The wind and thunder of the Chinese finally rumbled on the land of the Qing Dynasty. Shanghai was just the first step, and then another fleet moved upstream from the Yangtze River Estuary to shock the entire Yangtze River Basin.
Lin Zhen was the commander of the Second Fleet, with the 7,500-ton Qinling as the temporary flagship, followed closely by the battleships Minshan, Laoshan, and Yandang.
The Chinese battleships had a total of eight King Kongs. Xiang Ying brought out Yanshan, Taihang, and Kunshan, while Lin Zhen was responsible for a wider area. He brought out Qinling, Minshan, Laoshan, and Yandang.
The last ship is the 8,100-ton Tarzan, which is the latest battleship. Prussia has just sent it less than four months ago. It is still undergoing equipment running and debugging in the Pacific, and it has not been allowed to go on this mission. .
Arranged from the fame of these mountains, you can also know the characteristics of the naming of Chinese warships. The greater the fame, the more advanced the warship will be, and the greater the tonnage will be.
Only one of the four famous mountains, Taishan, is used, and the other four mountains are not used. The Chinese people are definitely reluctant to use names such as Tianshan, Kunlun, and Himalayas.
If it's not the world's top battleship, how could it be willing to use such a lofty name?
Lin Zhen led four battleships, six cruisers and more than thirty small battleships and gunboats, like a long dragon upstream along the Yangtze River estuary.
There was an uproar in the cities and countryside wherever they went. Both sides of the Yangtze River were filled with common people, local gentry and even officials. They looked at the murderous fleet with responsible expressions. Everyone knew that this day had really changed!
Many old squires twirled their beards and said with emotion, "Use force to suppress others! This is how to use force to suppress people... There is no need to fire a single shot, just relying on force to suppress others, the Qing Dynasty was so frightened that they did not dare to disobey at all... …”
"Master Head of State! You don't need to kill people to shake the hearts of the people. Your destiny has really changed, it has changed..."
"Yes! I think back then when the army was so powerful, they forced everyone to cut their braids and follow the foreign religion wherever the army went. Those who didn't obey were killed without mercy..."
"So many countrysides have turned into white land, and all those who could escape have escaped... That is to rule the people's hearts with fear. Compared with the Xiao family, it is really a judgment of superiority!"
"The head of state doesn't kill people... just showing off his strength like a mountain is as hard to shake. This is how to use force to overwhelm others!"
"To conquer the world, we still need this royal way after all! No, no, no... this is the way of the emperor!"
People in Jiangnan have become more popular. Through newspaper propaganda and the infiltration of new technologies around them, people have understood to some extent what science and technology are and what new military is.
This place is different from other places in the Qing Dynasty. People no longer regard foreign guns and cannons as Western magic. The superstitious colors in the past have gradually faded away.
But when people understood the truth and got rid of superstition, they became even more in awe of this power. It turns out that this is not some magic spell of gods and demons, but a huge power invented and created by smart people.
When they understand this, these people will admire these smart people even more who can invent and create the power to destroy the world!
If there is no comparison, there will be no harm. Comparing the Chinese and the Qing Dynasty will make it clear which way the people's hearts will go!
Along the Yangtze River, it has been very close to the upper reaches, passing Baoshan, Chongming, Suzhou and Changshu, and further forward is the Jiangyin Fortress where heavy Chinese troops are located.
I saw the Jiangyin Fortress standing on a dragon's plate. The entire fortress was inserted directly into the Yangtze River. The turbulent river water turned a corner here. There were numerous anti-cannons on the fortress' shore, and the rotating muzzles could control the entire river surface!
All ships coming in and out from here are within the range of the fortress' guns!
According to the details of the concession treaty signed by Emperor Tongzhi and the Chinese, the Chinese garrison at Jiangyin Fortress could not exceed 600 people! But today all the rules were broken. Lin Zhen looked at the fortress getting closer and closer in front of him with a sneer on his face.
The Jiangyin Fortress is already boiling. The six hundred defenders have received the latest order. They already know that the Chinese want military control of the entire Jiangnan.
The fortress is in first-level combat readiness to defend against all possible attacks. Of course, they also know that in this era, the Manchu Qing Dynasty no longer has the slightest courage to attack the Chinese.
All the preparations for the fortress are to welcome the latest reinforcements!
Red flags were planted all over the Jiangyin Fortress. The large fortress guns of 210 caliber and above were not moved, but the small rapid-fire guns of about 120 caliber had been loaded with blank ammunition.
When the Qinling blew a powerful whistle and the cannons roared from the fortress, the people of Jiangyin City were frightened and overwhelmed. The officials of Jiangyin County were even more powerful. After hearing the sound of the cannons, they ran away, taking their wives and children with them. He fled from Ximen and headed straight for Nanjing.
Officials in the Manchu Qing Dynasty were not clean from the bottom down, and they knew all about their own virtues. The people in the Shanghai County Government suddenly had no time to run away when something happened, and many of these local officials were afraid of settling the scores in the future, so they might as well not become officials and run away!
The Chinese had no interest in these hamsters, so Lin Zhen ordered an additional 3,000 troops to Jiangyin Fortress and unloaded three ships of weapons and ammunition supplies.
"Brothers of the fortress! Jiangyin Fortress is the throat of the Yangtze River. If you guard the Yangtze River Economic Belt here, you will not be bullied by foreign devils. The safety of all Chinese people depends on you!"
"The head of state has an order! Jiangyin Fortress will never fall...the soldiers who enter the fortress...will never surrender!"
Lin Zhen on the deck had no time to get off the ship. The Qinling took him slowly upstream. He stood on the deck and saluted the fortress solemnly, watching the fortress leave his sight.
The morale in Jiangyin Fortress is like a rainbow, and thousands of defenders have gathered to stand by!
"Jiangyin Fortress! Never surrender!"
"Jiangyin Fortress! Never surrender!"
"Jiangyin Fortress! Never surrender!"
Not far from the fortress is the Mancheng of Jiangyin. Within the city is the so-called Four Thousand and Eight Banners Powerful Brigade, which is called a powerful force but is actually just a group of ordinary people with families and families.
The banner men only served as soldiers and ate food. Sometimes they were too lazy to stand guard, so they spent dozens of copper coins to hire Han Chinese to stand guard for them. The men like them were impatient to endure the hardship.
But today, the cannons fired by the Chinese military to control Jiangnan were fired, and empty shells were fired from Jiangyin Fortress. All the Eight Banners soldiers on duty at all intersections fled home.
"Oh, mom! The Chinese have invaded... They've all opened fire... We can't hold on... Send a telegram to Jiang Ning and send a telegram to Zeng Jiu Shuai asking for help..."
Not only Jiangyin, but all the prefectures and counties along the Yangtze River that saw battleships are now asking for help from Jiangning, which is the base camp of the Hunan Army and the only army in Jiangnan that can currently fight.
But does the Hunan army dare to move? No one can underestimate Xiang Ying's determination. At this moment, another bustling event is going on at the Shanghai Railway Station!
