From the outside, it seems that the 64 cannons are well maintained. These 64 cannons are the so-called Hongyi cannons manufactured by the Qing Dynasty. They have a long range and are powerful. They can fire solid shells and exploded shells. Some cannons even exceed 10,000 kilograms. .That majestic and tall posture can intimidate people without firing a cannon.
There are various small squatting cannons, howitzers and mortars nearby. When a fort fires, it is as brilliant as fireworks.
Master Fan Dahui was wearing earplugs and was next to the gunner, recording the firing of each cannon. If the cannonball was fired smoothly, it was a victory for the gunner, and he cheered, "Long live!"
When the dumb cannon appeared, the gunners turned pale, knelt down next to the cannon and shouted in unison, "This subordinate deserves to die, I hope you will be given a lighter sentence."
Li Guolou glanced sideways at Admiral Yulu next to him, but said nothing, his expression extremely ugly.
Admiral Yulu glared fiercely at the pipes of this fort, wishing he could whip him up, and shouted angrily: "Asshole, why is this happening? If it's a war, you have to jump from here."
The officer turned over and knelt on the ground, crying: "The humble post deserves to be punished. It has embarrassed the army. The entire responsibility lies with the humble post. Please ask the military to punish me."
Admiral Yulu stamped his feet and shouted angrily: "Kneel down until dark and wait for me to come back to take care of you."
There are 5 Hongyi cannons that have not even been tested. They are wrapped tightly. The pipes of the fort are said to be repaired. In the end, there are 64 cannons. Apart from 5 cannons that need repair, there are still 9 cannons that have not been discharged. .Seeing this result, no one could be exempted, and all the officers knelt on the ground.
Watching the sunset, the rays of light shining in the sky, Li Guolou put his hands behind his back and let the sea breeze blow on his cheeks to calm down his mood. The national gate of Haiphong has been defeated to such an extent. The Eight Banners soldiers here belong to the advanced arms. They have generous salaries but no money, and they fail to fulfill their due responsibilities. Even if they are heroes, possess martial arts skills, are not afraid of death, and fight until the moment of sacrifice. But without cannons to fire, these officers and soldiers are just infantry. So, it's just not worth paying back the generous salary.
"Get up, we have a meeting in the evening. If you have any difficulties, bring them up. If there are areas for improvement, you must also find ways." Li Guolou supported Admiral Yulu without saying any unkind words. The cannon can still be fired accurately. The advantages must also be seen and cannot be seen all at once. A stick kills someone. If there is a problem, change it; if it doesn't, use more force.
"Thank you, the Imperial Envoy, for understanding the difficulties of lowering your rank."
Admiral Yulu is known as a domineering general, and he has his own arrogance. The Dagukou Fort is a key national defense project. This imperial envoy and senior officials often come to inspect. Yulu has never been troubled. Hundreds of cannons fired in unison, and the soldiers performed real performances. He was good at kung fu, battle formation drills, and every military subject. He once received a commendation order from the Minister of Military and Aircraft Wen Xiang. He got top marks in every personnel assessment of the imperial court, and he was waiting to be allowed to serve as a local governor next year. Unexpectedly, he suffered a huge setback today. The imperial envoy Li Guolou broke his golden bell cover and iron cloth shirt with just one move.
Li Guolou held the roster and called out the ten commanders. These ten commanders were the commanders of the fort whose Hongyi cannons were damaged or the shells did not come out. Then he turned to look at Admiral Yulu and asked: " Yujunmen, military law is ruthless, how should these ten people be punished?"
Admiral Yulu said without hesitation: "I am reporting to the Imperial Envoy that all ten of these officers will be detained for three days. Tomorrow they will be publicly beaten with forty military sticks and fined for half a year. Report completed!"
"Well, let's do it." Li Guolou nodded in agreement. This is not a war period. If it were a war period, Li Guolou would shoot them directly.
Military law was ruthless. No officer begged for mercy. They all knelt down in front of Admiral Yulu and cursed themselves for embarrassing their commander. Then they were all taken away to accept punishment.
The other twenty-two officers were praised by Li Guolou for their outstanding performance. Each of them was given a pocket watch engraved with the national flag. The scene immediately relaxed. The officers who did not receive the pocket watch looked at the twenty officers with envy. Two men wear belts and pocket watches with national flags engraved on them.
Relying on his familiarity with Li Guolou, Quartermaster Hongdu stood upright in front of Li Guolou and saluted: "Sir, Quartermaster Hongdu also made a great contribution. Every bomb fired exploded. The power is endless, and the five officers of our Munitions Department deserve to be rewarded by the superior."
"Really?" Li Guolou suddenly had no way to argue and turned to look at Admiral Yulu. He always wanted to give Yulu face. Otherwise, why would he immediately give rewards to most other officers? face, giving them a sense of honor.
"Well! The Hongguan leadership has contributed a lot to ensuring that Dagukou's military supplies are worry-free. The credit ahead is inseparable from the vigorous cooperation of your Military Supplies Department." Admiral Yulu's expression improved, and Li Guolou did not hold on to the squib. The fact that the incident was not released shows that it was not in a position to let the court know about it.
"Okay! The munitions department will also reward you." Li Guolou saw that the munitions officer Hongdu had the upper hand, and personally put the pocket watch on his chest for Hongdu.
Five officers from the Munitions Department stood proudly in front of Li Guolou with tears of excitement. This was much more glorious than embezzling money. They could tell future generations that a dramatic scene had happened in their glorious military careers. This one Pocket watches are precious enough to be passed down to future generations.
The officer who received the pocket watch smiled and stroked the smooth surface, looking at the clock inside and the pattern of the national flag on the case. There was a commotion among the officers, and several officers in the logistics department quit their jobs when they saw even the fat military supplies. Guan Hongdu also received rewards, and he was very angry and fought for his own status.
Under the urging of his subordinates, a head of the Logistics Department loudly said: "Your Excellency, our Logistics Department is not a stepmother. We should have five places."
Before Li Guolou could answer, Admiral Yulu twirled his mustache and nodded: "Yes! It should be. Logistics support is the basic condition for the army to win the war. I will vigorously fight for it on your behalf."
Li Guolou smiled and nodded: "Donkey Ball, do you understand the rules? Can't you tell me in the report?"
"Hehehehe! Reporting to the Imperial Envoy, the logistics support of our Dagukou Fort is first-class. Every soldier is fully equipped, eats well, and sleeps on a warm bed." The supervisor from the Logistics Department walked out of the crowd sheepishly and followed suit. He looked like the officer in front, standing upright in front of Li Guo Tower.
"Do your best and don't let down the emperor's favor!" Li Guolou encouraged every officer wearing a pocket watch. The Dagukou Fort relied on these soldiers for support. As long as their conscience is not destroyed, these soldiers will fight until the last moment of their lives. .The gateway to the capital is Tianjin, and the gateway to Tianjin on the sea is the Dagukou Fort. They can serve as role models for soldiers.
Admiral Yulu felt much better when he saw that most of his men had received rewards. He knew that the imperial envoy Li Guolou came here to provide support and help, not to take off the feathers on his head. Unfortunately, the merits were not fulfilled, and there were Ten police officers were imprisoned.
"Arms are unpredictable. Now that new combat methods have emerged, the idea that cannons determine victory or defeat is outdated. Not only must you be able to defend these forts, you must also change your strategy. The Hongyi cannon was destroyed by the enemy, and the forts will not After it reappears, the combat system must be changed, and howitzers and mortars should be set up in temporary open spaces to fire. Enemies attacking from the sea will always rush ashore. How to fight a beachhead battle? Who can tell me?" Li Guolou. Looking around at the officers standing in front of him, he suddenly asked about the artillery's combat methods.
Officers, look at me and I look at you. The Imperial Envoy actually said that the impregnable Dagukou fort is gone. How can we fight this battle? We have lost it long ago and everyone is dead.
"Sir, we will fight to the last soldier and we will never take a step back." An officer with a sinister face said viciously.
Li Guolou waved his hand and said: "I don't want to listen to such rhetoric. I want to win. No matter how heroic the defeat is, I still lose. Winning is the last word. A general who defeats a battle is not worth boasting about."
The arrogant officer retreated, Shanshan remained silent, and Admiral Yuro said loudly: "As long as we have enough ammunition, we will continue to deal with the enemy. The enemy has difficulty in supplying supplies, and we have a strong rear, which is enough to exhaust the enemy's strength."
Li Guolou nodded and said: "Yu Junmen is right. If you have enough ammunition, you can fight with the enemy. But who will send us ammunition? It depends on the servants and logistics officers and soldiers in the army. When fighting, we sacrifice a lot. The logistics support personnel prepared in normal times are far from enough. The losses are huge, and by then these forts will face the dilemma of running out of ammunition and food."
"Then recruit people from all over the country, and clear up the lack of people. The two-legged poor sticks will be wiped out." An officer replied loudly, which immediately won the praise of the people next to him.
Li Guolou shook his head and said: "This military lord, your thoughts represent the thoughts of most military lords. It is because of this kind of thinking that our Qing army loses the battle. When you are a military lord in normal times, you will be desperate. I think of the poor stickman. Do you think he is a fool or cannon fodder? Life is more important than money, and I think you are not a fool. The soldiers of the Eight Banners received high salaries and received patriotism education. During the war, they knew that they were loyal to the emperor and patriotic, and fought hard. On the front line, we vow not to retreat until we die. What about the neighbors around you? Who has cared about them, who has educated them. Do you just rely on the officials? The officials have a good reputation, and who has said good things about them? You just sit in the well and watch the sky. Indifferent to the lives of the people around him, he stayed in these forts. During his breaks, he went to restaurants and visited prostitutes, letting the people around him know that there was a group of wealthy military lords living here who could make traders and prostitutes live a good life. life, what will it bring to the local people?”
The officers learned about Li Guolou's poisonous tongue. He was a well-deserved disseminator of new ideas. Regardless of his reputation as a Jinshi, he blurted out dirty words and was no worse than a ruffian in the army.
Li Guolou put his hands on his hips and waved: "In addition to being a soldier, you should also shoulder the important responsibility for the prosperity of the country. What I just said is to give you homework. Spend an evening thinking about how much the country has given you. And how much have you repaid the country? To develop the idea of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, we cannot stay at the stage when the Qing Dynasty was founded. What you guard is not only the cannons in Dagukou, but also the land that raised you. Dagukou The Hongyi artillery will be replaced soon, and your thoughts must keep up with the times. As a group of well-educated artillery officers, we must reflect on the lessons of failure. A war is not only a battle on the battlefield, but also diplomacy, people's hearts, the so-called right time, right place and right people. and, are also the key to victory or defeat on the battlefield. Why was Dagukou, which had the advantage, been captured by the British and French forces? It is far from enough to use an excuse of lagging behind in weapons, being passively beaten, and insufficient troops. There are too many things that need to be summarized and learned. Only when you learn lessons, improve your shortcomings, and become a strong person can you be a qualified coastal defender. Tomorrow you will all submit to me an article on the improvement measures for the Dagukou Fort, and work together to carry forward the Three Stooges competition. It’s better than Zhuge Liang’s ability.”
"Hahahaha!" the officers laughed loudly. Li Guolou was completely different from the other officers who came to the Dagukou Fort. Every move gave the officers a strong impact. The Dagukou Fort was full of knowledge-based officers. Most of them were descendants of Guijie, and they had always had a stronger sense of identity with civil servants who were Jinshi and above. Li Guolou's practical style won the love of most military officers.