Finally, Sun Yuanhua boarded the 901 gunboat "Taishuang". .)
Although the hull of the Taishuang is not much larger than the largest spy boat, its shape and equipment are completely different from those of a spy boat that was born out of Chinese civilian ships, especially the sail outfit - 901 does not use improved Chinese and Western materials like the spy boat. Mixed sailing, but barquentine style. Sun Yuanhua browsed for a long time and felt that the shape and sails of this boat were somewhat similar to the European sailboats that the missionaries had shown him. However, it looked lighter and more beautiful than the European sailboats.
Although Sun Yuanhua didn't know the saying "an aircraft with superior performance must look good", he instinctively felt that Australian ships had much superior performance than European ships.
What left the deepest impression on him was the 130mm Grenshell "cannon" on the Daishuang. When the canvas was lifted and the wine bottle-shaped, shiny cannon was exposed to his eyes, Sun Yuanhua Suddenly I realized that all the "military weapons" I had seen before seemed so pale and feeble.
Although the 68-pound carronade gave him a great shock, his gunnery skills also knew that although the shells fired from the shorter barrel could be very large, the range would not be too far.
The "giant cannon" in front of him not only had a large caliber, but also had a long barrel, taking into account both power and range. What surprised him even more was that the cannon, which looked very heavy, could be rotated easily - even without manpower, Lu Yang After giving the order, several sailors ran up to the gun position and took their positions. Someone used the brass pole and turned the hand wheel. A strange low whine came from the deck below the cannon, and then the heavy gun body began to rotate.
Suddenly, thick white gas sprayed out from below the deck and from the gun mount, startling Sun Yuanhua. A gust of sea breeze blew by, and the water vapor quickly dissipated. He could clearly see the cannon turning left and right and pitching freely under the control of several sailors. As dexterous as a chopstick.
This one battleship can surpass the ten ships of the navy! Sun Yuanhua thought to himself, no wonder the Australians can navigate the sea!
"How can such a huge cannon rotate freely without manpower?" he asked.
"This is the power of water and fire." Lu Yang said and briefly explained the principle of the steam engine. He used the explanation in One Hundred Thousand Whys - from the common phenomenon of boiling water and cooking rice and steaming the kettle lid. Explain the power of steam.
Sun Yuanhua listened very carefully. The principle of the steam engine is actually very simple, but it must be transformed into usable power. Not a simple matter. Therefore, he did not ask how the power of steam propelled the cannon - it must be a secret technique of the Australians, and they would never reveal it to others easily.
"What is this?" Sun Yuanhua came to the huge chimney in the middle of the hull. The chimney was wrapped in fishing nets and tarps.
"chimney."
"Chimney?" Sun Yuanhua asked curiously, "Such a big chimney?"
There are stoves on any large ship, but I have never heard of stoves so big that they need to be equipped with chimneys.
"Exactly." Lu Yang said, "Since the power of water and fire is used, this chimney is necessary."
"So, below deck, it's a huge stove?"
"Sir, your guess is right. It's a huge stove and a pot of water."
This aroused Sun Yuanhua's strong curiosity: He could not figure out how to build a huge stove and put a pot of water in such a rickety environment on the ship. Won't the water overflow as soon as the boat moves?
While I was wondering, I saw a small boat sailing in the bay, emitting black smoke and white gas.
There is a large area of floating ice in Longkou Bay, and a large boat is transporting icebreaker workers to the ice for artificial icebreaking. Keep waterways clear.
Sun Yuanhua suddenly noticed that the small boat sailing in the bay had no sails or oars, and he couldn't help but be surprised - he had long heard that Australian ships could sail without sails or oars. Seeing is believing now. Looking at the black smoke, water vapor and chimneys rising from the boat, he suddenly understood and asked:
"This ship can move freely on the sea, maybe it uses the power of water and fire that Mr. Lu mentioned, right?"
"Sir, you are right." Lu Yang secretly admired him.
"Although this ship has sails, it can still sail without sails, right?"
"Yes." Lu Yang said, "The power of water and fire can propel cannons, propel ships, and do many other things."
Sun Yuanhua sighed: "What a magical skill!"
"Isn't Sir the best at studying things?" Lu Yang said, "The way of water and fire is also the study of things."
On the way back to the village. "Borrow troops to help suppress!" This word jumped into Sun Yuanhua's heart.
The other party openly exposed his warships and cannons, and he naturally understood that this was a deliberate hint to him.
After being captured in Dengzhou, he was already desperate for his future. According to the emperor's consistent behavior: even if Kong Youde missed his old feelings and released him, he might not be able to return to the court even if he had teachers and old Zhou Ge to help him. There is no escape from death.
Originally, he was ready to die. Now he was rescued again: it had only been two or three days since the fall of Dengzhou, and neither the court nor the local officials would receive exact news...
As long as a person in a desperate situation has a chance, he will immediately have a strong desire to survive. Sun Yuanhua immediately realized that a huge opportunity was appearing in front of him.
If he could lead his own troops to defeat Kong Youde and regain Dengzhou, even if he could not keep his position as governor, at least there would be a chance for him to recover in the future.
As for the other party being a "kun thief", this is something to worry about. However, it seems that the other party does not want to reveal their true identity, otherwise they would not have to go to such trouble to set up Zhuangzi here under their false name.
Back in the village, Jin Lige invited him to attend the morning mass. The mass was held in a simple tent on the island, and the attendees were mainly new converts among the refugees. Because Lu Wenyuan was already a Catholic, he had to go to the service with him.
After the service, Sun Yuanhua and Jin Lige had another conversation. Jin Lige expressed concern about his current status, saying that his failure in Dengzhou would not only endanger himself, but also may be a huge blow to the spread of the entire Holy Church in China.
Sun Yuanhua certainly understood the meaning expressed by the church. The Jesuit missionary work in China relied heavily on upper-class scholar-bureaucrats. But now there are only a few scholar-officials and Christians who can be called "high officials." My mentor, Xu Guangqi, was already in his twilight years and exhausted both physically and mentally due to his academic training. He was the last hope of the missionaries.
Then, Jin Lige went on to talk about the Australians' devotion to the church, and how the church has gained unprecedented gains in Hainan with the support of the Australians - he pointed out with great regret: If the leader of the Australians was a Christian, the Pope would definitely Canonized him.
Under the guidance of the Jesuit priests, Sun Yuan already had the intention of "borrowing his teachers to help in the suppression".
Still, he had a lot to figure out. The first is how many troops the Australians can send. Sun Yuanhua knew that Dengzhou and Liaodong faced each other across the sea, and the local area was a barren and difficult land. After Kong Youde occupied Dengzhou, he would have food, pay, and weapons. As long as he raised a big flag, he would not have to worry about tens of thousands of horses immediately gathering.
Of these tens of thousands of people, the majority are those who are trying to earn a living and make a living, but among them there are many local soldiers and former Dongjiang people.
Although these soldiers defeated the Tatars with fewer victories and more defeats, they were "strong soldiers" among the Ming army. In particular, Li Jiucheng, Kong Youde and others were all veteran generals in Liaodong and had received training in Western firearms in Dengzhou. If a war really came to a head, if the imperial court did not draw elite border troops from the Shanhaiguan area to defend the capital, it would only rely on improvised troops. They may not be their opponents yet.
In particular, the large amount of firearms and gunpowder stored in Dengzhou City increased their combat power. Furthermore, there are the warships in the water city. This is what Sun Yuanhua is particularly worried about.
All naval warships fell into the hands of the rebels, which meant that they had the ability to maneuver at will on the sea. The Dongjiang Army on Lushun and Liaodong Islands may respond to the rebels in Dengzhou via sea at any time.
At that time, the rebel force will become bigger and bigger like a snowball, and if the rebels cannot support it, they may go to sea and surrender to the Tartars... The Denglai defense line that the court has worked hard for more than ten years will collapse.
Faced with such a powerful enemy, Sun Yuanhua certainly could not expect that his small number of troops in Laizhou and Qingzhou could suppress them - even with the troops sent by Yu Dacheng, the governor of Shandong, he had no chance of winning.
Sun Yuanhua did not expect the court to send reinforcements soon. The court's military strength in the north was tight, and it would take three or four months to send troops to suppress the attack, even if the court resolution was passed immediately.
His plan was to defend Laizhou and Qingzhou to prevent the rebellion from spreading. By asking the Australian navy to assist in the battle at sea, the rebels will not be able to connect with the old Dongjiang people in Liaodong.
The old Dongjiang people couldn't cross the sea to reinforce Kong Youde, and they couldn't take Laizhou and Qingzhou, so the rebels could only be trapped in Dengzhou - the food in Dengzhou could last about half a year. As long as they were trapped for half a year, the rebels would be in chaos without fighting. Whether it is to recruit people or to mobilize a large army to encircle and suppress them, they can get twice the result with half the effort.
Sun Yuanhua didn't have much hope for the Australian army - he only saw Xiang Yong on the island. Even if there are some brave Australian soldiers, they are only two to three hundred at best. Even if they have the legendary sophisticated firearms, after all, the number is too small, not even enough to fill the teeth of the rebels.
In contrast, he had much more confidence in the Australian navy - the warships the Australians showed him could easily blockade Dengzhou. Neither the navy in Dongjiang nor the navy in Dengzhou had any warships that could compete with them. If we really want to start a war, it will really be like destroying everything.
However, it is not easy to make this determination - after all, the Australians are "thieves" who have seen battles with the imperial army. Although they have only done business so far and have not shown any ambitions, they have expressed their affection for him without any reason. Good intentions, this can't help but make him suspicious.
< >, reading is a kind of enjoyment, it is recommended that you collect it.
