Add Bookmark | Recommend this book | Back to the book page | My bookshelf | Mobile Reading

Free Web Novel,Novel online - All in oicq.net -> Historic -> Xinshun Steel Century

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

Previous page        Return to Catalog        Next page

    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.
Didn't finish reading? Add this book to your favoritesI'm a member and bookmarked this chapterCopy the address of this book and recommend it to your friends for pointsChapter error? Click here to report