On the dark sea, three warships dropped their anchors. The sailors on the deck were all mournful. They held a set of neatly folded clothes in their hands, and the mast above their heads was still slowly moving. Lower a flag.
"Brothers, we take off this military uniform today so that we can wear it with a higher rank tomorrow. The country needs you, the emperor needs you..."
"From today on, you are no longer soldiers, but pirates who roam the oceans. Your only mission is to try your best to hunt down Xiao Letian's forces..."
"There is no need to be depressed or upset. There will be darkness hidden under any glory. Your sacrifices are destined to be rewarded..."
This is the sea outside Jiaozhou, which is also called Qingdao in later generations. The huge blurry black shadow in the distance is nothing if not Laoshan. The three warships parked in the sea are French warships withdrawn from Ryukyu. .
Lyra, Roma, and the two frigates were the two warships that slowly lowered their flags. On the Holy Ship behind them, a large group of sailors watched their comrades hand in their navy uniforms one by one. They also felt the same way and looked lonely. got up.
Rear Admiral Bruce is giving a lecture to the sailors on the two battleships. This is the last time he will give a lecture as a soldier. From today on, the two battleships Lyra and Rome will have a 'riot'. The sailors broke away from the control of the French Navy. They Captured the battleship and became a wandering pirate.
Of course, all of this is just an excuse. In fact, these two battleships are just General Bruce's last effort. He has abandoned the bottom line and is ready to use the most rogue means to punish Xiao Letian.
After all, Ryukyu does not have a strong navy, and Ryukyu's career cannot be separated from the sea. Since the expedition has failed, and since you have avoided the open attack, let's take a look at our hidden arrows.
The two frigates Lyra and Rome loaded all the weapons, ammunition and supplies of the expeditionary force, and then screened volunteers from the entire expeditionary force. From this moment on, in a legal sense, they were all pirates.
"You must remember that from today on, your identity is a pirate, a pirate running rampant in Asia. You will not receive any support from your mother country. You have to rely on yourself for food, clothing, and all expenses. "
"Weak Asia has no opponent who can compete with you. The entire coastline of the Qing Dynasty is where you make your fortune. I, Bruce, swear in the name of God that I will secretly record your achievements until the moment Xiao Letian goes to hell. , you will surely return to the embrace of the motherland..."
"Now, return the flag and uniform to me, and you go fight."
In the darkness, the French flag and the flags of the two battleships were neatly folded and handed over to Major General Bruce, while the folded military uniforms of the soldiers were also taken away by other soldiers.
After all, France is one of the centers of European culture, and it is also the place where the Great Revolution originated. The people's national concept and national concept are very strong. At the moment when the military flag and uniforms were handed back, many soldiers cried.
Bruce was also infected by this atmosphere. He really wanted to issue an order to cancel the mission, but then he thought that if he didn't make amends, no one would be able to quell the emperor's anger.
"God bless you, France bless you, go fight, boys, and exchange your victory for your ticket home..."
Bruce turned around and left. The Holy Spirit took him all the way south, destined for the British colony of Hong Kong. Now the Glory should have reached the Taiwan Strait. The Holy Spirit had to catch up with its sails at full speed, but behind the Holy Spirit there was a miserable scene. The cries of Qiqi.
Kraft, the captain of the Lyra, and Molde, the captain of the Roman, saw that the atmosphere was so sad and knew that the morale of the military was now very unstable. They made a decision after a little head-to-head discussion.
"Soldier... No, no, no, warriors, why cry? You have to see the good side. We are no longer bound by military law. Our opportunity to make a fortune is here..."
"Think about it carefully. Why did you voluntarily board the ship and take off your military uniform? Don't you all have a dream of getting rich in your hearts? Warriors, not far to the east is the weak Qing Dynasty. There is Jiaozhou Bay, where the rich villages and towns are. They are waiting for our visit, why are you hesitating? We will attack at dawn..."
"Long live, attack at dawn..." The battleship was filled with joy, and the battleship began to sail toward the east cautiously.
When sailing in waters with unknown sea conditions, it was impossible to use night attacks. This group of bandits could only approach carefully and launch an attack at dawn when the sky was bright.
Morning fog envelopes Jiaozhou Bay. In the late Qing Dynasty, there was no place named Qingdao. Jiaozhou was just a larger town. The so-called defenders here only had one shed. The old fort on the top of the mountain only had three red robes cast during the Kangxi period. cannon.
It was a one-sided massacre. The people who had just gotten up early were stunned by a loud explosion before they could have breakfast. The fishermen on the sea saw two ferocious monsters rushing out of the morning mist in the east without saying a word. It's just a round of shelling.
The fort on the top of the mountain suddenly burst into flames, but this round of shelling caused no casualties at all. If these bandits knew that no one was on duty at the fort on weekdays, they would definitely not waste ammunition.
Soldiers who took off their military uniforms still fought in the same manner as soldiers. The common people watched dozens of sampans rowing as fast as swordfish on the sea, and the long oars were actually rising and falling in rhythm with dragon boats.
"Mom... the robbers are coming... they are still shaggy robbers... run..." The whole town was like a pot exploding. Everyone ran towards the north, and the fastest one was the group of defenders. , from beginning to end, they didn't even fire a shot, didn't draw a bow, and some even ran into the mountains naked.
The decay and decline of the Manchu Qing Dynasty can be seen from now on.
Firelights rose in the town, gunfire continued, the humiliated woman was crying, and the seriously injured old man was screaming. It was a small coastal village, and it was not a place with dense business travel. It was not so much that these French people came to make a fortune. Rather, they just want to vent.
In a whole day, this group of pirates only plundered more than 3,000 taels of silver, but killed as many as 4,000 people. The entire Jiaozhou was completely engulfed in flames.
When night fell, this group of robbers didn't let go of the money. They actually carried dozens of pigs, hundreds of chickens, ducks, and a lot of flour on the boat. It seemed that their identity changed really quickly. It took just one day to get used to being a pirate.
Lyra and Roman left, but the Jiaozhou Bay tragedy did not reach Jinan Prefecture until three days later. At this time, the most influential figure in Shandong was none other than Li Hongzhang, the founder of Beiyang in later generations.
The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was wiped out, but the Nian Army has not yet been quelled, especially the Eastern Nian Army, which has been operating at the intersection of Zhili, Shandong and Henan for a generation. The imperial court failed to clear up and suppress it several times. Even last year, in 1865, the Nian Army in Shandong Caozhou ambushed a cavalry and completely wiped out Seng Gelinqin's cavalry. Seng Gelinqin was killed and the entire capital was shocked. Even the foreigners in Dongjiaominxiang exclaimed that the Manchus had lost a general.
Although Senggelinqin was defeated by the British and French, the crazy cavalry assault at Liuli Bridge still shocked the Europeans. The West has always worshiped the strong, so although they did not like Senggelinqin, they still had the respect they deserved some.
The king of monks fell, and the court was furious, and immediately mobilized Zeng Guofan to go north to quell the Nian army. However, something strange happened. Marshal Zeng, who could ride half of China with his long hair, actually gave up when faced with a group of Nian soldiers who looked like rogue bandits.
This battle was fought like lukewarm water, and the power of the firearms camp was not used at all. The commander simply came to travel at public expense.
In sharp contrast to Zeng Guofan's gentleness and temperament was the first-class Su Yibo, the rising star of the Qing Dynasty politics wearing a pair of flower feathers, Li Hongzhang. In the battle to pacify the Nian Army, Li Hongzhang's Huai Army shined brilliantly and fought with great majesty. In the end, the court even considered replacing Li Hongzhang with him.
What is the quarrel between Li Hongzhang and Zeng Guofan is not open to outsiders, but right now in Shandong, Li Hongzhang's Huai Army really has the final say. After all, it is still a war period.
When the information about the Jiaozhou Bay Massacre was sent to Li Hongzhang's desk, there were two other files in front of him. They were all information compiled by his most loyal staff. With this one, there were three big files. Dilemma.
"Zuo Jigao (Zuo Zongtang) is going to be transferred away and go back to Gansu and Shaanxi. OK, OK, OK, as long as you leave the Central Plains, I will sing the rest of the drama. I will also give you the support of your confidant Hu Xueyan. Take good care of..."
"Foreign pirates attacked Jiaozhou. How is this possible? When did a pirate group consisting entirely of foreigners appear in Jiaozhou, and they took away three thousand taels of silver? Why does it feel like the pirates are killing and training soldiers?"
In Li Hongzhang's eyes, thousands of people were killed and thousands of taels of silver were lost. This was no matter how small a case was. To pacify the Changmao Army and the Nian Army, that battle was not about tens of thousands of dead people. Jiaozhou The Bay Massacre was just a case in his eyes.
Only the third dossier and the secret letter contained in it were what gave Li Hongzhang the biggest headache.
"Queen Mother, you have posed a problem for me... If I lead troops to Beijing to help, I will be branded as the Queen Mother of the West for life. From now on, I will not be able to get off the ship..."
He never expected that what was placed in front of Li Hongzhang was a letter written by Cixi, and that this old witch actually thought of asking him for help.
Historically, the relationship between Cixi and Li Hongzhang was very complicated, because after Cixi came to power, important officials such as Zeng Guofan and Zuo Zongtang gradually declined. Only Li Hongzhang has always been an important Han official under him. Li Hongzhang's Beiyang made the old witch respect him again. Afraid again.
Without the support of Li Hongzhang, the Manchu Qing Dynasty would definitely perish. This was the consensus of the senior royal family. However, after all, Li Hongzhang was the leader of the Han warlords, and he was afraid of usurping their country if he was not careful.
However, Li Hongzhang has not yet become powerful. In Cixi's eyes, he is regarded as a Han warlord who can be won over, so this secret letter is placed on Li Hongzhang's desk.
