Li Hongzhang looked through the code book compiled by Li Guolou and listened to Fan Fanrun's words. The expression on his face was uncertain. Li Guolou was like a cunning fox. If I want the fox to be used by me, I must continue to give benefits. This
In addition to the command power, Li Guolou also wanted the position of chief academic officer of Baoding Military Academy. Baoding Military Academy was the sphere of influence of the Governor-General of Zhili. Li Hongzhang was quite dissatisfied with the greedy Li Guolou.
Seeing Li Hongzhang's hesitation, Fan Fanrun changed his tone and said: "Master Fu, since you want to use Li Guolou, you must regard it as your own. You must step down from the position of Governor of Zhili. Since Li Guolou
If you like this throne, give it to him. It is the territory of the Manchus. Li Guolou can’t control it. It’s just a name for himself. You don’t have to worry.”
"Military Fan, it's not that I'm stingy. Li Guolou is good at giving speeches. He can turn square things into round ones. He is good at maneuvering. He is no worse than Zhao Gao, who calls a deer a horse. I'm afraid that Li Guolou can climb to the sky in one step and climb on top of my head. How can I
It's not like a chicken flying over an egg, it falls.
To the point of becoming an official." Li Hongzhang expressed his dark thoughts. The more powerful a person is, the more afraid he is of losing power. He has already stood at the pinnacle of power, and he is not willing to give up the power in his hands. He also wants his three sons to become the pillars of the country.
, unwilling to go downhill.
Fan Xianrun comforted him: "Master Fu Xiang, don't worry too much. You are the supreme commander in the war in Taiwan, and Li Guolou is just a commander on the front line. There is an essential difference between charging into the battle and commanding from behind. Emperor Tongzhi most importantly
The one who believes it is you, Mr. Fu Xiang
, Li Guolou is a talent cultivated for the future. The lower official thinks that Li Guolou's conditions are acceptable. He did not put forward harsh requirements this time and is very grateful to you for promoting him. At this time, it is the time to win people's hearts, let him hurry up
Integrate into the Huai Army system and prepare for a rainy day."
"Well! Send another telegram to Prince Gong, withdraw the request to be granted the title of General Li Guolou, and change the title to Chief Military Officer of Shuangzhen, saying that this is Li Guolou's wish." Li Hongzhang stroked his fingers gracefully.
Although he had no intention of rebelling against the Qing Dynasty, he wanted to maintain his glory and wealth, and his military power was not willing to be left behind by the Manchu nobles, especially Ronglu, who was the one Li Hongzhang focused on guarding against.
Although Li Hongzhang never said anything bad about Ronglu, he disliked Ronglu very much as a person. Ronglu made his fortune thanks to the Empress Dowager Cixi, but he was too selfish. Ronglu used the accumulated wealth for pleasure and family.
In terms of industry, Ronglu never wanted to pay too much tax to the country. Instead, he was a super-rich person who evaded taxes. He was not the same as Li Guolou.
Li Guolou worked hard for his Beiyang Navy. At least three million silver dollars of circulating funds that were not included in the public account quietly fell into Li Hongzhang's pocket. This turned him into a capable minister with long sleeves and good dancing. Compare the two sides.
, Li Hongzhang is still willing to let Li Guolou be his successor, and let Li Guolou become bigger and stronger, so that the Qing Dynasty can make the country rich and the people strong.
Fan Bian Run was Li Hongzhang's think tank. Li Hongzhang set national policies according to his strategies, which made him extremely confident and considered himself the best scholar in the world. Fan Bian Run was looking through Li's secret code in the telegraph room. The code compiled by Li Guolou was highly confidential.
, without a translation, it cannot be deciphered at all. No.
You praised: "Li Guolou is both smart and brave. I have the secret code, so why worry about the uncertainty of the world. But there is still a fly in the ointment! I think it is up to me to upgrade this code book." Fan Fanrun is a man of action and does what he says.
, burning the midnight oil and fighting all night, writing a code that is only used by the Ministry of War for first-level combat readiness.
At this point, Fan Bian Run compiled the first code book for the Ministry of War. Li Guolou's private code book became the stepping stone for Fan's code book. All the telegram senders only knew about Fan Bian Run's achievements, and Fan Fan Run became a great leader.
He was a hero in the intelligence industry and later became the first supervisor of the Meteorological Bureau (
(Intelligence Bureau), with the title of Shangshu. No one knew about Li Guolou's efforts. Fan Bianrun thought that he was fighting for Li Guolou's rights and interests and gave Li Guolou soldiers and horses in two towns, which was the only one in the Qing Dynasty.
Of course the credit for the codebook should go to him. Sure enough, Li Guolou never gave him any trouble.
How could Li Guolou have the leisure to compete with Fanfanrun for credit? He shuttled in the cabin every day, visited sick officers and soldiers, shared the joys and sorrows with the officers and soldiers, ate the same meals, and encouraged the soldiers to fight for the country. He also held meetings with the officers to discuss how to When using troops at sea, although the New Armed Forces is an army, learning new tactics, especially landing warfare, is a compulsory course for every officer.[
Li Guolou showed off his newly acquired knowledge, gesticulating on the tactical board: "The origin of the cruiser is the clipper ship in the sailing era. As the companion of the battleship, it is responsible for patrolling, reconnaissance, warning, escort, and pursuit of the entire fleet. mission. At that time, there was no official ship type name such as cruiser. The types of battleships were relatively simple and were differentiated according to the number of guns. The British Royal Navy's six-class division law stipulates that fast sailing ships should be equipped with 38 to 50 guns and have a displacement of about one thousand tons. .From the 17th century to the 19th century, for about 200 years, there was almost no change in the clipper ship, or there was no significant change. The cruiser appeared as an official ship type name after the middle of the 19th century, and was named Crimea. The Asian War was a symbol. In this war, explosions completely ruined wooden sailing ships, and the world's navies began to focus on armoring battleships. In the following series of evolutions, some new names appeared: fast cruiser, protected cruiser, armored cruiser, etc. Wait. The four Japanese cruisers are actually used by the United States to protect the harbor, so their tonnage is small, only more than 3,000 tons, and the power of the artillery is not enough. As long as we occupy the geographical advantage and rely on the advantage of the number of mosquito ships, we can attack the Japanese first Wooden warships, sank old-fashioned warships escorted by the Japanese army, focused on attacking the enemy's troop transports, and then stormed the Japanese main cruiser, and launched a bayonet melee with the Japanese army at sea. I don't ask for much, just give me a chance. Ouch! "
Li Guolou looked up to the sky and laughed, with his hands on his hips, looking like he was sure of victory. His first battle was to attack the Japanese waterway and start a mountain battle with the Japanese army. There was no guarantee of victory. On the contrary, the Japanese army's strength, the navy, had loopholes. He There are twenty mosquito boats as a maritime mobile force, and they are confident of sneak attacks on the Japanese transportation lines at sea. Moreover, Li Guolou has formulated a combat plan, and he and Liu Mingchuan have discussed it. Now Liu Mingchuan is training 2,000 indigenous warriors in Taiwan. In mountain warfare, indigenous warriors will be used first. There are Taiwanese ethnic minorities who can protect their homeland and country, so why worry about Taiwan being uncertain?
Young Li Yunkai couldn't understand what Li Guolou was talking about. He scratched his head and asked: "Li Zhentai, the tactics you talked about have nothing to do with us. This is naval warfare. So what are we doing?"
Li Guolou was furious and cursed angrily: "You unqualified bastard, I want you to learn to fight, learn to use a ruler, and look at the constellations in the sky. I want you to rise up in the future. Don't just know how to fight and kill. You must learn how to fight." Use your brain, don't sleep tonight, remember the Big Dipper for me."
Li Yunkai muttered: "I only need to remember one Wuqu star."
Li Guolou strengthened his tone: "Listen to me, learn cultural knowledge well, and be promoted to the next level."
"Yes!" All the generals smiled brightly, and Li Guolou finally showed mercy and wanted to promote them to official positions.
Li Yunkai said loudly: "According to my military merit, I am fully qualified to be a major."
Li Guolou said scornfully: "You are very ambitious at a young age. Please stay safe and keep your peace. You can negotiate terms with me in three years."
Li Yunkai was dejected. Others had been promoted, but he had no choice but to stay where he was. Li Guolou brought him out and burned incense, so how could he dare to think anything wrong?
Battalion Officer Li Yunquan, Battalion Officer Su Yuanchun, Quartermaster Hongdu, and Counselor Zheng Hengdan are all at the rank of colonel. If they are promoted one level further, they will be lieutenant colonel. These people are ready to move and wish they could high-five each other. The development of the New Armed Forces
As they grew stronger, they followed the rising tide, hoping to make new contributions in the Taiwan War.
Taiwan is the inherent territory of the Qing Dynasty. When fighting on its own territory, officers and soldiers are determined to sacrifice their lives for the country. Li Guolou tried every means to boost morale. Fighting in an unfamiliar environment was the biggest test for the new armed forces. He looked eager to try.
He has to take responsibility for these officers. Only victory can reassure him. He wants these young faces to become the pillars of the country. How to fight the first battle in Taiwan is his biggest test. Is it difficult to find a fighter?
Rely on Mr. White Snake?
Li Guolou looked at the starry night sky, where to look for loopholes in the Japanese army? For the first time in his life, he had the desire to communicate with the magicians. It seems that the chance of victory depends on God's will? Li Guolou put his hope in his telegraph group, only
Only by deciphering the Japanese army's telegrams can we seize the opportunity.
Li Guolou stayed up all night and walked into the telegraph room. He had already grasped the rules of Japanese telegrams, and the rest depended on God's will. As for the credit, he can be attributed to White Snake Langjun, the patron saint of the Beiyang Navy, Li Guolou
He snickered secretly, thinking about the white snake man who was pretending to be a ghost.
In late May, the fleet entered the mouth of the Minjiang River. Mawei Port is within easy reach. Mawei Port is the lifeblood of Taiwan and the Qing army set out from here.[
Mawei Port is located on the north bank of the Minjiang River in the eastern suburbs of Fuzhou, deep within the mouth of the Minjiang River. It is 66 miles long from Mawei to the mouth of the Minjiang River. Most of the river sections at the outlet are canyons. Outside the mouth, there are island barriers such as Langqi, Rulu, and Chuanshi. The port
around the area
Surrounded by mountains, it has good wind protection conditions, a deep and wide port area, and is supported by Fuzhou and the vast hinterland. It is a good deep-water port. Luoxing Tower stands on Luoxing Mountain, which is lush and green, and the military camp is hidden in the mountains.
Facing the river, Mawei Port has a broad view and pleasant scenery. It is the maritime gateway of Fujian. The main force of the Nanyang Navy is stationed in Mawei Port.
Li Hongzhang led the fleet to Mawei Port, and the troops began training. After seven days and nights at sea, many officers and soldiers fell ill. The Xinwu Army lost more than 400 people in non-combat situations, losing almost 20% of its troops, especially the new recruits.
It was so frustrating. This made Li Guolou want to
Crying, fighting the Japanese army was a war of attrition. The loss of more than 400 soldiers had a qualitative impact on the combat effectiveness of the New Armed Forces. As an iron army of the Qing Dynasty, the Xinwu Army went to Taiwan and was a modern army established by the Qing Dynasty.
Image, before reaching the destination, 20% of the troops were lost.
Browning's 2,000 Victory Army has arrived at Mawei Port, and this army is well organized. The two thousand bastards have high morale and are not suffering from injuries. This made Li Guolou feel so embarrassed that he hurriedly went to the military doctor of the Victory Army to ask for help.
Foreign military doctors came to treat the New Armed Forces soldiers.
When New Armed Forces soldiers fall ill, the main symptom is general weakness. In severe cases, they lose the ability to exercise, and they lie like a puddle of mud on a stretcher. Even five vigorous Shaolin monks have been knocked down by injuries. Two soldiers have already died.
Deaths were approaching frequently on the ship, and they were just one breath away. Looking at the soldiers who were tortured by injuries and illnesses, Li Guolou asked him not to be in a hurry. There was still a long sea journey to go. If another soldier fell ill, wouldn't he be putting himself at risk?
Even if they are defeated, don't compete with the Japanese army.
The military doctors of the Chang Sheng Army were very conscientious and carefully examined every patient, especially the conditions of the five Shaolin monks. They were the steel warriors of Li Guolou, one of them was as good as ten, and their bayonets were red.
At that time, five Shaolin monks were enough to equal the strength of a small team. The loss of one Shaolin monk also made Li Guolou heartbroken.
Li Guolou hurriedly asked the British military doctor Fan Lipu for advice and asked: "Doctor Fan, what disease does my soldier have? Is it an infectious disease?"
The tall and thin British military doctor Van Lippe looked solemn, nodded and said: "Mike, to tell you the truth, this disease is a common disease in the navy. It is commonly known as beriberi, also known as 'beriberi center'. It was a disease caused by scurvy in the 19th century.
After the disease, another great enemy of shipboard soldiers is also common on Western warships."
"Necrosis!" Li Guolou screamed and almost fainted from fright. Wouldn't this kill him?
Van Lipu smiled slightly and said: "Don't worry, Mike. Fortunately, you got off the boat and met me again. Although this kind of beriberi is an infectious disease, it can still be cured."
"Oh! That's good, Doctor Fan, you are the great savior of our new armed forces. As long as you can cure the soldiers' diseases, I will give each of you a Jade Buddha."
Military doctor Fan Lipu waved his hand and said: "Mike, we are God's people. If we don't believe in Buddha, you might as well reward us with gold coins."
"Okay, it's a deal." Li Guolou held Fan Lipu's hand cordially. This was the angel sent by God to save him.
It's ridiculous to say that beriberi occurs because the disease enters through the mouth. Looking for the root cause, it is not that the soldiers who fell ill ate too poorly, but that they ate too much white rice. The culprit was Li Guolou.
In order to enhance the physical fitness of the soldiers as soon as possible, the wealthy Li Guolou asked the Xinwu Army to eat polished rice. However, this polished rice lacked the nutrients that the human body must absorb. Most of the nutrients in this rice grain are found in wheat bran.
, was discarded as garbage during the processing of polished rice, and there was a lack of vegetables on the ship. Therefore, when the officers and soldiers of the New Armed Forces suffered from beriberi, they were given brown rice again, and with the careful care of British military doctors, the three
After a few days, more than half of the soldiers were ready for training.
This made Li Guolou learn a lesson: you cannot rely on white rice to increase your physical fitness. Returning to hardship and simplicity is the foundation for the Xinwu Army's long-term prosperity. Therefore, after the Xinwu Army came to Mawei Port, the Military Supplies Department no longer issued new military uniforms.
Patched clothes can also liberate Taiwan. Li Guolou set an example by wearing a patched military uniform and appearing in the military camp. He also cut off one-third of his braids, which made him look a lot rougher.
Soon, the New Armed Forces Army turned into an army with short braids. Su Yuanchun became bald again, and many officers and soldiers shaved their heads. They practiced landing battles and mountain warfare in Luoxing Mountain. The combined forces of the New Armed Forces Army and the Changsheng Army