The military discipline of the New Army is very strict. If they are soldiers who have been trained as Ryukyu recruits, if the topic involves sensitive military aspects, then the conversation will stop immediately, even if they are drunk, the New Army has a bottom line.
Of course, with the strict military discipline of the new army, it is impossible for soldiers to get drunk.
It is a pity that the Prussian soldiers became a breakthrough point for many intelligence agents. It was not because these soldiers were not strictly disciplined, but because of the embarrassment of their identities.
Their main task in coming to Asia is to help the Chinese drive the warships back, and to conduct a series of tutorials on the road so that these inexperienced Chinese can quickly become familiar with the operation of the warships.
Although the order they accepted was that they could accompany Chinese soldiers to fight and must obey the orders of the Chinese captain, there was a big flaw in that military order, that is, should the authorization end at Ryukyu or until they return home?
This was an oversight by Bismarck, which resulted in an embarrassing situation. When the Zhiyuan docked at the Ryukyu military port, neither the Prussian soldiers nor Xiang Ying and other Chinese people knew that the earliest subordinate military order was still there. Doesn’t count.
It seemed that it was right to obey the Chinese, and it seemed that it was OK not to listen. In the end, I had no choice but to ask Xiao Letian to send a telegram to Prussia to communicate and negotiate on the matter. During these days of waiting for the reply, the Prussian soldiers became Very free VIP.
Perhaps it was this state of neglect that made the Prussian boy relax his vigilance. After countless bouts of drinking, a lot of information about the Reach was leaked.
Every piece of hazy information about the Zhiyuan is precious. What is strong wind pressure? What are the maximum range and precise range of the 210-caliber main gun? How much coal is consumed every day? What is the capacity of the ammunition magazine?
The Prussians could not give accurate figures for this information, but they would give the spies a certain reference when they were drunk. These vague data may seem confusing to laymen, but they must be given to those powerful engineers. Got it.
The shipbuilding masters trained at the Royal Naval College can completely deduce all the data of the Zhiyuan from these vague data, and even the size and strength of the keel can be calculated accurately.
The intelligence was not only focused on battleship military data, but also a lot of intelligence that politicians were concerned about was leaked by these unlucky Prussian children.
How much gold and treasure did the French lose in Dakar? How much war commission did Chile provide to the Reach? This information is too valuable for politicians.
The European financial community in the 19th century absolutely believed in the supremacy of the gold standard. The pound, franc, and U.S. dollar were all strictly priced with gold. In that era, it was hard to hear of inflation, but deflation, on the contrary, was very common.
Why do many people call the U.S. dollar the U.S. dollar? Why is the franc promoted by Napoleon III also called the golden franc? It's because those banknotes are strictly locked to gold.
In the eyes of Europeans, silver is just an industrial precious metal that can be used as a kind of auxiliary to gold. But more often, precious metals like silver are just a means of extracting wealth from Asia.
A large amount of silver mined from North and South America was simply refined and cast and then flowed to Asia. Before the Opium War, the silver stayed in mainland China and was exchanged for ship after ship of silk, porcelain, tea, Supplies such as rhubarb and even hog bristles.
After the Opium War, the arbitrage game deepened further. They not only used silver to arbitrage physical wealth, but also exchanged large amounts of silver for Chinese gold.
Asia has been controlled by the silver standard system for too long. People and politicians have developed a unique obsession with silver. In the minds of Asians, silver taels are money, and money is silver taels.
They have no idea that Europeans have discovered countless high-grade silver mines around the world. The price of silver has actually begun to avalanche, but the news has been blocked.
The British didn't care at all about Xiao Letian's silver trade in the Pacific, because the British knew very well the amount of silver mines they controlled in their colonies, and it would scare Xiao Letian to death if he said it. The little silver trade Xiao Letian engaged in was nothing more than It's just drizzle.
But the British will never allow anyone to get involved in their gold trade. If Xiao Letian shows a very strong interest in gold, this is something the City of London cannot allow.
"The Zhiyuan actually robbed five tons of gold from Dakar? There must be some moisture in this number, but no matter how much moisture there is, this is a very bad signal... Immediately send a report to the country, and also send a report to the ambassador in Beijing! "
"Do you think Chile will also provide gold to Xiao Letian? I think the possibility is very high. This trend is very bad. He must be taught a lesson..."
British spies were the first to know the gold information, and it was their wanton dissemination that made the war between the Chinese and the Russians suddenly become glittering. A battle of revenge turned into a strange fight for gold. war.
Off the coast of the Qing Dynasty, dozens of thick submarine cables suddenly became busy, and countless top-secret signals flew to the southeast and northwest.
Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, the Lion City...even the Indian subcontinent and the Lion Country of Sri Lanka. Almost all British intelligence agencies in Asia have obtained this golden tip.
"Oh God! The Chinese robbed five tons of gold from France? Report to your supervisor quickly..."
"Chile used gold ore and silver ore to pay for the Zhiyuan's employment? How much was given? Go and check it out immediately..."
The entire British intelligence network was mobilized, and then due to certain political reasons, this intelligence began to be shared with the French. The French governors in Vietnam and the Bay of Bengal also quickly obtained this intelligence.
Everyone was stunned and couldn't believe their eyes, and then countless French people roared, "Revenge! Revenge must be taken! Despicable robbers and thieves, that is our French gold... There are eight tons of gold, eight tons of gold." You actually got Xiao Letian's advantage in vain, I will never allow it..."
Facts have proved that intelligence agencies sometimes exaggerate. Whose mouth turned the gold stolen by the Zhiyuan into three tons? Whose words turned it into five tons or eight tons? This is completely unverifiable.
But one thing is certain, this gold has completely ignited the greed of the Western colonists, and the money grabbing operation is underway.
Not only these few pieces of gold, but also fueled by some people, rumors of Xiao Letian hiding a private vault in the Pacific have once again spread.
Many people have their noses and eyes. They say that Xiao Letian robbed the Manchus' secret treasury outside the customs. The gold collected by the Manchus over the past two hundred years, the wealth that should have been the Manchus' last emergency, has all become Xiao Letian's. private wealth.
Xiao Letian is just like the legendary Pirate King of the Caribbean, hiding countless wealth on the islands in the Pacific. Those are the starting funds that Xiao Letian will use for his future rebellion.
Since ancient times, gold has fascinated the eye, and the information on these tons of gold throughout Asia has been a mess.
