After Li Guolou received Shen Baozhen's message, he immediately invented a coded message to inform the world about the results of the Langqiao Battle. He sank two Japanese cruisers, five battleships, and severely damaged dozens of clippers. It was an unprecedented victory. It was a brilliant victory.
In the end, Li Guolou did not forget his promise and gave the first credit to Bai Shelangjun, and asked Emperor Tongzhi to confer Baishe Langjun as the "Grand Master of the Qing Dynasty" and preside over the royal dojo "Baiyun Temple".
It is unmistakable to tell the world that the heavy fog in Langqiao area was caused by the methods of Mr. Bai Snake.
The great victory in Hualien Town was a tragic victory in which both sides suffered losses. It was not the outcome that the imperial court wanted to see. Several military ministers were quite dissatisfied with him because he was increasingly disobedient.
Several important ministers of the Westernization faction secretly betrayed national interests and wanted to liaise with the Japanese. They also colluded with conservatives, making him subject to criticism. They wanted to replace the commander-in-chief of Taiwan and let Li Guolou return to the capital to report on his duties.
Fortunately, the empress dowagers of the two palaces supported Li Guolou, and Emperor Tongzhi remained unmoved, so he did not move his seat. This time in the Langqiao sneak attack, he won a brilliant victory at a very small cost, and Li Guolou was finally proud and proud. .
In the command room of the General Military Mansion, Li Guolou shouted: "I will burn the war on the Japanese mainland, cross the Furunomiya Channel, and retake the Ryukyu Islands. If the Japanese dare to mess with me, I will retaliate a hundredfold." , you now start to deduce the battle to seize the island and formulate detailed plans, we are going to go on an expedition to the sea,"
The generals in the command room were also overly excited. Zheng Hengdan shouted: "I have been looking forward to this day for a long time. I will do something big."
Many generals were rehearsing the war on the sea charts. The generals, dazzled by the victory, actually wanted to destroy Japan.
After Li Guolou became excited, he became taciturn again. He stood by the sea chart and watched the generals' deductions. Different tactics can broaden his thinking. Each tactical strategy is deduced by the officers of the staff department. Although the ideas may be very immature at first, and some may even be absurd, in the end they will turn into actual combat and gain combat experience in actual combat.
Difficulties can be overcome. Japan is either an impenetrable fortress, numerous islands, or countless loopholes.
Attack its shortcomings and attack its unpreparedness.
For the plan to attack Japan, we must first formulate a set of feasible plans, which will be used one day. Li Guolou never thought of occupying the Japanese archipelago. Li Guolou wanted to take revenge on the Japanese and let the Japanese archipelago ignite a raging war. But This plan is too big. Until the country has no foundation, it can only be done on paper. When the Qing Dynasty becomes a maritime power, it will definitely make an expedition to the Japanese archipelago.
Li Guolou was waiting for a call back from the Ministry of War, trying to pretend to be calm, thinking that he was Jiang Taigong who was sitting firmly on Diaoyutai, but the expression on his face betrayed him, and everyone could see that Li Guolou was in a good mood.
Li Guolou listened for a long time, and then his thoughts flew to another battlefield, and said in a deep voice: "Immediately send a message to Liu Mingchuan and order Mingwu Army to attack Orchid City. I will enter Orchid City in ten days, and I must do it with minimal casualties. Take down Orchid City and capture Luo Xingyan alive."
Orchid City is Langqiao City. Langqiao means orchid in the language of the Paiwan people. Orchid City is the largest town on the Langjiao Peninsula. It was originally a gathering place for the Paiwan people and is now the home of Luo Xingyi, the "King of Beidong". The hiding place was also the last military fortress of the Japanese army in the Pingtung Plain. If the Qing army captured Orchid City, they would be able to open up the road to Langjiao Port, and then they could drive the Japanese navy out of Taiwan Island and complete the siege of the Japanese army in Guishan. .
Zheng Hengdan couldn't help but be anxious, and said with a cold look: "Commander Li, your injury is not healed yet, so you are not allowed to go to the front line. You must rest assured to recuperate in Keelung. This is a death order and the wish of all frontline commanders."
Li Guolou laughed, raised his right arm, and said: "The injury is almost healed. The battle is almost over. If I don't move, my bones will become lazy. Don't worry. I won't go to the front line. I'll just go and see it." Looking at Orchid City, I said that I would peel off Luo Xing's skin. Even if Luo Xing's death, I would crush his bones and spread his ashes."
Zheng Hengdan warned: "Commander Li, you must learn from Commander Zuo and be a qualified commander. Don't be happy with grudges. What I say doesn't count, and what you say doesn't count. We all have to listen to Dr. Wang's words. , Commander Li, you have to know that you have used so many vicious tricks against the Japanese army, and the Japanese army will retaliate against you. The assassination incident will not be just this one, there will be plots against you in the future,"
Li Guolou smiled to himself and said: "I will pay attention and try to cover my face with the veil. I still have to go to the front line. Otherwise, if I talk on paper, I will become Zhao Kuo."
All the generals in the command room laughed heartily. It was a joy to follow Li Guolou in the battle. The Qing army's successive victories had left the Japanese army without any ability to counterattack. Now if you want to look up to the Japanese army, you will be laughed at. Who can Everyone knows that the war in Taiwan is no longer in suspense, and the Qing army is sure of victory.
Unless Japan expands the war, devotes all its efforts to Taiwan, and then sends a large army to Taiwan, it is unrealistic for the Japanese army to mobilize troops as winter approaches.
Zheng Hengdan had a smile on his face and learned from the past. The Qing army's defense of Li Guolou was a top priority. Even if the enemy used a honey trap, it would not succeed. Who could stop Li Guolou from going to the front line? , he just kindly reminded Li Guolou that a person must rely on self-discipline.
Wang Han, deputy leader of the telegraph team, quickly walked into the command room and handed a telegram to Li Guolou.
Li Guolou glanced down and laughed loudly: "The emperor commends us, Mr. Fu Xiang is proud and proud."
"Oh??????" All the generals gathered around Li Guolou, vying to see the telegram, their faces crowded together, and high-fiving each other.
Li Guolou shouted: "Long live my emperor, may the Great Qing Navy be victorious,"
"Long live our emperor, may the Great Qing Navy be victorious," all the generals cheered together. The momentum had been achieved and a joint force was formed. Pairs of eyes looked at Li Guolou with blazing eyes. Li Guolou was worshiped for his victory.
"With God's blessing, I will build a Guandi temple in Langqiao Port to commemorate the sacrificed Qing warriors, so that their memorial tablets will be used for generations to come," Li Guolou said, facing a three-foot statue of Guandi made of nanmu. There are words in it, Guan Gong is the God of War in the Qing Dynasty. He is enshrined by the Qing army, and they will worship Guan Gong in every battle.
All the generals paid homage to Guan Gong in front of the altar. Each one of them had a dedicated expression and meticulously completed the incense offering.
"Come and ask for the imperial edict,"
After Li Guolou kowtowed to Guan Gong, he requested an imperial edict and enshrined the letter of appointment awarded to him by Emperor Tongzhi on Guan Gong's altar. The tedious ceremony began, and all the generals kowtowed together to thank the emperor for his great kindness.
Li Guolou's expression was solemn. He was a loyal and patriotic general. He zen his sleeves and knelt on the futon again. He knelt three times and kowtowed nine times in front of a three-foot commission letter framed in yellow.
This kind of formalistic worship activity is enjoyed by high-ranking officials, and Li Guolou is not immune to it. It will be troublesome if someone catches it. Say a few words of gratitude and don't give anyone any excuses.
All the generals stood up one after another. Zheng Hengdan said with a smile: "Commander Li, it's time to treat us this time. Wine is essential."
Li Guolou said with a smile: "Okay, I'm going to treat you tonight. I'll have a banquet with the highest standards. Knife handles. Go and get more fine wine. If you can't get it on the market, ask Wu Dating for it. Let him come and drink too. Who can I have a private collection of fine wine and brought it to the General Military Mansion. I will not return home until I get drunk tonight."
Scabbard Yun walked out of the command room happily. The command room became even more lively. All the generals dispersed in a hurry to get the treasured wine.
Although these generals are crying in front of Li Guolou, in fact, all of them have private collections. The first choice for military personnel is pistols. It is not unusual for an officer to have four or five pistols made in various countries.
Many high-ranking officers also custom-made pistols. The pistols in the gun cases on their waists have silver-handled pistols. You can also find a few gold-handled pistols.
Officers who like to drink will keep fine wine secretly, and soldiers who can drink will integrate into the military system. It doesn't matter if they don't drink, as they are brothers when they are drunk.
Li Guolou rarely drank alcohol during normal times, and he could not touch fine wine while he was recuperating, so there was no fine wine in the huge General Military Mansion.
After the two ladies came to Taiwan, the local officials flattered them, and Liu Mingdeng was the first to think of sending "sea food" to Li Guolou. Wu Dating even came to greet Li Guolou every day. In exchange of favors, he sent many Taiwanese delicacies.
So Li Guolou asked his men to get more jars of good wine so that the banquet in the evening would be lively.
Afterwards, Li Guolou hosted a banquet for his entourage and generals from the headquarters, a total of more than 200 people. Thirty Eight Immortals tables were set up, of which 20 Eight Immortals tables were borrowed from nearby common people's families.
The General Military Mansion was bustling with people. Wu Peipei organized a celebration banquet in the evening and brought out the treasured shark fins, sea cucumbers and scallops. The cooks in the backyard were killing pigs and sheep. Everyone in the General Military Mansion was busy.
Two officers carried a jar of fine wine and passed by Wu Peipei. The thin officer smiled and said, "Hello, mistress, where is the jar of wine?"
Wu Peipei said angrily: "Put it in the right corner so that you won't touch it when you walk around."
"Hey," the two officers happily carried the 60-pound wine jar and placed it in the living room. They watched Wu Peipei leave with the jade-colored temples.
The thin officer whispered: "Have you seen it, old man? This is Commander Li's eighth wife. Don't let me tell you where she came from. Hehehehehe,"
Another burly officer said suspiciously: "Ah, this is the legendary Eighth Lady. She is not old. She looks to be thirty years old at most. Are you mistaken?"
The thin officer sneered: "You're not old yet, I can be your mother."
"Pssssssssssss," the burly officer snickered obscenely. There were too many people coming and going, so it's not appropriate to say more here.
The two of them walked out arm-in-arm, whispering to each other and laughing lewdly as they walked. Li Guolou's harem was an endless topic that had already spread from the teahouse to the military camp.
Li Guolou returned to the study in the backyard. His right hand could already write calligraphy, and he showed his merit to Emperor Tongzhi, asking him to write a colorful memorial himself.
Chu Xiangyu was grinding next to her, with her plump body close to Li Guolou. She was already content to come to Taiwan to accompany Li Guolou. Li Guolou was like the wind, hard to catch in his hands. Now she stood beside Li Guolou. There is a sense of happiness around Guolou.
Chu Xiangyu saw that Li Guolou was halfway through writing and stopped. Then she knew that Li Guolou had stopped writing. The next step was to write the commendation of meritorious officials. That was to wait for Shen Baozhen to return to Keelung Port.
Chu Xiangyu obediently washed the brush, returned the four treasures of the study on the desk to their original positions, and then massaged Li Guolou's right arm. Li Guolou had written half of it. Another reason was that his arm could not bear it and could not be raised for a long time. .
Li Guolou enjoyed the sour and numb feeling, closed his eyes lazily, and said: "The woman is pregnant with the Heroes' Tomb, and you two will accompany me. I don't want to fight anymore. When I go to the Pingtung Plains, you two should go back." Jingba,”
"No, Brother Xiaolou, Sister Peipei and I will wait for you here and won't cause you any trouble," Chu Xiangyu whined, her delicate body wrapped around Li Guolou's back, and her whole body was still twisting.
"Little rascal, I'll eat you tonight, be good now, I know," Li Guolou held Chu Xiangyu in his arms and kissed her red lips.
Li Guolou's mind is no longer on the battlefield. Now in the Taiwan War, the Qing army has an absolute advantage. Tens of thousands of Japanese troops have been surrounded by various Qing army groups. The Japanese army has no room for strategic maneuver. However, in a short period of time, the Qing army cannot The Japanese military fortress Kameyama was captured, so anything that could not be obtained on the battlefield had to be solved through diplomatic channels.
What Li Guolou thinks about most is his uncle Li Hongzhang's diplomatic negotiations. The diplomatic negotiation table is another battlefield. I don't know the outcome of the game between Li Hongzhang, who is a good dancer, and the Japanese government's foreign minister Yanagihara Maemitsu. .
"He is heartless and has no passion at all." Chu Xiangyu broke away from Li Guolou's arms and saw that Li Guolou was absent-minded. She glared at Li Guolou angrily and wished she could eat Li Guolou alive.
"Good night, tonight," Li Guolou knew what Chu Xiangyu was thinking, but he had too many things to do and couldn't indulge in lust.
"Well, let's make an agreement. Sister Peipei and I will wait here for your triumphant return and return to Beijing together." Chu Xiangyu caressed Li Guolou's chest and used a beauty trick to seduce Li Guolou. This man will not take advantage of you. Hard, she was confident enough to believe that Li Guolou would let her stay.
"Well, bring me the map. Call me when the banquet begins," Li Guolou cheered up and put aside his love for his children.
Chu Xiangyu lit a stick of incense and inserted it into the incense burner. The green smoke curled up in the study, making people feel happy. Chu Xiangyu sat quietly on the couch, hooking up a child's sweater, and glanced at the green brick bed. Li Guolou went up, shook his head, and showed a wry smile.
Nowadays, Li Guolou’s hobby is reading maps, even when he is eating.
Li Guolou lay on the ground and looked at the city defense map of Orchid City with a magnifying glass. Although he could not personally command the attack on Orchid City, looking at the map of Orchid City made him feel like he had returned to a battlefield filled with artillery fire.
This is how the commander-in-chief fights, talking about war on paper, in exchange for victory after victory. Li Guolou completed the transformation from a fierce general to a commander-in-chief.