The sun was setting low, and the sea water was lapping against the side of the ship. The first day of Tongzhi's fifth year was about to pass. The deck of the Dutch merchant ship was crowded with young men in blue military uniforms. They stretched their right hands flat on their foreheads and greeted all the people on the dock who were seeing them off. Chinese salute,
The tears were choked and there was a lot of crying on the dock. In just one day, the majestic military posture of the New Army was imprinted on the hearts of the people of the Lion City. From 8 am to 5 pm, in just nine hours, Although it may be short-lived, it brings an unforgettable dignity to the Chinese people in the city.
"Peace, safe journey... Come to the Lion City when you come back, and let us fulfill our friendship as landlords again..."
"The Chinese people in the world are one family, and we are waiting for you to come back with good news..."
The sound of blessings and cries on the pier resounded through the sky. When the merchant ship started to leave the pier with a slight jolt, the crowd suddenly moved. Everyone subconsciously wanted to rush forward. The senders who were close to the pier fell into the water with a splash to save others. The sailors were also swimming desperately, and the whole farewell scene was in chaos.
The young men of the New Army were about to jump off the ship to save people, but the old men on the shore were shouting, "Don't look back when you are traveling far away. It's unlucky. Don't jump off the ship. Don't jump off the ship. Don't worry about us... I wish you victory!" ," As he spoke, everyone's heads instantly lowered. In addition to kneeling, the most noble Chinese etiquette is the long bow.
Xiao Hexin and the others bit their lips to prevent themselves from crying, but tears had already rolled down their eyes, and the scenery in front of them was blurry.
The Chinese who climbed ashore from the sea did not have time to change their clothes, so they bowed and saluted the ships. The elderly saw off the new troops with long bows. The children with their hair in horns knelt on the dock and kowtowed to their uncles from their motherland. Even the women People also went out of their homes to wish them blessings,
"Blood is always thicker than water, we will be back," all three hundred new troops cried, their saluting hands trembling, Xiao Hexin suddenly shouted at the brothers,
"If a person can live like this all his life, even death is worth it. Instead of living a mediocre and slave-like life, it is better to shed blood and become someone who can be admired by all the people."
"Wait for us, we will come back..." Amidst the cries, the Dutch merchant ship set sail with full sail and prepared to cross the Strait of Malacca.
At the top of the deck, the Dutch captain and Jonas were dumbfounded. How many times would they see such a touching and passionate scene in a lifetime? The Dutch captain sighed and said, "What a proud group of soldiers. It reminds me of Britain's victory over Spain." With the spirit of the Armada, China actually has such elite soldiers, how could it be defeated by the British twice in a row?"
Jonas smiled bitterly and said, "Because that country is really too big. They have countless such passionate young people, and they also have more corrupt officials and slaves. Of course, they also have the largest number of insensitive people. In that country, good people must When you do something, you will always encounter more evil people to hold you back, or even pin you down in the mud..."
"Hey...that's what an ugly soul is like. Because he is soaked in excrement water and can't escape, he will try his best to drag other people in. I really don't know whether Xiao Letian can protect China in the future. A little spark of hope, I hope these good guys will not be wasted by those corrupt officials and minions..."
Jonas recalled what he had experienced and seen in Beijing, shook his head and sighed, and felt really worried for these young men and Xiao Letian.
The subsequent voyage was much smoother. The clipper ship passed through the Strait of Malacca and entered the Indian Ocean. After replenishing supplies in Colombo, it sailed straight to Mogadishu, Africa, and then headed along the coast of Africa towards the Cape of Good Hope.
Days passed by, and after the young man used his enthusiasm to overcome the initial seasickness and discomfort, he was finally in the mood to appreciate the vastness of the world.
People say that reading thousands of books is not as good as traveling thousands of miles. It really makes sense. Traveling is like a life practice. Only when the exotic customs and customs of a foreign country are displayed in front of the new army, can they truly understand what the world is like. How vast it is,
On the ship, the new soldiers eagerly learned daily German from Jonas, and even compiled a thin dictionary of German, English, and Chinese. These soldiers were indeed selected with high scores and had the ability to absorb new knowledge quickly. amazing,
It was impossible for the soldiers to become proficient in German in three months, but there was still no problem in daily conversation. In the end, Jonas even taught them some military German in advance. He was already preparing these soldiers for the battlefield.
When the calendar in 1866 reached the beginning of April, the Dutch merchant ship finally saw the lighthouse in the Strait of Gibraltar after all the storms, and they finally returned to Europe.
"Dear Chinese guests, welcome to Europe and the civilized world. In front of you is the Strait of Gibraltar..." Following the roar of the lookout, countless new troops lay on the side of the ship and looked out.
The Strait of Gibraltar is the gateway from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. Here, sails are floating like clouds, and there are even steam paddle steamers emitting black smoke sailing on the sea. In the eyes of these young soldiers, this cannot be summed up in one word: prosperity. I can already feel the power that makes Europe stronger.
"Boys, our journey will end in Hamburg. To celebrate your entry into Europe, I will treat you to a glass of French wine... No need to save my money bag, Mr. Fan from Tanggu Port has already provided enough silver coins for you to Let's have a good drink..."
After a short banquet, Jonas began to issue orders to the new army. Since the Kingdom of Prussia had not signed a formal diplomatic agreement with Xiao Letian, the three hundred new troops were still illegal immigrants in a legal sense, so they sailed in European waters. No one can appear on the deck during this time to avoid causing diplomatic disputes.
"Gentlemen, please understand my difficulties. The appearance of three hundred Chinese people in Europe will definitely cause a sensation, especially Britain and France, which will definitely pay close attention... Therefore, you cannot appear in front of the public before the Prime Minister signs it." body,"
"The captain and I have made arrangements. I will temporarily go ashore in Rotterdam to send the telegram. When Hamburg is ready, we will enter the Hamburg port at night. I will properly place you in the military camp. I hope you can live in seclusion and not get involved. Cause unnecessary trouble..."
The soldiers roared and began to whisper to each other. I didn't expect that landing in Europe would be so troublesome. Is this because they don't trust us or are they insulting us?
Xiao Hexin said with a livid face, "I understand your difficulties. We can obey the arrangement, but before the formal contract is signed, the silver coins in the merchant ship must be kept by us..."
"Yes, without a formal diplomatic agreement, no one can touch your lord's silver coins..." The brothers immediately exploded.
Jonas said with a grimace, "You'd better not do this. Mr. Xiao only signed a memorandum and sent the silver coins on the ship just because he believed in the moral character of the Prussian nation. If you do this, you may misunderstand the king and the prime minister." Mr. Xiao’s sincerity…”
"Humph, let's just misunderstand it. The conditions given by our adults can already prove our sincerity. If you want to get money without signing an agreement, don't even think about it..."
The officers' collective toughness left Jonas speechless. He knew that it was a bit unreasonable to move money just because of a memorandum, so he could only nod in the end.
The merchant ship began to speed up towards Northern Europe, and briefly stayed in the sea off Rotterdam for three hours. Jonas took a small sampan to the port, urgently sent a telegram to Hamburg, and then immediately returned to the merchant ship and continued northward.
At this time, Europe had already attached great importance to telegraph technology. Jonas's heavy intelligence was delivered to Hamburg at almost the speed of light. When the military operator received the cipher text, he did not dare to neglect and quickly sent it to the Prime Minister's residence in Hamburg.
Coincidentally, Bismarck happened to come to Hamburg during this period to check out Mr. Nobel's newly built factory and other military factories. He did not live in Berlin. When he received the coded message decoded by the intelligence officer, the bearded Prime Minister His eyes were as wide as bells, and he could stuff two eggs into his mouth.
"Is your translation correct? It's really Jonas. My student is back. He also brought one million taels of silver currency and three hundred squadrons."
The intelligence officer stood in front of the table and said with a wry smile, "Mr. Prime Minister, do you think Jonas, with his rigorous temperament, would lie and deceive others? According to the speed described in the intelligence, the Dutch merchant ship will be able to dock at the Port of Hamburg tomorrow night. ,"
Bismarck, the calm and iron-blooded prime minister, is really in trouble today. He can easily face politicians from all over Europe, but today he cannot face a group of soldiers from the East.
In the minds of Europeans during this period, the distant China was synonymous with closedness. Not to mention whether it was powerful or not, their willingness to close their eyes and look at the world was enough to make Europeans laugh at them.
Jonas had been Bismarck's secretary at first, and the relationship between the two was the best master-student relationship. Bismarck asked Jonas to go to the far east, but he didn't actually want to get any diplomatic breakthrough. In fact, he just wanted to Give your apprentice a chance to practice,
But I never expected that my young apprentice would be so neat. Although he did not get a diplomatic agreement from the Qing Dynasty, it was a big surprise to get on the line of the Prime Minister of Ryukyu.
"One million taels of silver, which is a full 2.5 million US dollars, and there will be more war loans that can be shipped over the next three years. This can solve our urgent need,"
Today's Prussia is definitely a model of militarism in human history. The universal compulsory military system has provided Prussia and Germany with sufficient sources of soldiers, but it has also seriously damaged Germany's economy.
Countless women and child laborers filled the factories. Every copper from the working class and every grain of food from the peasant class were concentrated and supplied to the military with priority. What’s more serious is that Germany even banned any other people who lived in it at this time. Luxury goods went through customs, and the German emperor was afraid that any gold coin would leave Germany.
But today, Jonas can actually bring 2.5 million US dollars in cash, and there is also a long-term loan agreement. This money is enough for Germany to arm an army of 150,000 to 200,000 people, which has greatly improved the empire's finances. Relief, this is simply timely rain,
"Arrange the train. I will return to Berlin immediately to meet the king. You must cooperate with Jonas to prepare for the reception. You must not let the guests from far away feel that they are not valued, and you must not allow the guests to move around Germany as they please. Everything must wait for me. Come back and make your decision."
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