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Volume 1: Fierce Battle in Changsha Chapter 557: British and French Calculations

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    Since the military parade began, Xiao Yungui stood in front of the ceremony wearing a military uniform, always watching every square that passed by.  This article is written by .  .  When the 159 officers and soldiers of the honor guard walked neatly across the high platform in the first parade formation of the Taiping Army exercise, among the people watching on and off the stage, no one knew who took the lead in applauding.  As if they were infected, everyone watching from China and abroad stood up and applauded.  Different from the previous two flag-presenting ceremonies, this time Xiao Yungui specially invited people from all walks of life at home and abroad to participate. Firstly, it was to let them feel the powerful military power of heaven. Secondly, it was also to inspire the soldiers and their military might.  Enough to make one feel proud.

    After the honor guard passed the high platform, they changed to walking in unison, then walked to the opposite side of the high platform to stand and wait.  The second phalanx from behind slowly came over. I saw that there were more people in this phalanx than in the honor guard. Fourteen people were arranged horizontally and twenty-five people were lined up. The two military attach¨¦s with the rank of lieutenant at the head were wearing military uniforms.  , led the team over to the exciting music, and walked into the range of the military band on the high platform. The two lieutenants shouted loudly together: "Forward¡ª¡ªforward!"

    The three hundred and fifty soldiers in the phalanx behind them shouted together: "Drive out the Tartars and restore China!" Then the muskets with bayonets in their hands moved forward in a chopping motion. The entire phalanx only heard a "swish" sound, but  Seeing that the bayonets of the entire phalanx were raised forward at 45 degrees, all the square soldiers looked sideways at the high platform, and the pace of the entire phalanx changed, and they all became goose-stepping.  Several Taiping Army coaches, including Xiao Yungui, who were standing on the steps of the high platform, immediately stood at attention and saluted.

    This roar stirred people's hearts and made their blood boil.  The most rare thing is that the movements of the soldiers in each square formation are uniform and uniform, and they have a very fierce and incomparable momentum.  The expressions of the British and French envoys present changed from dull to worried.

    Elgin could not help but whispered to Bulbulon beside him: "Mr. Minister, what do you think about this?"

    Bulbulon's face was a little livid, but he still said stiffly: "They are very disciplined and neat. It seems that they have practiced for a long time, but I don't think these are of any use on the battlefield. The most powerful in the world  The army is still our French army."

    Elgin said oh.  He smiled and said, "I'm not asking who has the strongest army. I'm asking you what you think about the Taiping Rebellion's arrangement of this military parade."

    Bulbulon was slightly startled.  "This is provoking our two countries," he said.

    Mai Huatuo on the side suddenly said: "I don't think this is a provocation, Mr. Minister, they are just showing a kind of strength. After all, a large number of our expeditionary forces from India are gathering in Hong Kong, and the Western King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom must also  He is very afraid of us. He makes both sides aware of each other's strength. It is very good for political games."

    Erjin snorted.  Then he looked at Pero and asked, "My Major General, what do you have in mind?"

    Perro frowned and said: "They all use Kaman Laird rifles, with a range of about 500 yards and a rate of fire of five to six rounds per minute. The barrage can be achieved by relying on soldiers to fire in turns, but now we have started  Replacement with newer Enfield and Lancaster breech-loading rifles, with a range of five hundred yards and a rate of fire of ten to fifteen rounds per minute. It can completely suppress them in terms of rate of fire. And a country with a long coastline  , only the army cannot do it. I think we still maintain an advantage. But the discipline and perseverance they showed are admirable." Pei Luo seemed not to notice some minor changes in this standard weapon in the hands of the Taiping Army, fifth  The Sixth Army is already equipped with the brand-new Taiping 1856 rifle, which uses unified paper bullets and has a rate of fire of ten to eleven rounds per minute.

    Elgin said: "The major general explained to us the army's equipment and also commented on the spirit of this army. We can control the output of weapons to China, so there is no need to worry that the equipment of the Taiping Rebellion will be better than ours.  What I want to know more is what should we do now.¡±

    Peiro touched his beard and said only one sentence: "If war breaks out, we will need a large number of additional troops. The 20,000 expeditionary troops assembled in Hong Kong are far from enough. Your Excellency, we should consider adding another 30,000 to 50,000 expeditionary troops.  "

    Mai Huatuo chuckled and said: "Major General, your sanity finally defeated your arrogance and clearly analyzed the current situation. How many people are there in an army like the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom? I heard that including the two troops in front of me, there are six of them in total.  There are more than 200,000 troops in the army, and they are fighting on the mainland. Our current military strength is far from enough, and the Congress has given us another important task, which is to attack the Manchu and Qing government when necessary. If we really fight with China at the same time,  I think the parliament will never agree to a war started by a large military group, especially a war against the Taiping Army, which our businessmen will never agree to."

    Erjin nodded and said: "The young consul's analysis is correct.In order to avoid unnecessary friction with the Taiping Army, we must allow Hong Kong's military and fleet to exercise restraint.  After watching the performance of the Taiping Army, I suddenly had a suggestion, but I didn¡¯t know if the Taiping Army would agree to it.  "

    French Minister Bourblon has been listening and thinking. Hearing this, he said: "Does the Governor want the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to join our war against the Manchus?"

    Mai Huatuo and Pei Luo were both surprised when they heard this. They looked at Elgin and heard Elgin say: "A month ago, the Western King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom followed our advice and moved in front of the Manchu and Qing defense lines in the north.  Launched an effective local offensive and effectively contained the Qing army in the north, but the Qing army in the direction of Dagukou did not receive more effective reinforcements. Judging from the words of the Manchu prince, the Manchu Qing would not  Participate in the five-party talks with the participation of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, so the war will definitely start after the freeze at Dagukou is lifted early next year. And we do not need to engage in hostilities with the Taiping Army. What we need are strong allies, and we can even support the Taiping Army.  The army overthrew the decadent and conservative Manchu Qing government."

    After listening, Bulbulon first said: "Your Excellency the Governor's suggestion is very constructive, but I doubt the possibility of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom sending troops. You must know that there are still a large number of Qing troops to the south of them that have not been resolved. At the same time, the Manchu Qing Dynasty  Aren¡¯t there high-ranking officials in contact with us, hoping to cooperate with us? If the Taiping Army joins this war, after victory, the Manchu Qing Dynasty will cease to exist, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom will inevitably become the successor. They will not fight for our war.  The compensation paid for it, and I thought that maybe we wouldn¡¯t be able to get what we wanted at that time.¡±

    After listening to Bulbulon's words, Elgin, Maihua Tuo and Pei Luo also fell into deep thought. They saw five infantry phalanxes of the Taiping Army passing through the high platform one after another. Each phalanx was mighty and majestic.  The Chinese common people and gentry next to the high platform were cheering non-stop.

    I saw several British and French envoys watching and whispering.  Xiao Yungui sneered slightly in his heart. Wang Kaiyun, the Chief of the Naval Administration Department of Shanghai who was watching from the side, also saw it and asked in a low voice: "Your Highness, the Yi people seem to be discussing countermeasures. Do you want an interpreter to come over and listen to what they are saying?"

    Xiao Yungui waved his hand and smiled lightly and said: "No need. I know very well what they are planning. The infantry formation has passed. Look, the cavalry formation is coming."

    Wang Kaiyun quickly turned around, fearing that he would miss the opportunity to see the Taiping cavalry. He saw the Taiping cavalry phalanx marching under the high platform. At this time, the music of the military band changed and became more sonorous and powerful music.  The famous cavalry march of later generations.

    The cavalry in this phalanx are all white horses. What is rare is each cavalry and his mount.  They are all of equal height and march to music.  Each row and column moved at the same speed. The cavalry sat upright on their horses, with their sharp Chaksi sabers resting on their shoulders.  Looking within the range of the high platform, the two cavalry lieutenants in front of the formation curled up the sabers leaning on their shoulders, pointed straight forward, and roared loudly: "Expel the Tartars and restore China!"

    The three hundred and fifty white horse cavalry behind them also followed with a sword, and three hundred and fifty sabers pointed forward. In the dazzling cold light, a cry rose to the sky: "Drive out the Tartars and restore China!" The white war horses  Like snow, the sword in his hand is as bright as snow, with a line on the plume helmet, a line on the horse's head, and a line on the blade, as if they were neatly cut out with a knife. I don't know how these cavalry are trained.  Everyone on the high platform was stunned, and after a while, cheers burst out like a barrage of cheers.  What's even more rare is that the shouts and cheers from up and down the high platform are extremely noisy, but the cavalry in the square formation hold the sword in one hand, hold the reins in the other hand, and clamp the horse's belly with their legs. The horses are not affected by the noise at all. Bourblon saw  He couldn't help but applaud and said: "This cavalry is really elite. It is the most perfect cavalry formation I have ever seen. However, their horses are generally not as tall as our war horses."

    The gentry and the common people were particularly happy to see such a rare grand occasion with their own eyes. Many old people began to kneel on the ground and worship, murmuring "Master Wang, Master Wang, this is our  Mighty King Master!" "This is truly a mighty army. If you are lucky enough to see it in this life, you will have no regrets in dying." Someone even read a poem, "Dark clouds are pressing down on the city to destroy it, and the light of armor opens towards the golden scales of the sun. The horn sounds.  The autumn sky is filled with rouge and night purple. A half-rolled red flag is near the Yishui River, and the sound of heavy frost and cold drums cannot be heard. I report my wishes to you on the golden stage, and support the jade dragon to die for you."

    After the white horse cavalry phalanx passed by, it was followed by the red horse cavalry phalanx. The cavalry costumes and horses of this phalanx were all red. From a distance, it looked like a red cloud rolling in. Like the white horse phalanx in front, it was also uniform.  , walked over with great momentum, and among the red clouds, the white sword light was drawn out, which was even more eye-catching and beautiful.  The applause of the apprentice gentry beside the high platform was hoarse. Everyone stood and stretched their necks.I'm afraid I've missed a detail.

    The red horse phalanx is followed by the black horse phalanx. The black horse phalanx is all black armor and black horses, and their killing intent is even stronger. As the last phalanx, their momentum is even more domineering.

    At this point, the parade of more than 3,000 officers and soldiers in nine phalanxes was completed. The phalanxes of three thousand officers and soldiers all lined up in front of the high platform. At this time, the musical instruments of the military band stopped, and the cheers of the common people and gentry gradually subsided. Only Chen Bingwen and Pan Qiliang were seen.  The two men put away their sabers, stepped forward and shouted loudly to the tens of thousands of soldiers in the audience: "Drive out the Tartars and restore China!" The 80,000 officers and soldiers uniformly shouted: "Defend the home and the country! Who else but me?"  !" Tens of thousands of people shouted together, and the momentum was so moving. Among the common people and gentry, the timid ones were caught off guard. They were frightened by the shout and fell to the ground. Some of them had never seen such a posture before.  I was so scared that I peed my pants.

    After the shouting, Lin Qirong, the principal of the Martial Arts School, nodded and said to the two of them: "Start presenting the flag!" The order was passed down, and six flag guards were seen escorting a military flag each to the stage and stood still.  Stepping forward, after the two sides saluted each other, Xiao Yungui took the military flag from the guard's hand and handed the two military flags to the two military commanders Chen Bingwen and Pan Qiliang respectively.

    "The reorganization of the Fifth Army has been completed. We have specially awarded the title of the Fifth Army of the Kingdom of Heaven, and received the flag of the Jiaomujiao. I hope your troops will fight bravely to kill the enemy, expel the Tartars, restore China, and protect the homeland and the country!" After the words of the Western King finished, Chen  Bingwen saluted the military salute and took over the military flag, and responded loudly: "Swear to the death to serve the Kingdom of Heaven! The flag is where the people are!" Then Pan Qiliang also took over the Kang Jinlong military flag in the same way.

    Then Lin Qirong ordered the military parade to begin, and the military bugle sounded loudly. Nine phalanx soldiers were seen retreating to both sides to stand still. A phalanx soldier quickly put his equipment and muskets on the ground and followed him in formation.  Walking to the open space opposite the high platform, they began to walk out of the phalanx of later generations. After walking horizontally, they turned around and walked in vertical columns. The entire phalanx spread out. Under the command of the two lieutenants in front of the formation, 350  Ten soldiers started fighting to capture the enemy.  They were still in unison, the shouts seemed to come from one person, and the cheers from the sidelines were heard all over the place.  Then there were bayonet drills and equestrian drills, which made people so mesmerized that their voices became hoarse.

    At nearly noon that day, the entire drill ended, and the Taiping soldiers and horses left the field. The troops were still neat and orderly, without any appearance of disorder.  Some of the common people and squires wanted to go up and bring some water to the soldiers, but they were stopped by the soldiers on duty. The Taiping soldiers only waved to the common people, and no one came forward to take the common people's things.  A lieutenant started a chant, and all the Taiping officers and soldiers, regardless of the fact that they had not had any water during the drill, and their throats were dry and hoarse, they opened their throats and sang loudly together: "The sunset is red in the western mountains, and the soldiers are returning to the camp after training.  , the red flowers on the chest reflect the colorful clouds, and the happy songs are flying all over the sky" Following the singing, he walked towards his camp.  The scorching sun was in the sky, and the common people and gentry were reluctant to leave for a long time.

    On the high platform, Xiao Yungui walked to the British and French envoys and said with a smile: "The drill is over. What do you think the two envoys have to say?"

    Erjin stood up and said slowly: "What a spectacular military parade. Your Highness the King of the West, regarding the gathering of the Hong Kong Expeditionary Force, we will send a special military attache group to inform you at any time to show our sincerity."

    Xiao Yungui touched his beard and said with a smile: "That's natural. The expeditionary force will go to Shanghai later to meet up with the huge fleet of the coalition forces. We don't want any unnecessary friction between the coalition forces and our defenders while they are stationed in Shanghai.  When conflicts arise, it is better for both parties to be candid and trust each other."

    Bulbulon also stood up and said: "But His Highness the King of the West, for the sake of God, should you consider lowering the costs related to the fleet and expeditionary force's transshipment and material supply in Shanghai?"

    Xiao Yungui laughed and said: "There has been such a saying in Europe since ancient times, God's belongs to God, and the king's belongs to the king. These transshipment, port docking and other fees are what I, the king, should charge. Even the church and the pope cannot say  Or something, God will not deny me face because of this. Besides, the Shanghai port was provided to the coalition forces several times before, and the price was charged. We did not increase the price, but this time the army arrived,  We only charge one tael of silver per person per day for docking fees, which is already very cheap" (To be continued)
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