Guangzhou Bay is quite lively at the moment. Warships stretch for dozens of miles with no end as far as the eye can see. Countless sailors are practicing and testing cannons on them.
Zhu Yuanzhang stood on a battleship, overlooking the 28 paddle-wheel battleships firing guns in the most conspicuous position.
This is a fleet that he assembled from coastal shipyards in the early Ming Dynasty and bases in Guangzhou, and integrated all resources to jointly build it over a year.
Eighty percent of the cannons mounted on it were imported from Germany, and they were the latest rifled breech-loading artillery.
The remaining 20% was smuggled from the British Empire at a high cost.
It has to be said that these capitalists from the British Empire were extremely bold and could rival Shanxi merchants in the late Ming Dynasty.
As long as you have enough money, they will dare to do anything for you.
Although this fleet now dare not say that it will fight head-on with the British Royal Navy, it can still easily defeat a dozen clear water divisions.
Zhu Yuanzhang spent a lot of money for these artillery pieces.
Adding in 30,000 pieces of army equipment, as well as various lathes and production lines, he spent almost all the money he gained from confiscating the gentry in Guangdong Province, and also lost several shiploads of silk and porcelain shipped from the early Ming Dynasty.
To be honest, since he led Xu Da and others to start the rebellion, this was the first time that he spent money so lavishly. This made Zhu Yuanzhang, who had always been extremely frugal, feel heartbroken and tremble.
But Zhu Yuanzhang understood that the money had to be spent.
Because this is the only way to increase the combat effectiveness of the army in a short period of time.
Although he has not received the exact information, he knows very well that starting from the killing of the two ships of British Japs two years ago, there must be a war between the Ming Dynasty and the British.
In the past two years, he gathered the Red Flag Gang and attacked Guangzhou. He spared no effort to build a fleet. All actions were to organize the army to prepare for this battle.
This battle will determine whether the Ming Dynasty's fleet can enter the deep sea and compete with many Western countries for maritime hegemony in the next thirty years.
So this battle must be won.
“We still have to find a way to open source it!”
"Our productivity in the Ming Dynasty has just recovered. It is impossible to keep using things there to transport things here in the late Qing Dynasty." Zhu Yuanzhang thought about the silver and was slightly worried.
"Father, if you just want to make money, I have an idea!"
Next to him, Zhu Biao smiled and said: "I heard here that a lot of silver mines were discovered in the Japanese country, and it is called the country of silver. Then wouldn't it be the same over there? If we defeat the Japanese country..."
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up. This is a good idea!
When Zhu Biao saw the look in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, he knew that Lao Zhu was already interested.
He immediately hid his merits and fame and said no more.
"Little devil, don't blame me for being cruel!"
"The German equipment is really too expensive!" Zhu Biao thought silently.
Now there are 30,000 regular navy troops entering Guangzhou Bay. Zhu Yuanzhang did not recruit these people from Guangzhou. Instead, he used the pirates of the Red Flag Gang as the skeleton. The rest were all selected from the early Ming Dynasty soldiers with good water skills to lead them.
Came here.
This navy has been training in Guangzhou Bay for three full months since it was formed.
In order to show the importance he attached to this new navy, Zhu Yuanzhang directly recruited Chang Yuchun and made him the marshal of the navy.
With this fleet, he will not only fight all over the world here, but he will also bring it all back to the early Ming Dynasty in the future.
In addition to the regular army, there is also a miscellaneous army of more than 100,000 people. These are basically small boats owned by nearby fishermen, as well as warships captured by some pirates in Guangzhou Bay recently.
These 100,000 people belong to the temporary navy. Many of them came spontaneously after hearing that Zhu Yuanzhang was vigorously organizing the navy to prepare for a decisive battle with the British.
There is no other reason for forming these 100,000 people. There are so many people who want to fight the British devils and the public opinion is fierce, so we have to do it.
Just in response to what the people said when the opium was sold out in Humen, this time as long as the British dare to come, the people of Guangdong will drown these people with a drop of spit.
In this regard, Zhu Biao could only lament that Lao Zhu's popularity, at least in Guangdong Province, has completely won over the people!
Government House of Hong Kong.
Li Hongzhang, the special envoy from the Manchu Qing Dynasty, waited with great ambition for the foreign master's audience.
He took the initiative to come to Hong Kong because he saw an opportunity.
Zeng Guofan was unwilling to come because he was already in a high position and held power, and he also wanted to protect his reputation. The senior officials of the Manchu Dynasty were trying to pass each other off because this time they were going to seek help from foreigners, and they could not lose face because of their status as a sovereign nation.
But Li Hongzhang is willing!
He is just a small Hanlin Academy scholar in Beijing, an inconspicuous figure.
If he continues to waste time in the court, it will probably take another twenty years for him to make his mark.
Originally, the plan he had set for himself was to go back to his hometown and persuade his father to contact relatives and friends to provide money for team training and form the Huai Army, just like Zeng Guofan.
But when he heard that the imperial court planned to send envoys to Hong Kong to persuade the British army to attack Guangdong, he immediately smelled an opportunity.
An opportunity for rapid promotion and fortune.
So he immediately wrote to Emperor Xianfeng to express his willingness to go, and in addition to convincing his teacher Zeng Guofan to write a letter of recommendation for him, he finally won the position without any danger.
Sure enough, in order to show respect for foreigners, the imperial court directly promoted him, a humble scholar in the Hanlin Academy, to the right minister of the Ministry of Industry.
Although it is a false title, the false title is still an official!
Until this moment, Li Hongzhang was still secretly proud of the wonderful move he had made.
The right minister of the Ministry of Industry in his thirties is unprecedented in ancient times and modern times!
And if he can handle this errand well, he will immediately be in the heart of the emperor and save twenty years of struggle.
For this reason, he has made 100% preparations for this trip to Hong Kong by mobilizing relatives and old friends and making full use of human connections.
"Mr. Li, the Qing government must give me an explanation regarding the incident of Hong Kong gangsters banning smoking and killing Chinese citizens."
The Governor of Hong Kong strode over with an indifferent look on his face. Before he arrived, he had already taken the initiative, intending to seize the initiative in the negotiations.
"Your Excellency William, don't be angry. This is why I am here." Li Hongzhang stood up, saluted calmly, and spoke confidently.
"With all due respect, the incompetence of your Qing government has greatly disappointed the British Empire. The bandits in Guangzhou have been entrenched for more than a year, and you have not sent troops to attack them at all. This is unbelievable to me!" William said solemnly.
"Your Excellency William, we, the Qing Dynasty, want to wipe out the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom banditry in China, but we really can't get away, so this time we want to ask your fleet for help to wipe out the pseudo-Ming rebellion in Guangzhou. As long as the pseudo-Ming Dynasty can be completely wiped out, I, the Qing Dynasty, are willing to
I will lease the city of Guangzhou to your country for ten years."
Li Hongzhang dropped a bombshell as soon as he left his mouth, and as expected, the Governor of Hong Kong was stunned with one shot.