After the simple military parade, it was already dark. Magong Port showed a lively scene. The bonfire was blazing. More than 300 slaves returned to their homeland. After landing, they offered incense to the gods. The female slaves sang and danced happily. Dance, swing your waist-length hair, and bring good wishes to the warriors of the Qing Dynasty.
Thousands of captains carried goods. Five hundred of them were big men recruited by Li Guolou from Shandong. They were all strong and worked at night to carry all kinds of goods. The other five hundred captains were from the Nanyang Navy. A militia group was formed. Their leader was none other than Huang Qiying.
The "Bao Zhilin" opened by Huang Qiying in the capital was crushed by Hu Xueyan's "Hu Qing Yu Tang" and ended in dismal business. After that, he returned to his hometown of Foshan and continued to open "Bao Zhilin". The business was quite satisfactory. The family had no worries about food and clothing. Huang Qiying passed. After a period of peace, he wanted to serve his country, so he came to Fujian to find Ding Richang.
Huang Qiying was skilled in martial arts, proficient in medical skills, and had some abilities. Ding Richang made Huang Qiying the chief instructor of the militia of the Nanyang Navy, under the jurisdiction of Shen Baozhen.
Shen Baozhen was born in the imperial examination. He was quite repulsive to people who came from heretical backgrounds. From the beginning, he regarded Huang Qiying, the "chief leader of the militia," as a foreman doing chores. This was also a common problem in the officialdom. The officialdom of the Qing Dynasty was dominated by literati who came from the imperial examination. They had no fame. Don't expect to rise straight to the top. There is only one outlier in the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty today, and that is Zuo Zongtang. But Zuo Zongtang passed the Juren examination. He was only one step away from passing the Jinshi. Zuo Zongtang is a dragon and a phoenix among people. Even the Jinshi who came from a professional background is not as good as Zuo Zong. Tang has extensive knowledge.
Huang Qiying was under the sect of Shen Baozhen, but he was not successful. The militia of the Nanyang Navy was the Changfu Organization. They used swords and spears and were not armed. It was not until Li Guolou gave Shen Baozhen a check of 500,000 taels that Shen Baozhen knew that Huang Qiying was Li Guolou's relative and official "nephew". Shen Baozhen immediately looked at Huang Qiying with admiration and gave Huang Qiying a high priority. The famous regiment of the Nanyang Navy began to be armed with a regular establishment.
Shen Baozhen had money in his hands, so he learned from the New Armed Forces. On the premise that the Nanyang Navy could not be expanded, he organized and trained militia organizations and trained the militia into an army.
Today, the five hundred men led by Huang Qiying are the army of the Nanyang Navy. They can be used for landing operations. The only shortcoming is that this army has no cannons and no accessories on the military uniforms.
"Vulture" Chen Shuang stood majestically next to Huang Qiying and asked in a low voice: "Coach Huang, Li Guolou didn't invite you to the meeting."
Huang Qiying glanced at him and said: "Captain Chen. The commander has orders. You will take care of your own dinner. There will be a meeting at twenty-two o'clock."
"Yes. Li Guolou is a busy man. I wonder what he is eating." Chen Shuang swallowed his saliva. It seems that dinner is salted fish, tofu and rice.
There are no green vegetables in sight in the food stored on the ship. Most of the vegetables are potatoes, corn, soybeans, red dates and other long-term storage foods. The meats are all pickled foods. Canned foods are high-end items. Only the wounded and those who have made meritorious service can eat them. You can enjoy it. The soldiers came ashore and wanted to eat fresh food. However, I am afraid that they will not be in the soup tonight. They should follow the menu on the ship. The same as the old three, brown rice, salted fish, tofu, and at most a piece of bacon.
"It doesn't matter what we eat. We came to Taiwan to fight. If Li Guolou lets us carry the buns, huh." Huang Qiying sneered twice, as if Li Guolou was afraid of him.
Huang Qiying is a remnant of the Taiping Army. After Emperor Tongzhi issued an edict to the world, he retired from the world. He was disappointed with the early morning and did not want to serve the country. For this reason, he still kept a distance from Li Guolou. But he had the dream of a powerful country. When he saw Li Guolou The Westernization Movement was brought into full swing and the country prospered. Under Li Guolou's inspiration, he returned to the world.
This time the Nanyang Navy Militia came to Taiwan to fight. Huang Qiying volunteered and asked Li Guolou for help. Only then did he get the opportunity to go out. The morale of the 500 Nanyang Navy Militia was high and they wanted to compete with the Japanese army.
Huang Qiying didn't care how Li Guolou used this militia. He just wanted to fight. He wanted to use the spirit of patriotism to let this militia grow in the battle. Compassion does not control the army. Huang Qiying was a member of the Taiping Army. He was not afraid of death. I think fighting is all about fighting to the death.
The bugle sounded for dinner. Huang Qiying led a militia group of 500 people to board the ship again. When they saw vegetables for dinner, they cheered together. It was evident in the small details. There is still a difference between the militia and the army.
Lin Tai once entertained Li Guolou and his party according to the standard of three dishes and one soup.
The food was put in an aluminum basin, a large pot of fragrant wild boar meat, a large pot of green vegetables, and a pot of soup.
The officers lined up to enter with their own bowls and chopsticks. The cooks carried large washbasins and shared meals with everyone. The most feared thing in war was infectious diseases. From officers to soldiers, everyone shared meals.
The only privilege of senior officers such as Li Guolou is that there is too much food in the soup. They are not the same as the lower-level officers who have more soup and less meat. There is something else hidden under the seemingly floating soup.
No one would reveal the mystery of such a small gesture. The officers ate their meals knowingly. They were allowed to add an additional meal today. The officers happily ran to serve the rice. They pressed the rice with a rice spoon. They wished they had one. Add two bowls of rice and a bowl of chowder. It's like a festival. The officers ate deliciously.
The actions Li Guolou and Browning made were no different from those of ordinary officers. The movements of pressing the rice with the rice spoon were practiced. At first glance, he was an expert.
"Master, add another bowl of soup." Li Guolou handed over the soup bowl in a serious manner. The cook, who took advantage of the situation, put two pig's feet into the soup. Li Guolou wanted to say that one pig's feet would be enough. But he didn't talk too much. What he eats is nutrition. Everything is privileged. He sits here to eat, which means he shares the joys and sorrows with all the officers and soldiers. No one cares about how many more pig feet he eats.
After eating and drinking, the officers of the New Armed Forces queued up to wash the dishes. Then they handed the dishes and chopsticks they had prepared to the personal serviceman Goshiha. The officers of the Ever Victorious Army did not need to do anything at all. The used dishes and chopsticks were washed by the personal servicemen.
As the commander-in-chief, Li Guolou does not have to worry about many things. Prisoners of war, slaves and many other matters are not under his control. Whether the soldiers eat well or poorly is not up to him. It depends on the actual situation. They are in a strange place. The environment. Everything is clueless. There are many situations all around. But Li Guolou believes in the ability of his subordinates. Even if he sees the situation happening, he will not give blind orders. He will give an explanation and let his subordinates handle it. Li Guolou's responsibilities It is to manage the army well and keep the fighting spirit of the whole army high.
Li Guolou, Browning and other senior officers came to the command room. Li Guolou talked and laughed freely. He and Lin Taizeng had a family affair. After Li Guolou learned about Lin Taizeng's resume, he said with a smile: "Lin Taizeng .I don’t see that you are still a Confucian general at such a young age. You also went to England for further studies. You are like me. You are good at using your brain on the battlefield. You are able to defend Magong Port. I will mark you with a first-class merit. The most valuable thing is that you can still handle it. It is good to have a good relationship with Yabu, the chieftain of the Atayal tribe, and Shufaran, the chieftain of the Beizou tribe. This is very important. It saves our army from worries. You should send someone to contact you as soon as possible. I want to meet Yabu and Shufaran as soon as possible."
Lin Taizeng is in his twenties. He has a thin face and a mustache. He has a strong body and a five-foot figure. He is pampered. He grew up in a superior environment and received a patriotic education. He first went to study in the UK and then moved to Maweizhou. The political school was all about paving the way for future official career. His cultural knowledge was not outstanding, and his path to the imperial examination was hopeless. Only then did he join the army. Lin Tai was a descendant of the national hero Lin Zexu. He was a member of the Miaohong family and was a reserve talent of the Qing Dynasty. Seniors in the officialdom will mention him and he will have great potential in the future.
As the saying goes, the ancestors plant trees, and the descendants enjoy the shade. It is the same no matter which dynasty they are placed in. A group of officers of the Nanyang Navy are all the sons of officials, and they advance in a group. Everyone is prosperous and everyone suffers. The same is true for Li Guo Tower. In this way, the family's power is huge, and it is possible to rise to the top in one step. Bai Ding can also be in a high position, but that depends on opportunities. It is difficult to respond to everything at once.
Just like Feng Zicai, who had outstanding military exploits but was born into a gangster and was disliked by others, he was still dismissed by his superiors. Feng Zicai had to rely on Li Guolou's power to return to the political arena.
Although Lin Taizeng was young and had not been involved in officialdom for a long time, he knew the rules very well. He replied respectfully: "This is for Commander-in-Chief Li. My subordinates dare not be greedy for credit. To defend Magong Port is the life of all the soldiers of the 12th Battalion of the Fenqi Army. Together with the Atayal people, The chieftain Yabu and the chieftain Shufa of the Beizou tribe have a harmonious relationship. This is due to the local governor and academic administrator Xu Qiusheng. However, these days due to food supply problems, Xu Qiusheng was forced into hiding by his subordinates. His subordinates also We need to find him."
Li Guolou shook his head and said: "Nonsense. There are two of you. One is in charge of the army and the other is in charge of the people. Even if there is a conflict, you cannot avoid it. Send someone to call Xu Qiusheng quickly. Only when the army and the people work together can we win the war."
"Yes. I will send someone to find Commander Li immediately. You have a sip of tea first. I will be back soon." Lin Tai once raised his head and glanced at Li Guolou. The young commander-in-chief made people dare not look up.
Lin Tai once found two retired soldiers who had business dealings with Xu Qiusheng. He asked them to go to the town overnight to find Xu Qiusheng.
Lin Taizeng's admiration for Li Guolou was beyond words. His fellow disciples, Deng Shichang, Liu Buchan, Lin Yongsheng and others, had already blown Li Guolou to the sky. Taiwan's naval battle won two victories in World War II, writing victory for the Nanyang Navy. Chapter. What excited Lin Taizeng the most was that Li Guolou was the richest official and businessman in the Qing Dynasty. He no longer had to worry about money. Chieftains from ethnic minorities are all greedy for money. What else can they do if they have money? No. The patriotic compatriots Atayal and Bei Tsou will sell their grain reserves to the Qing army.
The difficulties Lin Tai once faced did not exist for Li Guolou. Lin Tai once changed the subject and talked about the Japanese attack on Pingtung and the harassment tactics of coastal pirates.
Li Guolou and others gathered in front of the model map. They looked at the terrain of Pingtung and discussed how to fight the first battle with the Japanese army.
"Lin Taizeng. What should we do if pirates cause trouble in the surrounding areas?" Li Guolou pointed to the narrow coastline. The pirates' harassment tactics prevented the Qing army from concentrating its main force. It was impossible for the main force of the navy to fight against the pirates. Although Li Guolou was eliminated There is a pirate fleet. But there are pirates from other places operating around.
At this time, Japan was transitioning from a warlord-autonomous shogunate government to a centralized government, with the National Assembly taking power. However, local warlords were still very powerful.
The Japanese invasion of Taiwan was the result of the central government's compromise with local forces.
Japanese Minister of the Interior Okubo Toshimichi believed that Japan's national power was far from that of the Qing Dynasty. Okubo Toshimichi did not support the Japanese army's attack on Taiwan. However, Japan's domestic economic situation was not good. In order to repay the losses of the shogunate family, the government's fiscal revenue could not make ends meet, which triggered peasant uprisings in various places. .Local warlords used force to resist the centralized power. In order to divert domestic conflicts and strengthen national cohesion, the Japanese army invaded Taiwan.
At the same time as the Japanese invaded Taiwan, local Japanese warlords followed the ancient tradition and organized private "exploration groups". They also came to Taiwan to make money and even invaded the coastal areas of Fujian. But times have changed. The emergence of hot weapons has prevented pirates from entering the inland easily. Afraid of being surrounded and annihilated by the Qing army, they harassed fishing villages and towns along the coast and then returned to the sea.
However, this harassment tactic made the coastal areas of the Qing Dynasty rife and contained many Qing troops. The local economic losses were inestimable.
Li Guolou was not ashamed to ask his subordinates. He pushed difficult problems to his generals. He believed that among his generals, there must be capable ministers and good generals in troubled times.
Lin Tai was very distressed. Li Guolou praised him very much. However, the problem of piracy has been a chronic problem for thousands of years. There were still pirates in the peaceful and prosperous times. During the war, the pirates saw the benefits and started flocking to Taiwan. With the support of the Japanese army, they flocked to Taiwan. He relied on forts, which could only keep Macong Harbor safe. He watched the coastal areas being ravaged by pirates. It was impossible to divide his troops to rescue the fishing villages. Although Lin Taizeng had eight warships, they were old-fashioned clippers. There was no way he could catch up with the pirate ships.
"Commander Li, my subordinates believe that in the case of pirates, it is necessary to organize the Taiwanese people to form a rigorous alarm system and build strong watchtowers. If pirate ships invade, let the people take shelter first. Our army will mobilize its mobile forces to clear out the landings. Pirates. Send ships to search for pirate ships at sea." Lin Tai had a clear mind and repeated the experience of his ancestors.
Li Guolou valued Lin Taizeng very much. He was a similar person to him. He was very satisfied with Lin Taizeng's answer. He learned from the experience and lessons of the older generation. There was no need to be independent. He relied on the valuable experience accumulated by his ancestors to fight a protracted war. .can eliminate the pirates.
"Lin Taizeng, you said it very well. However, our navy is not easy to mobilize now. We can only make more fuss on the shore. You will lead a capable mobile force to establish garrison points based on the mountains to coordinate the Atayal and Northern Can you do what you can with the strength of the Tsou tribe?"
"My subordinates will do their best to live up to Commander Li's trust." Lin Tai once accepted an impossible task. This is the consciousness of a soldier. He knows that there are tigers in the mountains, so he chooses to go to the tiger mountains.
Li Guolou saw his own shadow in Lin Taizeng and admired Lin Taizeng's attitude. Shen Baozhen recommended Lin Taizeng to him. Sure enough, after being a loyal man, newborn calves are not afraid of tigers.
At twenty-two o'clock, all the officers gathered in the command room. First, Lin Taizeng gave an explanation of the battle situation. He introduced in detail the defense of Magong Port and the situation of local ethnic minorities, so that the newly arrived guest troops could understand the specific situation in Taiwan.