Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang both commanded the battle remotely. Zuo Zongtang entrusted Liu Jintang with the important task of the front line. Liu Jintang, known as Feather Fan Lunjin, Zhou Yu, was a military wizard and was deeply loved by the Qing soldiers. Zuo Zongtang could rest easy during the battle against the Hui army.
And Li Hongzhang has not yet made up his mind. The organization of the war in Taiwan is a bit messy. The Qing Dynasty had several armies fighting in Taiwan, but there was no unified deployment. They did not take advantage of the large number of soldiers and generals. Instead, they huddled in military fortresses and allowed the Japanese army to raid Taiwan. Ethnic minority areas in the east and west
Currently, Liu Mingdeng, the commander-in-chief of Taiwan Town, is nominally in charge of the overall situation. However, Liu Mingdeng is more than brave and strategic. During his tenure, frictions between the Taiwan garrison and Taiwan's ethnic minorities continued, causing Taiwan's ethnic minorities to establish xenophobic associations. The relationship between Taiwanese states and the Qing Dynasty declined. At the freezing point, the Qing government did not promote the noble character of spending money like water in etiquette. The Qing court did not do a good job in educating people, which caused a rift between the Qing Dynasty and the foreign countries in Taiwan.
Taiwan's foreign countries actually said that the Qing Dynasty was not trustworthy and it was really a dog bite. Lu Dongbin did not recognize good people. The Qing government sent supplies to Taiwan every year. The supplies only allowed Taiwanese people to pay a little sucrose. It was really a dog's conscience.
Liu Mingdeng only sent a telegram to the court asking for reinforcements to support Taiwan. He kept stating that the Japanese army had tens of thousands of soldiers and horses. The Qing army could only stand firm and wait for reinforcements, as if it was holding a strategic position. Liu Mingdeng did not dare to engage the Japanese army, so he resorted to shrinking tactics when the contact started. The main force of the army is stationed at Keelung Port
However, several military ministers have already analyzed that Taiwan is a desolate land with poor people, a sparse population, and cannot be self-sufficient in food. It is the deployment of Fujian and Guangdong that allowed the Qing Dynasty's 4,000 garrison troops to be stationed in Taiwan and Penghu.
If the Japanese army dispatched tens of thousands of people, how much manpower and material resources would it take to transport food and grass? Japan is short and thin, and the basic ration for one person is even half a catty. For 10,000 people, it is 5,000 catties of food. One month is 150,000 catties of food. It is necessary to transport 150,000 catties of food from the Japanese mainland or the Ryukyu Islands. During the war in Taiwan, there were astonishing losses. To transport 150,000 kilograms of grain, at least 200,000 kilograms of grain or more would have to be transported. This logistical pressure would cause the Japanese army to collapse, so the Japanese army would never send out 10,000 people at once. They still believed in the British intelligence. The dispatch of 3,000 troops has reached the limit of Japan's military strength.
If the Japanese army had dispatched tens of thousands of troops, they would not have been used to attack the land of Shengfan. They would have already broken through the Taiwan government and reached Keelung Port. They would have fought fiercely with Taiwan's ethnic minorities in the east and west of Taiwan. The Japanese army only inflicted bloody massacres on the Paiwan people. In retaliation, the Japanese army attacked the territory of the Paiwan people and adopted the principle of non-aggression towards other ethnic minorities. Instead, they used sugar-coated guns to win over the hearts and minds of Taiwan's ethnic minorities.
Li Hongzhang did not believe that the Japanese were so bold and dared to start a war against the Qing Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty's national power was far superior to Japan. Until now, the Japanese did not admit that they had invaded the Qing Dynasty's territory. In the initial stage of the war, the Japanese army used Taiwan's ethnic minority areas as Japan's The colony used this excuse to launch war against Taiwan's ethnic minorities. The Japanese army seized on the loopholes in the Qing Dynasty's national culture to use troops against Taiwan [
But even if the Japanese vanguard force only has 3,000 people, it will not be easy for the Qing army to fight. The Japanese army is an army with modern equipment, while the Qing army is scattered in various military fortresses. The weapons and equipment are backward and the military strength is weak.
The goal of the Japanese invasion of Taiwan was not to occupy the entire Taiwan at once, but to occupy a deep-water port. The first goal was to establish a bridgehead in Langqiao to build a military fortress. The primary strategic goal was to determine what to do militarily depending on the war situation. This is similar to the initial stage of Western colonial rule. The colonists first established themselves in a military fortress and then expanded outward. During this period, the colonists could live in harmony with the local ethnic minorities and pretended to be doing business. Some of the mercenary indigenous peoples also Thinking that trading with the colonists will bring huge profits, the indigenous people will only be massacred when the colonists are fully fledged.
In the Ming Dynasty, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded Korea, the Japanese army built military fortresses everywhere after landing in Korea. This allowed the Japanese army to make strategic adjustments after being defeated by the Ming army. They stayed in the military fortresses on the eastern coast of Korea so that the Ming army could not chew them. The two armies could only confront each other. China and Japan fought in Korea for two years. After the Japanese army could not afford the financial resources and national strength to support the war, coupled with the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Japanese army withdrew from Korea.
If the Japanese army is allowed to build a bridgehead and a huge military base in Langqiao, the Japanese army will launch an attack on the Qing army's garrison. At that time, the Japanese will have another excuse, saying: "It was the Qing army that fired first. The Japanese army was forced to defend themselves." How can this ghostly trick of "counterattack" blind the eyes of the world? Therefore, Li Hongzhang will never allow the Japanese army to gain a foothold in Taiwan. He sends his most powerful trump card "Li Guolou" to Taiwan Island. The two echo each other from afar. This battle is bound to win.
Li Hongzhang quite appreciated Li Guolou's idea of "promoting peace through war." War is a means and a fundamental thing. If you don't have the courage to fight, no matter how many troops you have, it will be useless. The harshness of Japanese military law is beyond human imagination. The enemy Qi Jiguang trained a modern army based on his example. Qi Jiguang compiled the "New Book of Records" and "Records of Military Training" which became the reference book for Japanese army training. The Japanese army learned from the enemy's strengths and developed an iron army with excellent technology and strong thinking, making the Japanese army fearless. Dare to use weakness to show off strength, even small countries dare to invade the territory of the Qing Dynasty
Li Hongzhang raised his eyes and saw a line of gulls circling the sky and water in front of the ship. Several mosquito ships were guarding the side. Thinking of the eighteen mosquito ships funded and built by Li Guolou, Li Hongzhang showed a pleased expression on his face. Li Guolou had a strategic vision. The dispatch of mosquito ships is very convenient. They can set off anytime and anywhere and can fight at any time. Even if a few mosquito ships are lost, it will still be a loss for the Beiyang Navy. Li Guolou’s unique vision and wolf pack tactics can compete with the Japanese armored monsters. It is still unclear who will win the battle. Even if the mosquito boat is defeated, it can escape back to the harbor. Its speed advantage allows the mosquito boat to move forward and retreat freely.
Japan is an island country. In the past hundred years, the Japanese navy has not been ravaged by Western powers. It has a large number of wooden warships, so it has surpassed the Qing Dynasty in the number of warships. The Japanese navy has cruisers and four battleships. The number is unknown. Some battleships were built by Japan itself, so the Qing army I don’t know how many Japanese battleships there are. The Japanese steel industry is weak. The material used for the frigates is mainly iron-clad, that is, the key parts of the hull are wrapped with steel. The main hull structure is made of wood, or is it a wooden structure? How different is it from the ships of the Qing Dynasty?
The four cruisers are obsolete warships of the United States. The United States suffered huge losses in national strength during the Civil War, so it sold off the four obsolete cruisers. It was with these four cruisers that the Japanese army fearfully invaded Taiwan. The Qing Dynasty only had two cruisers equipped with high-end weapons. The Qing Dynasty also lagged behind Japan. The only thing it had that was better than the Japanese Navy was that the Qing Dynasty had twenty mosquito ships that were imitations of British gunboats. The Qing Dynasty Navy had a slight advantage in warship speed.
The two cruisers of the Qing Dynasty are old warships bought from Britain. Li Hongzhang ordered two 10,000-ton cruisers from Prussia. They are not yet completed and are still being built in the Prussian shipyard. Li Hongzhang will not use his family money for naval battles, that is, two cruisers. The Qing Dynasty's navy will not take the initiative to engage in combat with the Japanese navy. Its main goal is to protect the water route from Mawei Port to Keelung Port and Penghu Luer Port. The Qing Dynasty's two cruisers will not take the initiative to attack unless it is absolutely necessary.
It is also questionable whether the Japanese army has the courage to invest four cruisers in one battle, because the Japanese cruisers are actually battleships with a tonnage of no more than 0.35 million tons. The Japanese cruisers are small in tonnage and slow in speed. Japan boasts that it has four cruisers, but it actually takes up a lot of space at sea. The dominant warship is still the old-fashioned two- or three-layer wooden naval gun, which is still mainly solid and imported in limited quantities from the United States.
The reason why the Qing army has only had 4,000 troops in Taiwan and Penghu for a hundred years and has not taken the road of military expansion is because Taiwan is very desolate and is not suitable for stationing a large number of troops. As the master, the Qing army cannot station a large number of troops in Taiwan. How can the Japanese army be an invader? 』The geographical conditions of Taiwan restricted the Japanese army from deploying tens of thousands of troops. Without an agricultural foundation, it was impossible for the enemy and us to use a large number of troops. We must know that the Japanese army invaded Ryukyu and it only took 500 Japanese troops to occupy it without a single blow. Although the three thousand Japanese troops in Ryukyu were not able to occupy the entire island of Taiwan, they were able to occupy a corner and build a military fortress.
Defeating the vanguard of the Japanese army was also very difficult for Li Hongzhang. The Japanese navy dominated the naval battle and Li Hongzhang was already frightened before the naval battle was fought. The Qing army dominated the army but lacked commanding generals. Only Liu Mingchuan and Li Guolou had been tested by blood and fire and were strong enough to take on the important task. The two tiger generals are stationed in Taiwan. Li Hongzhang has enough confidence to fight the Japanese army.
Li Hongzhang thought about it and looked at the ocean current map in his hand. The ocean current map of the four seasons in his hand showed that Li Guolou was thoughtful and well-qualified for the role of commander, which was more reassuring than Liu Mingchuan.
As for Taiwan Town Commander Liu Mingdeng, if he had not considered the military morale of the Taiwan garrison, would he have captured Liu Mingdeng now? Or would he have returned this reckless man to Zuo Zongtang and let Liu Mingdeng go to the northwest to use his remaining heat? Li Hongzhang made the most important decision in his life, Taiwan Island. During the war, Li Guolou served as the supreme commander. Liu Mingchuan and Liu Mingdeng were at the mercy of the general Li Guolou. He was given the title of "General Zhenhai Jingkou" by decree. I believe the two empress dowagers were happy for Li Guolou to be the general. The Penghu Islands were controlled by Shen Baozhen at Lu'er Port in Penghu. The Qing army's supply line in Taiwan would not be cut off. Logistics and transportation were left to Shen Baozhen to arrange these two moves. The dominance of the war in Taiwan was firmly in his hands until the two armies fought. Look at him fighting wits and courage with the Japanese. The iron-blooded prime minister of the East who is good at dancing dominates the negotiation table.
Li Hongzhang stood on the deck, stroking his three strands of beard, looking like a worldly master with an air of immortality. The Qing Dynasty had not appointed Han people as generals for more than a hundred years. The most famous one was the "Fuyuan General" Nian Gengyao. It is a pity that this happened. The man was sentenced to death by Emperor Yongzheng, and his successor General Ning Yuan, Yue Zhongqi, was almost beheaded by Emperor Qianlong. Fortunately, he died a good death [
Thinking of the completely different fates of the two generals, Li Hongzhang gave a sly smile. What happened to Li Guolou? If you look at the troubled life of the emperor's uncle Dorgon, you will know that after his death, Dorgon first pursued him as Emperor Cheng Zongyi and was later pursued by Emperor Shunzhi for conspiracy. There is no doubt that the future fate of Li Guolou will become a tragedy if he commits a crime and reduces his rank. However, this is the time to employ people. Li Hongzhang believed that Emperor Tongzhi would not do anything against the wishes of the empress dowagers of the two palaces, and he was happy to seal him. Li Guolou is the "General who Zhenhai Jingkou"
The army was afraid that changing generals before the battle would cause them to lose their morale. They had to be rigorous and quick in doing things, and then put them into practice after careful consideration. Li Hongzhang made up his mind and immediately sent a telegram to Prince Gong to explain his proposal to seal Li Guolou.
Li Hongzhang wrote in the telegram: "Li Guolou is loyal to the country and is good at using troops. He has gone through the Shenfengling Mountains and the baptism of the Weishan Lake Battle. He has a good understanding of mountain warfare and water warfare. The most valuable thing is that Li Guolou is good at mobilizing the enthusiasm of the local people to participate in the war." Possessing all the qualities of a commander, he is able to win unexpectedly and decisively in every battle. He takes the lead in every battle, has good strategy, good agility, and is able to cooperate with others. He invites you to go out of your way to express your mission. This extraordinary reward comes from the public heart. Nowadays, Taiwan's war is rotten, and various ministries are not under each other's control, resulting in a pattern of fighting independently. The war situation is not optimistic and requires a reputable general to unify the command. Li Guolou went to Taiwan to conquer Taiwan. As a result, he returned home in response to popular expectations. He asked Li Guolou to be conferred the title of "General Zhenhai Jingkou". He was appointed Prime Minister of Taiwan's Infantry and Horse Army and Commander-in-Chief of the Navy."
Of course, Li Hongzhang's trick had an ulterior motive. It was a bit hasty to confer the title of general on Li Guolou. He gave Li Guolou's troops several troops and horses, but the total number of tens of thousands of troops was far from the grand occasion of the general's response. In the end, It is to give Li Guolou a false title. It is used to comfort the hearts of the empress dowagers of the two palaces. It makes the empress dowagers of the two palaces worry more about the war in Taiwan and gives him enough time to calmly deal with various crises in Mawei Port.
After Li Hongzhang finished sending the telegram, before Prince Gong could reply, Fan Bianrun took Li Hongzhang's telegram and went to congratulate Li Guolou.
Li Guolou was on another ship, and Bian Runse was riding a mosquito boat by climbing the cable on the hull before boarding the ship with great effort. Li Guolou thought that Bian Runse was delivering the latest military order, but he didn't expect it to be a ship. Li Guolou was so shocked when he saw Li Hongzhang granting him the command of the war in Taiwan. Before he arrived at Mawei Port, Li Hongzhang made up his mind to use him instead of Liu Mingchuan. This was a great joy for him. He could finally plan Taiwan according to his ideas. With the secret code in hand, there is no need to worry about the inability to coordinate the war. As for the big hat of "General Zhenhai Jingkou", Li Guolou smiled and did not take it seriously.
"Thank you, Military Master Fan, for your kind words. I will definitely recover the lost territory of Taiwan. Just look at it. However, the official title of 'General Zhenhai Jingkou' is too big. I will never accept it. Isn't this depriving me of my military power? Now that I am in glory, let me go back after the war is over." Go home and farm. Military Master Fan went back and told Mr. Fu that I am not stupid. The faster I rise, the faster I fall. I still let me lead the fleet to sea. I will never let down Mr. Fu's trust." Li Guolou saw through Li Hongzhang's trick. Accept a heavy responsibility but don’t hold it in vain
Fan Bianrun laughed and said: "Well, it's a good thing that young people are willing to work down-to-earth. Since Li Guolou is still willing to be a general officer in the Xinwu Army, I think we can learn from the Song Dynasty's military system of two towns. That’s not allowed either.”
Li Guolou perked up when he heard this. This is what he wanted. He clapped his hands and said: "Master Fan, please really ask Master Fan to tell Mr. Fu that Baoding Military Academy should also be handed over to me. The ideological work of the army will be handed over to me later." I will definitely sing a triumphant song again and the glory belongs to Mr. Fu Xiang."
Li Guolou handed a codebook to Fan Fanrun and said awkwardly: "Master Fan, this is the codebook for transmitting messages between Liu Liu Mazi and I. This codebook will be used until the end of June. I will use this codebook to communicate with Mr. Fu after the end of June." The codebook shall prevail”
"Well, let me tell you that I hope the code book you compiled is better than the code book written by Hong Jun, the Minister of Civil Affairs." Feng Yanrun looked at Li Guolou in great surprise. The ambitious Li Guolou regarded the military academy as a whole. It's more important for the general officer to do things. As expected, he is experienced and has his own principles in dealing with people.
Li Guolou smiled slightly and did not disparage Hong Jun. He was almost sixty years old. How could he be a flexible and intelligent example? Run carefully put the code book as thick as a dictionary into his pocket and climbed down from the cable of the hull to Li Hongzhang. Li Guolou returned to Li Hongzhang. He is too cunning. He has just turned over the secret code book to the public now. It is not easy to deal with Li Guolou. Li Guolou is the master of the Ministry of Punishment. He was afraid that if he said something wrong and Li Guolou would hate him for the rest of his life, he also wanted his descendants to be close to the big tree of Li Guolou.