn't let the other party make the request first.  Then he stretched out his hand to Chen Zaixing and said with a smile: "Mr. Chen, if possible, can you also lend a helping hand to me on this trip?"  " Chen Zaixing shook the other person's outstretched hand with some hesitation: "Of course, but Mr. Belfort, now that I am no longer an official of the Dashun Empire, I am just an ordinary businessman. I am afraid that I may not have the ability-" "  Of course you can!  " Belfort smiled and winked meaningfully at Gillings who was standing aside. Gillings immediately smiled and said to Jiang Zhiqing who was standing aside: "Mr. Jiang, why don't we go and sit over there?  I have a few questions to discuss with you about the shipping charges for next month!  " Chen Zaixing glanced at Jiang Zhiqing, who was almost forcibly pulled away, and knew that Belfort must have something to discuss with him alone. He was very concerned about Belfort, an old opponent who had dealt with him at the negotiating table six years ago.  I have a deep impression. Arrogance, domineering, cunning, and a very clear understanding of the balance of power between the two sides. These can be said to be contradictory qualities but they exist harmoniously in the same person. I heard that this person was the nephew of the British Prime Minister at the time.  , has also become famous in the British political arena in recent years. Such a promising British politician suddenly claims to have come to Shanghai for an academic trip. I am afraid only an idiot will believe his words. "Okay, but I'm afraid I am in Shanghai.  Won't stay too long.  It would be an honor to do something for Mr. Balfour before I return to Myanmar!  But you can ask Mr. Balfour about the purpose of your academic trip.What is ???  " "Of course, my academic trip was funded by the Bank of England!  " Balfour made a gesture and walked behind a very lush cherry tree: "The purpose of my trip is to inspect the large-scale railway construction project underway in your country and see if the Bank of England can participate.  Among them, get huge profits!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 176 Building a Bridge

    "Railway construction? Banking industry in England?" When Chen Zaixing heard this, he couldn't help but feel moved. He naturally knew that foreign capital's participation in railway construction was not just about simply obtaining capital gains.  In the world at the end of the 19th century, the most typical way for advanced industrial countries to invade and control backward agricultural countries was to grant large loans to them to carry out infrastructure construction such as railways and ports. However, due to the disadvantages of backward agricultural countries in the international industrial division of labor,  They are in an extremely disadvantageous position. The products they produce are generally very substitutable in the international market. It is difficult to repay large loans from industrial countries on time through exporting products. The result is that the railways that have been built with so much hard work are  , ports were used as collateral for loans and became owned by the great powers. Instead, they became tools for exporting products to agricultural countries and plundering raw materials.  Such examples are common in history. The construction of the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway by Shunhua Company is a good example.  But Chen Zaixing's current problem is that he lacks enough funds to complete the project. He knows that the bait provided by the other party is highly toxic, so he has to swallow it.  "Mr. Balfour, your question is too broad. Could you please go into more detail?" "Of course!" Balfour gestured to the long chair under the cherry tree and sat down first: "  Mr. Chen, the current situation in China is just like the British Empire twenty years ago, which is building railways on a large scale. And compared to our country, railways are more important to your country because your country is a continental country.  Apart from a small number of canals, there are no cheap means of transporting bulk goods in the inland areas. There is no doubt that a scientifically planned railway network is very important for the public interest and national security, but railway construction requires huge funds. "  At this point, Belfort paused and whispered: "The London stock market is the global financial center, where any smart businessman can raise enough capital at the lowest cost." Chen Zaixing did not answer  , but there was a fierce ideological struggle deep in his heart. Belfort's words just now were like Mephisto (the devil in "Faust", who tempted the protagonist Faust to set up a bet with him, using his soul as a bet).  The whispers were constantly tempting him.  yes!  Anyway, what I need is a large amount of funds. What difference does it make whether the funds come from a Dashun banker or a British banker?  Regardless of whether the gold coins are engraved with the portrait of the Queen of England or the Emperor Dashun, they are all golden gold. The Dashun banker will not charge him half a penny less in interest just because he is his compatriot. On the contrary, he will only  He will take advantage of Dashun's lack of domestic capital and take away every last penny in his wallet.  "Mr. Balfour!" Chen Zaixing finally opened his mouth, but his tongue seemed to be made of lead and his speech became very slow: "If you want to raise funds in the London market, what are the restrictions?  What about the form of fundraising? Or the amount of interest? " "Is it possible that you are interested in this aspect?" Belfort was secretly happy, but he pretended to be surprised: "It seems that you are still interested in the British Empire.  I don¡¯t know very well, but the imperial government will not interfere too much in the securities market. On this issue, you can rest assured. As long as your company has a bright future, you don¡¯t have to worry about whether it can raise enough funds.  "Thank you, Mr. Belfort!" Chen Zaixing nodded and stopped asking questions in this regard. Belfort was also a smart man. Seeing that Chen Zaixing did not say anything, he also asked about the status of the main railways constructed in Dashun in recent years.  , Chen Zaixing still had something to ask for, so he naturally told the story as best he could. About forty minutes had passed.  Belfort nodded with satisfaction: "Dashun has made such great progress on the road to civilization in just a dozen years. This is really exciting news. I believe that in the near future  In the future, the British Empire and the Shun Empire will join hands in the Far East and work together for the common progress of human civilization!" "Of course, this is what I hope for!" Chen Zaixing smiled, and then Shu Yin said.  Come Mrs. George's voice.  Belfort smiled and said: "It seems that we were so absorbed in talking that we forgot about the hospitable hostess. It's time to take a seat!" "Of course!" Chen Zaixing pulled Belfort half a step back and walked towards the courtyard together.  He walked towards the dining table, and after just two steps, he suddenly heard Balfour whisper: "Mr. Chen, as far as I know, Mr. Shen, the current Minister of Finance of your country, is your classmate and close friend. He is working on the ongoing railway project."  It has a great influence on construction. If possible, I hope to have a completely private meeting with him. I wonder if it is possible?" Chen Zaixing was stunned for a moment before he realized that this was the real purpose of the meeting today.  Purpose, he hesitated for a moment, and finally whispered: "I think there should be no problem." Decades later, Arthur.  When Balfour was writing his memoirs, he proudly described this evening in the autumn of 1892??It was "one of the most important nights in my diplomatic career. It opened the door to victory and glory for the British Empire at a negligible price. If it were not for the stupid and paranoid behavior of some gentlemen in the House of Commons,  (Omitting several hundred words of Mr. Balfour¡¯s attack on his political opponents later), the British Empire would never be so reckless as to plunge into a devastating war (referring to World War I), and the flag of Great Britain would continue to fly around the world.  "Go on." However, if a later historian opens a photocopy of the diary of another participant in "this famous dinner party", he will be surprised to find that there is something in this diary that is so detailed that it is somewhat trivial.  There was no mention of what happened that night, as if it was just Arthur.  It's just Mr. Balfour's imagination.  If historians hadn't found a large number of detailed records in the notes of another participant in this incident, Shen Hongmao, they would have even suspected that all of this was just Arthur.  These are just some shells specially concocted by Balfour to attack his political opponents. Things like this are all too common in the memoirs of retired British politicians.  Fifteen days later, Hanjing, Luming Pavilion.  "Resurrection, what do you mean? You dragged me out just to make me come to see this Belfort?" Shen Hongmao's voice was stern, which was extremely rare since he became the Minister of Household Affairs.  "It's up to you whether I see him here or not. I owe him a favor, so I have to build a bridge for him. Why should you be angry!" Chen Zaixing sat at the wine table, pouring himself a drink, looking very relaxed.  "Owe him a favor?" Shen Hongmao keenly discovered Duan Ni from Chen Zaixing's words, and asked in a deep voice: "What favor? What favor do you owe that British man?" "It's just a small matter." Chen Zaixing's face  A trace of panic flashed across his face, and he turned around, trying to excuse himself.  But Shen Hongmao grabbed him and asked repeatedly: "Is it a matter of raising money for the Burma Railway? It must be, you are respected in the south of Burma, what else can you owe that British guy for?"  "Okay, okay, okay!" Chen Zaixing finally couldn't stand the other party's urging and said loudly: "Yes, I want to raise funds in the London market, but what can I do? Railway construction requires money, and that bastard Liu Qingyang is stuck everywhere.  My neck, if you say you need a guarantee to borrow money, isn't it digging a hole for me to jump into? The conditions in London are much more favorable, the annual interest rate is one point lower, and you only need to use the railway 100%.  Of course I will choose the London side if I have 15% of the shares as guarantee." "But that's the British! You forgot that we just fought with them a few years ago. Aren't you afraid that this is their trick?"  There is a surplus of capital in Europe, and we are looking for profitable investment projects. The Burma Railway is a very profitable business. So what if we have fought a war? Are there any countries in Europe that have not fought a war?  Well, the British themselves said: "There are no eternal friends, and there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests!" "You!" Shen Hongmao was angry at Chen Zaixing's words.  He was almost speechless. After a while, he pointed at the other person and said: "Fu Sheng, back then you wanted to build factories and build railways. You kept saying it was for the country and Dashun, but what about now? Look at yourself.  , He talks about profits and making money! He only has eyes for you. Is he still the same Chen Fusheng who had the world in mind? " "Hahaha!" Chen Zaixing suddenly laughed: "Shen Hongmao, Shen Hongmao! You have been the Minister of Household Affairs for several years!  Why, you still haven¡¯t figured it out? Today¡¯s times have changed. It doesn¡¯t mean that a few benevolent gentlemen can work hard in court and then the country will prosper. What needs to be done is for the whole country and the whole nation to work together to stand tall among the nations of the world.  As the saying goes, "A gentleman is better than a righteous man, and a villain is better than a profit." You Shen Hongmao can say nothing but profit, but how many Shen Hongmao are there in the world? No matter what I, Chen Zaixing, said, things were finally done, but what did you accomplish? "  Chen Zaixing's rebuttal made Shen Hongmao speechless. After a while, he asked: "Then what do you think we should do? Accept that Belfort's request? Borrow money from the British?" "It's you, the Minister of Household Affairs, not me.  ." Chen Zaixing smiled and his face became serious: "Hongmao, this question is actually very simple. Every choice has pros and cons. It's just a choice between more pros and cons or more cons and less pros. I'm just asking you a question.  Question, is it very urgent to build a railway in the north now? " Shen Hongmao recalled the construction plan of the Youzhou-Jilin railway in the military combat plan proposed by Zao Guoquan at the cabinet meeting, and couldn't help but nodded silently.  "That's it. There is no doubt that there will be additional conditions for British loans, but are these conditions more important than the urgency of the railway? You can make a calm comparison and judgment on this. Ang Moo  , the court ministers sometimes have to?Some risky decisions, but you have no choice.  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 177 War Preparations Part 1

    "Resurrection, maybe what you said makes sense!" Shen Hongmao nodded weakly. At this time, he looked pale and tired, as if something invisible had sucked away his strength and courage.  Shen Hongmao stood up, walked to the window and looked at the bamboo forest in the courtyard, and whispered: "I am not that suitable for being an official. Now I finally understand what it is like to be in that position. It's like a blind rider."  The blind man of the horse was walking along a cliffside path at night. No one knew whether the next step would be to reach an abyss. If I lost my footing and fell, I would be shattered to pieces. If it was just me, it would be nothing more than death.  One life, but there are 40 million people on horseback. The whole country, I am really scared!" At this point, Shen Hongmao turned around, and Chen Zaixing was surprised to find that his face was already full of tears, and his eyes were full of tears.  Full of fatigue and fear.  "Don't think too much. After all, you are only the Minister of Household Affairs. There are also the First Assistant, Second Assistant, Queen Mother, and others above you. This matter cannot be decided by you alone."  Chen Zaixing tried to persuade him, but he had another terrible premonition in his heart, as if he had just done something irreversible.  Two months later, on October 7, 1892, after fierce debate, the Dashun government finally made a decision to borrow 8.5 million pounds from the British Empire's Standard Chartered Bank for a period of twenty years.  It is used for the construction of two railway lines from Beiji (Youzhou-Jilin) ??line and Anshen line (Andong is Dandong-Shenyang); in addition, Dashun also ordered two railway lines from the British side with a displacement of 7,500  100-ton, the most advanced fast ironclad cruiser to strengthen its Northern Fleet; the British Armstrong factory will also produce twelve 420 mm caliber siege guns for Dashun.  This loan was secured by customs and salt taxes.  Historians of later generations agreed that this secret loan agreement was one of the two main triggers that triggered the Russian-Sino-Russian War a few years later (the other trigger was the construction of the Russian Far Eastern Railway and the continuous deployment of the Pacific Fleet.  expand).  February 1893, Hanking, Imperial Palace.  At this time, Hanking has entered the coldest time of the year. The cold air blowing from the Mongolian Plateau has controlled the place, and the temperature has dropped to below minus 4 degrees. Except for a few evergreen trees, most of the other trees have fallen.  The leaves and bare branches point to the sky, looking particularly bleak.  The Guardsmen standing at the palace gate were wrapped in thick woolen coats, but they were still shivering from the cold. The officers on duty had already hid in a small sheltered room with a brazier.  ¡°Who is it!¡± The guard saw a group of people approaching in the distance, he quickly took off the rifle on his shoulder and went to greet them.  "Enter the palace to be summoned!" The leading female official in the palace took out a waist badge from her waist. When the guard saw the waist badge, he quickly stood at attention and gave him a military salute: "Sir, please wait a moment, I will call someone right away!" Look  Following the guard back, he called the officer and others out of the hut where they were warming themselves by the fire. Batu smiled, pointed at the door and said, "Huaisha, this is your first time entering the palace. Once you enter that door, it is considered the palace."  Let's leave our guns and sabers later, so we can go in! " "It turns out that this is the residence of the emperor!" Shi Huaisha looked at the thick city wall in front of him in a daze, which has ruled thousands of miles of territory for hundreds of years.  The Supreme Being of tens of millions of people is among them.  As long as he gave the order, there would be hundreds of thousands of troops and dozens of warships marching east and west, and he would soon be able to see the emperor himself. Thinking of this, Shi Huaisha couldn't help but feel a surge of heart and couldn't help himself.  Batu saw the Guards officer guarding the door arriving. Shi Huaisha was still sitting on the horse in a daze, with no intention of dismounting. He quickly reminded: "Huaisha, dismount quickly and hand over the gun and saber!"  The officer explained: "This is the first time for this subordinate of mine to be summoned to the palace. I behaved awkwardly. Please forgive me!" "I understand, I understand!" The officer checked the badge and documents and handed them back to Batu with a smile:  "It's common for nobles to be like this, but it's really enviable to be able to enter the palace at such a young age to recruit a match!" "That's ridiculous!" Shi Huaisha, who had just come back to his senses, quickly jumped off the horse and tied his waist  He handed the weapon to the officer, then followed the female officer into the palace gate with the leather bag and walked towards Yanying Hall.  The two of them went into the wing room of the side hall to rest.  The furnishings in the small house were very simple. There was nothing else except a few jujube wood furniture, and there were not even any calligraphy or paintings on the walls. Batu saw Shi Huaisha's surprised look and said with a smile: "Huaisha, you don't have to do it either."  Be surprised. This is a rule set by Emperor Shizu. There is no luxury in the Yanying Palace. The right emperor and ministers must remember the hardships of the ancestors' business!" "So that's what happened!" Shi Huaisha nodded.  But the two of them sat in the side room and waited for a long time, but no one came to greet them.  Not only was there no one to greet him, but no one even brought a brazier. The north wind from outside blew in through the crack in the door, making the room feel like an ice cave.  Even though Shi Huaisha and Batu were both wearing thick clothes, their faces were bruised from the cold.?The legs tremble slightly.  "That female officer, could it be that you have forgotten us here!" Batu was impatient with waiting. He stood up and was about to push the door out. Shi Huaisha quickly stopped him: "Sir, this is inside the palace. It is different from the outside.  Let¡¯s wait a little longer!¡± ¡°Okay, but you can¡¯t go out of the house. It doesn¡¯t hurt to move around a bit in the house. It can warm you up!¡± So ??the two moved the seats in the house to a place in the middle of the room.  , moved his fists and feet twice, and his body had just warmed up. He heard a creaking sound, and the door was pushed open. Standing there was a pretty female official. Seeing the appearance inside, she couldn't help covering her mouth in surprise and asked  He asked, "What's going on?" Batu hurriedly bowed and saluted and said, "Wei Xian, forgive me, the weather is cold, and we don't know how long we have to wait, so we took a few exercises to warm up!" "That's it!  The female officer glanced at the two of them, and a smile appeared on her face: "In this case, it is not the one who is on duty. However, Her Majesty the Queen Mother and several husbands are waiting in the back hall, so you two should tidy up a little to avoid unnecessary trouble."  You have behaved inappropriately!" "Thank you, Wei Xian, for reminding me!" The two quickly arranged their clothes and followed the female officer through the two courtyards to the front of the back hall.  The female officer gently knocked on the door twice, pushed it open, went in, took her hands and bowed down, and said, "The Queen Mother. The Ministry of War's Fangsi Lang Zhongbadu and Yuanwai Lang Shi Huaisha have arrived and are listening to the announcement outside the door!" "This Yanying Hall is for discussion.  There is no need for so many etiquettes in this place. It¡¯s windy outside, so let them come in quickly.¡± A soft female voice came from the hall. Batu and Shi Huaisha looked at each other, and they both saw the excitement in each other¡¯s eyes.  They all knew that the person speaking was the supreme ruler of the empire, Her Majesty the Queen Mother Deng.  "Welcome to your majesty!" Batu and Shi Huaisha folded their hands and bowed down. Unlike Shi Huasha, Batu carefully glanced around with the corner of his eye and saw a man in his early forties sitting on a low couch directly in front of him.  The middle-aged woman and a teenage boy in yellow robes should be the Empress Dowager Deng and the emperor of the day. There are also two women in green clothes and black crowns sitting on both sides of the short couch. They should be the "Inner Prime Minister" Bingbi Cheng.  There were several members of the cabinet sitting on both sides.  The young emperor was looking at the two strangers kneeling on the ground with curious eyes, and happened to meet Batu's eyes. Batu quickly lowered his head.  The young man turned his head, stretched out his hand to tug at the corner of his mother's clothes, and whispered a few words. Empress Dowager Deng smiled slightly, patted her son's little hand twice, and said with a smile: "Get up, give me a seat!" "Thank you!  Your Majesty the Queen Mother, please give me a seat!" Batu and Shi Huaisha bowed politely, stood up and sat down on the low stool brought by the female officer.  Neither of them dared to sit down, so they only put half of their buttocks up, which was slightly better than standing.  Empress Dowager Deng smiled and said: "The Yanyingzhao Duo is the place where monarchs and ministers narrate, sit down and sit down, otherwise there will be no talk!" "Yes!" The two of them moved their buttocks upward.  "Ba Qing's family, Da Sima (the honorific title given to the Minister of War in the Shun Dynasty) said that you are in charge of training the new army, so tell me about it!" "Yes, Queen Mother!" Batu stood up and said to those present.  Everyone performed a military salute and explained loudly: "Starting from last May, Colonel Shi Huaisha and I carried out a military reform in Youzhou Prefecture. The main purpose of this reform was to use the reserve system to achieve  On the basis of the same military expenditure, the number of wartime troops will be expanded to three times that of the existing army, while the combat effectiveness of the new army will not be significantly reduced." At this point, Batu opened the leather bag he brought with him.  , took out a record book, and began to explain loudly: First, the conscription targets young people between the ages of 18 and 20, including sons of middle- and above-average rural households except the eldest son, and those in the city who are between the ages of 18 and 20.  Young people; young people with more than nine years of education can request to be exempted from military service. If they join the army, they can directly enter the artillery and other technical arms or serve in the sergeant corps.  Soldiers who serve receive no other remuneration except rations and a small allowance. The service period is tentatively set at six months, and the service location must not exceed 200 kilometers from the place of residence.  Second, select senior soldiers from the existing army who are proficient in military technology, have perseverance, loyalty, and have sufficient prestige among soldiers as candidates for sergeants, and conduct short-term training for three to four months.  The purpose is to require them to know how to train recruits to master the basic skills of formation, shooting, hand-to-hand attack, construction of fortifications, and marching, as well as basic tactical command capabilities within one and a half months. If they are artillery and other technical arms, they also need to master the use of their weapons.  and basic maintenance skills.  For sergeants, they will be given corresponding remuneration and a relatively stable career, and will be given a certain retirement subsidy after retirement. The amount of remuneration is approximately equivalent to 75% of grassroots officers, and its amount is approximately equivalent to 10% of all military officers.  One percent, and the proportion of technical arms such as artillery can be increased as appropriate.  No. ???. The new army organization method will be changed to division, regiment, battalion, company and platoon.  The regiment is the basic tactical corps, and the division is the multi-arms combined corps. It is also the largest tactical unit in peacetime.  In peacetime, the total strength of each division, except for the Guards Division, is about 8,000. When war breaks out, by recruiting reserve soldiers who have served in the past four years, each division will be mobilized twenty years after the mobilization order is issued.  It reached full strength within five days, that is, 18,000 people. By recruiting livestock and transportation from the people, heavy equipment such as artillery and mules and horses were used as baggage.  The next book should go to a certain point. The manuscript will be saved for a month. It should be updated in mid-October. I hope you will continue to support me!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 178 War preparations

    "After eleven months of work, as of April this year, our new First Division in Zhangjiakou, northwest of Youzhou Prefecture, has completed its organization and training. The division includes a total of three infantry regiments, one artillery regiment,  Three cavalry companies and some special forces (medical, logistics, sergeant training teams, etc.). By the time I left, two batches of about 8,000 recruits had been trained. Generally speaking, it was good, but there were also the following.  Problem. First, the ability and number of sergeants are insufficient, and training must be strengthened; second, in the event of a war, there is a lack of sufficient storage weapons to arm the large number of recruits. " Having said this, Batu closed the notebook in his hand and asked.  Empress Dowager Deng, who was on the low couch, made a military salute with the emperor and sat back in her seat.  Queen Mother Deng looked at the ministers on both sides with some confusion, and hesitated for a moment and asked: "Ba Qing's family, what do you think we should do next?" Batu was stunned for a moment before he realized that he had forgotten to give the report he had just given.  Conclusion, he stood up quickly and replied in a panic: "It should be expanded, of course the new military system should be expanded to replace the existing military system. Your Majesty the Queen Mother, only in this way can Dashun have enough troops to resist the great powers.  "Very good, Ba Qingjia, you did a good job!" Queen Mother Deng nodded with satisfaction: "Then how many divisions do you think are needed to replace the existing army?" "At least four."  Fifteen divisions, Your Majesty the Queen Mother!" Batu said solemnly: "In addition, a considerable number of special forces, such as large-caliber heavy artillery, are needed. Without these troops, it is impossible for us to complete the next northern battle plan!" "Four!  Fifteen divisions?" The Queen Mother's face became solemn: "How long will it take to complete this plan?" Batu did not answer immediately, but looked at Shi Huaisha beside him before replying: "The Queen Mother  Your Majesty, this is my subordinate Colonel Shi Huaisha. He is responsible for formulating the army's reorganization plan and the war plan against Russia, so I think it is more appropriate for him to make the next report! " "Oh!  ?" Empress Dowager Deng looked at Shi Huasha who was overwhelmed by the sudden news. It was obviously the first time that this happened to him.  "In that case, let the Shi Qing family start!" "Yes, Your Majesty!" Batu sat back in his seat and gently patted Shi Huaisha on the back. Shi Huaisha seemed to have been tricked.  The spring machine jumped up, stiffly performed a military salute to the Queen Mother and the ministers on both sides, and reported in a tone that was more like reciting a text.  "According to the current plan, the entire plan to train the new army will be completed in three stages. The first stage started in April 1892 and took about two and a half years, that is, before October 1894.  , the Youzhou Liushou Prefecture, the Manchurian Protectorate, the Zhangbei Protectorate, and the garrison corps in Hebei were reorganized into approximately ten infantry divisions, three cavalry divisions, and some border defense troops. The area where these armies are located is currently under greatest attack by Dashun.  There are two directions of threat: Northeast and North Korea, so I plan to transfer some heavy weapons from the army in other places to ensure that the troops here can complete the formation as soon as possible, that is, from the end of 1894 to the end of 1898, complete the southeast coast.  The troops there will be reorganized into twelve infantry divisions, including the Annan Protectorate and the Burmese Protectorate. The final stage will be to complete the reorganization of the remaining armies in 1903. " "Shi Qing's family,  Why is there no reorganization plan for the Guards in your plan? " "Your Majesty, because according to the change plan, the Guards will be composed entirely of professional soldiers with a service period of more than four years, so there is no problem of mobilizing the reserve army.  "The adaptation is also very simple. It will probably be completed by the end of next year, which is the end of the first stage." "I see, Shi Qing's family, then you just said that our Dashun is most threatened by the two directions. We should deal with it."  "Yes, Your Majesty. According to the plan drawn up by Wei Chen, after the first phase of reorganization is completed, that is, after October 1894, two to three Guards Divisions will be strengthened with the existing strength in the north.  As well as the siege artillery and Northern Fleet, launch an attack on Russia's Far East, capture Vladivostok, destroy the Russian Pacific Fleet, and solve the threat from the north once and for all." "Actively attack Russia?" Empress Dowager Deng's face showed obvious displeasure.  As a woman, she instinctively hates war.  More importantly, Queen Mother Deng saw herself more as a guardian of the empire rather than a ruler. Compared to an orthodox emperor, she instinctively wanted to avoid taking risks.  "Yes, Her Majesty the Queen Mother!" Shi Huaisha also saw the Queen Mother's thoughts. He tried his best to muster the courage to explain: "Your Majesty, I am just a soldier, and I can only make my suggestions from the perspective of a soldier. In my opinion  To use war to destroy the Russian Pacific Fleet, occupying Vladivostok is the simplest and most effective way to solve the northern threat, because with the advent of Siberia.With the completion of the railway, the balance of power in the Far East is tilting in favor of Russia.  And in the past two years, Russia has also been continuously increasing the strength of its Pacific Fleet. For example, just a year ago, Russia's latest and most powerful armored cruiser 'Rurik' had sailed into Vladivostok. If  When war breaks out, this warship can use Vladivostok as a base to attack our entire northern coastal shipping, bombard our ports and coastal towns, and even cover the landing of Russian transport fleets in North Korea, the Liaodong Peninsula, and the Shandong Peninsula.  Moreover, Russia is very likely to join forces with Japan to form a pincer attack on our entire northern region, which will put our army in a very bad situation.  " "What about Dashun's fleet?  " "As far as I know, there is no warship in the Northern Fleet that can compete with it in terms of main gun caliber, armor thickness, and sailing speed.  And just in January this year, Russia¡¯s second ¡®Rurik¡¯-class cruiser was launched, and it is believed that it will also be incorporated into the Pacific Fleet in the near future.  The situation will be even worse by then!  " There was silence in the back hall, and everyone was immersed in hard thinking. Ordinarily, except for the underage emperor who was sitting on the short couch, everyone here was the best choice in terms of intelligence and political experience.  However, the rapid development of science and technology at the end of the 19th century had turned war into a very narrow category. Except for a very small number of professionals, most non-professionals could not comment. Empress Dowager Deng glanced at Zao Guoquan and just looked at it.  The Secretary of the Ministry of War was bowing his head. It was obvious that the other party agreed, or at least did not object to Shi Huaisha¡¯s views. ¡°Shi Qing¡¯s family, tell me your specific plan!  "    "yes!  "Shi Huaisha took out several documents from his leather bag and presented them to the female officer beside him with both hands: "Your Majesty, these are the plans I have drawn up. Please take a look at them!  " Empress Dowager Deng took the document handed over by the female officer and opened it. In addition to the map, it contained dense mobilization timetables and train schedules. She couldn't help but feel dizzy. She slowly closed the document and said: "  Shi Qing¡¯s family, please tell me briefly!  " "Yes, Your Majesty.  The core of this combat plan is to surround the Russian Pacific Fleet in the port of Vladivostok, and then through the siege of this fortress, eliminate the enemy's most important active force in the port.  Moreover, according to existing data, it is estimated that Russia will not be able to complete the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway before 1895. Therefore, in a short period of time, except for the runner-up military area, it will not be able to obtain a large number of reinforcements. Therefore, we have enough time to  It conducts siege operations.  In order to prevent Russia from learning about our actions and taking precautions, in the plan, the first to launch the attack was our Northern Fleet task force. It first launched a surprise attack on the enemy fleet parked in the port, and then used sunken ships to block its outbound channel.  , and laid mines to block the enemy's Pacific Fleet from leaving the port.  Afterwards, a mobilization order was issued to launch a siege of Vladivostok. The troops would be divided into two groups-Group A and Group B. Group A would strengthen its siege artillery and implement the siege of the fortress, while Group B would carry out the attack on the Amur River.  Blockade of enemy reinforcements.  After completing the attack on the fortress, the river fleet can be used to move up the Amur River (i.e. Heilongjiang) to attack Khabarovsk, the capital of the enemy's Far East State, forcing Russia to sue for peace.  " Empress Dowager Deng closed the document, closed her eyes, and whispered: "Ba Aiqing, Shi Aiqing, you two should step aside first!  " Vladivostok. The Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula is like a tongue, penetrating into the wide Peter the Great Bay, dividing the largest bay in the Sea of ??Japan into two smaller bays - the Amur Bay in the west and the Uzbekistan Bay in the east.  Suri Bay, and Vladivostok, the base port of the Russian Pacific Fleet, is located at the end of the Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula. It is bordered by the Ussuri Bay, the Big Peter Bay, and the Amur Bay on its east, south, and west sides respectively.  , the city and port area are located along the Golden Horn Bay at the tip of the Amur Peninsula. The Golden Horn Bay extends from southwest to northeast and is about 7 kilometers long. The bay is about 2 kilometers wide at the entrance and 20 to 30 meters deep. The inner bay is not wide enough.  1 km, with a water depth of 10 to 20 meters. The southern side of the Golden Horn Bay is separated from the Eastern Bosporus, and there is Russia Island as a natural barrier. The bay is surrounded by low mountains and hills, and the situation is dangerous, including it.  It is almost impossible to attack at sea. The northern end of the city is on high ground, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Therefore, after it fell into the hands of Russia, it developed rapidly and became the base of the Pacific Fleet and the capital of the Maritime State. "Chernokny."  Zhnikov, do you have any other suggestions for this fortress construction plan?  "Rear Admiral Kopetov, commander of the Vladivostok garrison, asked impatiently to Lieutenant Colonel Chernok Nizhnikov, the commander of the engineering forces on the side. He is a burly man with a height of six feet and two inches.  He had a beautiful Prussian beard on his chin, ¡°Of course!  "Chernoknizhnikov raised his head from the drawing in a panic. His thin figure was in sharp contrast to the garrison commander beside him. Chernoknizhnikov looked thin and dry.??, wearing a pair of pince-nezated eyes and a goatee, he didn't look like an officer, but more like a middle school teacher.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 180 Spies

    The workers walked in small groups to the logging sites designated by the Russians based on acquaintances or fellow villagers. Shen Chenglin noticed that the logging sites designated by the Russians were mainly located at the bottom of the valley and on the opposite north slope. It was obvious that the Russians did this.  The purpose was not only to obtain materials for building fortifications, but also to clear the firing range of the fortifications on the north slope so as not to become a cover for the attacking side.  It seems that the Russians are very tightly guarding Vladivostok, the largest base of the Pacific Fleet. Can their raid be successful?  Shen Chenglin couldn't help but hesitate.  "What are you doing standing there, chop it quickly!" A voice woke up Shen Chenglin from his meditation. He raised his head and saw that the foreman who had brought him over was looking at him impatiently.  Shen Chenglin hurriedly laughed and said, "I was distracted just now. Please forgive me!" "Brother, it doesn't matter if you are distracted now. If you get distracted when placing wood later and get pressed, don't blame me for not reminding you!" The foreman taught you a lesson!  After Shen Chenglin said a few words, Shen Chenglin spit into his hand with a smile on his face, swung the ax vigorously, and chopped down the cedar in front of him.  As the ax struck the hard tree trunk, a dull sound vibrated in the woods, and from time to time the workers' loud shouts were heard: "It's fallen!" Then there was a sound of branches breaking and heavy trunks hitting the ground.  It stirred up flocks of birds.  Then the workers came forward to cut off the branches on the main trunk, and then used ropes to drag the wood aside so that it could be transported away by carts later.  While wielding the ax vigorously, Shen Chenglin secretly looked around, looking for a route to leave later. He knew that the place where everyone was working was still relatively concentrated, and the Russian officer named Sasha on the side was also more focused. Wait until the afternoon or  Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, we might find an opportunity to peek at the berths of the Russian military port.  "Rest, rest!" With the shouts, the workers stopped working one after another, and gathered in small groups and sat down under the shade of the trees. Shen Chenglin took out the water bottle from his waist and was about to take a sip, but something was stuffed next to him.  A gourd came over, and when he looked up, he saw the foreman's face full of smiles.  "Here, try this!" "Oh, thank you!" Shen Chenglin was stunned, took the gourd and took a sip. The liquid in his mouth was slightly bitter, but after a while, it was a little sweet, which was quite refreshing.  I had never drank it before, so I couldn't help but ask: "What is this?" "You are not a local, are you!" The foreman laughed heartily: "I have never even drank birch sap. I just collected it from a big tree.  Yes, drink more. The freshest thing about this stuff is the most nourishing. Drinking a gourd after a tiring job will make you feel better after a while!" Shen Chenglin couldn't help but feel nervous. The other party just said unintentionally: "It's not local!  "People" immediately tightened the string in his heart. He took another sip, handed the gourd back and said with a smile: "We live by the sea. We have been fishing at sea for generations. We know very little about things in the mountains. We only have to do a lot of work."  Please be patient if you don¡¯t have access to it!¡± ¡°I can see it!¡± The foreman also took a sip and said with a smile, ¡°You don¡¯t look like someone who goes up the mountain often, but it¡¯s okay. It looks like you worked hard just now.  , I also have a lot of strength. This job of putting wood is quite simple, if you are brave and careful, you can do it for two more days!" Seeing that the other party did not continue to ask, Shen Chenglin also breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "It can't be done.  Please take good care of me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy to say, it¡¯s easy to say, they are all hard-working people working outside!¡± The foreman waved his hand carelessly and said with a smile: ¡°If everyone is like you and doesn¡¯t cheat, it will be easier for me as a foreman.  "Everyone rested for a while and then started working again. While working, Shen Chenglin carefully observed the surrounding environment. He found that the Russian parapets and trenches were almost completed, and there were three people working on them.  As a multi-faceted fort, the only way to see the situation in the port area is to wait until dark, cross the few kilometers of open space behind the fortifications, and come to the high ground next to the port area to observe the berths of enemy ships. But in such a situation  Can you find a gap in a short period of time?  Shen Chenglin felt unsure, and the scene before departure flashed before his eyes.  "Have you seen the docks, warehouses, merchant ships and thousands of workers and merchants outside?" Shi Huaisha pointed to the scenery outside the window: "If we can't block the Russian Pacific Fleet in the port, once  When the war starts, everything here will turn into a sea of ??fire. Even if those people who are working and laughing will not be killed in the sea of ??fire, they will become impoverished due to unemployment. The fate of millions of people will be changed. Cheng Lin, you understand  "What do you mean?" "Yes, sir! Either you will complete the mission or you won't come back!" "No!" Shi Huaisha patted him on the shoulder: "I don't want you to die, but after you complete the mission."  Come back alive, do you understand?" "Yes, sir!" Shen Chenglin suddenly felt the corners of his eyes getting wet.?Having lived on the sea for nearly twenty years, he is not a person who shows his emotions easily, but he knows very well that if a war breaks out, the huge warships docked in the port not far away will bring disaster to the people along the coast.  .  "We must block them in the port!" Shen Chenglin clenched his fists.  Nine days have passed. Counting the day it took to establish a relationship with the foreman, there are only four days left before the return.  Shen Chenglin still couldn't find any opening. The Russian officer walked impeccably like a wound alarm clock: he called the roll early, took him to the construction site to work, called the roll before lunch at lunch, then continued working in the afternoon, and also took the roll before going to bed.  name.  Shen Chenglin finally decided to try it no matter what after dark, even if he risked his life, he had to find out what was believed to be happening in the port.  It gets dark very early on the Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula. Although it is still August, the sky gradually becomes dark just after 5:30, and the rumble of artillery can be heard in the direction of the sea. It is Russia.  At the signal from the island's coastal defense fort, the workers packed up their tools, lined up and walked towards the accommodation area.  Shen Chenglin found a gap halfway and turned into the bushes beside the road. When the team was far away, he ran towards the port area.  In the camp, the workers sat in small groups and had dinner. The fertile and vast land of the Maritime Province meant that the Russians were not short of food, so the workers' food was quite good, including salted pork, fish, and black bread.  , polenta, boiled potatoes and even some bad corn vodka.  The workers were eating, drinking, and telling vulgar jokes under the light of the fire. For these easily satisfied people, having food, wine, and wages is the greatest happiness.  Yang Lin sat by the fire, a little absent-minded.  While working today, Shen Chenglin suddenly walked past him and handed him a small note. This sudden move shocked him into a cold sweat. He found an empty corner tower and opened the note to take a look.  , there were only sixteen words written on it: "If I don't come back, there are things under the rocks, don't leave them behind!" Yang Lin thought carefully and felt that the "rock" mentioned on the note should be the joint where he left.  Location, but why did Shen Chenglin remind himself on the note not to leave it behind?  Wouldn't he himself be leaving by boat from there tomorrow night?  After Yang Lin finished work, he planned to find a deserted place to ask Shen Chenglin, but found that he could not find anyone else.  Thinking of all this, Yang Lin couldn't help but feel an ominous premonition in his heart.  ¡°Dang Dang!¡± A burst of bells woke Yang Lin up from his thoughts. He quickly stood up. It was time to gather for roll call again.  Yang Lin turned around and looked around, but there was still no sign of Shen Chenglin. What's going on?  Yang Lin became more and more anxious.  Under the firelight, the roll call began.  Soon, Shen Chenglin's pseudonym was called. Yang Lin wanted to answer the call for him, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he remembered what Shen Chenglin said to him earlier: "You are just going to be a laborer this time. If you are not specially reminded, you will do anything."  Don't do it!" He hesitated.  "Hu Cheng, Hu Cheng!" When the person who called the roll saw that no one answered, his tone raised a few points, but there was still no answer. Sasha, who was standing aside, stepped forward to take the roll call and asked loudly: "  Hu Cheng is there. Does anyone know where he went? " There was still silence. Suddenly someone raised his arms and replied: "I don't know, but I didn't see him when I came back from work!" "Very good!  Sasha nodded, handed the roll call to the people on the side, and said: "Continue the roll call!" Soon, the roll call was over, and it was confirmed that only Hu Cheng was missing. Sasha immediately ordered the workers' camp to be sealed and no one was allowed to leave.  If anyone gets out, they will be shot.  Then soldiers were sent out to patrol around with hunting dogs, hunting down the whereabouts of the missing person named Hu Cheng.  Yang Lin was lying on the straw bed, and the sound of dog barking and gunshots could be heard from time to time. It was obvious that the Russian soldiers were pursuing Shen Chenglin with all their strength.  He turned over, but this didn't make him feel better. The sound outside was like a silent hound chasing him. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind - after Shen Chenglin was caught, he would definitely kill him.  If you recruit it yourself, what kind of tragic fate will be waiting for you?  Yang Lin suddenly sat up from the thatched bed. At this time, he seemed to hear the shouts of Russian soldiers outside. What was waiting for him next was a whip, a hot iron or any other terrible thing.  , what was waiting for him in the end was a bullet, fear was like an invisible hand grabbing his heart, making him unable to breathe.  "Why are you tossing and turning? If you don't sleep, others will have to sleep. We have to work tomorrow!" the worker next to him cursed. There were seven or eight people sleeping in the tent, and Yang Lin's movements disturbed others' sleep.  He had to apologize while lying down again, but no matter what, he still couldn't sleep.  Finally theyI have to say to myself: "Now I can only leave everything to God's arrangements!" If something happens, the update will be temporarily suspended for a few days and will be restarted on September 24th.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 181 Spy Part 2

    Early the next morning, when all the workers were preparing to start work according to their habits of the previous few days, they were surprised to find that the gate of the camp was filled with Russian soldiers with live ammunition. The several foremen led by them wanted to go out, but they were immediately spotted.  With his bayonet forced back, the leading Russian officer loudly replied: "No one is allowed to leave the camp until the missing person is found, otherwise he will be punished as a spy!" The workers retreated, but these optimistic people were very happy.  He quickly returned to the camp and enjoyed the rare sunshine in August comfortably. A few brave ones even joked. Only Yang Lin was full of uneasiness. Even if Shen Chenglin was not caught, he would not be able to follow the agreement.  gone back.  At about noon, there was a noise outside the camp. Yang Lin, who was already frightened, jumped up from the grass bunk. As soon as he walked out of the tent, he heard a voice coming from outside: "Caught!" "I heard it was a lucky move.  Military spy! " "Ah, look at him working very hard, I didn't expect him to be a spy! " Listening to the people's comments, Yang Lin's face gradually turned pale, and the worst situation he expected became reality. Russia  People would definitely torture Shen Chenglin in order to find out other possible companions. When he thought of this, he felt as if he was about to collapse immediately.  A worker next to him noticed something was wrong with him and asked with concern: "Xiao Linzi, what's wrong with you? Are you uncomfortable? Your face is so ugly?" "It's nothing, just a little stomachache. It should be due to the bad food in the morning!" Yang Lin  Covered up.  "Then go to the toilet quickly! Otherwise, the old man will have to gather for roll call again later, and he won't be able to do it in less than half an hour!" At this time, a sharp whistle sounded outside the camp. This was the whistle for the assembly, and Yang Lin had to ask  Walk to the small square where the gathering takes place.  Suddenly, he stopped and saw a man tied up with five flowers standing on the earth platform in the center of the small square. Behind him stood two Russian soldiers, who looked like Shen Chenglin.  "It's over, everything is over!" Yang Lin's calves twitched unconsciously.  He looked around with the corner of his eye, looking for a way to escape, but he sadly discovered that all possible escape paths contained Russian soldiers with loaded ammunition.  "This man is a military spy. He disguised himself as a laborer and came here to steal the secrets of the Russian Empire!" Sasha grabbed Shen Chenglin's hair with his hands, lifted his drooped head, and looked at Shen Chenglin's face.  He was so swollen that he couldn't open his eyes. It was obvious that the Russians tortured him brutally after being captured.  "Now you have another chance, tell me where your companion is? You can save your life!" Sasha whispered.  Shen Chenglin raised his head feebly, looked at the people in front of him, and whispered: "I came alone, there is no one else except me!" "Very good, you are a strong person!" Sasha smiled  He said that suddenly he hit Shen Chenglin's right cheek with the butt of his pistol. With a muffled sound, Shen Chenglin fainted.  "Wake him up!" Sasha ordered in a low voice. A Russian soldier brought a spoonful of cold water and poured it on Shen Chenglin's head. Shen Chenglin's body twitched twice and he woke up.  Sasha grabbed his hair, got close to Shen Chenglin's face, and whispered: "I know you are a tough guy, but let me tell you, no matter how hard your bones are, you can't be resurrected after death. Now I finally  I'm asking you once, where is your companion!" Shen Chenglin could no longer open his eyes. The heavy blow just now had completely swollen his face and squeezed his eyes completely. He just grinned.  He grinned, as if smiling, and then lowered his head again.  Sasha waved his right hand in annoyance, and the Russian soldiers dragged Shen Chenglin to a big tree, tied his hands and feet, put his neck into a rope loop, and pulled up hard, leaving Shen Chenglin hanging in the air.  His body twitched violently several times and soon became motionless.  "Show this man's body to the public for three days and then bury it!" Sasha ordered the soldiers. He looked at the workers in the open space, hesitated for a moment, and said: "Start resuming work immediately!" "Yes, Second Lieutenant!"  Yang Lin took the pickaxe and walked out of the camp. Shen Chenglin's body was shaking in the air only five or six meters away from him.  He tried his best to look at Shen Chenglin's body with the corner of his eye, but it was not because of fear. At this time, Yang Lin no longer had fear in his heart. He was just unwilling to let Shen Chenglin's sacrifice lose value because of his negligence.  Three days later at night, it was raining lightly in the sky. A dark figure appeared beside the agreed reef, spinning around as if looking for something. Suddenly, the dark figure stopped and leaned down, looking crazily.  There is something dug in the ground.  Yang Lin dug on the ground with a dagger. There was an inconspicuous depression at the bottom of the rock, but it was discovered by someone.?The gravel was refilled.  Soon, the gravel was cleared away. Yang Lin inserted the dagger into the sheath and began to fumble in the hole with his hands. Suddenly his fingertips came into contact with something soft, and he hurriedly lay down.  Stretching his arms as much as possible, he finally took out the contents and found a hidden place to strike a match. It was an oil paper bag. When he opened it, he found a soft leather notebook inside, which was densely filled with Shen Chenglin's handwriting.  .  "Master Shen!" Yang Lin suddenly pressed the notebook close to his chest and fell to his knees, his face full of tears.  "This is the information Cheng Lin exchanged for his life?" Batu asked, pointing to the soft-cover notebook on the table.  "Yes!" Shi Huaisha's face was full of sadness: "I am a few years older than him. We were close friends in the army. We met him once before he left this time, but I didn't expect that this time we would say goodbye forever.  !¡± Batu picked up the soft-cover notebook. The notebook, which was only a few pounds in weight, now seemed to hold a lot of weight in his hands.  He held his breath and opened the notebook with trembling fingers. He saw lines of text written in regular handwriting on it. There were dozens of various questions about the Russian Pacific Fleet in the Golden Horn. Behind many of the questions, there were  gave detailed answers, but there were still a few questions that were not answered. Obviously, the owner of the notebook did not have enough time to collect them all.  "There are two rolls of film that were sent back with the notebook. They are aerial views of the Russian defense line and port fortifications. They have not been developed yet!" Shi Huaisha said in a low voice. It was not difficult to feel that at this time from his voice  The sadness in his heart.  Batu didn't answer. He closed the notebook gently, handed it to Shi Huaisha, and whispered: "Huaisha, please keep this. You must hurry up on the plan to siege the port area. For this plan, we have already  The price paid has been too high, do you understand?" Shi Huaisha took the notebook, put the four fingers of his right hand together, his thumb close to the edge of the palm, and his fingertips close to his right temple, and gave a beautiful military salute to Batu: "  Lord Ba, I will not let you down. We will start taking action as soon as next spring begins!" Mandalay, Babu Village Manor.  Myanmar is still in the rainy season in August. The monsoon blowing from the Indian Ocean brings abundant clouds with moisture, which fills the huge valley between the Naga Hills and the Shan State Plateau, dropping a large amount of rain in it.  This not only brings a lot of rain to the people on this land, providing conditions for agricultural production, but also causes potential harm. Often, heavy rains that last for dozens of days will wash away the surface layer of the soil, making it barren.  Not suitable for farming; more importantly, rivers often cannot accommodate concentrated rainfall, causing large-scale flooding.  "Wu Wenche, your plan is very good!" In the office, Chen Zaixing closed the documents and smiled at Wenche who stood respectfully in front of him: "Use the opportunity of relieving the victims to build twelve reservoirs and renovate the dams of the Irrawaddy River.  I will suggest it to His Majesty the King. " "Thank you very much, Mr. Chen!" Wen Che said carefully: "Although the manpower can only be used to feed the victims, craftsmen, materials, and transportation still require considerable funds-" "  You can go back and make a rough budget. If it is within 750,000 Myanmar Dong, there is no need to come back to me!" Chen Zaixing said with a smile, obviously he was in a good mood: "Shunhua Company's results this year are very good, and the royal family has been given a lot of money!  The dividends are enough to cover the expenses of the royal family, so you don¡¯t have to worry too much about the money!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Wen Che¡¯s eyes widened with joy, and he rubbed his hands in confusion for a moment.  I don't know what to say.  As a counselor of the Privy Council, Winche is actually in a very embarrassing situation. He is nominally the prime minister of the kingdom, but in fact he is not the most trusted person by the king. He does not have powerful institutions such as the army or spies in his hands, but he has to manage the affairs of the kingdom.  , countless laws were issued in his name, and these laws would always hurt the interests of some people and arouse countless jealousies.  So when Winche first ascended to the throne of Privy Council Counselor, this man became a joke among Mandalay's upper class. Many nobles and monks secretly called his name in a contemptuous tone. Some  Some people even bet on how long he can stay in this position, usually three months to half a year, nine months at most. If it comes to one year, no one is willing to bet, because no one thinks  Winche's career as Privy Councilor lasted for one year.  Vacation is over, updates are resumed!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 182 Collusion Part 1

    But what shocked everyone was that instead of "falling from a high position that was incompatible with his status and ability and breaking his neck" as a certain acerbic nobleman said, this fearful counselor actually broke his neck.  Stayed day by day.  Not only that, Mr. Chen did not frequently interfere in government affairs. He usually only lived in his manor outside Mandalay City. Unless specially summoned by the king, he rarely even entered Mandalay City, handing over his power.  Give it to Wincher.  With the passage of time, the ridicule and disrespect for Winche gradually disappeared in the upper class society, and people began to use the terms "outstanding leader of the Privy Council", "wise brain of the kingdom", "His Majesty the King" in his absence.  'Faithful Assistant', 'Unparalleled Wise Man', 'Chief Noble' and other honorific titles used to refer to the Privy Council Counselors in the past.  But what surprised the nobles and monks was that Wu Wenche, who had won the king's trust, faced everyone's compliments and invitations with an attitude that was almost timid. Except for rare cases, he talked to almost all the nobles and monks.  Keeping a distance, he went home directly after leaving his own office in the Privy Council. The servant's answer to any visitor was the same; "My master has gone to bed to rest. If you have anything to do, you can go to the Privy Council office to see him tomorrow."  A person with the highest power does not want banquets, party members, or bribes, and lives a life more like an ascetic.  Just like other places in the world, when people cannot find or believe the truth, they often use those weird rumors to replace the truth, and the more ridiculous and unfounded these rumors are, the more likely they are to be true.  It is widely spread and can attract people to believe.  Soon there were rumors in Mandalay's social circles that Winche was a pedophile. The reason for his in-depth detection was because he had built a small paradise in his mansion, where he kept dozens of beautiful pedophiles.  The boys and girls enjoy it as soon as they get home and naturally don¡¯t want to go out.  Of course, this kind of precedent is not unknown among Burmese nobles, so it is not difficult to imagine the faces of the listeners when the nobles talked about the innocuous little hobbies of the respected counselor to their companions with mysterious smiles.  What kind of expression will there be?  When Wenche learned from a reckless guy that he had such a hobby, he did not get angry, but smiled bitterly. He even rejected the loyal servant's suggestion to counter the rumors.  The reason is simple. Wen Che knows very well that the reason why he can always be safe is not because of his strong ability and popularity.  On the contrary, it was because he had no prestige among the nobility and posed no threat to Chen Zaixing. The purpose of his seclusion was to keep it that way.  Having such a notoriety is actually a good thing for him. It can make Chen Zaixing feel more at ease with himself, so that he can be safe.  "Sir, Mr. Gillings is here!" Oba walked into the office and whispered to Chen Zaixing, who was working at the desk.  "Really? Take him to the villa by the lake, and I'll go see him in a minute!" "Yes, sir!" Gillings stood on the porch of the villa, squinting at the lake not far away,  After a rainy season, the lake surface expanded a lot, and the closest point to his feet was less than thirty meters away.  He could even clearly see a kingfisher on the water plants by the lake. The beautiful water bird was staring at the water with his pale yellow eyes, motionless, like a lifelike wax figure.  "Gillings, please forgive me for keeping you waiting. I have some things on hand." There was heavy footsteps behind him. Gillings turned his head, put his finger to his lips, and shushed: "Keep your voice down.  "What's going on?" Chen Zaixing was stunned and asked in a low voice.  "Look at that kingfisher!" Gillins pointed in the direction of the kingfisher. Chen Zaixing looked in the direction of Gillis' finger with some confusion, but he couldn't see anything. The kingfisher's light green feathers and  The colors of the water plants are so close that Chen Zaixing cannot distinguish them from the background.  "I didn't see any kingfisher -" As soon as Chen Zaixing finished speaking, the kingfisher suddenly swooped down to the lake like a sharp arrow, splashed on the water, and then disappeared, leaving only ripples on the water.  and the violently shaking reed.  "Didn't you see it? That beautiful water bird?" Gillings slammed his palms: "This is the first time I have discovered this subspecies of kingfisher. I think it is also the first time in this world that they have been discovered by humans.  I found that at the end of the year I can write a letter about this kingfisher to my teacher at Oxford!" Chen Zaixing looked at the excited Gillings with some confusion. Only then did he remember that the British Consul General in Yangon and  As an ornithologist, he smiled and said: "Mr. Gillings, I am very happy about your new discovery in ornithology, but I think you have other things besides that?" "Of course, of course!" Jilin  Si then recovered from his newfound excitement, and he smiled.Chen Zaixing said: "I am here to tell you good news. The import license you requested last time to import turbine factory, cylinder casting workshop, and forging workshop equipment has been approved. It is also the latest and most advanced equipment in Europe."  "Really?" Chen Zaixing suppressed the ecstasy in his heart and said calmly: "The price must not be cheap. What about the delivery time?" "If you pay a 15% deposit first, the factory can start processing.  The delivery time will be one and a half years,¡± Gillings said, and suddenly asked: ¡°Where do you plan to install these equipment?¡± ¡°Kunming, it is very close to the steel plant, and there is enough coal nearby!  "Chen Zaixing asked: "What's the price?" "The total cost of equipment, transportation, installation, and technical training is six hundred thousand pounds!" "Six hundred thousand pounds!" A sarcastic smile appeared on Chen Zaixing's lips:  "I believe it would be enough if it only costs half or even one-third of the price in the UK." "Mr. Chen, you have to consider the freight and the extreme sensitivity of these equipment. With these equipment, you can produce steam engines,  Considering the upsurge of railway construction that is about to begin in your country, this will be an extremely profitable business for a long time to come! These equipments are the latest equipment, and you can even use them to produce small and medium-sized marine steam engines.  "If you don't have a powerful figure like Balfour speaking for you in parliament, it will be difficult for you to get these equipment!" "Maybe you are right, but don't forget that Mr. Balfour also owns Shunhua Steel Plant through his family business!"  With 10% of the shares of this Machinery Bureau, he also has a share of these profits. According to his suggestion, I stopped the railway project from Kunming to Guizhou indefinitely. This will also be good for him in the House of Commons, right?  " "Mr. Chen, please allow me to point out that you did not have enough financial resources to carry out the construction of this railway at that time. Even the Yunnan-Burma Railway could not issue bonds in the London market without the help of Mr. Balfour.  To get the funds to complete the project. More importantly, if you build this railway, where are the excess rails to sell to your government? As far as I know, just last year, you participated in the southern Yunnan?  The railway expansion project has made considerable profits. It was only last year that your steel plant really became profitable, wasn't it?" The porch calmed down, and the two people looked at each other quietly, with no one in sight.  Willing to show weakness, after about four or five minutes, Chen Zaixing finally sighed and said with a smile: "Okay, let's suspend this debate first. These are things in the past. We should look forward and talk more about the future.  "Seeing Chen Zaixing's conciliatory gesture, Gillins also smiled and bowed slightly: "Dear Chen, I very much agree with your point of view. In many aspects, we have broad prospects for cooperation. We should  Look further, I have a very interesting project here that I want to talk to you about." "Really? Then let's go to the house to talk. I believe my servants have prepared dinner.  Now, we can talk while eating at the dining table!  "Chen Zaixing smiled and raised the door curtain, making a gesture to invite him in. It turns out that in 1892, Chen Zaixing brokered Belfort to sign a secret loan agreement with the Dashun government on behalf of Standard Chartered Bank. Chen Zaixing also sold hundreds of dollars to Belfort's family business.  In exchange for ten percent of the shares, the other party supported him in issuing bonds in the London financial market and obtained enough low-interest funds to complete the Yunnan-Burma Railway. In exchange, Chen Zaixing also agreed to postpone the construction of the railway from Kunming to Guilin indefinitely.  Railway, thus preventing the water-land transportation bridge from Mandalay to Hanking. Since Dashun began to carry out railway construction at a crazy speed from 1892, a large number of rails were urgently needed, so the price of steel in Kunming, owned by Chen Zaixing, soared.  The steel plant almost occupied the entire steel market in the southwest region and even the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, and gained extremely huge profits, which enabled him to expand the scale of the steel plant and even began to consider building a machinery bureau. Gillings gave up with satisfaction.  Holding the knife and fork, he smiled and said: "Chen, I have to admit that you are a very good cook. Compared to you, my friends in London are still living in the Middle Ages!  "    "Yeah?  Maybe, but after all, London controls the world, and it is the center of the world!  "Chen Zaixing smiled and made a gesture, and the maid on the side stepped forward lightly to take away the tableware on the table and replaced it with freshly brewed coffee and black tea. "It is indeed now!  Gillings took a comfortable sip of hot coffee: "But it was less than a hundred years since London became the center of the world in 1815 (the Battle of Waterloo happened in 1815). From a historical perspective,  , one hundred years is really a very short time.  Damascus, Memphis, Athens, Rome, Constantinople, and Madrid all once became the center of the world, butWhat now?  God¡¯s will is unpredictable!  " "I'm really surprised that you think so!  Chen Zaixing's eyes widened in surprise: "I thought you thought like most white people that the world would always be like this?"  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 179 Spy Part 1

    "Of course? Is there anything that needs to be modified?" Major General Kopetov's eyes widened, and his beautiful beard was about to stand up.  "Of course not, I think there is nothing to modify. Mr. Velichko (a famous Russian engineer at the time and professor at the Nikolay Military Engineering Institute) has thought of everything he can think of. He cleverly used the local  The terrain and fortifications conform to the fortress defense theory, which can maximize the firepower of the defenders and avoid damage from enemy firepower!" Chernok Nizhnikov stretched out his finger to draw on the drawing and said: "You  Look, the closest distance between the fortifications and the Golden Horn is more than four kilometers. In this way, if the local forces did not seize the fortifications, they would not be able to directly attack the urban area and the harbor with artillery fire (the maximum range of field artillery at that time was limited), thus ensuring that the harbor  The fortifications were built at the southern end of the Shedanka Valley, overlooking the valley. The fortifications consisted of concrete parapets with shooting holes, trenches, spectacle forts, multi-faceted forts, and fortification areas between fortifications.  It¡¯s a covered underground passage. That¡¯s all very well, but¡ª¡± ¡°But what? Damn it, Chernok Nizhnikov,¡± Major General Kopetov said.  He was pulling at his beard, looking like he was about to go crazy.  "Do we have so much manpower and material resources to complete such a large project? Look, there are fortresses 1-7 and A, E, Zh and Z on the south bank of the Suifen River Basin from Ussuriysk (Twin Cities) to Amursky Bay  The fortress, No. 9-12 Fortress, coastal forts, anti-landing covered passages and other infrastructure were built on the south and east coast of Russia Island. These do not include the railways required for large-caliber artillery maneuvers, as well as coastal artillery positions.  "Chernok Nizhnikov shook his head and sighed: "Do you think the Chinese will give us so much time? As far as I know, the Chinese are building the railway from Beijing to Shenyang at a crazy speed.  , It's obvious what this is. No matter how well these fortifications are designed, it will not help as long as it remains on paper. " "You are right, Major General Kopetov!  Vladivostok's face also darkened. Vladivostok was too close to the Chinese, and it happened to be the anchorage where the largest offensive force of the Russian army in the Far East was located in the Pacific Ocean. What else could be better than directly annihilating the enemy's fleet in the Pacific Ocean?  What's a better solution at the base?  Especially since the Chinese navy is so weak and the army has such a huge advantage, it would be difficult for any commander to refuse this temptation.  "Chernok Nizhnikov, we are soldiers and must do what we should do!" Major General Kopetov whispered: "Tell me, what do you need? Even if it means to send all the sailors  I'll help you if I take them all off the ship and carry them with you!" "No, no, that's not necessary!" Chernok Nizhnikov laughed: "Dear General, our fortress is for this purpose!  The fleet exists, not the other way around. If the fleet does not exist, what is the use of our fortress? "Sedanka Valley, which is a valley spanning the Ussuri Bay to the Amursky Bay, this valley will mark the  The Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula where Radivostok is located is separated from the mainland. The fortifications built by the Russians are located on the high ground at the southern end of the valley. Thousands of workers are digging with pickaxes.  The mountains were built, roads were built, temporary fortifications were built for the generals to initially transport construction materials and equipment to the high ground, wooden barracks were built for the builders, and preparations for the construction of the fortress began: trenches were dug where the fortress was to be built.  , built concrete infantry parapets, built passages under the parapets, and installed drainage pipes to prevent rain or ice and snow from turning into a terrible quagmire.  Next, temporary factories were opened and narrow-gauge light railways were built to transport construction materials and engineering equipment.  When necessary, handcarts and special wooden carts are also used to transport concrete materials.  Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Chernok Nizhnikov, the Russian engineers directed thousands of workers to carry out arduous construction with the unique Russian perseverance.  In August 1894, off the East Bosporus, a trawler was slowly sailing through the sea, and several sailors were shouting and pulling the fishing net at the stern.  In the Sea of ??Japan, this is the most beautiful season of the year. Large numbers of migratory salmon and herring will appear in this area. Every year, many Russian, Korean and Japanese fishermen fish in this area.  But this seemingly ordinary fishing boat is actually a reconnaissance boat belonging to the Dashun Northern Fleet.  The first mate was carefully measuring the water depth of the channel with a plumb bob at the bow of the ship. Behind him, Captain Shen Chenglin himself was writing down the data reported by the first mate in a small notebook.  "Captain, the Russian patrol boat is coming!" shouted a sailor in charge of the lookout. The captain quickly raised his head and looked in the direction of his man's finger, and saw a Russian gunboat painted gray heading towards him.  Come here, the dark muzzle of the main gun on the bowPointing towards myself.  "Anchor, inspection!" As the two ships approached, the Russian sailors on the ship shouted in half-baked Chinese. At that time, Chinese made up the absolute majority of the residents in the Binhai District, so many Russian soldiers were more or less  Can speak a few words of Chinese.  "Yes! Yes!" The captain responded twice, and immediately turned around and shouted to the sailors: "Drop the anchor quickly, everyone come to the deck, the military men are coming to inspect!" Soon the two ships were close to each other, and one after another  A Russian army officer jumped over with a few soldiers and began to carefully inspect the boat. The captain smiled and presented several bottles of liquor and some smoked fish. The officer took the things and saw that his men did not find anything prohibited on the boat.  He shouted loudly: "You will leave here immediately. You will not be allowed to fish here in the future. This is a military important place. Next time I meet you, you will be treated as a spy!" "Yes, yes!" The captain hurriedly bowed to the general.  and his men back to the gunboat.  Looking at the thick smoke coming out of the gunboat's chimney, the captain's expression gradually became serious.  "Boss, what should we do? We were told to find out the warship berths in the Golden Horn Bay!" the first mate asked in a low voice, looking towards the Golden Horn Bay, but his sight was distracted by the small bulge on the Russian island.  Qiu blocked it!  " "It's definitely not possible at sea!  The captain sighed: "The Russians have banned Chinese ships from entering the port area. It seems that the only way is by land."  " " By land?  "The first mate had a puzzled look on his face: "How is that possible? The Russians have long banned Chinese from living on the Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, and will shoot them if found, let alone the port area. How did we get away with this?  Go in.  " "Labour!  "The captain gritted his teeth: "The Russians are repairing fortifications. Winter here is long. When the weather gets cold, the ground freezes. Even pickaxes can't dig. There are only these few months that can work. They must be short of manpower. We  If you pretend to be a laborer and sneak in, you will definitely have a chance to go to the port area.  " "This is too dangerous!  "The first mate had a solemn look on his face: "If you want it, the Russians must also want it. If you are discovered, you will be dead!  " "There is no other way!  If we don't figure out the situation in the Russian port before the war begins, we won't be able to block the Russian fleet in the port. Dozens or hundreds of times more people in the fleet will die by then, so we have to take a gamble!  " The first mate gritted his teeth and said, "Okay!  Then I'll go with you!  "No need. You stay on the boat and figure out the waterway at night. You can also find a few local fishermen to figure out the routes that the Russians often use during the freeze period. Time is very tight. I will pick a young man to pretend to be a laborer and join me."  go together.  " "Yes, sir!"  " Shen Chenglin looked at the row of young men in front of him. It was not difficult to see nervousness on their faces, but more eager to try. He pondered for a while, pointed to the shortest one and said: "Yang Lin, come with me.  !  "    "I?  "The young man named Yang Lin was stunned for a moment, as if he couldn't believe that he had been chosen. Then he realized what he was doing, puffed up his chest and said, "Yes!  " Shen Chenglin turned around and said to the first officer: "We will meet at that place in a week. The signal is to turn the torch in three circles.  He pointed to a black reef sticking out of the sea on the coast not far away: "If you still can't pick me up at twelve o'clock in the morning in two weeks, then take him back immediately. Do you understand?"  " " Yang Lin?  "The first mate was stunned when he heard this. Although he didn't ask, there was clearly doubt in his eyes - "If you can't come back at that time, how can you be sure that he will come back?  " "I will let him come back no matter what!  Shen Chenglin whispered, and then he turned around and said to Yang Lin, "You have nothing else to do with me this time. Just remember one thing. Unless I order you, you will treat yourself as a real laborer. As long as you lower your head and work."  Just live, do you understand?  ¡± Shedanka Valley, southern slope. Unlike other East Asian regions at the same latitude, the Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula is close to the Pacific Ocean, and the warm and humid airflow blowing from the Pacific makes it more attractive than inland areas at the same latitude.  Parts are much warmer and humid, so the southern slopes of the Shedanka Valley are covered with dense evergreen coniferous forests and a small amount of deciduous broad-leaved forests. The wind in August blows through these birch trees and cedars, making a gentle sound.  The sound of pine waves, mixed with the chirping of tits, is full of peace. "I am Second Lieutenant Sasha, your supervisor.  Your job is to cut down the trees, remove the small branches from the trees, collect the wood, and transport it to the designated place. Each person's daily share is thirty cubic meters.  If you don¡¯t finish the work, you won¡¯t get paid!  "A lame Russian officer shouted loudly to more than a hundred workers below: "I want to warn you in advance that there are military restricted areas everywhere here. You cannot go anywhere except the places we have designated, otherwise you will be treated as  The spy isShoot to death!  have you understood?  "At the end of the sentence, the Russian officer raised his right hand and made a shooting gesture. The workers below all had a look of fear on their faces. Sasha saw the looks on the workers' faces below and waved with satisfaction.  arm, shouting: ¡°Start working!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Chapter 18 Four 3 Collusion

    "How is it possible?" Gillings laughed: "Great Britain's hegemony was originally based on the control of the ocean. We are an island country and do not need to pay taxes to build a huge army, so we can defeat every maritime enemy.  The enemy gained hegemony and conquered large tracts of the colonies. By controlling trade with the colonies, Great Britain became richer and more powerful, and London became the center of the world. But now things have changed, and steel is the center of the world.  The basis of everything. With steel, there can be more merchant ships and warships, and coal and iron are everywhere. Railways will also reduce the importance of maritime transportation. If the situation does not change, Great Britain will lose its hegemony one day. Then  Of course, London is no longer the center of the world. "Really? That's a bit regretful!" Chen Zaixing replied absently: "By the way, you just said that you have a very interesting project. Now you can talk about it."  "Of course!" Gillings smiled: "But first I want to ask you a question, do you know why the Royal Navy can control the ocean?" "Why?" Chen Zaixing was slightly stunned, and for a moment he didn't know what to do.  To answer, for more than thirty years of his life, the British Empire has always controlled the oceans, and the Royal Navy has always been the master of the oceans. Great Britain is so powerful on the oceans that most people in the world have even forgotten that.  How to challenge it.  "You have more warships and better equipment!" "No, no, not just that!" "Your sailors are better trained?" "Yes, but that's not enough, the French and Russians  The training of their sailors is also very strict!" "Do you have enough bases all over the world?" Chen Zaixing asked tentatively.  "Very true. In the age of sail, a large number of bases allowed the fleet's damaged ships to be repaired, allowing sailors to get fresh food and fresh water. They had a place to take shelter when encountering bad weather, and they could provide shelter when encountering superior enemies.  Hiding in the base to avoid fighting is even more important now. Without coaling stations all over the world, the enemies of the British Empire on the European continent cannot attack the empire's colonies around the world. The reason is simple. Once the war breaks out, except for  There are a few neutral ports where their ocean-going raiding fleet cannot find a place to refuel, which is very fatal to a weak fleet, but this is all changing. "Changing?" Chen Zaixing was stunned and asked immediately.  : "Does this change have something to do with what you want to say?" "Of course, that's the key!" Gillings's face showed a proud light: "A revolution is about to arise in the Royal Navy, and people are about to use fuel instead of  Coal is used to drive warships. Today's warships are equipped with thicker armor and larger guns, which makes them larger and faster, which requires more powerful engines.  On this issue, the advantages brought by liquid fuel are immeasurable. The first is speed. On the same ship, oil gives a much higher speed than coal, and it can greatly increase the acceleration process by 40% compared with the same weight of coal.  It allows the fleet to refuel at sea very conveniently. If necessary, a fuel fleet can line up a position at sea to refuel from tankers in calm weather, without spending a quarter of the force constantly.  The rigors of coaling a warship drain the energy of the sailors on board the ship, and it robs them of their short rest in time of war.  It was extremely uncomfortable. With oil, a few pipes connected to the shore or connected to the tanker, the warship could hardly lift a finger. The number of stokers required to care for and clean the oil-fired furnaces was less than half that of burning coal.  It could be stored in unoccupied areas of the warship, from which it was impossible to obtain coal. As the coal-burning ships continued to consume coal, more and more manpower had to be used, and if necessary, the soldiers in the turrets had to be called in.  Transporting coal from distant coal bunkers to coal bunkers close to the boiler, or feeding coal into the boiler, therefore, perhaps weakened the combat efficiency of the warship at the most critical moment of the battle, for example, there was one on the "Warrior Good".  Close to 100 soldiers were constantly engaged in shoveling coal from one steel hold to another without even the sight of daylight or the light of a fire. The use of oil made it possible to make various types of warships with smaller hulls or smaller costs.  , gaining greater firepower and greater speed would be possible on certain types of warships, all of which would be achieved by simply replacing fuel from under the boiler.  "Obtained by burning coal." Chen Zaixing finally caught a gap in Gillings's eloquent speech and whispered: "Mr. Gillings, do you mean that all warships will switch to fuel in the future?" "Yes, you do.  Don¡¯t you understand yet, in the near future, petroleum fuel will become the blood of the navy, if?With enough fuel, once a war breaks out, even if you have dozens of battleships, they will just stay in the military port and rust.  Don't you understand yet?  Chen, the Ren'anqiang oil field you control is the easiest oil field to exploit in the entire Southeast Asia. As long as you can firmly control it, you can make a fortune!  "    "Thanks for your reminder!  "Chen Zaixing looked at Gillings slyly. The eloquent speech just now made Gillings a little too excited. He straightened his loose tie and said, "This is the purpose of my visit this time.  , Chen, you now have a goose that can lay golden eggs. Protect it well to avoid being stolen.  " "Gillings, I'm curious why you are telling me this?  Why don't you offer to buy part of the oil field first?  This way you can get considerable benefits from it.  " "The reason is very simple, because you are not a person who is easily coaxed. If I make this request, you will definitely guess the value of the oil field.  What I just said is not difficult to find out.  Gillings readily admitted his thoughts: "Chen, but I still suggest that you sell a small amount of shares in the Ren'anqiang Oil Field to Mr. Belfort's family company. Whether it is exploring or refining oil, you need considerable equipment. You can't do without it."  Mr. Belfort's support and, more importantly, his cooperation will be of long-term benefit to you.  " Chen Zaixing thought for a moment and nodded. What could be a more solid alliance than the exchange of benefits? In a sense, even to avoid the British invasion, he should find a powerful friend in the House of Commons  "Compared with these, paying a small share of the oil field is a good deal. "Gillings, you can tell Mr. Balfour that I will be happy to sell him two oil fields near Ren'anqiang for five thousand pounds.  50/50 development rights.  " "Chen, you won't regret your decision!  Gillings said with a meaningful smile: "Soon, you will get rich rewards in a short time."  "    "What do you mean?  "    "you do not know?  A large-scale war is about to break out between the Shun Empire and the Russian Empire. It is only a matter of time. What better opportunity to make money than war?  Every drop of blood shed by the soldiers can turn black iron into gold!  " Chen Zaixing did not speak. Gillings' words touched something deep in his heart. Gillings smiled and took a sip of coffee: "Chen, I have a small proposal. As far as I know, there is a factory in Mumbai.  It has gone bankrupt and is awaiting liquidation. This factory can produce absorbent cotton and gauze. If you can help me open up channels for the Chinese army, I can give you 15% of the shares.  " "Fifteen percent of the shares?  "Chen Zaixing laughed: "This is not possible. I also have a proposal to build a factory in Shanghai to produce skim cotton, gauze and other supplies. The land and factory buildings will be provided by Shunhua Company, and the equipment, technical personnel, and funds will be provided by you.  I own 45% of the shares, what do you think?  " "Forty-five percent?  Isn¡¯t this a bit too much?  " "Well, I can compensate you with one thousand pounds as the cost of transporting the required equipment to Shanghai, and the equity is changed to 40%, how about it?  "    "All right!  Gillings thought for a moment and stretched out his right hand: "It's a deal. Who said we have been good friends for many years?"  ¡± October 1894, Khabarovsk. This city named after the famous Russian adventurer, explorer, and invader Khabarov is located on the east bank of the intersection of the Ussuri River and the Heilongjiang River. The terrain is very important.  Around Fusk, there are a large number of military immigrants, weapons factories, mining areas, warehouses, Amur Cossack cavalry, and Far East garrison teams. It is the central city of the entire Far East region of Russia and the seat of the Governor-General's Palace of the Border Region.  Your Excellency, General, I once again sincerely request you to speed up the construction of fortifications in Vladivostok and strengthen possible surprise attacks on sea and land!  "Major General Kopetov, the commander of the garrison in Vladivostok, tried his best to suppress his excitement and shouted loudly to Yevgeny Ivanovich Alley, the Tsar's Superintendent in the Far East, who was sitting in an armchair.  Admiral Kseyev reported that this middle-aged man with a somewhat bloated figure and a majestic beard was the illegitimate son of Alexander II, who was also the uncle of the current Tsar Nicholas II. He had great influence in the court.  It has great power and has won the trust of the current Tsar Nicholas II. In civil affairs, he has the power of the highest civil administrator, and in the military, he has the power of commander of the military district of the border region, commander of the Pacific Fleet and commander of the port. In a simple sentence  ¡ª¡ªAdmiral Yevgeny Ivanovich Alexeev is the uncrowned king of the Russian Empire¡¯s Far East ¡°Relax, Kopet (Kopetov¡¯s nickname), Tatar.  A disparaging name for Dashun)It won't come overnight!  Alexeyev smiled and pointed to another chair nearby: "Sit down and talk. Tell me, what are you going to do?"  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 184 Russians

    "First of all, we should speed up the progress of fortification construction in Vladivostok. Before I left there, the fortifications in the Shedanka Valley in the land direction had only completed trenches, parapets, and drainage ditches. 1-7  Fortress No. 3 has only been completed. More importantly, the fortress is seriously lacking in weapons, especially artillery. Only 40% of the fortresses have artillery and rapid-fire artillery. If the Chinese launch an attack, will we use rifles.  and bayonet to repel the enemy? It is also very bad at sea. The permanent artillery position on Russia Island is only 70% complete. The berths of warships in the port are not equipped with mine protection nets, and the number of searchlights is insufficient. If China  If someone launches a surprise attack, Russia will pay a heavy price for these mistakes! " "Koppe, I think the situation is not as bad as you said!" Alexeyev said with a smile: "Tatars!  People will raid Vladivostok, which is ridiculous, a fortress like Constantinople, and their corpses will be covered in the Shedanka Valley. As for rifles and bayonets, have you forgotten Suvo?  Did Love say, 'The bullet is a coward, the bayonet is a hero! ', you must believe in the courage and tenacity of the Russian soldiers." "Your Excellency, I have never doubted the courage and tenacity of the Russian soldiers, but we cannot put it aside.  Everything depends on their courage and tenacity. Yes, the terrain of Vladivostok is very difficult, just like Constantinople, but don't forget that Constantinople was also conquered by Muhammad.  II fell. In the past three months, my men have shot more than forty Chinese spies. According to reliable intelligence, the Chinese are building railways frantically, and they have not stopped even in winter. Obviously, they have  We are preparing for war. Your Excellency, compared to the Chinese who have almost unlimited human resources, Russia is a minority in the Far East. The Pacific Fleet is our only hope. If Vladivostok is captured, then everything will be over.  "Okay, Kopei." Alexeyev was finally convinced by his subordinates: "Tell me, what do you think I need to do now?"  There are currently only about 7,000 soldiers in the entire port of Vostok. If the sailors on the warships can be mobilized during the war, the total number of sailors on the warships will be about 11,000. Such a small number of troops is definitely not enough. We must  Hold the fortified area in the Shedanka Valley, otherwise the Chinese can bombard the port area with heavy artillery, and everything will be over. We also need explosives so that we can speed up the construction through blasting in the winter. If possible, I hope you can give it to me.  Reinforce four to five battalions of infantry, and I think that's enough. As for artillery, I need at least sixty rapid-fire cannons and no less than twenty field guns, so that I can barely close the gap in the defense line.  In terms of sea defense, we must set up mine protection nets, strengthen artillery on Russian islands, increase searchlights, and lay mines outside the port area. In fact, in my opinion, the best way is to send the Pacific Fleet to Japanese ports.  , the fleet can only play its real role at sea. Otherwise, after the ice is frozen, our fleet can only leave the port when there is an icebreaker. This is really too bad.  " "Okay, Koppe, I will find a way, but I'm afraid it won't work to put the Pacific Fleet in a Japanese port. It doesn't make sense diplomatically, and the Tsar won't be happy to hear that his warriors are hiding because of cowardice.  Go to the Japanese port.  " "Your Excellency, this is not cowardice.  If I were the Chinese commander, the target of the first wave of attacks would definitely be the Pacific Fleet, because this is the biggest threat to them. Only those who survive the first wave of enemy raids are the real warriors.  "At this time, the door of the office was pushed open, and a richly dressed attendant came in from the outside and whispered a few words in Alexeyev's ear. Kopetov noticed the look of the Admiral.  Changed immediately. "Dear Koppe, I will remember your request, but an important guest is coming from St. Petersburg. I must go to see him. If there is anything, wait until next time!  "The admiral stood up and extended his right hand to Kopetov. Kopetov had no choice but to shake the opponent's hand and replied: "Of course, but please hurry up and send the reinforcements and troops.  The explosives will be delivered, and the rest can wait - " "Okay, okay, reinforcements and artillery, I will remember them.  "Alexeyev walked out the door as fast as his size allowed, leaving only Kopetov's voice: "It's reinforcements and explosives, Your Excellency!  "But Alexeyev could no longer hear. "Hello, which distinguished guest made the Admiral so anxious?  Kopetov asked in a low voice to the attendant. "It's Miss Elsa!"  The attendant looked around and replied in a low voice: "Your Majesty, the most outstanding ballet dancer in St. Petersburg, I swear to God, that is a real angel."  His Excellency the Admiral has spent half a million gold rubles on this Angel, and he is completely trapped?.  " "Miss Elsa?  Five hundred thousand gold rubles?  Oh my God!  Kopetov smiled bitterly and joked: "Now I know where the cannons in the fortress in the Shedanka Valley have gone, and my feelings have turned into diamonds on Miss Elsa's white breasts."  " "Please keep your voice down, Major General!  Otherwise it will cause trouble for me!  "The attendant reminded Kopetov in a low voice, while looking around nervously to avoid being overheard. "I'm sorry, I lost my composure!  Kopetov smiled bitterly: "I should go back to Vladivostok now. No matter what, Russian land must be guarded by Russians."  " Time flies so fast, and in the blink of an eye it is already the early spring of 1895. The two huge empires of Dashun and Russia are running their war machines crazily, and a large-scale war is about to break out in the Far East. But  To the surprise of those onlookers waiting with bated breath for the outbreak of war, the first shot was fired in this region not in Vladivostok, nor in Khabarovsk, nor even in the two countries at all.  On the bordering territory. It is in a place that is ignored by both sides even though it is geographically close - North Korea's Wanseok River in Gufu County, Jeolla Province. It is a unique water conservancy facility in North Korea.  Built with wood, stone or sand, the river is blocked and used to irrigate rice fields. Jeolla Province is located in the south of North Korea and is one of the most important rice-producing areas in North Korea. It plays a vital role in local agricultural production.  Wan Seok is one of the many sewage farmers in Jeolla Province. "Sir, it only cost 20 coppers to irrigate the fields last year, so why does it cost 40 coins this year?"  "A group of ragged farmers stood at the Wanshi Water Gate and asked a few old soldiers carrying single-shot rifles. "How do I know why?  You ask me, who should I ask?  Do you listen to the order from Lord Zhao, the governor of the county?  The soldier waved his hand impatiently: "If you have money, let go. If you don't have money, get out. Don't stand here blocking others' way."  " The old farmer who was headed looked back at his companions a little slowly. For him, the county governor was simply a man in heaven, but the price of forty copper coins was too high, which was beyond his expectation. At this time, a man behind him  The younger farmers said angrily: "These Ten Thousand Stone Monuments were originally built with the blood and sweat of our farmers. According to past practice, the money collected can only be used to maintain the Ten Thousand Stone Monuments and cannot be used for other purposes.  However, Wan Shizhen has not done any maintenance at all in the past two years, which almost caused an accident last year. Why should he be charged now?  Want to charge more?  Are you still being unreasonable?  "    "reason?  The old soldier took off his rifle, pulled the bolt, and said: "I can only use this to talk. Mr. Zhao said that collecting water money is the king's order. Anyone who dares to resist the king's order is a traitor and will be executed on the spot!"  " The old army's intimidation worked, and the old farmer hurriedly stepped forward and said: "Young people don't understand the importance of things. Please forgive me, sir. We are all honest farmers. How can there be any traitors?  However, this price is too expensive. How about discussing a lower price?  " "Old guy, do you think this is a business?  The old soldier laughed: "Master Zhao has so many official posts. If I surrender, who will surrender for me?"  Love, don't let it go, get out of the way!  " The old farmer had an embarrassed wry smile on his face and was speechless. The young farmer shouted loudly: "If you don't have money, you won't have water. If you don't have water, you won't be able to farm. By then, everyone will starve to death, and they will die anyway.  Everyone, go up and put out the water first!  "As soon as he said this, they rushed forward. The old soldiers were furious when they saw this, and cursed: "Is there any more law? Boy, let me deal with you!  "As he said that, he pulled the bolt of the gun and aimed the gun at the young man. "Don't shoot!  "    "boom!  " With the sound of a gunshot, it was not the young man who fell, but the old farmer who was leading it. It turned out that the old farmer stepped forward to stop him, but he happened to bump into him. The gunshot was like a signal, and the farmers scattered one after another.  After running away, only the dying old farmer was left lying on the ground. "Why hit this old guy? Just shoot him in the air to scare him!"  "An old soldier shouted to his companion who fired the gun. "I didn't mean it either!  "The old soldier replied with some embarrassment: "Just now he charged at me with a diagonal stab, and I pulled the trigger when I was nervous.  " "Idiot, don't do this next time. It scares people away. Who are you going to ask for money?  "The old soldier walked to the old farmer on the ground, squatted down and looked at the wound. A rifle bullet fired at close range penetrated the old man's right chest, and blood was pouring out from the wound and the old man's mouth. "It's hopeless, even the old man.  The lungs were punctured!  "A soldier sighed: "Move it aside and ask which village it is from. When the time comes, someone will take it back and bury it!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 185 Uprising

    "Well!" The squatting soldier asked loudly: "Which village are you from?" The old farmer's mouth opened and closed, but his voice was very low. The soldier had to lean down and put his ear close to his mouth, so that he could hear it clearly.  a little.  Suddenly the old farmer mustered up his last bit of strength and bit the other person's ear tightly.  "It hurts, it hurts! Pull it away!" The soldier screamed, and his companions on the side hurriedly punched and kicked him, but the old farmer used his last bit of strength to hold on tightly, and it took a while for the soldier to break free.  , and when I touched it with my hand, I found that half of the ear was missing, and my hands were full of blood.  "Old thing!" The bitten soldier angrily picked up his bayonet and stabbed it hard into the old farmer's chest. The old farmer's body twitched and stopped moving.  "You guys, hang him up on the tree! Damn, you bit off half of my ear! You must find out which village he comes from and teach him a lesson!" Old Army shouted loudly.  "All take over, all take over! The officers and soldiers opened fire!" A sharp voice broke the silence. Quan Quan, who was talking to several subordinates, turned around and saw a panting young man rushing into the room.  Come, looking frightened.  "What's going on? Why did the officers and soldiers shoot? Where did they shoot? Who was shot? Explain clearly!" "Yes, take over!" Quan Yanzhun's stern voice calmed the young man down, and he slightly  After calming down his breathing, he replied: "Today, people from our village and the neighboring village went to Wan Shihu to ask for water to be released so that they could soak the fields and plant rice seedlings. However, the officers and soldiers guarding Wanshi asked for a higher water payment, and the people who went there had a dispute with the officers and soldiers.  The officers and soldiers opened fire, killing Mr. Zhang from our village, and hung his body on a tree for public display!¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much!¡±  Fight them!" Several leaders turned their expectant eyes to Quan Zhun. Although Quan Zhun was only the successor of Gufu County, he had been running around in the past few years to promote the development of Dongxue Tao throughout Korea.  He has made great contributions, and more importantly, two years ago, he opened a channel to obtain weapons from Japanese businessmen, and successively obtained hundreds of firearms of various types, more than a thousand Japanese swords, and even four or five  A Japanese ronin who was familiar with military affairs came to help them train the team and trained the Dongxue Party disciples in Gufu County into a highly effective team.  As the saying goes, armed with a murderous weapon, murderous intentions arise. When these leaders saw that their own forces were getting stronger and stronger, and something like this happened, naturally all kinds of thoughts were ready to act.  "No, now is not the time!" Quan Zhun shook his head slowly. Although his voice was not loud, it was very firm.  "Take over!" A leader shouted loudly: "Now is not the time, then when is the time? That Zhao Bingjia is going to suck the bone marrow of the people dry, and he will be re-elected as the governor of Gufu County. Do you want you to return it?"  Do you want to wait until he is full and leave?" "Are you afraid of the officers and soldiers?" Another leader shouted: "The officers and soldiers have also been owed their wages for a long time. They used to have foreign guns, but now we also have them.  "What are you afraid of them for?" "No, I'm not afraid of the foreign guns of the officers and soldiers, nor am I waiting for Zhao Bingjia to finish his meal and leave, but now is indeed not the time to cause trouble." Quan Quan stood up and walked slowly.  He started pacing in the room, but suddenly he stopped and asked: "Let me ask you, if we start an uprising, how many people will follow us?" "To take over, there are six hundred Taoist disciples in Gufu County alone.  There are many people, and there are probably three to four thousand people in the neighboring counties. There are many people in the county who are oppressed by that dog official. As long as we work together, we will definitely advocate justice and thousands of people will follow!"  This leader has three strands of beard, and his skin is fairer than the other leaders, and he is quite bookish.  "Maybe. I also believe that our Taoist disciples can defeat the officers and soldiers in the county, but let me ask you, if the government replaces Zhao Bingjia after this, and sends a recruitment document, what will happen?"  After hearing Quan Zhunzhun's question, everyone fell silent. After a while, someone finally whispered: "I'm afraid most of the people will put down their weapons and return to their villages." At this point, he said loudly  : "But the Taoist disciples still follow you, I believe them!" "Maybe, but how many Taoist disciples are there alone?" A bitter smile appeared on Quan Yanzhun's face: "With just these few Taoist disciples,  , maybe we can defeat the officers and soldiers once or twice, but in the end we will be killed by the officers and soldiers, just like countless sacrificed predecessors. " "Then you mean to do nothing and continue to endure?" "No!"  Bin Zhun smiled slightly: "Now the people just hate Zhao Bingjia, the dog official, and imagine that they can live a good life as long as the dog official is replaced by an upright official. Of course, this is impossible."Yes, in today's world, all the officials are greedy, stupid and cowardly. How can there be honest officials who serve the people?  But the people don't know. What we are doing now is to break this illusion of the people and let them know that only by overthrowing the Li Dynasty and wiping out all the two classes of nobles and corrupt officials can we live a peaceful life.  At that time, it¡¯s time for us to take action.  " "Yes, what the Master said is true!  "    "right!  "The leaders in the room gave a roar of approval, and one person asked: "Then when is the time for us to take action?  " " Not far away!  Quan Junzhun smiled reservedly: "Send the order and organize the Taoist disciples to go to the Quanluo Road Observation Envoy to complain to the county governor Zhao Bingjia for being corrupt, perverting the law, and oppressing the people. He demands that he be removed from his official position and severely punished!"  " "But Zhao Bingjia is the Zhao family of Yangzhou. His family is married to the Lixing Min family and is extremely powerful. How could Jin Wenxuan remove him from his official position?  "A leader asked in surprise. Quan Quan smiled and said: "I know he will not remove Zhao Bingjia from his official position, but this can break the people's illusions and let them know that the important minister appointed by the imperial court - the dignified Quanluo Dao  Observe what kind of character the messenger is.  In this way, there will be no situation where tens of thousands of troops will be disintegrated by a single imperial edict!  " The residence of the Jeolla Province Observer. Thousands of people knelt in front of the residence. The leader was a dozen white-haired old men. The leader held a volume of documents in both hands, and the purple-black light filtered through the top.  It can be judged that the handwriting was written in blood. At this time, the closed door of the palace was pushed open, and a civil servant walked out. The door behind him was full of guards with guns.  The archenemy, the civil servant, walked up to the old man at the head and asked, "What are you doing?  Making trouble?  "The old man kowtowed and said: "Don't dare! How dare the common people gather to make trouble? It's just that the governor of Gufu County, Zhao Bingjia, was corrupt and perverted the law. He sent officers and soldiers to kill good people who asked for water to be released for farming, and asked Lord Jin to impose sanctions!  "Having said this, he raised the blood book with both hands and presented it. When the clerk heard this, his nervous expression relaxed a little, but a contemptuous smile also appeared on his face. He took the blood book casually and sneered.  He said: "Well, seeing how pitiful you guys are, I'll just hand over the blood book to you, but you should leave as soon as possible!  "The old man was very stubborn and said in a deep voice: "If Mr. Jin doesn't give us a satisfactory answer, we will not leave.  " "You -" the clerk was furious when he heard this, and was about to yell, but when he saw a large group of heads in the darkness behind the old man, he shrank back when the curse words came to his lips, snorted coldly, and flicked his sleeves.  Went in. The clerk made no sound as soon as he entered. I don¡¯t know how much time passed, but the crowd outside gradually became commotion. After all, kneeling on the ground for a long time is a very physical activity. When the old men in front saw this,  Just as he was about to stand up and speak, there was a sudden sound of footsteps, and a large group of armed officers and soldiers came from the side of the Yamen. The leading officer fired a shot into the air and shouted loudly: "Master Jin has an order. Anyone who gathers to cause trouble must obey the order."  The thief will be punished and he must leave within half an hour, otherwise he will be shot!  "Immediately he made a gesture, and the soldiers behind him pulled the bolts of their guns and loaded the bullets. There was a commotion in the crowd. "Sir, we are not traitors, but good citizens who wrote to Fu Que!  "An old man stood up and was about to tell the difference when the officer shouted loudly: "You still dare to resist and confuse the people with your monstrous words. Someone come and take down all these leaders!  "    "yes!  " As soon as the words fell, more than a dozen soldiers rushed forward, knocked the leading old men to the ground with the butts of their rifles, and tied them up. The other soldiers also pressed forward with rifles with bayonets, unarmed.  The peasants looked at the bright bayonets and the dark muzzles of the guns, and retreated one after another. Soon the retreat turned into an escape, and the escape turned into a self-trampling rout. However, after a few minutes, there was no one left in the open space in front of the government office except those few.  Except for the tied old man, only a few hundred pairs of trampled straw sandals were left. On March 15, 1895, more than a thousand Taoist disciples armed with guns, swords and spears lined up in front of a dirt platform.  They formed a square formation, held their breath, and looked at Quan Zhun, who was standing on the earth platform in white clothes and high crown. "The reason why we raised the army was not for personal wealth, but to save the people from ashes, build a solid foundation for the country, and cut down the corruption within."  The officials who abuse them are expelling the powerful enemies who are cruel and cruel.  Therefore, I, a Taoist student, must abide by the following rules: first, do not kill anyone or hurt anything; second, be loyal and filial, help the world and bring peace to the people; third, drive out the foreigners and clarify the holy way; fourth, drive troops into the capital,  Destroy the powerful!  " "First, don't kill people or hurt things; second, be loyal and filial, help the world and bring peace to the people; third, drive out the barbarians and clarify the holy way; fourth, drive the troops into the capital and wipe out all the powerful!  " More than a thousand Dongxue Taoist disciples under the platform loudly repeated Quan Zhun's speech., the uniform shouts soared into the sky, almost scattering the clouds in the sky.  Quan Zhun raised his head and closed his eyes slightly, tears streaming down his cheeks.  "We have finally waited for this day. Father, the deceased old leader, have you seen your spirit in heaven?"

 Volume 4 Leviathan 186 Sends Troops

    Dashun Port Arthur.  This port, located at the southernmost tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, borders the Yellow Sea to the east, the Bohai Sea to the west, and faces the Shandong Peninsula across the sea to the south. It guards the mouth of the Bohai Sea and defends the Youzhou Prefecture of Beijing in Dashun.  The terrain is extremely important as it is the home port of Dashun Northern Fleet.  Especially after Dashun completed the railway from Lushun to Dalian and from Dalian to Shenyang, the importance of this military port to Dashun's war with Russia became even more critical.  Since Gao Tingyu was nearly seventy years old at that time, neither his energy nor physical strength could support the needs of the war with Russia. Therefore, although he was nominally the supreme military commander of the Shun Army in the north, he was actually the planner and actual planner of this war.  The commander was Shi Huaisha, who served as chief counselor. In order to better coordinate the actions of the navy and the army, he set up the headquarters in the headquarters of the Northern Fleet.  The headquarters was abuzz with hustle and bustle, the sound of telegraph keys and reports from staff officers could be heard all the time.  According to the Shun Army's plan, the raid on the Russian Pacific Fleet will be launched by the Shun Army's Northern Fleet. After the raid is successful, the Northern Fleet will be responsible for blocking the Vladivostok port and protecting the sea lines of communication, because although Dashun has been almost crazy in recent years,  The railway is being built at a rapid pace, but there is still a long way to go before Shihuaisha plans to build the railway to the Sino-Russian border, let alone the distance from the Sino-Russian border to the Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula where Vladivostok is located.  , during this distance, the Shun Army had to use horse-drawn carts to complete supplies, which would be a huge difficulty for the Shun Army's logistics.  Therefore, Shi Huaisha plans to use sea ships to directly transport supplies to the siege of Vladivostok if the "blocking" operation succeeds. There are many natural havens with good conditions near Vladivostok, and it is completely possible to use engineers to build temporary trestles to complete the transfer of goods.  , at least heavy weapons such as siege artillery are much more convenient to transport by water than by land.  This shows the heavy responsibility of the Shunjun Northern Fleet.  More importantly, due to terrain reasons, the Dashun Northern Fleet must enter the Sea of ??Japan if it wants to raid Vladivostok. To enter the Sea of ??Japan, there are six Mamiya Straits (Tatar Strait), Soya Strait, Tsugaru Strait, Kanmon Strait,  There is also the Tsushima Strait and the Korean Strait.  The Soya Strait, Tsugaru Strait, and Kanmon Strait belong to Japan's internal seas. Under the current circumstances, it is difficult for the Dashun Fleet to pass through. The nearest way is through the Tsushima Strait.  It is a very complicated and difficult matter to get the fleet into the Sea of ??Japan without alerting the Russians.  Therefore, as the date of the war approached, Shi Huaisha stayed in the command post of the Northern Fleet almost all day long, discussing the transfer issue with the navy officers, but to no avail.  A naval officer drew a large circle on the map with his finger and said loudly: "We might as well take a long way around Japan and then enter the Sea of ??Japan from the Tatar Strait. The Russians must be eyeing Tsushima and the Korean Strait.  There are at most a few scattered settlements on Harlem Island and on the mainland. As long as we choose to pass through in the middle of the night, it will be fine!" Another officer shook his head and said: "I don't think it will work. Although our fleet is large in number, it is not old or new.  First, the speed is different, and the coal ship must be brought along. Such an action will definitely not be hidden from the Japanese. The Japanese will definitely notify the Russians. They went around in such a big circle to attack the enemy fleet with superior strength.  It¡¯s too risky!¡± ¡°What do you think we should do? Directly through the Tsushima Strait? I bet there must be dozens of Russian fishing boats hanging around there, and our fleet will be discovered as soon as it passes through the Tsushima Strait!¡±  The naval officers huddled together, but Shi Huaisha and Rong Zheng, the commander of the navy's northern fleet, had solemn expressions and said nothing. They just stared at the map in front of them.  People in their position can no longer express their opinions casually.  At this time, an officer suddenly rushed in from outside and shouted: "Tell you two adults, there is an urgent message from Seoul, North Korea!" Shi Huaisha and Rong Zheng raised their heads from the map and looked at the officer at the same time.  , Rong Zheng glanced at Shi Huasha subconsciously. Shi Huasha smiled slightly, took half a step back, and stood behind Rong Zheng.  Rong Zheng was stunned for a moment, then smiled at Shi Huaisha.  "Read it!" Rong Zheng said in a deep voice.  "Yes, sir! A large-scale civil uprising occurred in Jeolla Province in southern Korea. The rebellious people claimed to be Dongxue Taoist disciples. Wherever they went, they killed officials and nobles and distributed the food in the official warehouses to the people. King Li of Korea sent officers and soldiers  They went to suppress the army, but were defeated by the rebels. All the weapons and equipment belonged to the rebels. Now the number of the rebels has increased to more than 20,000. The situation is very critical. King Li of North Korea sent an envoy to our Dashun patrol station in Seoul and asked us to send troops to help.  "Suppress it!" "What?" Rong Zheng's face changed slightly. He turned his head and glanced at Shi Huaisha. Since the railway has not yet been built to the border between China and North Korea, the main mode of transportation between Dashun and North Korea is by sea.  , once troops are dispatched, whether it is transporting troops or escorting, they will be the backbone of the Northern Fleet. However, at this juncture, the Dong Xuedao incident is very troublesome.  "I know, please step back first. If there are other situations, come back and report!" Rong Zheng waved his hand.The officer retreated and made a gesture to Shi Huaisha, who followed him to a secluded place knowingly.  "Master Shi, after something like this happened, it looks like it will be postponed!" Shi Huaisha didn't answer immediately. After a while, he suddenly said: "Actually, this Dongxue Taoism is not necessarily a bad thing." "What should I say?  "Rong Zheng asked with a frown.  "Weren't you and I still in a dilemma just now about how to get the fleet into the Sea of ??Japan without attracting the attention of the Russians? Isn't this a good opportunity?" "Build the plank road in the open and cross Chencang secretly?" A smile appeared on Rong Zheng's face:  "Well, Shi Huaisha, Marshal Gao has so much faith in you, you deserve him!" Two days later, on the streets of Shanghai.  "Out of bounds, out of bounds!" A newsboy waved the newspaper in his hand and shouted loudly: "The rebels in Donghaekdo, North Korea, are revolting. Our Dashun elite troops have landed in Busan to quell the rebellion. The Northern Fleet has blocked the Tsushima Strait. Predict the details. Two  The eldest son will know everything if he buys a copy of the "Declaration".  He handed it over: "Sir, your newspaper, do you want another copy of "Shanghai News"?" "Forget it!" Jiang Zhiqing waved his hand impatiently, retracted into the carriage, handed the newspaper to Chen Zaixing, and said with a smile  : "Master, newspaper!" "Yes!" Chen Zaixing nodded calmly, reading the newspaper, and suddenly he asked in a low voice: "Zhiqing! How are you preparing for the factory building next to the dock? Water  You have to hurry up on transportation. The equipment from Gillins will arrive in about ten days. The earlier the work on the absorbent cotton starts, the better!" "Sir, I just visited it this morning and the house has been repaired.  , the site has been leveled, and we have talked to the people at the water plant about the tap water. It should be that two wells were drilled in the plant in the past two days, and the water quality is good. If it doesn't work, you can still use it for a while. "Jiang Zhiqing was careful.  He replied, looking at Chen Zaixing's face, and whispered: "Master, as far as I know, this absorbent cotton is mainly used to bandage wounds. You are pressing so hard. Are you really going to fight with the Russians?"  Are you up? But didn¡¯t North Korea make a fuss about Dong Xuedao? " "Everything must be prepared beforehand! Whether it is war or peace is not something we who do business can know. There is nothing wrong with making preparations in advance!"  Chen Zaixing's voice came from behind the newspaper: "But-" Chen Zaixing's voice suddenly stopped here.  "But what?" Jiang Zhiqing hurriedly asked.  "It's nothing, but do the Dongxue Dao rebellious parties in North Korea need to go to war in such a big way? I don't remember Batu being so calm back then." Chen Zaixing put down the newspaper with a sarcastic smile at the corner of his mouth.  Japan, Tokyo, Aritomo's mansion in Yama Prefecture.  "Your Excellency, Yamaxian, the North Korean comrades have started to revolt!" Akiyama's back straightened, and he shouted loudly: "The Chinese are about to send troops, when will we take action?" Shanxian Youpeng, dressed in kimono, knelt down  Sitting on the tatami, his eyes were slightly closed, as if he didn't hear Akiyama Hiro's questions at all. A servant girl was massaging his shoulders. He made a slight humming sound, instructing the girl on the intensity and location of the massage.  "Your Excellency!" Akiyama Hoshikomiyama County Aritomo looked like this, his fair face already as red as a tomato: "Comrades are bleeding every minute! There are two Japanese comrades going to Jeolla Province alone.  There are more than ten people, not to mention the Korean patriots of Dongxue Road. If the Chinese army blocks the Tsushima Strait and puts its troops into North Korea, tens of millions of people will die under their guns. We cannot sit idly by and watch all this.  "Ignore it!" Shanxian Youpeng finally had enough of the massage. He opened his eyes and waved his hand. Then the woman knelt down and bowed, walked out of the door on her knees, and closed the paper door. Shanxian Youpeng moved his arms.  Suddenly asked: "Akiyama-kun, what are you going to do?" "Of course we are sending troops. We should cross the Tsushima Strait, support the patriots of the Donghak Party, overthrow the decadent Ri family dynasty, and help the Koreans build a prosperous and strong civilization.  "Then you think now is a good time to send troops?" Shanxian Youpeng Buwai Akiyama Haogu replied: "The Chinese have at least 80,000 well-trained standing troops in the Northeast, and they can expand within thirty days of the war.  to 250,000 people; and the Empire of Japan has a total of six standing divisions, with about 120,000 people, and the Chinese can also mobilize at least double the number of troops from other parts of the empire. Do you think this is  Good time?"

 Volume 4 Leviathan 187 Justice?

    "Your Excellency, this is not a question of the number of troops!" Akiyama Yoshiko replied loudly: "The Empire of Japan helped the Donghak Party to overthrow the decadent Li family dynasty and the two classes of nobles. This is a just move. The just side will definitely win.  Victory. Shang Tang defeated Jie, King Wu defeated Zhou, and Toba Fushimi (in the two decisive battles of Japan's war against the Tokugawa, the conquering armies defeated more with less). Didn't we win with less in the past?  If we ignore those who gave weapons to the East Hak Party and encouraged them to revolt, wouldn¡¯t it be a despicable act? We should rescue them for the sake of our loyalty!¡± ¡°Akiyama-kun, you are still too young!¡±  A smile appeared on Yamagata Aritomo's stern face: "In this world, justice is due to victory, not victory due to justice. If it was the shogunate army that won the battle at Toba Fushimi, then Ito-kun, Okubo and I  They will all become deceitful traitors, and His Majesty the Emperor will also issue an imperial edict to condemn the Choshu and Satsuma clans as the evil thieves who have brought trouble to the world. This is how the world is. Every person, every group, and every country.  Everyone has their own justice, and they sincerely believe that their own justice is the only justice in this world. So what is the way to resolve these differences? War! So justice, or those who think they have mastered justice, are the troubles in this world.  The source of it!" At this point, Shanxian Youpeng looked at Qiu Shan Haogu with a smile.  "You, how can you say that!" Akiyama Haogu stared at Shanxian Yutomo in front of him in shock. In his impression, this was the first time that this big boss who had always been regarded as as majestic as a mountain said this in front of him.  After so many words, he felt that his mind was in chaos, and he didn't know what to say for a while.  "Akiyama-kun, this country was built by me, Ito-kun, Okubo-kun, and Saigo-kun. Maybe at the beginning we moved forward according to what we thought was right, but as time goes by, we  The path has shifted, not because our beliefs have changed, but because our identity has changed. Previously, we were just ordinary feudal lords who were responsible for our own beliefs, but now we are big bosses.  , we must be responsible for the country. If we forget this, there will be only a dead end and it will bring huge disaster to the country! Qiu Shanjun, do you understand? " Qiu Shan Haogu didn't say anything, he kept his head down.  His teeth bit his lip, but he felt no pain at all.  He knew very well who the friend from Yamagata was referring to when he said there was only a dead end. It was none other than Saigo Takamori, one of the "Three Heroes of the Restoration". This was perhaps the most talented hero among the heroes at the end of the Tokugawa period during the Boshin War.  He served as the chief staff officer of the shogunate army and was the de facto supreme commander of the army. Therefore, he had the highest rank and the richest salary among the feudal retainers. However, he resigned because of differences with Okubo Toshimichi on how to treat the lower-level samurai.  The officer returned to his hometown to hold a military and political school. In the Southwest War, he was elected as the leader of the Satsuma clan whose interests were harmed in the Southwest War. He died in Kagoshima after the defeat.  This man was generous and generous to others, and was very sympathetic to the lower-level samurai who were his former subordinates. After returning home, whenever a poor old subordinate came to him for help, he would generously donate money. But after all, in the new policy of the end of the Tokugawa, this person  There are too many lower-class samurai who have lost their means of livelihood, and Saigo is unable to rescue them.  So he suggested to the Meiji government at the time to attack North Korea and obtain land and profits to settle the lower-class samurai who were unable to make a living.  In order to find an excuse, Saigo Takamori even suggested that he should be sent as envoy to North Korea, deliberately irritating North Korea and asking it to kill him as an excuse for Japan to invade North Korea.  However, Okubo Toshimichi and others at the time believed that Japan's internal affairs were unstable and its national strength was insufficient to seize North Korea protected by Dashun, so they rejected Saigo's request.  This also laid the foundation for Saigo Takamori's participation in the subsequent Southwest War.  It is precisely for these reasons that Saigo Takamori enjoys high prestige among Japanese civilians and lower-class samurai. Young officers such as Akiyama Yoshiko who came from lower-class samurai regard him as their idol.  Yamagata Aritomo looked at Akiyama Haogu. As one of the influential figures in the late Tokugawa period, Saigo Takamori's death was closely related to him. In a sense, Saigo Takamori's failure and death were caused by him.  But Yamagata Yutomo knows better that if Japan is to be strong and survive in this world of the jungle, the "betrayal" of the lower-class samurai is necessary. Only by destroying the lower-class samurai, the pillar of the old feudal country, can the new capitalist centralization be established.  Only then can a country be established.  It is meaningless for a politician to be judged by his moral character.  Suddenly, Akiyama Haogu raised his head and asked: "Your Majesty Shanxian, you said now is not the time to send troops, so when is the time to send troops? And what about those comrades who have already gone to North Korea?" "I don't know.  When is the time to send troops, but if the time comes, we will know!" Shanxian Youpeng said solemnly: "As for those who have gone to North Korea, they should know the dangers of this trip before setting off.  I have awakened, and my task is?Make their deaths count.  Japan only has the capital to rise once, and I will never waste it.  "Having said this, he patted Qiu Shanhaogu's shoulder: "Qiu Shanjun, please put away your grief and tears, the empire still needs you to be strong!  "North Korea, Busan. Several steamships docked at the pier. A large group of soldiers wearing black military uniforms, big caps, and white leggings poured down from the pier. Further out on the sea, there were several cruisers cruising slowly.  , thick black smoke poured out from their chimneys, pointing straight into the sky. The Koreans on the dock looked at the armed soldiers and the warships on the sea not far away in horror.  Perhaps more terrifying than the Dongxue Party rebels. ¡°Sir, the first battalion has been ashore and has been reorganized. Please give me your instructions!  "An officer gave a military salute to Jueluo. Jueluo nodded with satisfaction and said solemnly: "You send one platoon to the telegraph room, and the rest immediately control Japan Street and the Russian settlement area, and blockade them.  No one is allowed to come in or out over there without my order, do you understand?  " "No one is allowed to come in or out without your order, understand!  " "Very good, let's go now!  "Jueluo waved his arm, and the officer immediately ran to his troops. Jueluo went to North Korea this time to command a special detachment composed of two full infantry regiments and a cavalry battalion. As the highest officer of this detachment, he  He also knew a special mission that only he knew, which was to quickly control the Port of Busan and make it an important relay port under the control of the Shun Army, and to eliminate and arrest all local Japanese and Russian spies to ensure the special status of the Northern Fleet.  Send a detachment secretly into the Sea of ??Japan. As a commander with rich military experience, it is not difficult for Jueluo to guess what this means. He can finally avenge the Russians eight years ago. Isn't it those Russians?  Someone was behind the scenes and instigated the rebellion in Outer Mongolia, causing many of his brothers to die in Kulun. This time he could finally take revenge. Thinking of this, Jueluo felt an indescribable joy.  The second battalion has also come ashore!  North Korean officials are waiting there!  " "Well, let's go and have a look!  "Jueluo flicked his riding whip and walked over there. "Master Pu, this officer is Guan Jueluo, the captain of the Dashun Assistance Suppression Detachment.  "Jueluo cupped his hands to the other party and pointed to the war horses and baggage that were disembarking from the ship: "For the convenience of transportation, I have ordered my men to temporarily take over the dock. Also, what is the situation of the rebels in Dongxue Road now?  "The North Korean official had a round, light yellow face and three long beards. When he saw the army of soldiers in the brigade not far away, he didn't dare to say anything. He quickly smiled and said: "My surname is Pu Shude.  Mr. Shangguo came across the sea. It has been a hard journey. The lower official has already set up a banquet in the government office to welcome you. Why don't you talk while eating at the banquet table? What do you think, sir?  " "That's fine!  "Jueluo looked back at his men who were coming ashore. He felt that there was no problem, so he said to the deputy general behind him: "Old Wang, I will go to Mr. Park first. You can stay here for a while and come back when things are better.  I'll leave some good wine for you!  " "It is your responsibility to propagate and protect the vassal state. There are generals watching here, so please don't worry!  "The deputy general hurriedly bowed and accepted the order. "Jueluo followed Pu Shude to the government office, and sat down separately for the guests and hosts. Jueluo had also heard that North Korea's products were poor, and even the princes and nobles lived an average life. When they saw it today, they didn't have any  It was so bad as I imagined, but the waiters were quite nice. Pu Shude raised his glass and said, "The country is in turmoil. There are rebels who are rebelling against us. We are always on guard.  Raw silver wire.  Now when the army of the Kingdom of China arrives, it will be like having Mount Tai to rely on!  " Jueluo drank it all in one gulp: "I'm a rough man, I can't talk about these refined people!  I just want to say something here. As long as you cooperate with our army and there is no shortage of food and guides, the Donghak Party rebels will be put down within three months!  " "Okay, okay, okay!  "After hearing this, several North Korean officials couldn't help but be overjoyed. Busan is not too far from Jeolla Province. Although their treatment of the North Korean people under their rule is not as good as that of Zhao Bingjia, it is still similar. It is said that the Middle East is studying the Party.  There are tens of thousands of people, and there are more than a thousand firearms. They are quite familiar with the conditions of the old troops under their control. They just use them to oppress the unarmed people. Isn't it a joke to use them to fight? If the Dongxue Party disciples come over, what can they do?  All they could do was hang themselves with a rope. The soldiers from Shangguo looked extraordinary. No matter what others did, their lives were saved. At this moment, an officer from the Shun Army walked in quickly.  , whispered something into Jueluo's ear, Jueluo's expression suddenly changed, he stood up suddenly, took the officer out of the door, and asked a few questions sharply. Several Korean officials in the room couldn't help but look at each other, for some reason.  The military attach¨¦ of Shangguo who had been patting his chest to ensure that he was fine just now suddenly changed his tone. Could it be that the service he received was not satisfactory? Then he should pay more attention to it later.Actually, my fortune and life are all counting on them now!

 Volume 4 Leviathan 188 Kazuo Hatani

    After a while, Jueluo came in again with the officer, his face solemn. Park Shude was about to speak, but he heard Jueluo said loudly: "Master Park, do you know Boguwu, Japan Street?" Several Korean officials  The children looked at each other, and one of them replied hesitantly: "I have an impression. He seems to be in the grocery business. He is well-known on the streets of Japan. He is usually very respectful. Why did Mr. Shangguo suddenly mention it?  "Grocery business!" Jueluo sneered: "When my people blocked Japan Street, the loading workers saw something wrong and my people came forward.  When I looked at it, I found that it was full of firearms, bullets, and Japanese knives. "What?" Several Korean officials were shocked. There were actually Japanese businessmen hiding weapons under their rule. This was not a big deal at this time.  no big deal.  Park Shu-de asked in a trembling voice: "How many are there?" "After a little inventory, there are about 80 rifles, more than 5,000 rounds of bullets, and more than 200 Japanese knives!" "Plop!" Park Shu-de slapped his butt.  Sitting on the ground, eyes glazed over, completely stunned.  He is not a fool, and so many weapons are definitely not used by the Botani house for his own use. At this time, the greatest possibility is that they are supplied to the Dongxue Party members. If it is linked to the unusual equipment in the hands of the Dongxue Party members, this  It's almost certain.  Such a big thing happened under his rule, but he didn't know anything about it. Just relying on this to let his political opponents know, he might not lose his head, but his official position would definitely be lost.  Pu Shude hurriedly stepped forward and hugged Jueluo's calf, pleading: "Sir Shangguo, please be sure, you must -" "Hey, hey! Master Pu, what are you doing? Let go, let go!"  Jueluo yelled while pushing and pulling the North Korean official away. It was not a pleasant experience to be hugged by an old man in his forties and begging.  "Please be sure to conceal this matter about the Wave Valley House for me! Otherwise, you villain, villain¡ª" At this point, the North Korean officials also understood and gathered around to beg.  Jueluo was not a fool, and he immediately understood what was going on. The feelings of these North Korean officials were to help them conceal the fact that their superiors' lax supervision had allowed Japanese weapons to flow into the country, leading to a large-scale riot by the Donghak Party.  He immediately patted the other party's shoulder and said with a smile: "Don't worry, Mr. Park. As long as you make things difficult for me during this period, I will naturally not make things difficult for you. Let's do it! I will hand over all the collected guns and weapons to you immediately.  You should be the one who discovered it, but the boss of this house must be kept in my hands. I estimate that the Dongxue Party has developed so fast and has something to do with the Japanese. It must be severely tortured and reported to the boss! " Park Shude!  Hearing that Jueluo actually agreed to hand over all the guns and weapons to him, he couldn't help but feel overjoyed. He was already thinking about how to polish the official documents. He secretly investigated himself for many days, and then he found clues and discovered the source of the weapons that rebelled against the party, and uprooted them in one fell swoop.  His contribution was reported to the Ming court.  At a time when the army and the army have suffered a series of defeats and Seoul is in shock overnight, if the two majesties do not reward themselves for such great achievements, the loyal ministers and righteous men of three thousand miles of rivers and mountains will definitely not agree.  As for what Jueluo said earlier about his cooperation and the boss of Boguwu, Pu Shude has long forgotten it. Anyway, with so many weapons and ammunition, no one can erase his own great achievements. As for the boss of Boguwu,  In order to prevent his talkativeness from leaving hidden dangers for himself, even if Jueluo was handed back to him, he would have to find an opportunity to deal with it. It would be better if he was shot to death during the arrest.  Pu Shude thought very quickly. Although he went back and forth several times in his mind, it only took a few breaths from the outside. He just straightened his clothes, gathered his clothes and bowed down: "I would like to thank you, Sir, sir."  Mr. Luo, please rest assured that no matter what your request is, I will do my best to cooperate!" "Okay, okay!" Jueluo felt happy when he saw the other party being so cooperative. He raised his glass and said, "Then let's have a drink together.  I wish that Dongxue¡¯s rebellion will be quelled as soon as possible, and a bright future will be restored to North Korea!¡± Compared with the demobilized and vast Dashun, North Korea¡¯s Lee Dynasty is far behind in terms of the size of the country, the fertility of the land, the richness of products, and the development of technology!  , but in terms of the superstructure of the national structure, it imitates its mother country in every way, but this brings about a problem. With the manpower and material resources of North Korea, it was only equivalent to a larger prefecture and county in South China at that time, but it was also  According to the gourd painting, the administrative agencies are divided into four levels: Dao, state (prefecture), county, and county. The bureaucracy is extremely large. Therefore, although it exploits the people very harshly, the income of the bureaucracy is very limited. Even the government offices  The walls were made of adobe, the roof was thatched, and they were painted with lime. Over time, they became inferior to even the middle-class homes in Dashun.  Therefore, in order to please Jueluo, Pu Shude gave up his residence as the headquarters of the Shun Army, and the government office became a temporary prison cell for prisoners captured from Boguwu.    "Open the door!" The guard gave a military salute to Jueluo and immediately opened the cell door.  Jueluo immediately smelled a smell that was unique to a prison cell - a mixture of rotten organic matter and blood. He frowned, but did not cover his nose. After all, he had not been a middle-to-high-level officer for a long time.  There is still no time to forget this very common smell on the battlefield.  As the guard lit the kerosene lamp, the light gradually dispersed the darkness in the cell.  Jueluo saw a man huddled in a pile of rotten hay. He turned back and cast a questioning look at the guard in the cell. The guard nodded affirmatively.  "Get a basin of cold water, I want to ask him a few words!" Jueluo looked at the man in the haystack. Judging from the scars on his face and naked upper body, the soldiers of the Shun Army on the mission wanted to get something from him.  The necessary information was obtained and a very rough approach was taken against Kazuo Hatani.  Jueluo was not surprised by these. He knew very well that his men were all typical soldiers - that is to say, they were accustomed to using violence to solve problems.  Soon, the guard came back with a bucket of cold water. Jueluo nodded. The guard immediately poured the cold water on the face of Kazuo Hatani who was on the rotten hay pile. The cold water immediately had an effect.  The unconscious man coughed violently and twitched in pain on the ground.  Two soldiers immediately stepped forward, grabbed his arm and lifted him up from the ground. Jueluo stepped forward and lifted the other man's chin with the handle of his whip.  With peach-like eyes, he said word by word: "Mr. Bogu, I am the supreme commander of the Korean detachment of the Shun Army. Now I want to ask you a few questions. I hope you can answer them seriously. If your answers can satisfy me  , you and your family can survive and regain your freedom, and even your property will not be damaged. Otherwise -" At this point, Jueluo stopped speaking, with a cruel smile on his face.  No one in Kazuo Hatani's position would misunderstand his smile.  Kazuo Hatani did not speak, and there was no expression on his bruised face, but Jueluo didn't care. He retracted the whip handle, let Kazuo Hatani's head hang down again, and asked in a slow tone that could not be misunderstood:  "First of all, who are you? Who are those weapons going to? Who asked you to transport these weapons? Where did those weapons come from? How many batches of weapons have you transported so far, and how many are there in total? In addition to smuggling weapons, you also  Are you doing anything else? Finally, when will the next batch of weapons arrive?" Jueluo's series of questions were not answered, and Kazuo Hatani lowered his head like a dead man.  Jueluo didn't get angry. He returned to Kazuo Hatani and said in a voice that could almost be called gentle: "Mr. Hatani, my time is very limited, please don't play these little tricks. Your family is still alive now,  They are still healthy, but if you continue like this, I can't guarantee that the winner in this contest is not sure, but it will definitely not be you!" Kazuo Hatani's body twitched, as if he was going to win.  As if he wanted to speak, Jueluo patiently leaned down and waited for a while, but in the end Haotani Kazuo still didn't speak.  Jueluo sighed in disappointment, stood up straight again, and said to the sergeant beside him: "Catch all his children and family members, torture them one by one in front of him, and shoot them one by one every hour until he answers my questions.  !" At this point, Jueluo took out his pocket watch and checked the time, and added: "It's twenty-two o'clock in the evening. If he still refuses to say it, he will be shot at six o'clock tomorrow morning!" "Yes, sir!"  replied the sergeant loudly.  "Well! Execute the order!" Jueluo made a fuss and lazily walked out. Suddenly he stopped and turned back to the sergeant: "No matter what the result is, report to me at seven o'clock tomorrow morning!" "  Yes, sir!¡± At seven o¡¯clock in the morning the next day, Jueluo was enjoying his breakfast after riding for half an hour as usual. A non-commissioned officer came in from outside and said loudly: ¡°My lord, I want to express my gratitude to you.  "Report!" "Tell me." Jueluo stuffed a piece of roasted mutton into his mouth and asked vaguely: "Did the Japanese named Bo Gu say it?" "No, he never spoke!  "Oh!" Jueluo frowned: "Did you follow my order?" "Yes, sir, I followed your order intact. Starting with his wife, then his son,  His daughter-in-law, and finally his two grandsons and granddaughters, he still didn¡¯t say a word in the end! " "Damn it!" Jueluo cursed and spat out a piece of meat that he couldn't chew on the ground: "  It seems that this is not a simple guy, there is another Japanese behind Dong Xuedao this time!"

 Volume 4 Leviathan 189 Night Raid 1

    Peter the Great Bay.  The Sea of ??Japan has reached the melting season in early April, but not all the ice floes have melted. On the ocean surface near Peter the Great Bay, you can often see ice floes of different sizes floating slowly.  These ice floes have drifted from the sea at higher latitudes.  Fishermen here all know that this kind of ice floe is very dangerous. Even a large ship with a displacement of one or two thousand tons may sink quickly if it accidentally hits the ice floe at night.  Therefore, at this time of year, the ocean near Peter the Great Bay is very desolate, and whaling ships, fishing boats, and small sailing ships used by colonists are rarely seen.  The "Warrior" is a minesweeper under the Russian Pacific Fleet. There are more than a dozen such ships with a displacement of less than 500 tons in the Pacific Fleet. Their main tasks are to patrol, clear waterways, and ensure that the ships in the fleet are  Capital ships with thick steel armor and equipped with huge guns of more than 200 mm or even 300 mm will not be harmed by despicable enemy mines. Of course, when necessary, these minesweepers can also be in areas where enemy fleets may appear.  Lay mines to attack enemy fishing boats and transport fleets.  Therefore, the Warrior's speed is not slow, but its firepower is weak. The 130 mm caliber main gun on the bow is its main firepower, and there are several small-caliber Green rapid-fire cannons on both sides.  "Damn it, why do I have to stand on the lookout post and drink the cool breeze in this season, just for the words of the new 'Alyosha'!" Ivanov tried his best to huddle up in his fur coat, but it was biting  The strong sea breeze still penetrated into his clothes from every crack, taking away every trace of warmth. He almost felt that his blood was about to solidify.  At this time, he didn't even have the thought of cursing. The only thought in his mind was to make time pass faster so that he could get off work early and go to the cabin to warm up.  In the cockpit, Alyosha was looking at the darkness outside the window with bright eyes. As the former gunner of the armored cruiser "Rurik", now he can only become the commander of a small and pitiful minesweeper like the "Warrior".  Captain, this is very distressing news.  But what can be done? When Alyosha was hospitalized, the position of gunnery commander was already occupied by another officer. What's worse is that this new gunnery commander not only participated in the "Rurik"  ¡¯s maiden voyage, and won the admiration of the captain during the maiden voyage, so our unlucky major could only admit that he was unlucky.  While Alyosha was working hard on the "Warrior", he kept his eyes wide open, looking for opportunities to return to his position.  "Left full rudder!" the first mate shouted loudly. The "Warrior" had reached the furthest point of the patrol and began to turn around and return to the port along another route.  Alyosha's tense nerves relaxed. Due to ocean currents, there were almost no icebergs on the return route.  "Your Excellency, Captain, there should be nothing going on on the way back. You can go and rest for a while, as long as I'm here to watch over you!" the first mate said to Alyosha with a smile.  "Okay!" Alyosha nodded. It would take three hours to return. He planned to sleep for an hour before changing the first mate.  About one and a half kilometers away from the "Warrior", four torpedo boats and a cargo ship were anchored at anchor. The hulls undulated with the waves, and they looked no different from icebergs from a distance.  "Report, the enemy patrol boats have begun to return!" The first mate put down the telescope and lowered his voice to Zhong Yi who was sitting in the armchair with his eyes closed, as if he was afraid of being heard by the Russians in the distance.  "Very good!" Zhong Yi opened his eyes suddenly, his gaze like cold lightning: "The lives of the dozens of people working on the intelligence mission were not in vain. The Russian patrol routes were clear to them. Use the light to issue orders.  All ships move forward in a column, keeping a distance of five chains from head to tail. Except for the signal light covered with blue cloth at the stern for identification, all lights of all ships must be extinguished. Soldiers enter the cabin. Anyone who fucking coughs will be given to me.  Report!" "Yes, sir!" "Clang!" There was a piercing sound, and the sailors jumped up from the ground and shoveled the coal into the boiler. The flames engulfed the coal, and the huge energy generated passed through it.  Pushing the propeller, the torpedo boat was driven forward. The sound was covered by the sound of wind and waves. Soon, the white traces caused by the passing of the torpedo boat and cargo ship were also covered by the waves, as if nothing happened.  Two hours later, Alyosha returned to the cockpit energetically. The Warrior was not far from Vladivostok. With the searchlight on the bow, he could even see the outline of the Russian Island. The helmsman was on the big ship.  Under the command of the deputy, he skillfully directed the ship through the minefield.  Alyosha said to the first mate with some embarrassment: "Sorry, I overslept a little. Originally, I planned to only sleep for an hour and then come over to replace you!" "Captain!" The first mate smiled nonchalantly:  "If you really feel embarrassed?, then we can go ashore and have a drink!  " "That's good, it's a deal!  Alyosha happily clapped his hands with the other party. At this time, his vigilance gradually relaxed. After all, he had entered the minefield. Except for the Russian warships, no one else knew about the safe passage in this minefield.  On the lookout post, Ivanov was almost frozen. He carefully poured the last sip of vodka from the flat tin flask into his mouth. Only then did he feel that he was still alive.  He had already seen the outline of Russia Island, and the duty time was about to come. At this time, there was a sound of heavy footsteps on the escalator below. The replacement came up, and Ivanov clumsily stuffed the empty wine bottle.  With his pocket in his pocket, he walked towards the escalator. Suddenly he turned around sharply, looked toward the stern of the ship, and whispered: "Is this an iceberg?  " "Old Ivan, get out of the way, you're blocking me!  "Katya complained. He is a fat man with bow legs. Perhaps because of his center of gravity, he can walk freely on the deck no matter how bad the sea conditions are, so he got a nickname-"Katya the Roly-poly."  .  "Katya, look quickly, is there a boat over there, following us?" Ivanov asked, pointing to a dark figure about a kilometer and a half away.  "Old Ivan, are your eyesight?" Katya looked at it nonchalantly and said with a smile: "There isn't even a single star of light. What fool would sail like this? On a moonless night, as long as it hits  The iceberg will be destroyed." "It's not a fool, it's the Chinese!" Ivanov replied in a low voice: "Haven't you heard that the Chinese are preparing to go to war with us at any time?  "Open fire." "Well, even if what you said is right, a certain ambitious Chinese warship is following us, but why don't they open fire? It's only a kilometer and a half at most. At this distance, the first salvo can be fired.  Forming a cross-fire, our broken ship can be sent to the bottom of the sea for the second time. "Maybe, maybe they have other intentions!" Ivanov replied hesitantly, but he himself didn't believe it.  own words.  "Other attempts, okay! Old Ivan, if the sea breeze hasn't woken you up, I'll go down first and let you continue to stand here!" Katya said angrily: "We have entered a minefield.  , it¡¯s safe!¡± ¡°Okay, okay! Maybe my eyes are dazzled!¡± Ivanov finally surrendered, and he climbed down the escalator, muttering: ¡°But the black shadow does look like it.  "One ship!" "The Herring" is the flagship of the four torpedo boats in this raid. It has a total of four torpedo tubes. In addition to the torpedoes in the tubes, it also carries eight torpedoes, which means it can be reloaded.  Twice, of course Zhongyi didn't think the Russians would give him so much time.  In order to complete this mission, the four torpedo boats participating in the operation had their engines modified and their protective armor plates removed. This allowed them to reach a maximum speed of 24 knots, which was a very impressive speed at the end of the 19th century. Of course, so  There is another result, that is, even a 47 mm caliber rapid-fire gun can smash the "Herring" into a sieve from a few kilometers away.  Therefore, Zhong Yi knew very well that the safety of himself and everyone else could only depend on speed and the cover of darkness.  Seeing the shadow of the Warrior disappearing around the corner of the East Bosporus, Zhong Yi licked his dry lips and ordered to the first officer behind him: "Send the signal, speed seven knots, and follow the Russian ship.  When the ship enters the harbor, ignore the inquiries from the Russian troops on the shore and wait for my signal to launch an attack." At this point, Zhong Yi subconsciously took out his pocket watch and looked at the time. The hands reached three o'clock in the morning on April 3.  Fifty-five points on.  "Yes, sir!" the first mate responded and issued an order through the microphone. Soon there was a rush of footsteps on the deck, and all the sailors were ready.  The first mate asked Zhong Yi in a low voice: "What about the 'Jiancheng'? Isn't it used to block the Russian military channel?" "Yes!" Zhong Yi nodded: "According to the original plan, let him follow us  One nautical mile behind, as soon as we opened fire, they would blow up the ship and sink it at the predetermined position. Our shallow water would not hinder our actions. " "Yes!" The four torpedo boats sailed towards the port at a slow speed of seven knots.  , almost every sailor stared wide-eyed at the searchlight position on the Russian island not far away. They all knew that there were several Russian coastal defense artillery positions on this island, and there were less than two thousand at the narrowest point of the entire Golden Horn.  Meters, for a shore defense artillery, this distance is almost the same as shooting a fifty-meter target with a rifle. As long as two salvos are fired, the four torpedo boats can be sent to the bottom of the sea.

 Volume 4 Leviathan 190 Night Raid 2

    "With the blessing of the Great Merciful and Great Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Russians did not discover us and allowed us to pass through this section safely." Zhong Yi closed his eyes and prayed silently in his heart. According to the intelligence he had obtained, not all Russian coastal defense artillery positions were in place.  Completed, so as long as the torpedo boat enters the Golden Horn Bay, it will enter a blind spot for Russian artillery fire. At least when attacking, there is no need to worry about anything else except the artillery on the enemy ship.  Zhong Yi had never felt as scared as he did now in his life. Suddenly, he heard the sound of chanting Buddha's name in his ears. When he opened his eyes, he saw the first mate's lips moving slightly, apparently also chanting Buddha's name and praying. He couldn't help but smile.  Zhong Yi suddenly felt much better.  "Sir, the Russians on the island sent a light signal and asked what kind of ship we are?" the lookout asked loudly.  "Let the chief engineer prepare to speed up the ship and report back to the Russians. We are a minesweeper out on patrol. Because there is an engine problem, we have to return to the port early for repairs!" Zhong Yi ordered loudly. For some reason, he seemed to be relieved at this time.  I untied the rope from my body and felt relaxed all of a sudden.  I don¡¯t know whether they believed Zhong Yi¡¯s answer or for some other reason, but the Russians did not send any more light signals to question. As the speedboat fleet gradually entered the Golden Horn Bay, the searchlights of the Russian coastal defense artillery were also blocked by the hills, "Herring."  "The ship gradually entered the protection of darkness, and a dozen huge ship shadows appeared in front of Zhong Yi. He breathed a long sigh of relief and said: "Give the order, and everyone enters the predetermined position and waits for the attack signal!" Russian Pacific!  The main fleet of the fleet has a total of four battleships, 11 cruisers, and a considerable number of auxiliary ships. Two of the battleships and seven of the cruisers are relatively modern, because Vladivostok is the Russian Far East.  It is the port with the most complete facilities in the region and the lowest latitude. These main fleets are all docked in the Golden Horn Bay at this time, like a dozen sleeping giants.  Zhong Yi tried his best to keep his eyes open and used the faint lights in the port to identify the Russian warships not far away. He murmured to himself: "The 'Rurik', the 'Volga', and the 'Glorious' are all here.  , Well, they have all entered the firing position, great!" He turned to the gunner and ordered: "Order the soldiers to aim at the 'Rurik' and the 'Volga', and launch two torpedoes at them.  Load it immediately after firing! " "Yes, sir, load it immediately after firing!" The gunnery commander repeated Zhong Yi's order. Zhong Yi looked at his pocket watch. It was already four-fifteen in the morning.  The deputy ordered: "Send the attack signal, and we will retreat at 4:35 regardless of the outcome of the battle!" Half a minute later, Zhong Yi heard four consecutive sounds of heavy objects falling into the sea. It was obvious that the "Qingyu" had just  Four torpedoes were launched, and then there was the sound of intensive footsteps and the trumpets of the sailors on the deck. This was the sailors reloading the torpedoes in the dark.  Zhong Yi walked quickly to the deck, picked up the telescope and stared at the majestic silhouette of the target "Rurik".  Nearly two minutes passed, but Zhong Yi felt that a century had passed. Suddenly he saw a faint fire rising from the waterline of the "Rurik", and immediately heard two muffled sounds.  "Hit!" Zhong Yi waved his arm fiercely. At the end of the 19th century, torpedoes were not a very reliable weapon. Things like insufficient depth, deviation in direction, and fuse failure often happened. Although this time  The torpedoes selected for the attack are carefully selected, but who knows what will happen before hitting the enemy?  "Sir, three out of four! The Rurik's ship's bulge and bow were hit once each, and the Volga's bow was hit once. Big victory!" The voice of the gunnery commander in the microphone was a little distorted.  , I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of the transmission or because of his excitement.  Zhong Yi tried his best to suppress his excitement and ordered: "After reloading, continue the attack. The targets are still the 'Rurik' and the 'Volga'. They must be sent to the bottom of the sea!" "Yes, sir!" As a symbol  Kopetov, the garrison commander of Radivostok, lives in a three-story building next to the port area, where he can see all the conditions in the port.  He was awakened by a series of huge explosions. When Kopetov jumped out of bed, pushed open the window and looked out, a miserable scene appeared in front of him.  In the narrow port area of ??the Golden Horn, four or five Pacific Fleet capital ships were slowly sinking. On their bodies, explosions and fires emitted fire one after another. This was the result of the ammunition depot being set alight. Those who were awakened  Sailors jumped from the sinking deck into the sea.  The rest of the ships were also in a hurry, lifting anchor and firing, but it was obvious that in this chaotic situation, their counterattack would have no effect.  "It's a torpedo, the Chinese have entered the port!" Kopetov immediately made the correct judgment, and then he shook his fist angrily: "Damn Wittethoft, he actually?Didn't put down the lightning protection net as I suggested!  " "Your Excellency, Your Excellency!  "There was a violent knock on the door, and then a disheveled officer opened the door and shouted: "Chinese torpedo boats attacked our fleet!  " "I have seen it, sir!  Kopetov frowned angrily: "Where is the fleet commander, Rear Admiral Wittethoft? Why don't you fight back?"  Don¡¯t put down the lightning protection net?  " "Major General, he is -" the officer lowered his head, muttered a few words and then stopped talking. Kopetov put on his shoes, grabbed the pistol and saber by the window, and smiled angrily: "Then  Which beauty is in the arms of the handsome Mr. Wittethoft?  Let's take a guess, shall we?  Is it the noble Baroness Fisher?  In the arms of the beautiful opera singer Miss Shanata?  It should be the elegant Mrs. Donna's place, right?  Anyway, I just don¡¯t live in that old ship with those smelly sailors!  "The officer looked at Kopetov dumbfounded and didn't know how to answer. At this time, there was a huge explosion outside the window. The huge air wave generated by the explosion could even be felt in this small building. Kopetov  The husband turned his head and looked out the window, and saw that on the water in the port, a huge battleship had been cut into two pieces and was sinking rapidly. The fire caused by the explosion even dyed the night sky red. "Did you see it?  This is the 'Prince Suvorov', the flagship of the Russian Empire's Pacific Fleet!  " On the "Qingyu", Zhong Yi's face was covered with oil and sweat. He was holding a telescope and staring at the burning Russian warships not far away. His Adam's apple was squirming, as if he was swallowing something. "My lord.  , all the torpedoes have been launched!  "The first mate shouted to Zhong Yi. "Very good, very good!  "Zhong Yi put down the telescope, walked to the microphone that led to all parts of the ship, and shouted in his loudest voice: "All the crew members of the 'Qingyu', you have built a military exploit that no one else can match. Now put it down.  Increase the speed of the ship to the maximum, return to the base, and enjoy His Majesty's reward and honor, long live!  " " Long live!  "The "Herring" burst into a burst of uniform cheers. The speedboat turned its bow and headed towards the East Bosporus. "Boom!  "A shell passed over the bow of the "Herring", fell into the water only four or five meters away from the "Herring" and exploded, splashing water all over the sky. Zhong Yi on the bow of the ship was splashed with sea water. He turned around.  Look, I saw a Russian warship rushing towards me. Judging from its shape and size, it should be the Russian minesweeper that I followed in. "Speed ??up and ignore him!"  "Zhong Yi laughed and ordered. "On the "Warrior", Alyosha's face was purple, and he was personally operating the 130mm main gun to aim at the "Herring". When the "Herring" and the others launched an attack, "  "Warrior" had just docked, and the sailors had not had time to leave the ship, so he could be said to be the most organized resistance force on the sea of ??the entire Russian Pacific Fleet that night, but it was difficult to find the insidious enemy hiding in the darkness on the water.  It was not an easy task. First of all, those torpedo boats were all small boats and it was dark night; moreover, there was no sound when torpedoes were launched, and there was no muzzle flash from artillery fire. The most important thing was that Alyosha had to be careful about his own ship.  Unless it is hit by the friendly ship that lifts anchor, compared to those cruisers and battleships with a displacement of several thousand tons, his minesweeper is simply a dwarf. Even if it only sweeps to one side, it will be dead.  It was a disaster. So it wasn't until the "Blue Fish" fired all the torpedoes that he found an enemy, and he immediately pounced on him fiercely. "Fire!"  "Alyosha roared loudly. A ball of flame flashed from the muzzle of the main gun, but it was fired too high. It fell into the water more than ten meters in front of the target, causing a splash. Seeing the "Herring" driving faster and faster,  Disappearing into the night ¡°Damn Tatars!  "Alyosha slammed the telescope in his hand on the deck, splashing a piece of glass fragments. Dashun Beijing Youzhou Mansion, Liushou Mansion. From Gao Tingyu, dozens of Shunjun generals were sitting in the hall, neatly dressed, eyes wide.  I watched my nose and my heart, and waited with bated breath. Not even a cough was heard, and the air in the whole room seemed to freeze. Suddenly, there was a ticking sound unique to sending and receiving telegrams from the next door. This sound was like a signal.  , everyone looked towards the side door leading to the next door, as if some big news was about to come. A few minutes later, the ticking stopped, and an officer held a copy of the newspaper that had just been translated.  Walking quickly to Gao Tingyu, Gao Tingyu took it with trembling hands, took out his reading glasses and put them on, read it again, closed his eyes after reading it, read it again after a while, and then carefully copied the copy  He folded the newspaper carefully and put it into his sleeves. He stood up and said in a deep voice to the generals: "Everyone, I wish you great blessings, my great and shun emperor. Your soldiers have served their lives well. YesterdayAt 4:15 a.m., our Dashun Northern Fleet task detachment successfully attacked Vladivostok, where the Russian Pacific Fleet is stationed, in a night attack. It sank three enemy battleships and severely damaged five, killing and injuring enemy soldiers without counting. The "Jiancheng" also  It was successfully sunk in the main channel of Vladivostok, and the enemy's Pacific Fleet was no longer in danger in a short time.  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 191 Declaration of War

    "Long live! Long live!" No one needed to organize, almost all the officers raised their arms and shouted, their faces flushed with excitement. No matter how close they were on weekdays, at this time, every officer hugged and congratulated each other.  They looked like they were all brothers.  "Quiet!" Gao Tingyu stretched out his right hand to signal everyone to be silent: "Only two of the four torpedo boats that participated in this operation returned, and a total of 153 soldiers died. I want to write a letter to the emperor about participating in this operation.  The generals who took this action need to be praised generously to serve as a warning to future generations." At this point, Gao Tingyu paused for a moment, and his hawk-like eyes scanned the generals under his white eyebrows: "The deceased have completed their work, and now it is their turn.  We are here, please support me!" At this point, Gao Tingyu raised his right hand and made a military salute to the generals.  "The last general dares to die without serving!" The officers of the Shun Army walked out eagerly. Gao Tingyu stopped Batu, who was at the back: "Master Ba, you will bear the heaviest burden next, please!"  They all smiled: "I can't bear what the commander said. I don't have to go to the front line to brave the hail of bullets. I only have to dispatch the railway. It's an easy life." Gao Tingyu slowly shook his head: "Master Ba  "The key to this war is not Vladivostok, nor the land battlefield, but your railway line. The food, drink, food, ammunition and supplies of the more than 200,000 troops depend on you. The burden on your shoulders is very heavy!"  Batu's face also became solemn: "Commander, please rest assured, we have been preparing for three years, there will be no problem, there will be no problem!" Hanking, Ministry of Rites.  The Russian ambassador, Count Vestov, was sitting in a mahogany armchair for some reason. Obviously, this hard seat made him uncomfortable. He moved his body from time to time to make himself more comfortable.  At this time, Chen Zhiren, the Minister of Rites, walked in from the outside. Westov quickly stood up and greeted him with a smile, but found that Chen Zhiren's usually smiling face was as iron-clad at this time.  "Master Chen¡ª¡ª" Vestov was trying to find an excuse to say a few words.  However, Chen Zhiren made a gesture to stop his words, took out a volume of documents from his sleeve, and read aloud: "In view of the tense situation between the two sides in the Far East, I, Dashun, have decided to declare war on the Russian Empire.  The two sides have entered a state of war!" At this point, Chen Zhiren handed the document to Westov.  "But, but?" Westov took the document in astonishment. The huge shock made him even forget his anger, and he could only hold the declaration of war handed to him by Chen Zhiren blankly.  Chen Zhiren turned his face in embarrassment, avoided Westov's gaze, patted the other party's shoulder gently, and whispered: "The only thing I can say at this time is my personal feelings about everything that has happened.  It's a pity, but that's all. Your Excellency, if you need anything personally, I'm happy to help!" "Extraordinary number, extra number! Dashun declared war on Russia. Last night our navy launched a surprise attack on Vladivostok and destroyed the Russian Pacific Fleet!  The streets are full of the sounds of newsboys hawking. Pedestrians often spare a few coins to buy a newspaper. However, the faces of most people are more confused than excited. A war ends like this.  This sudden way of entering their lives is really beyond the expectations of most people.  "Is there going to be a war now?" "Yes, a war with the Russians!" "Why is this? If everything goes well, we have to use weapons?" "Well, if the officials want to fight, there must be a reason for it!" One  The middle-aged man shook his head and sighed: "But what if the tax is going to be raised again! Oh!" "Be careful and keep your voice low, the patrol is coming!" Another person saw the black policeman swinging over with a baton and hurriedly reminded him  companion said.  In Shanghai Shunhua Company Branch, Chen Zaixing was sitting in the executive chair drinking coffee. Two plates of exquisite pastries were placed on the coffee table beside him. A handsome maid was massaging his shoulders.  Suddenly, the door was pushed open suddenly, and Jiang Zhiqing rushed in with a red face, holding a newspaper in his hand, and was too excited to speak.  "It's Zhiqing! Is there something wrong?" Chen Zaixing looked up at the other party and made a gesture. The maid leaned over and bowed, silently stepped back and closed the door.  "Fight, fight!" A huge voice came out of Jiang Zhiqing's mouth: "War has been declared, a big victory, a big victory!" "Oh? The news in the newspaper!" Chen Zaixing put down the coffee cup and turned to Jiang Zhiqing's hand.  newspaper.  "Yes!" Jiang Zhiqing hurriedly handed the newspaper to Chen Zaixing: "The navy made a surprise attack on Vladivostok, sinking and damaging eight enemy ships. The sunken ships blocked the enemy's waterways. The Russian Pacific Fleet is no longer a problem!" The more he spoke, the happier he became.  Everyone wants to dance"Oh?" Chen Zaixing took the newspaper and read it carefully several times. Jiang Zhiqing stood aside patiently, suppressing his inner excitement and waiting for Chen Zaixing's order. He knew that his master would never do it at this time.  Standing aside and watching.  "Zhiqing, how much grain, cotton and tin ore have we hoarded?" Chen Zaixing put down the newspaper and asked suddenly.  "There are 2,500 tons of rice in Shanghai, 1,400 bales of cotton, 3,000 tons of tin ore, and 1,500 tons of teak!" Jiang Zhiqing has a good memory, and he knows the main business of Shunhua Company.  Several products are simply treasures.  "Very good, you issue the order immediately. These things are not allowed to be sold without my order. If others ask, just say that the items have been snapped up. Do you understand?" "Yes, sir!" Jiang Zhiqing immediately said  I understand what Chen Zaixing meant. All of these commodities are urgently needed in the war. Once the war breaks out, everyone will inevitably hoard them. As long as you seize this opportunity, you can make money that you may not be able to make in four to five years.  High profits.  "Also, let the absorbent cotton factory speed up production, increase wages for workers, and work in three shifts. The machines cannot be stopped when people stop. How many finished products are in stock?" "About five thousand packages?" Jiang Zhiqing replied hesitantly.  .  "Go and verify, take half of it and donate it to the military in the name of Shunhua Company. Our industrial and commercial community will not lag behind in the war against Russia!" "Yes, sir!" Jiang Zhiqing wrote it down in his little notebook.  made a fortune.  "Zhiqing, are you willing to go to the Far East?" Chen Zaixing suddenly asked.  "Far East?" Jiang Zhiqing was stunned when he heard this. He looked up and saw Chen Zaixing looking at him with a smile. He quickly responded: "If the master wants me to go, I will go!" "That's good. You go to the accounting room to get it first.  Three thousand Yingyang, as the travel expenses for this time. When you go to the Far East, you must carefully understand the tension of the war and report the situation to me. I stay in Shanghai and need this information very much. " "Yes, sir, I will go first!  Factory!" Jiang Zhiqing nodded, opened the door and went out.  Chen Zaixing stood up from the executive chair, an expression of excitement gradually appeared on his face, and murmured to himself: "The war has finally begun. Good fight, so I can fight my own battle!" Dashun Youzhou Prefecture, Beijing  The railway station, the largest railway hub in northern Dashun, has been taken over by the army.  In accordance with the requirements of the mobilization order, the military railway dispatching department adapted from the Youzhou Left-behind Mansion has requisitioned 75% of the trains and more than 80% of the railway time, and has drawn soldiers from several other divisions to replenish the staff.  Half an hour after Dashun declared war on Russia, an infantry division had already boarded the train and headed for Andong, Jilin, where they would join two infantry divisions, a cavalry division and some reinforced artillery units near the border.  Attack on Vladivostok.  Then in the next month, troops will be sent to the front line at the rate of one division every four days.  "My lord, he requested an urgent extra train!" A subordinate led another officer to the extremely busy Batu.  "More trains?" Batu raised his head tiredly and asked, "What's going on?" "Sir, I am the quartermaster of the first regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division. I just discovered that our regiment has two 75mm guns.  The infantry cannons, artillery shells, and half of the wagons' military equipment have all been left behind. I ask you, sir, to use more wagons to transport them to the front line!" "No!" Batu immediately rejected the other party's request: "All the wagons must be used.  Come to transport the troops of the 3rd Infantry Division. Your troops can get clothing in Anton's warehouse. As for the infantry artillery, they can be transported together in the 3rd Infantry Division. Li Xing, come here." "Yes, sir!  !" A young staff officer walked over quickly.  "Draw up an order to order the warehouse over in Anton to issue 600 military coats to the First Regiment of the Second Infantry Division." Batu turned to the quartermaster and asked: "Is it enough?" "Enough!"  "Okay!" Batu took the order handed over by his subordinates, glanced at the note and signed his name: "Send it to the military supplies office in Anton immediately!" "Yes, sir!" That's it, Batu  The railway dispatching office under his leadership first gathered the active infantry of the existing divisions and sent the five divisions forming the First Army to the front line, and then filled the ranks of sergeants and officers with the reserve soldiers recruited in groups.  division, then loaded onto trains and shipped to Anton, where they would undergo two to three weeks of restorative training before finally entering the war as the Second Russian Army.  Vladivostok, headquarters of the Russian Pacific Fleet.  Major General Kopetov, who had just been appointed as the Russian Governor of the Primorye Area to coordinate the operations of the land and sea armies, stood beside the map with a livid face, making combat arrangements: "According to the existing intelligence, the ChineseThe First Army has completed its mobilization. Its First Army includes four infantry divisions, one cavalry division, and some reinforced artillery units.  The total strength is no less than 100,000, and they are coming to our coastal state. According to the available intelligence, the main goal of their attack is to occupy Vladivostok and destroy our Pacific Fleet in the port!  My combat intention is to strengthen the defense of the fortress, wait for reinforcements to arrive, and then attack to destroy the enemy.  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan 192 Instigation

    Hearing what Major General Kopetov said about the huge strength of the Shun Army and the Russian officers whispering, he frowned and said loudly: "Be quiet, be quiet! If you have anything to say, you can say it directly, there is no need to say it secretly below!  "Your Excellency General!" A naval lieutenant colonel with his head bandaged with white gauze stood up: "I would like to ask you, how many troops are there in Vladivostok?" "Plus the ones that the Governor just sent?"  There are five infantry battalions and one Cossack battalion, totaling 9,000 people. We can also mobilize some sailors, which should be 12,000 people!" Major General Kopetov replied.  "Twelve thousand people! My God, we have to deal with one hundred thousand Tatars armed to the teeth, not including their follow-up troops. Are you kidding me?" The naval lieutenant colonel shouted: "We  Everyone knows that more than half of the fortifications in the Shedanka Valley have not been completed, and even if they are completed, there are still many cannons missing. Can we rely on just such a few people and fortifications to resist the siege of 100,000 Tatars? This is not a war, but a suicide.  It's a massacre! " "The parapets and trenches have been completed, and the drainage facilities have also been completed. We can dismantle the cannons on the warships. After that night, many of our warships were damaged. We can dismantle the cannons on them and install them.  "Go to the fortifications!" Lieutenant Colonel Chernok Nizhnikov, commander of the fortress engineering force, replied calmly: "The fortifications in Vladivostok were shot by Colonel Velichko. 1, 2  Fortress No. 3 and No. 3 are all built of reinforced concrete and can withstand the bombardment of the largest caliber siege artillery. There is enough food and ammunition in the warehouse. As long as there are brave and strong Russian soldiers, even if there are 100,000 Tatars, we can  "We can hold it." Lieutenant Colonel Chernok Nizhnikov's speech won the approval of most Russian officers present, and even some naval officers began to look back hesitantly at their leader, Pacific Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Witthoft.  , obviously he is the real mastermind.  "Lieutenant Colonel Chernok Nizhnikov, I admire your achievements in engineering. I have always been full of admiration for your teacher, the respected Professor Velichko!" Wittethoft  The rear admiral stood up, and his beautiful face looked the same as usual except for being a little pale: "But as a naval admiral, I have to remind you that the base exists for the fleet, not the other way around.  In the disaster a few days ago, we lost two battleships and three cruisers; another three cruisers were severely damaged and could not go to sea for a short time. The Pacific Fleet can no longer fight with the enemy in the north with its existing strength.  The enemy's attempt to block the exit by sinking ships also illustrates their true purpose. If we keep the fleet in the port, the Chinese can destroy our fleet while capturing Vladivostok.  "Unacceptable!" "What do you think we should do?" Kopetov asked.  ¡°Lead the remaining intact fleet to leave Vladivostok and choose a way to better utilize the fleet¡¯s role in combat!¡± Major General Wittethoft smiled.  "Okay!" Major General Kopetov thought for a moment and nodded: "But we will stay and use our own way to defend the port and the Russian land. Your Majesty, Major General, I hope you will allow me to dismantle those damaged warships.  "Of course, I wish you all the best!" Major General Wittethoft laughed.  "May God bless you too!" Major General Kopetov turned to the naval officers and said: "Bring the wine and wish our warriors a successful expedition, Hurrah!" "Hulla!" the officers shouted in unison.  Alyosha drank the wine in silence and walked out of the door. He suddenly stopped and said to the first mate beside him: "Sasha, I will leave the Warrior to you. Please take good care of her."  "Leave it to me, what about you?" the first mate asked in surprise.  "I will stay in the fortress and fight with the people who stay!" Alyosha laughed.  "Why is this? The Warrior cannot do without you!" "No, dear Sasha, the Warrior can do it without me. We all know that Vladivostok is the largest in the Far East.  , is also the best port! Without this port, other ports have no coal, no ammunition, and no repair shops. It is impossible for our warships to survive. Wittethoft wanted to escape with the fleet from the beginning.  Go to Japan or another neutral country. I am a soldier, a soldier who has sworn to God and the Tsar to fight for Russia. I cannot squat in a prison camp and watch this war unfold!  Stay!" First Officer Sasha replied firmly: "I am also a soldier. The sailors of the Warrior can be organized into a company or a platoon. We can fight side by side in the Shedanka Valley and let God decide who I am.  ??Death or life.  " "Good brother, Sasha!  Alyosha hugged the first mate warmly and kissed him on the cheek: "I'm so happy to be with you!"  ¡± In late April 1895, the First Army of the Dashun Russian Expedition crossed the Ussuri River, occupied Ussuriysk (Twin Cities), and began to approach Muravyov-Amur, where Vladivostok is located.  On the Ski Peninsula, due to the huge disparity in strength between the two sides, the Shun army did not encounter strong resistance from the Russian army in this area. The Russian army only set fire to some buildings, destroyed roads, and shrank to the defense line on the southern slope of the Shedanka Valley.  According to the original plan, the Shun Army deployed the newly formed Second Army divisions to resist Russian reinforcements, while the First Army, mainly composed of veterans, surrounded Vladivostok.  Preparing to launch an attack, Shi Huaisha carefully observed the enemy's fortifications with a telescope on the northern slope of the Shedanka Mountains. The trees on the slopes on both sides of the valley were almost completely cut down, and they were so bare that it was very eye-catching.  But it is well protected. It is obviously artificial. The purpose of the Russians is to cover their own fortifications and clear their own firing range. "According to the intelligence, the Russian fortifications are very strong and are composed of trenches and trenches.  It consists of parapets, flanking fire points, and fire points equipped with a large number of heavy artillery. If we launch an attack rashly, we will suffer heavy casualties!  "Division commander Li Zhicheng pointed to the map and said that the locations of several of Russia's most important firepower points have been marked on the map. "Well, don't be afraid of dying, but you can't die in vain!  "Shi Huaisha turned his head. He had already memorized the map by heart. In his mind, the map and the scene in front of him gradually overlapped. "The Russians' fortifications are very well built, and almost all the heavy firepower points are  They are all set up in caves or artificially excavated caves. From such angles, it is difficult for our direct firepower to hit them directly!  Shi Huaisha said in a deep voice: "Commander Li, you conduct a trial attack first, and be careful to mark the exposed fire points on the map!"  " "Yes, sir!"  "Master Li hurriedly responded. Although his qualifications are far superior to Shi Huaisha, the commander of the army this time is Gao Tingyu. With that big boss sitting behind him, no one dares to look down on Shi Huaisha. "Shun Jun  The field artillery and infantry artillery on the position opened fire. Before World War I, the artillery of almost all countries was divided into two types: field artillery and fortress artillery (also called siege artillery). The main attack method of field artillery was  Direct firing and indirect aiming are rarely used in field artillery. The most typical example is the famous French "Miss 75" in World War I. This 75mm rapid-fire gun is scientifically called the M1897 because it uses hydraulic reset.  The mechanism eliminates the need for the artillery to push back to its position after the artillery is fired. Its rate of fire reached a terrifying fifteen rounds per minute, and it could even fire up to 30 rounds per minute in its extreme state. This terrifying weapon was the product of the artillery doctrine at that time:  Field artillery must be placed directly on the front line, using direct firepower to destroy enemy defensive positions, kill personnel, break up queues, and cover infantry charges. Therefore, the French even equipped this artillery with a mantlet, and the artillery even used it when the war started.  It can be pushed one thousand meters in front of the enemy's position, strafing the enemy's position with violent shrapnel and grenades, and allowing the infantry to launch a bayonet charge. The fortress artillery is another type, and its caliber is often more than 150 mm.  The heavy artillery far exceeds the field artillery whose caliber rarely exceeds 100 millimeters in terms of caliber, range, and power. However, its heavy gun mount weight also imposes a huge burden on maneuverability. Generally speaking, field artillery requires at most  Four horses can be towed, and the road requirements are relatively low. However, the packhorses and road conditions required by the fortress artillery are far from comparable to that of field artillery. Their shooting methods also use more indirect shooting, because they can use high-elevation angles.  , their shooting blind spots are smaller, and their firepower is much more intense. On the southern slope of the Shedanka Valley, Russian soldiers squatted in parapets or covered shelters, and they heard shells falling to the ground or exploding in the air.  Almost every soldier turned pale at the sound of the explosion, not only because of fear, but also because of the shock to the soldiers' internal organs caused by the explosion. Alyosha stroked the Mosin Nagant in his hand unaccustomedly.  The magazine of the rifle was a bit unfamiliar to him. At this time, a shell fell on the roof of the shelter. Under the violent shock caused by the explosion, dust fell down like rain, and the candles were extinguished.  Suddenly, the hideout was dark. "Damn it, light the candle!"  "A thick voice echoed in the closed shelter. "Hurry up, hurry up!  "Others also shouted loudly. Soon a faint light appeared. With the help of the firelight and the faint light of the passage not far away, Alyosha could see the fear and anger on the soldiers' faces. "Maybe this is what happened.  Let¡¯s go to war!  "Alyosha spit out the sand in his mouth,Thought to himself.  "Lieutenant Colonel, this reminds me of the barn at home. It is also so crowded, but there are not so many people shooting here!" A soldier in his twenties smiled at Alyosha, his face covered with acne.  Full of smiles.  "Barn, this is a good metaphor!" Alyosha laughed. He really wanted to say something witty. Another shell exploded at the entrance of the passage. The strong impact rushed in with dust and dust, and the candle again  went out.  "Damn Tatars, can't you let us have a moment of peace?" Alyosha cursed, took out a box of matches from his purse, struck them, and looked for the fallen candle. He saw a familiar person lying there.  In front of him, there was a hole in his neck, and blood was pouring out of the wound. It was the young soldier who made the wisecrack just now.  "Hold on, the doctor will be here soon!" Alyosha hurriedly helped the soldier up, took off his clothes to cover the wound, and turned around and shouted: "Doctor, doctor, someone is injured here!" But he was very worried.  He soon felt that his clothes were getting wet quickly, and a large amount of blood soaked the uniform.  "Hold on, hold on for a while, and the doctor will be here soon!" Alyosha said gently to the soldier, but the look in the soldier's eyes gradually disappeared. At this time, someone next to him stretched out his hand and touched the soldier's nose.  "We're out of breath!" The doctor pulled open the military uniform covering the wound: "The shrapnel severed the artery and it can't be saved!" "Why don't you hurry up!" Alyosha said to the doctor in an almost ferocious voice.  explain.  The doctor looked at him without fear, and replied with a sneer: "Sir, officer, this is war, people will die at any time! I am a doctor, not God." "Enter the position, the Chinese are coming!" There was a rapid whistle.  Interrupting the confrontation between the two, Alyosha angrily picked up his rifle and rushed outside. The Russian soldiers in brown military uniforms poured into the trench like a turbid current. On the hillside, the soldiers lined up in wavy lines.  Soldiers swarmed into the Russian position, and the sunlight reflected from their rifle bayonets was chilling.  "Fire!" The artillerymen fired first. The artillery that was pushed out of the shelter and the fortress began to fire at the soldiers on the hillside. The shock wave generated by the explosion of the grenade tore everything around into pieces and lifted it into the air; more  It was a shrapnel, and the high-speed flying shrapnel and steel balls knocked down the human body they came into contact with like mowing grass.  The soldiers of the Shun army endured all this in order to advance towards the enemy positions on the hillside.  "Infantry, aim and shoot!" Following the officer's order, the Russian soldiers began to shoot. In the telescope, Alyosha could clearly see the compliant soldiers falling down after being shot, and saw those evil yellow faces.  The pain of being shot became distorted, and Alyosha couldn't help but feel a burst of joy in his heart, and shouted loudly: "Aim, shoot, kill all these Tatars on the hillside, don't let any of them go!" Shedanka  on the north slope of the valley.  Shi Huaisha held the binoculars and observed attentively. From time to time, he turned around and said a few words to his men behind him. The men then sat down and marked a certain place on the map. It took about twenty minutes.  Shi Huaisha put down his telescope and said to the division commander behind him: "It's almost done, let your people retreat!" "Okay, blow the retreat horn!" With the shrill retreat horn, the infantrymen of the Shun Army retreated,  The hillside was filled with corpses. The wounded soldiers screamed miserably, begging their commanders not to abandon them, but only a few people could get a response - it was necessary to stay on this hillside with shrapnel everywhere.  Great courage, which only a very few people have.  About fifteen minutes later, there was nothing on the hillside except more than a thousand wounded and corpses.  "Let your people build fortifications, tunnels, and be ready to attack!" Shi Huaisha ordered to the division commander: "In five days, the siege artillery will return. By then we can deal with those Russians!"  "I'm looking forward to it very much!" Li Zhicheng smiled and held Shi Huaisha's hand.  Behind the parapet, Alyosha looked at the battlefield with a telescope. There were corpses of soldiers wearing black military uniforms and white leggings everywhere. At this time, the passion had faded, leaving only fear and fatigue, which suddenly flashed in his heart.  Such a thought - these people who died on the hillside were also people, and they were the same people as the young man lying in his arms just now. Why did they die here?  Are there no barns in their hometown and no people who love and miss them?  War is such a ridiculous thing!  "Major!" The commander wants you to go to his place!  "A voice interrupted Alyosha's thoughts and woke him up. "Okay, I'll be there right away!  "

 Volume 4 Leviathan Remaining Outline

    First of all, I would like to thank you all for your continued support of this book. However, due to some reasons, "Xinshun: The Steel Age" ends here. The following is the remaining outline of the book. I hope you will continue to support Chris Webber's new book in the future.  , whether it is on the Chuangshi Chinese website or elsewhere, Weber cannot do without everyone's support.  The remaining outline of the book "Xinshun: The Steel Century" is planned to be divided into the following volumes.  The subsequent story development of "The Wind Rises from the South, Leviathan, Golden Age, Twilight of the Gods, and World War" is as follows: After the outbreak of the Shun-Russian War, the Shun army led by Shi Huaisha severely damaged the Russian Pacific Fleet through a surprise attack and began to besiege Fu  Ladivostok, attempting to destroy the Russian Pacific Fleet in the port.  The rest of the Russian fleet crossed Vladivostok and headed for the Japanese port, which was a neutral country at the time, and were detained by the Japanese.  The siege was intense, and the domestic bourgeoisie, represented by Chen Zaixing and Liu Qingyang, and the British banking group took the opportunity to engage in military supplies and national debt transactions, making huge profits.  Although the Russian army in the Far East tried their best to support them, they were unable to provide sufficient assistance to the defenders of Vladivostok due to their limited strength. Finally, in early 1896, Vladivostok was captured, and the defenders and injured  The Russian warship was captured by Shun, and the first phase of the war ended.  While the war was going on, the Japanese side had been negotiating with the Russian side about the detained Russian Far East Fleet and participation in the war with the backing of the United Kingdom. On the one hand, the Japanese side was actively preparing for the war, and on the other hand, it was bargaining on the price of participating in the war.  Finally, in early 1896, after the fall of Vladivostok, Russia had no choice but to recognize Korea as Japan's sphere of influence and provide a subsidy of 75 million rubles in exchange for Japan's participation in the war.  Immediately, Japan launched a surprise attack on the Shunfang garrison in North Korea under the pretext that Shunfang massacred Japanese nationals during the suppression of the Dongxuedao Uprising. The Shunfang-Russian War entered the second stage, the Three Kingdoms War.  Shunfang had to launch general mobilization and issue special treasury bonds. In order to encourage domestic capitalists to buy bonds, the imperial court announced that it would carry out constitutional reforms after the war, establishing consultative bureaus in each province to discuss government affairs, and establishing a constitutional committee in the center to invite society  The wise men participated in the establishment of the constitution.  As a result, the war ended at the end of 1896. After spending a lot of blood and money, Shun, Russia, and Japan signed the Treaty of Yokohama. Russia lost Vladivostok and its surrounding Far Eastern Maritime Provinces;  The Far Eastern Maritime Province, which gained the Russian side, recognized North Korea as a joint trusteeship between Shun and Japan. This also paved the way for the Far Eastern battlefield of World War I almost twenty years later.  "Leviathan" ends.  "Golden Age" After the Three Kingdoms War, the old Dashun bureaucrats headed by Qi Zhiti and Hu Keqin stepped down, and Shen Hongmao became the new cabinet leader.  Both Chen Zaixing and Liu Qingyang also entered the new Constitutional Committee. They jointly demanded the abolition of the tax-free privileges of the gentry, the abolition of local levies, the promotion of new education, the encouragement of private business enterprises, the establishment of a central bank to issue banknotes, and the granting of political rights based on the amount of taxes paid.  , the two also gained huge capital and prestige in promoting these reforms, and became rare giants in Dashun's government and opposition parties. From 1897 to 1908, Dashun's industrialization process greatly accelerated. By 1908, Dashun  China's steel production, coal production and other indicators have exceeded Japan's five times, becoming the undisputed number one in the Far East.  "Twilight of the Gods" As the conflicts between Britain and Germany, France, Germany, Russia and Austria and other great powers intensify, the conflicts between Shun and Russia, Japan and England in Burma are also becoming increasingly fermented.  In order to curb Dashun's hegemony in Asia and protect its colonies, Britain and Japan formally signed the Anglo-Japanese Alliance in 1908. Its imaginary enemy was Dashun, and Russia also signed a secret treaty with Japan, stipulating that in the event of war, Russia would  The Far East Army and the Pacific Fleet will operate with Japan under the command of a joint general staff.  In order to cope with the pressure of the great powers, Shun Ye finally gradually moved toward an alliance with Germany. In 1912, he signed the Qingdao Treaty with Germany and leased Qingdao Port to the German Navy in exchange for German technical assistance in the navy and army.  , the source of war in the Far East gradually emerged.  Within Dashun, there are also conflicts between the southward movement and the northward movement. These two sides not only represent the contradiction between the army and the navy, but also represent the large number of unemployed farmers in Dashun who are eager for surplus land and the emerging assets who are eager for new raw material production areas and product markets.  Class contradictions.  As the war approaches, the entire Dashun and even the entire world are shrouded in the haze of the destruction of the old world.  In order to attack Russia from the side, Chen Zaixing established certain contacts with the Russian Socialist Revolutionaries through his relationship with Bunge and gave them a large amount of financial support.  "World War" The war broke out, and Dashun joined the Allied camp. There were two main battlefields in the Far East: the Shun Army in the north against the Russian and Japanese troops in the Far East, and the Shun Army and the Burmese Army in the south against the colonial forces of Britain, France, and the Netherlands.  and part of the Japanese army.  In the third year of the war, the October Revolution took place in Russia, which announced its withdrawal from the war. The Russian Socialist Revolutionaries rose to the top of power.Feng, put forward the slogan that all power should belong to the Soviets.  Shunfang took the opportunity to occupy Central Asia, the Far East and North Korea.  However, after the United States entered the war, the Japanese army and the British colonial army withstood the Shun army's final offensive against India.  Due to the long-term blockade and war, Shun finally suffered a total economic and social collapse in 1918. More than 8 million young and middle-aged laborers were lost in the war. There were a large number of deserters in the frontline army. The army no longer obeyed orders. The navy refused to leave the port to fight. The emperor  He had no choice but to announce his abdication. Due to the influence of domestic socialists and Russia's release of returned prisoners of war, a large number of deserters from the Northeast and Central Asian fronts declared an uprising and established the Red Army.  They occupied cities and rural areas, distributed land and property to poor peasants and workers, declared that the workers, peasants and soldiers associations representing the interests of soldiers, workers and peasants were the masters of the country, and demanded an immediate ceasefire, allowing the people to obtain land, peace and food, and abolishing the old  restrictions on property and education, immediately granting universal suffrage and the right to be elected to all adult male citizens, and nationalizing large capital groups that had made huge profits in the war.  Countless Dashun workers who had suffered greatly during the war went on strike and revolted in response to the Red Army.  "The private property system, the foundation of the country and society, is on the verge of destruction." (Chen Zaixing's original words in the book) Faced with all this, the asset tycoons and government heads headed by Chen Zaixing and Liu Qingyang immediately declared an armistice with the Allies in order to give up  On the condition that all the land acquired during the war and control of the colonies in Southeast Asia were obtained, a large number of weapons and surplus materials provided by the Allied Powers and a large number of released prisoners of war were obtained, a new army was formed, and a brutal civil war broke out with the Red Army, and in 1921  Completely annihilating the Red Army and establishing a republic, he himself became a military dictator. For this reason, Chen Zaixing was called "Pi?sudski of the East" and "the greatest orientalist of the early 20th century" by the Western world.  "!  The novel is finished.