"Sir, the banquet for taking the wind and washing the dust is ready," Xu Yuegui came up to her with a smile on her face and reported in a low voice, "it's from Young Master Cheng.
"Oh," Luo Yaoguo quickly regained his composure and raised his hand to Cheng Fupei, "Thank you, brother Zeng."
Cheng Fupei waved his hand: "It's me who should be grateful... If it weren't for Xueyan and you sending Nan Gan to escort us all the way, my roommate and I would never have been able to reach Shanghai."
"How are you along the way?" Luo Yaoguo asked with concern.
"It's been smooth sailing." Cheng Fupei nodded and said, "After arriving in Shanghai, Master Wu took care of me, and I finally settled down... I don't know how long it will last."
What he said was a bit meaningful - Archangel Luo is here in person, and things may change in Shanghai!
"Don't worry!" Luo Yaoguo looked at this good brother who "fell like old friends at first sight" and said with a smile, "Master Wu and I have discussed it, and we will organize team training together to protect Shanghai!"
"That's great..." Cheng Fupei nodded towards Wu Jianzhang, his eyes a little complicated, and said, "Master Wu, you can't go wrong with Xue Yan in organizing regiment training. Xue Yan knows how to train troops with Western methods, but it's a pity that he is a scholar. When he was invited to Hunan, Changmao had already invaded Changsha. Despite all the difficulties, he had only completed the training of the Snow Character Camp, but there were not enough foreign guns available."
Wu Jianzhang nodded lightly. He was an old foreigner and had been a customs supervisor in Shanghai for several years. He certainly knew what foreign soldiers looked like. When he saw the "Snow Character Camp" today, he knew that they were elite soldiers trained by foreign methods. Otherwise, he would not have thought of asking Luo Xueyan to stay and protect Shanghai together.
Cheng Fupei then said to Luo Yaoguo: "Xue Yan, you and Mr. Wu's team training should be counted as my share. I will give you one hundred thousand taels of silver to help you, and I will also join your team to help you with the paperwork."
Luo Yaoguo immediately understood what Cheng Fupei, or Cheng Zicai, meant.
Old Chengtou has discovered an investment opportunity!
Now that the situation of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is very good, Luo Yaoguo came to Shanghai and made it clear that he would launch an armed uprising. Old Chengtou had no chance in the Qing Dynasty. Of course, he must seize the opportunity of Shanghai's uprising and make a big investment. If the investment can be successful, Luo Tiantian's confidant, he is old and a loyal man of the Qing Dynasty, so it is inconvenient for him to leave the country. But his son has never been a minister of the Qing Dynasty. It would be great to seek refuge in the Kingdom of Heaven and become a founding hero... It is true that there are three governors in one department. It makes sense, this family has a unique way of being an official!
Luo Yaoguo naturally welcomed Cheng Fupei to join the team. Although this man was not a great talent, he was a genuine scholar. He had worked in his father's secretariat for many years. In fact, he was his father's chief military advisor, and his administrative experience was There is no shortage of them, and the articles must be excellent. He is completely qualified to be a secretary-general or something like that.
Luo Yaoguo still lacks such talents around him now.
Moreover, it is absolutely impossible for Cheng Zicai and Cheng Fupei to betray the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. If the old Chengtou paid money to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to do something about the loyalty of the Qing Dynasty, if it were revealed, it would really bring shame to the ancestors. Xianfeng would not tolerate him, and Shilin Qingliu They won't want him either. He won't get anything by selling Luo Yaoguo. It's better to follow it wholeheartedly. He himself will be a loyal hero, and his son will be the founding hero of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. How good would it be for both father and son to be "clean"?
"Then thank you so much, brother Zeng." Luo Yaoguo smiled and arched his hand towards Cheng Fujian, then called to Wu Jianzhang and said, "Master Wu, let's talk while eating. How about we first talk about how to organize a large-scale team training in Shanghai?" "
"Master Wu, Master Wang, Brother Fu Pei, Master Wu... What I mean is that since we have all come to Shanghai and want to create a world in Shanghai, we should not distinguish each other anymore. We are all Shanghainese. Let’s start a Shanghai New Army together!
In Tongshun Building, on the table brought by Cheng Fupei, it was already time for the five dishes and the three drinks. Luo Yaoguo, who had been traveling all the way and didn’t have much to eat or drink, put down his chopsticks with satisfaction and took a piece. Wiping his mouth with a handkerchief, he could get down to business. "How to build a new Shanghai army?" Wu Jianzhang asked with interest, "I wonder what we can do with this new army? What's so new about it?"
Luo Yaoguo replied: "The new army has several new features: first, new military system, second, new training, third, new military tactics, and fourth, new equipment."
"What is the new military system?" Wu Jianzhang asked following Luo Yaoguo's words.
"The so-called new military system means adopting a Western-style military system. My brother's idea is to introduce the military system of the French Emperor Napoleon I. First, set up a division in Shanghai. One division governs two brigades, one brigade governs two regiments, and one division governs two regiments. The regiment has two to three battalions, and each battalion has five to nine companies. Under the division headquarters, there are one battalion of artillery, one battalion of workers, one battalion of carriages, and one battalion of cavalry. One division is fully equipped with 9,000 people and is equipped with 36 cannons. .”
"Then what is new training?" Wu Jianzhang asked next.
"The so-called new training means, of course, using Western-style military drills and inviting officers and veterans from France, England, and the United States to help us train soldiers."
"Does the new military strategy use foreign military techniques?" Wu Jianzhang asked again.
"That's of course, you either don't learn it, or if you want to learn it, learn the whole thing!" Luo Yaoguo gave an affirmative answer, "I have learned military systems and drills, how can I not learn command and application? Moreover, in the Western Warring States Period for thousands of years, there were endless attacks. In modern times, Since then, it has destroyed countless countries in the world, and its military skills must be formidable. If we, China, want to stand among the great powers, we should learn from the barbarians and develop skills to control them."
Wu Jianzhang nodded slightly: "Then the new equipment must be buying foreign guns and cannons?
Luo Yaoguo's new equipment is full-width Western-style firearms and artillery.
The infantry's swords and spears were all eliminated and all used foreign guns and bayonets, and the artillery also used foreign guns and bayonets.
Always use foreign cannons!"
Wu Jianzhang tapped his fingers on the wine table and whispered:
"A division of nine thousand men and thirty-six guns must be equipped with at least six thousand guns.
Gun?
To be honest, I already have four thousand foreign guns on hand. One thousand of them were originally intended for training regiments in Shanghai County, one thousand are in Tongshun, and two thousand are in the warehouse of Qichang Yanghang. In order to send them to Suzhou to Yifutai, you can move them first, so that there will be enough for four thousand. The two thousand brown basses and eighteen twelve-pound cannons you bought from Matheson should be able to be sold. That's the price. Question. Now that we have gathered all the foreign guns, we are still short of eighteen cannons. We can just buy some more from the French and Americans."
"We need to buy as many foreign guns and artillery as possible." Luo Yaoguo said. "Firstly, we have to train new troops in Hunan. Secondly, the foreign stocks in East Asia are limited. We have bought them all. We can't buy long hairs." .
I have prepared five hundred thousand taels of silver. Brother Zeng has invested again.
One hundred thousand taels..."
Luo Yaoguo said half of his words, and then he looked at Wu Jianzhang. Wu Jianzhang felt very happy and said with a smile: "Brother Xuesong, I will invest 100,000 first and use the guns I bought from foreigners to pay for it!
Understand, how much do you invest?
If Major Ma Hui tomorrow, Consul Aitang the day after tomorrow, and Consul A Liguo the day after tomorrow all support us, then I will invest another 500,000! There are also more than a thousand people in the group training I organized in Shanghai County, and then they will be handed over to Brother Xueyan .
I have a grandson named Chao Chao. He also understands some foreign affairs and can speak French and English. You can let him join your shogunate to help. He is very familiar with Ma Hui, the consul of the United States. Tomorrow I will go with Chao Chao to invite Ma Hui. Major Hui, come to Tongshun Hall for a casual meal. I also have two subordinates, one named Liu Lichuan and the other named Li Yunxian. They are the ones who helped me organize the regiment training in Shanghai. Wait until you and the consul of Aliguo have reached an agreement. , just ask them to come to you to help.”
This Wu Jianzhang is still a bit cautious. Even if the Taiping Army is getting closer, he is still unwilling to "blindly invest". He still has to wait for Luo Yaoguo, Ailiguo, Aitang, and Ma Hui, the three foreign consuls, to reach an agreement. , only after receiving the full support of foreigners was he willing to place a heavy bet.
Chapter completed!