Du Dayong, the naval governor of Fujian, held a banquet to welcome the Imperial Navy of Great China.
They exchanged glasses at the banquet, and Du Dayong recalled his experience in the navy, which brought them closer to each other.
He toasted to several generals of the Dahua Navy.
He quickly drank down the wine in his hand and said with emotion: "The Fujian Navy under my command is too weak. If it is weak, it is often bullied by other forces.
I am overjoyed that all the generals from the empire can come to Fujian.
If you can come, we will be confident.
When the King of Fujian heard the news, he was overjoyed. He had already set off from Cairo and would be here soon."
Du Dayong kept his posture very low, holding Li Pinglang and others in his arms.
The Imperial Navy of Great China is the main force against the navies of European countries, and they are also guest troops.
Make these people feel uncomfortable and not work hard to deal with the enemy.
With the powerful strength of the Dahua Empire Navy, it can find excuses to withdraw from the battlefield at any time.
When the time comes, it will be their country, Fujian, that suffers the consequences.
Even if he couldn't figure out this kind of thing, Du Dayong couldn't be the naval governor of Fujian.
Li Pinglang felt very comfortable listening to Du Dayong's words, and everyone wanted to be supported.
What's more, they represent the navy of the Great China Empire, and they can't help but feel a bit arrogant in front of the navy of the vassal country.
He also knew that what Du Dayong said was polite. The main purpose of the visit of Fujian King Zhang Yuliang was to preside over the opening of the Suez Canal.
The drink was very pleasant, when he heard Du Dayong ask whether it was because he encountered a problem on the road that he was so late.
Li Pinglang thought that there was no need to hide the matter about Cai Guo. In a few days, with the exchange of businessmen, the surrounding countries would know the news.
He briefly explained that the first mission of the fleet was to escort King Wu Jie of Cai to establish a country in the Arabian Peninsula.
When Du Dayong heard the news, he was stunned for a moment.
This news was so important that I didn’t expect that a new country would be added to the neighboring countries of Fujian.
The emergence of Cai Guo will definitely have a certain impact on Fujian.
When the King of Fujian makes strategic arrangements, he needs to take the variable Cai Guo into consideration.
Du Dayong was just stunned for a moment, and then his face was immediately filled with smiles, and he introduced the situation around Fujian to the naval generals of the Dahua Empire.
He knows which is more important. The most important task now is to serve the Imperial Navy of Great China.
…………………………
The King of Fujian Zhang Yuliang, the Prime Minister of Fujian Hu Qiwen, and the Governor of Fujian Niu Xiuqing took a train and rushed towards the Red Sea Port, the entrance to the Suez Canal.
When the King of Fujian Zhang Yuliang received the news from the Navy Governor Du Dayong, he immediately led all the civil and military officials of Fujian who had already prepared to the Red Sea Port.
The navigation of the Suez Canal is very important to Fujian.
The Suez Canal is not only a strategic waterway, it is also a huge gold mine.
Even if Fujian's strategy fails and future generations are ruined, as long as the Suez Canal exists, it can at least guarantee Fujian's prosperity for hundreds of years.
When Fujian was just founded and the country's foundation was still very weak, their rulers and ministers decided that the Suez Canal must be built.
The Fujian state paid a huge price to build this strategically important canal.
Just the hard expenditure for mining hard cores is as high as 34 million taels of silver coins.
Even when the war between Fujian and the Ottoman Empire reached a stalemate, it was an extremely difficult moment for Fujian.
The King of Fujian Zhang Yuliang did not stop the excavation of the Suez Canal.
There are dense jungles on both sides of the canal, and there are all kinds of infectious diseases and poisonous insects.
The most rampant one is malaria. Artemisinin, a special drug introduced from the Great China Empire, can effectively control this infectious disease.
Even if malaria was controlled, the mortality rate among canal-digger workers was extremely high.
Fujian dug the Suez Canal, and more than 80,000 people sacrificed their lives.
There were only a small number of Han immigrants, most of whom were captives left behind by the Ottoman Turkish Empire.
The Suez Canal was able to be dug so quickly, which is closely related to the large amount of steam machinery imported from the Great China Empire.
Niu Xiuqing, the governor of Fujian, saw some silence in the train box.
He knew that everyone was worried about the opening of the Suez Canal, which represented a change in Fujian's strategic direction.
The war situation in the west of the Sinai Peninsula has fallen into a state of anxiety, and there is no way to achieve a breakthrough in a short time.
Once the Suez Canal is open to navigation, the Fujian navy will be able to escort the land army and threaten the Ottoman Turkish Empire provinces across the Mediterranean.
If Greece, controlled by the Ottoman Turkish Empire, is captured, it will threaten Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Turkish Empire.
Even if the Fujian army fails to fight effectively, the Ottoman Turkish Empire must send troops to return reinforcements.
This will reduce the pressure on the main battlefield.
The only problem now is the opening of the Suez Canal, which may stimulate European countries to take the initiative to attack Fujian.
This is why Zhang Yuliang, the king of Fujian, tried every means to use the power of the Dahua Empire.
Niu Xiuqing, the Governor-General of Fujian, said: “The Suez Canal is a major strategic turning point for Fujian.
If we can get through this hurdle, then the sea will be vast and the fish will leap forward, and the country of Fujian will have great potential."
Fujian Prime Minister Hu Qiwen nodded and said: "That is indeed the case, but I am more concerned about how much silver coins can be brought by the opening of the Suez Canal.
When we built the Suez Canal, a large sum of money was obtained through bonds.
The continuous wars in recent years have also drained the national treasury.
We have a large desert here, and it is impossible to engage in planting to accumulate national capital.
If the Suez Canal is welcomed by businessmen, we will just sit back and collect the money, and we will no longer have to worry about not being able to pay for future wars."
The King of Fujian Zhang Yuliang was very confident and said: "I am not worried about the income from the Suez Canal.
In order to facilitate the passage of large cargo ships, the Suez Canal was widened and the river bed was dug deeper.
The Great China Empire had extremely frequent trade with European countries, and taking the Suez Canal could save half the journey.
The route around the Cape of Good Hope in Europe is extremely dangerous and encounters huge waves from time to time.
The Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea are very calm, with almost no big waves.
Even businessmen will inevitably use the Suez Canal for safety.
The only issue that I am worried about now is the combat effectiveness of the Great China Empire Navy.
Our previous strategic arrangements were all based on the fact that the Imperial Navy of China could hold back the navies of various European countries.
Once the Imperial Navy of Great China cannot stop the coalition of European navies, our situation will be very difficult."
They each have their own worries. The trains in Fujian are just trains that have been eliminated by the Dahua Empire, and their speed is relatively slow.
But the distance between Cairo and the Red Sea Port is very close, and it only took them less than a day to get to the Red Sea Port.
Zhang Yuliang of Fujian went to the military port as soon as possible to observe the warships of the Imperial Navy of China.
He briefly learned about the armored ships of the Great China Empire from the telegram reported by Governor Du Dayong.
But the ironclad ship on paper can only be imagined based on the reports from its subordinates.
Now Zhang Yuliang, the king of Fujian, took a breath when he saw the armored ship parked in the military port.
No matter how hard he described it in words, he couldn't imagine what an ironclad ship looked like before he saw it.
This is the armored ship that Emperor Su He of Great China has always been thinking about, the future warship of the navy in his mouth.
After the King of Fujian Zhang Yu showed off his sword and armored warship, he strongly agreed with the idea of Emperor Su He of Great China.
This behemoth, made of steel plates riveted together, represents the strongest strength of the world's navy.
In front of the ironclads, all sailing warships became vulnerable sampans.
Even if the number of these ironclad ships is smaller, there is no problem at all in holding back the navies of various European countries.
Li Pinglang heard that the King of Fujian Zhang Yuliang had arrived here, and he asked the captains to stay behind on the warships.
He and Chief of Staff Gu Zhonghuang went to see Zhang Yuliang, King of Fujian.
Li Pinglang and Gu Zhonghuang received Zhang Yuliang, the king of Fujian.
Li Pinglang met Zhang Yuliang several times. At that time, he was not the king of Fujian, but he was a strong and strong man.
After Zhang Yuliang, the king of Fujian, became the king of the country, his body became obviously fatter.
If his face hadn't changed much, Li Pinglang would have been almost unrecognizable.
He immediately made a military salute and said: "Greetings to the King of Fujian."
Gu Zhonghuang saluted with Li Pinglang.
As soldiers of the Great China Empire, they did not need to salute the king of the vassal country.
However, Zhang Yuliang, the king of Fujian, had a special status and had to salute. It was not appropriate for them to give a big salute. Military salute was the most appropriate choice.
The King of Fujian Zhang Yuliang immediately stepped forward and shook hands with the two of them.
"I've been waiting for you guys. I wrote to Brother Su He to exchange letters. If there is trouble here in Fujian, I asked him to help my brother.
I really didn't expect that Brother Su He would send the famous Admiral Li of the Imperial Navy.
The Fujian Navy has limited strength and can only help the Imperial Navy.
But our country, Fujian, will definitely become a qualified steward, and whatever needs the imperial navy fleet has, Fujian will definitely do its best to meet them."
Chief of Staff Gu Zhonghuang heard that the Fujian King Zhang Yuliang and the Emperor Su He were brothers, and he did not even care about the superiority of the monarch and his ministers.
Gu Zhonghuang was very dissatisfied with the Fujian King Zhang Yuliang, so he gave the opportunity of communication to Admiral Li Pinglang.
When Li Pinglang heard what Zhang Yuliang, the king of Fujian, said, he could understand.
Zhang Yuliang, the king of Fujian, no longer regarded the relationship between the two countries as the relationship between monarch and minister, but as the relationship between the suzerain state and the vassal state.
This is the normal relationship between the two countries now. The ministers and the lord must have two different attitudes towards the emperor.
Li Pinglang said politely: "His Majesty the Emperor took a fancy to my talents and asked me to lead the fleet to support the King of Fujian. I will definitely go all out to cooperate with the American strategy."
He showed his attitude and reassured the rulers and ministers of Fujian about the imperial fleet.
In Li Pinglang's mind, the most important task this time was to test the performance of the ironclad ship in actual combat.
Other tasks are irrelevant to him.
He chose to cooperate with Fujian's actions to make all parties happy.
Fujian is a local leader, and the Imperial Navy is still very useful when fighting in this area.
The king of Fujian, Zhang Yuliang, had a great discussion with Li Pinglang, and they reached various consensuses in a few words.
"The Suez Canal is ready for the opening ceremony. I would like to invite Admiral Li and others to visit the opening ceremony. Do you have time?"
Li Pinglang heard the invitation from the Fujian King Zhang Yuliang. One of his tasks when he came here was to judge the strategic value of the Suez Canal.
"The King of Fujian warmly invites us. We must participate in the navigation ceremony. We hope that the armored cruiser can also participate in the navigation ceremony.
I don’t know if the Suez Canal can pass our warships.”
When the king of Fujian Zhang Yuliang heard this request, he was extremely happy.
There will inevitably be spies from other forces on both sides of the Suez Canal.
When they see an armored cruiser, they will be directly intimidated by such a warship and dare not take the initiative to attack, giving them the opportunity to organize their army.
"Admiral Li is willing to participate in the navigation ceremony. Our country of Fujian welcomes it very much. I will make arrangements now."
…………………………
On August 13, 4343 (AD 1646), the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal was held at the Red Sea Port.
Fujian Prime Minister Hu Qiwen was responsible for presiding over this ceremony.
Li Pinglang, a representative of the Great China Empire, stood on the left hand side of the Fujian King Zhang Yuliang and observed the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal.
They are on a gorgeous cruise ship. There are more than thirty ships in total today, as the first batch of people to experience it.
Fujian Prime Minister Hu Qiwen came to the microphone, surrounded by expensive loudspeakers.
Sounds carrying the noise of electricity came from the loudspeakers.
“Our ancestors built the world-famous Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in China, allowing the north and south of China to be smoothly connected by water.
As the younger generation, we continue to work hard to build the Suez Canal and connect the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
From Asia to Europe, there is a shortcut."
"I declare that the Suez Canal is officially open to navigation."
Huge gun salutes sounded all around, and the band also played various musical instruments.
The magnificent cruise ship on which Prince Zhang Yuliang of Fujian was aboard was the first to enter the Suez Canal from the Red Sea.
The ship was driven through the Suez Canal at a slow speed, pulled by traction ropes on both sides.
Zhang Yuliang, King of Fujian, lamented: “When the wind is against the wind, it is difficult to adjust the sail angle in the canal to obtain sufficient power.
We use the steam engine to drive the traction rope and pull the ship.
From now on, every ship will use a paddle wheel or a propeller, so there won’t be such trouble.”
The cruise ship soon saw a huge lock ahead.
The embankment of the Suez Canal is extremely high. From a low cruise ship looking to both sides of the canal, the embankment will block your view.
The ship lock is made of reinforced concrete and fixed to the embankment.
"Under normal circumstances, the Suez Canal does not require locks.
But if there are large-tonnage ships that want to pass through the canal, the width and depth of the canal can be temporarily increased by storing water in the locks."
This is only an insignificant role of the ship lock. What Fujian King Zhang Yuliang did not say is that the ship lock's greatest role is to destroy the Suez Canal quickly and easily.
If you don't expect victory, you expect defeat.
If the Fujian strategy fails, the Suez Canal must be blocked at an extremely fast speed.
In this way, Fujian can get a chance to breathe and hopefully drive away the enemy.
Li Pinglang saw the lock system of the Suez Canal and admired the people who designed this system.
He looked back at the Qilian Shan, which could still pass smoothly through the Suez Canal even when the lock system was not activated.
If the Imperial Ironclad Battleships or larger armored ships are unable to pass through the Suez Canal in normal times, the lock system will be of great help.
They saw some turbid water again, which was already the water of the Mediterranean Sea.
Ships are coming out of the Suez Canal one after another, and they are heading to the port of Cairo.
This marks that the Suez Canal is officially capable of navigation.
The King of Fujian Zhang Yuliang saw that the Suez Canal he had longed for was officially opened to navigation.
He said happily: "The opening of the Suez Canal has shortened the distance between Asia and Europe.
The world will change because of this." (End of chapter)
