The light cruiser Xuda sailed north at a speed of 28 knots. After sailing for about 9 hours, at six o'clock in the evening, it approached the meeting coordinate point agreed by both parties.
There were golden waves on the sea at dusk, and a lone cruiser anchored on the sea, bumping up and down with the waves.
Here is the Yellow Sea far away from the land. More than 200 kilometers away to the west is the Huanghuai Coast of the Northern Qing Dynasty, which is probably the location of Haizhou, which is later Lianyungang. More than 300 kilometers away to the east is the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Surrounded by
There is nothing to rely on on all sides, and as far as the eye can see, there is only the vast sea.
The setting sun fell into the sea little by little, the sky on all sides became darker and darker, and the color of the sea surface slowly changed from gray-white to deep blue-black.
According to the agreement, both sides could only bring one light cruiser. After the two ships approached the meeting coordinate point, they each lowered their boats and rowed towards each other. The boats on the Nanming side carried Xiang Xiaoqiang, Zheng Yucong and the negotiating team, and on the Beiqing side the boats carried
In his small boat were Emperor Guangwu's younger brother, Yuxuan, and a dozen of his personal servants.
But as a precaution, Nanming has quietly sent 10 submarines to ambush nearby to form an encirclement. If the Beiqing warship makes any abnormal behavior, in addition to dealing with a light cruiser of Nanming, it will also have to avoid 10 submarines.
Torpedo array.
On the deck, Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yucong stood side by side by the railing at the bow of the ship, looking due north, the direction in which the Qing cruiser should come.
Zheng Yucong's face was flushed, she didn't say a word, and her whole body was trembling slightly. Xiang Xiaoqiang approached her, and their shoulders touched each other lightly. Xiang Xiaoqiang could still clearly feel Zheng Yucong's body trembling slightly.
Xiang Xiaoqiang knows why this is and understands her feelings. Yes, she, the princess of the Ming Dynasty, is about to board a warship in Beiqing and go to Beiqing. And the controller of that land is
He has been the sworn enemy of the Ming Dynasty for hundreds of years. His future is uncertain.
, which made her inevitably frightened. But Xiang Xiaoqiang knew that for Zheng Yucong, a girl who longed for adventure and excitement, this experience was also extremely exciting. Especially going on adventures with her sweetheart, this was very exciting for Zheng Yucong.
Incomparably attractive.
Zheng Yuqing knew that from the moment she boarded the Qing army cruiser, her safety was completely out of her control. Everything that had accompanied her since she was a child: her identity as a marquis and princess, the queen's cousin, her father, and Fu Ke
The family consortium of the enemy country has since
The huge wealth in her hands, as well as the laws and the army of the Ming Empire... all the things that have protected her for more than twenty years have left her for the first time. In these days, the only thing that can protect her and give her
The only one who feels safe is Xiang Xiaoqiang.
The important thing is that in these few days, Xiang Xiaoqiang only belongs to himself. There will be no Qiuqiu, Xiuxiu, Princess Liaoyang, or cousins to share...
This feeling is extremely wonderful.
Yesterday, when her cousin called her into the palace, held her hand, and discussed the matter with her while choking, Zheng Yucong only thought about it for half an hour, and then firmly agreed. After that, she didn't even return home, nor did she talk to her.
Her father said that he got on the car directly to the train station. After boarding the special train, Xiang Xiaoqiang was waiting for her there. Zheng Yucong trembled and hugged Xiang Xiaoqiang tightly.
…
The Xuda fluctuated with the waves at the agreed location for an hour. At seven o'clock in the evening, when it was almost dark, the observer on the top of the bridge loudly shouted that the target was found in the distance. Because it was already very late, the visibility was not as good as
It was daytime, so when they were discovered, the distance between the two sides was already less than four thousand meters.
The observers continued to work hard to identify the target. At the same time, the Xuda began to weigh the anchor with a "squeak", the heavy oil boiler began to pressurize, the stern propeller quickly stirred up the white waves, and the entire ship entered a combat state.
The battle alarm "Woo——!! Wu——!!" on the deck sounded throughout the ship. Immediately, two officers ran over and escorted Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yucong down the gangway and into the cabin below the deck. There was this
The armor protection of a light cruiser is the best. However, it is only relatively the best. Compared with battleships, the armor of light cruisers is inherently poor.
The Xuda light cruiser dragged white waves, turned its slender hull to the right, pointed its flank in the direction of the target from the north, and turned all eight 155mm naval guns to aim at the opponent.
In the cabin below the deck, Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yucong squeezed beside the round porthole, looking at the approaching black dot in the distance. The cruiser accelerated, the undulations underfoot became even greater, and waves kept hitting the outside of the porthole glass from the outside.
, smashed into pieces of white foam. Xiang Xiaoqiang put his arms around Zheng Yucong's waist and whispered in her ear:
"Are you nervous?"
Zheng Yucong shivered even more, looked outside, bit her lip and nodded.
Xiang Xiaoqiang was also a little nervous and laughed softly:
"It doesn't matter, this is just a preventive action. There won't be a real fight. Even if there is a fight, the combat effectiveness of the Qing ship will be far inferior to ours."
Zheng Yuqing's face was still very pale and she nodded again.
…
Soon, the Xuda's bridge observer discovered that the warships on the opposite side also began to cross the body, traveling in the same direction and parallel to the Xuda, separated by a distance of three thousand meters. What was even more worrying was that the warships on the opposite side began to cross.
The warship has three chimneys.
It was not a light cruiser, but a heavy cruiser. The naval flag of the Qing Empire was flying on the mast.
Then, behind the heavy cruiser on the opposite side, two more small warships emerged from the dusk. They were two destroyers. After a while, two more warships appeared.
So far, the Qing army has appeared one heavy cruiser, four destroyers, and a fleet. The Ming army only has one light cruiser here. Although there are ten submarines ambushed under the sea several kilometers around, but
The Qing army arrived with four destroyers, and the Ming army's ten submarines changed from hunters to prey.
Xu Da was at a complete disadvantage.
"No, very bad..." the captain of the Xuda held up the telescope and murmured, "That is the 'Yongzheng' heavy cruiser, the 'Kangxi class'... the strongest warship of the Qinglu Navy... so
They blatantly violated the agreement, what do they want to do?"
The Xuda increased its horsepower and reached a speed of 30 knots. It dragged a long white mark and headed east in the same direction as the Qing fleet, and turned five degrees to the south. In this way, the distance between the two sides gradually widened.
Although the distance between the two sides was close, it was not a big problem for the Ming light cruiser to escape under the cover of twilight.
…
At this moment, the signal light flashed on the Qing army's heavy cruiser. This was the meeting signal agreed upon by both parties in advance.
After seeing the other party's signal, the Xuda continued to distance itself, but at the same time it also called back according to the agreed signal.
The Qing army's heavy cruiser "Yongzheng" slowed down. After a while, it stopped, and the white marks on its tail gradually dissipated. However, the four surrounding destroyers began to increase their horsepower and move in a zigzag pattern dragging black smoke.
The bow of the ship cut through the waves to search for submarines nearby.
At the same time, the Xuda also slowly slowed down, but always maintained a distance of more than 3,500 meters from the Yongzheng.
All the actions of both sides reflect the serious distrust of the other party.
Next, the two sides started a "light fight". The Qing ship asked the Ming ship to get closer, saying that it was more than 3,000 meters away and both sides would be exhausted just rowing the boat. The Ming ship responded by saying that it was half exhausted and half dead.
, who told you not to abide by the agreement and send a fleet? We don’t feel safe if we get close.
The two sides bickered for a while, and finally at a distance of 3,500 meters, the two sides lowered their boats.
Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yucong were sitting on a rubber boat, surrounded by a circle of sailors paddling. There was also a rubber boat behind, with several other members of the delegation sitting. A light was hung on each boat to indicate to the other party.
own position.
To the far north, under the tall black silhouette of the Yongzheng, there were also two small bright spots swaying. Those were their two rubber boats, and on one of them sat Emperor Guangwu's younger brother: Aisin Gioro-Yu.
reclaimed land.
Xiang Xiaoqiang was sitting in the middle of the boat with Zheng Yucong in his arms. Suddenly he reached out and touched something cold and heavy. He picked it up and saw that it was actually a Woodpecker machine gun with a long chain of bullets connected to a heavy magazine.
Inside! With the bipod folded, you can shoot while holding it in your arms!
There were two sailors behind him, so they quickly asked Xiaoqiang to put them down, saying that this was just in case, and there must be some on the boat at Qinglu, so we couldn't live without it.
Xiang Xiaoqiang sweated. No wonder they never rowed, just resting. It turned out to be machine gunners.
This serious mutual distrust between the two sides is a hundred times stronger than during the Cold War in later generations.
…
Not only did they row for a long time, but the sailors on both sides were almost exhausted anyway, and the two lights in the distance gradually came closer. The four rubber boats on both sides finally came together. At this time, the warships behind both sides were very far away.
Only a dark silhouette can be seen.
The four small boats threw their cables to each other and fixed them together. The sailors on both sides looked at each other warily.
An officer stood up on the Qing army's boat and shouted in a Beijing accent:
"Excuse me, who is General Xiang? Who is Princess Leping?"
An officer on the Ming army's boat also stood up and shouted:
"Who is His Royal Highness Prince Fuping?"
Another figure stood up opposite, and a young man with a Beijing accent said loudly:
"The lonely king is General Xiang. Is he here?"
The light from the Ming army immediately shone on him. He was a young man in a long robe and mandarin jacket. He was in his twenties and had a thin face. He was very similar to the faces of Puyi and Guangwu.
Xiang Xiaoqiang stood up and said:
"I will be here."
Immediately afterwards, Zheng Yucong also grabbed Xiang Xiaoqiang's hand and stood up, saying in a clear voice:
"My princess is here too."
The strong light from the opposite side came over and shone directly on their faces. Both Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yucong could hardly open their eyes, but they held their hands tightly and raised their heads to let each other distinguish carefully. They knew that Wang Yuxuan of Fuping was here.
Shi is also receiving the light from his side.
Both sides must carefully identify and verify their identity. Once a "fake" is received, the life of one's hostage will be at risk.
Two officials from both sides jumped onto the other side's boat, holding a stack of photos and carefully identifying them from all angles, almost lying on their faces to use a magnifying glass to see their pores.
After "inspecting the goods" like this for half an hour, both parties recognized the other's identity.
Then, Xiang Xiaoqiang first jumped onto the Qing army's rubber boat. Immediately afterwards, Fuping Wang Yuxuan jumped onto the Ming army's rubber boat. Then, Zheng Yucong jumped onto the Qing army's rubber boat.
Next, the entourage of both sides jumped onto the other side's boat one after another.
In this way, at almost ten o'clock in the evening, the "hostage handover" was officially completed. The rubber boats on both sides carried the other side's people and rowed back to their own warships.
Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yucong sat together, holding each other's hands without saying a word. They were surrounded by Qing army sailors. While paddling hard, they took the opportunity to glance at the two of them curiously. After a long time, Xiang Xiaoqiang and his party boarded the
Boarded the Qing army's heavy cruiser Yongzheng.
…
The fleet commander of the Qing army squadron came to see Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zheng Yucong. He was very respectful to them and took them to their respective rooms in person, and then brought in exquisite meals.
After boarding the Qing ship, Zheng Yucong's excited trembling reached a high point. Whenever Xiang Xiaoqiang held her in his arms, he could strongly feel her body trembling.
After dinner and a shower, it was already late at night, and the two of them were going back to their rooms to sleep. When they were saying goodbye, Xiang Xiaoqiang leaned against her ear and said softly:
"Cong Cong, the last time you escaped from home was the first time in your life that you made such a big decision. But it turned out that your decision was very correct. You won your freedom and brought the two of us together...
This time you have made another decision to go to Beiqing with me. I believe that your decision will not be wrong this time."
Zheng Yuqing turned her head to look at Xiang Xiaoqiang, swallowed nervously, but a blush rose on her face and she smiled.
…
The Beiqing "Yongzheng" squadron drove north-northeast at a speed of 22 knots. The next morning, it turned northwest again.
At 11 o'clock at noon, a piece of land appeared in front of us. It was a mountain. Gradually, a wider land surface emerged.
That's Lao Tieshan.
At 12 o'clock, the fleet sailed into one of the three major military ports in Beiqing: Lushun Port.
Xiang Xiaoqiang took Zheng Yucong and the delegation down the ramp to the cement pier. Two other cruisers were moored in the port, as well as other auxiliary ships. In the distance, some small boats could be seen shuttled, and there were workers and workers on the shore.
The sailors are working and patrolling.
But the nearby pier was empty. It seemed that it had been cleared.
There were only a few cars parked in front. This should be to pick them up. It seems that the Beiqing side also wants to keep a low profile and try not to let the outside world know that the two sides are negotiating secretly. At least that is the case before the negotiation fails. As for after the negotiation is successful,
, if the Beiqing extorted enough oil and water and achieved enough "political victory", then the Beiqing would definitely publicize it.
Xiang Xiaoqiang and his party got into the car and were driven out of the port area.
The Nanming delegation still doesn’t know where the negotiation venue is. The Beiqing delegation has kept this secret. Now that they have landed, they still don’t know. Is it in Port Arthur? Or somewhere else? Or to Beijing?
We have arrived in Lushun, and it seems impossible to go to Beijing from here. If we take the train, we will have to make a long detour, bypassing the entire Liaodong Peninsula. If we go to Beijing, the cruiser will dock directly at Dagu Port, Tianjin.
is the latest.
Xiang Xiaoqiang decided to ask again.
The Beiqing official sitting in the front passenger seat hesitated for a moment and nodded:
“Just in Lushun.”
Then, an official took the initiative to speak again:
"General Xiang, we are going to the East Jiguanshan Villa now. You and your delegation will stay there during the negotiation...We will be there soon. When we arrive, hehe, we will take care of you and the princess."
He nodded to Xiaoqiang, a thought flashed through his mind, and he smiled:
"My lord, are we going to meet any other big shots then?"
The official was stunned for a moment, seemed very mysterious, and hesitated for a long time, making no comment.
Xiang Xiaoqiang stopped asking. He didn't know for sure. He thought that the reason why Beiqing bothered him was because Emperor Guangwu wanted to see him. But now he didn't go to Beijing to negotiate, but in Lushun, and he was a little confused.