On the morning of July 13, 1793, the third day after Luo Fangbai and the others arrived in Bacheng, a large transport fleet consisting of the Thor and ten sailing ships arrived in Bacheng. Near noon, the servant soldiers who landed one after another set off in battalion units. Their destination was the "Watergate Castle" military camp south of Bacheng.
Watergate Castle is the former "Noordwijk Castle" of the Dutch. After receiving the news that the British had launched a war on local governance, the Military Control Commission urgently arranged for migrant workers to transform the surrounding fortifications into a large military camp; at the same time, Zhao Xin asked the Military Control Commission to change all the awkward place names given by the Dutch, so Ba The official name of the city became "Coconut City".
Luo Fangbai, Wu Yuansheng, Jiang Wu and others who came after hearing the news stood among the crowd of onlookers on the roadside. Although these soldiers in blue were not tall, they all had rosy faces, especially when they were walking in a tight queue. They were all in uniform order and chanting uniformly, and they were deeply shocked; compared with the heroic "Lanhe Camp" dressed in the green battalions of the Qing army under his command, they were just a bunch of scum.
Speaking of which, to turn these timid and cowardly island country farmers into qualified soldiers, the Northern Navy Training Base has made great efforts. The training cycle for new recruits is set to six months. In addition to mastering the use of weapons, most of the time is spent on strengthening discipline and queues. The reason why these people are willing to serve as soldiers in Beihai Town is that in addition to being well fed and well paid, another important reason is that they can be naturalized after performing meritorious services and become Han Chinese in Beihai Town who even the samurai masters do not dare to bully.
When Ding Guofeng, who was wearing the rank of lieutenant general, and several staff officers took a pilot boat and sailed into the pier, they saw Zhao Xin who came to greet him at a glance. When he stepped off the trestle, he laughed and stepped forward to hug Zhao Xin's shoulders and said : "Hey guys, it's only been a month since I've been here, and I'm already tanned. It seems like I've been sunbathing a lot!"
"Don't laugh at me, you will be the same in a while. Is everything okay at home?"
"Okay! What's wrong? Your son dared to climb a tree. He climbed seven or eight meters high and was faster than a cat. When I rushed over after hearing about it, your wife and a group of people were crying anxiously under the tree. "
"Boys, how can you not be naughty?" Zhao Xinyan laughed loudly.
Several people got on the carriage and returned to the Military Control Commission and came to Zhao Xin's office. Ding Guofeng picked up Duofu who was lying on the sofa and jerked him off a few times.
Duofu screamed twice in dissatisfaction. After finally breaking free from the opponent's clutches, Chi Liu jumped onto the window sill and stared at Ding Guofeng warily. The expression on his face clearly said "You humble human being, get out of here!"
While A Miao went out to serve tea, Ding Guofeng poked Zhao Xin and asked in a low voice: "When will you invite me to the wedding wine?"
"Drink shit!"
Seeing Zhao Xin give him a blank look, Ding Guofeng laughed maliciously. This guy is in his forties and already has a son and daughter with Xue Wu, but he is narrow-minded and loves to talk weird things. As for his wife, Xue Wu, she had been a student with Director Liu Da for several years, and last year became the director of the nursing department of Fuldan City Hospital.
The two chatted for a while, and after A Miao brought the tea and went out, they started talking about business.
"I asked you to come to Pazayarai to take charge of the defense against the British, and to teach the British a lesson."
After Zhao Xin said this, he took out a paper roll more than one meter long from the bookshelf and spread it out on the table. Ding Guofeng took a closer look and saw that it turned out to be a map of India, with the current forces of the South Asian subcontinent clearly marked on it, and with Different colors mark areas; and in addition, mountains, rivers, roads, towns, etc. are all displayed on it. The richness of various details is breathtaking.
"My dear, where did you find this?"
"This is a map produced by the British Royal Geographical Society in 1800 based on the situation after the Third Anglo-Major War in 1792. It is basically consistent with the current situation in India. Look at these three areas," Zhao Xin pointed with his hand. The three areas outlined with red borders in the southern part of the Kingdom of Mysore on the map explain: "This is the land ceded by Mysore after the Treaty of Seringapatan. The area on the left and the two areas below are both allocated to British East India Company."
"Where is our territory?"
Zhao Xin moved his finger to the blue border area the size of a little fingertip on the lower right side of the map and said: "Here!"
Ding Guofeng took the magnifying glass and looked at it carefully for a long time before saying in surprise: "Just a little bit?"
"Yes. So we have to go through this war to take over Tranquiba in the north and Negapatan in the south."
"Are these two areas British territory?"
"No, Tranquiba belongs to the Danes. Negapatan was ceded to the British by the Dutch 12 years ago and is currently under the administration of the Viceroyalty of Madras."
"Will the Danes also intervene?"
Zhao Xinxiao asked: "Do you think they are important?"
Ding Guofeng curled his lips when he heard this, with an expression that said, "It's just a fart." Well, the fate of the Danish colony in India was decided in the disdainful looks of the two men.
Since the words on the map were all in English, Ding Guofeng asked again: "Whose is this yellow area to the west of local governance?"
"The Maratha Union is composed of many princely states, and the one closest to us is Thanjavur."
"Would you like to mess with it?"
"I was just about to tell you this." Zhao Xin took a document bag from the bookshelf, took out two pages of paper and handed it to Ding Guofeng: "The current Sultan of the Kingdom of Thanjavur is called Amar Singh. The younger brother of the former Sultan. His throne was usurped from his nephew Bhonsle. And this unlucky nephew will soon be protected by the British and sent to Madras. According to history, the British will be Help him regain the throne, but by then, they will completely become vassals of the East India Company."
Ding Guofeng looked up at Zhao Xindao: "Are you trying to win over Amar Singh?"
"Yes, but we cannot take the initiative. As long as they see that our force is stronger than the British, they will naturally send people to contact them. Then you only need to express your support for Amar Singh's rule, and at the same time reconcile them with Tipu Sultan The tension between..."
Zhao Xin talked a lot with Ding Guofeng, and the two of them had a casual lunch. He spent more than two hours telling each other about the Nazis in Bengal, the British and the French, the Dutch in Ceylon, the Maratha League and the Nizam in the Deccan region. and many other issues. Although Ding Guofeng was dizzy after hearing this, he already had a general understanding of India's current situation.
At the end, Zhao Xinyu said earnestly: "Guofeng, you must keep in mind that the problems in the South Asian subcontinent can never be solved through a decisive battle. In addition to military victory, economic, diplomatic, political and intelligence It requires a huge investment. To engage in colonial economic plunder, you will get nothing but hatred, and you will also be burdened with a burden that is too big to get rid of. Our goal is to weaken the expansion of the British and maintain the independence of South India. situation, especially to support the kingdom of Mysore and prevent them from being annexed by the British and Marathas."
Ding Guofeng pondered for a moment and then said with a smile: "I understand. Our territory in India is enough. The main purpose is to create trouble for the British."
Zhao Xin nodded slightly and said: "On behalf of the Northern Navy Command, I now announce that during the military operation, Guo Xuexian's Second Squadron will be under your command, and local military and political affairs in India will be decided by you. The formal appointment will be made later. Shuhu will send someone to give it to you."
"Yes!" Ding Guofeng saluted Zhao Xin with a military salute and said with satisfaction, "We also have the viceroy's addiction."
Lunch is just okay, so dinner must be sumptuous. So Ding Guofeng saw more than three kilograms of steamed garlic lobster on the dining table; yellow gum wings that were boiled to a translucent apricot color, soft and glutinous; steamed golden blood swallows that were springy and soft; and steamed coconut crabs with plump meat. , in addition to yellowfin tuna, grouper, and forearm-long salt-and-pepper shrimp, Ding Guofeng exclaimed with joy.
Although Beihai Town is also a seaport city, the aquatic products there are very different from those in Southeast Asia. Salmon, Far East salmon, cod, sea cucumbers, abalone, crabs and various plump shellfish are often eaten. As for the very famous king crab in later generations...well, the correct term is "Kamchatka Stone Crab". Because this thing hides on the seabed 800 meters deep, it has not yet been served on the dining table in Beihai Town.
Zhao Xin himself is a foodie, and he has high requirements for cooking. In Beihai Town, two Yangzhou chefs who have followed him for many years are in charge, and the food after coming to Bacheng
It is A Miao who is responsible and never cheats on others. In order to entertain Ding Guofeng this time, he specially borrowed two Quanzhou chefs from Huang Mianshe's family, and asked A Miao to train them, and then they prepared a table with a dazzling array of modern dishes.
It is said that the arrival of five thousand servants made the market in Bacheng suddenly prosperous. Whether they were fishermen, vegetable farmers, or grain growers, they were all smiling. The logistics personnel of the Military Control Commission almost wiped out the inventory of various shops in the city. In addition, they also placed orders with fishermen and vegetable farmers for five days. How many How much do you want?
After drinking and eating, Ding Guofeng drank the oolong tea prepared by A Miao contentedly. He rubbed his belly and said to Zhao Xin, "Have you heard? Some people in the committee are very dissatisfied with you for allowing Man Qing to linger till now." You left the great mountains and rivers in Guan without taking advantage of it, and went to Southeast Asia to stir up trouble. You are just messing around without doing your job properly."
Zhao Xin smiled and said: "Old Yu told me all in the telegram. Those guys don't know anything!"
In fact, what Ding Guofeng said is quite nice. Currently, among the Chuanchuan people in Beihai Town, some people still say that Zhao Xin is a survivor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty or even a survivor of the island country. Otherwise, he would not be so kind to the farmers of the island country and indulge Qianlong at the same time. Continue to sit on the throne.
He took a sip of tea, was silent for a moment, and then said slowly: "Guofeng, do you know when the boundaries of modern Japanese countries were finally finalized?"
Ding Guofeng thought for a moment and said, "Mid-19th century?"
Zhao Xin shook his head and said: "As far as Europe is concerned, the final formation of the nation-state in the modern sense is generally believed to be the Treaty of Westphalia signed by European countries in 1648; and our Chinese territory is actually this It took twenty years to finally finalize it. The territory that you can control is yours, and those that are beyond your reach are just the will and imagination of some people."
"Yes. You know, after spring I went to Eastern Siberia, but it was really far away! It would be scary to think about it without the telegraph and the roads and dredged waterways built by the prisoners of war."
"No. What I mean is that there are still seven years until the 19th century, and these seven years are the last few years when the territory of the *** country is determined and extended to future generations."
"What do you mean?"
"Yes. As long as the land we occupy now can be managed and no accidents occur, everyone will have to admit that it belongs to China in the future."
Ding Guofeng's eyes lit up when he heard this, he slapped his thigh and said, "Damn! What are you waiting for? Hurry up and occupy the western half of the North American continent!"
"Don't worry." Zhao Xin stood up and walked around the room, saying slowly: "The North American continent is different from other places. You have to use your fists to talk to the people. When things get better in Southeast Asia, the troops will go south and enter the customs. Once the manpower is available, it will go naturally."
"Guofeng, let's be honest. I know you actually don't understand. Why do you think you should let Manqing go to Gurkha, right?"
Ding Guofeng smiled and said nothing. In fact, Zhao Xin has always been aware of the various criticisms within the Chuanzhong, but because he has such a high prestige in Beihai Town and is the boss who pays salaries, they are all discussed in private and no one dares to put them on the table.
In fact, Zhao Xin has been planning a big game since the "Battle of Usoliya", and the layout has only been initially completed today.
His connivance with the Manchus to capture Gorkha was not all for the British East India Company. The fertile southern Tibet was also one of the targets. If, as some people think, the Northern Navy lands from the Bohai Bay and goes straight to Beijing, causing the Qing Dynasty to fall instantly, not to mention the south and northwest of the Yangtze River, Tibet, which is out of reach, will definitely fall into chaos.
By then, no one can guarantee whether Tibet’s top figures will collude with the British. If the Northern Navy wants to march into the plateau, capture and hold that land, it will take several years. You must know that the Northern Navy relies more on logistics than all the forces in this time and space. Therefore, after Zhao Xinsi thought about it, he could only resort to the strategy of "driving the tiger to devour the wolf" to allow the Manchu Qing Dynasty to continue to survive and go to the southwest to guard the border for themselves, forcing them to develop southern Tibet and compete for territory with the Indians.
"Guofeng, you know in our history, we clearly won the battle in 1962, but why did we withdraw again?"
"I remember saying it was because of logistics."
"Just look at the Qing Dynasty's attack on Gurkha. Logistics and supplies are too difficult.
If the troops are sent on a long expedition just to declare their existence, they will not be able to defend it even if they defeat it. The Intelligence Bureau reported back from the capital that the first thing Fukangan did after arriving in Tibet was to collect military rations. The Qing government built three grain roads and requisitioned tens of thousands of people, but the food shipped up was still not enough. If we hadn't provided them with two batches of compressed biscuits and cans, Fukang'an would have been out of food when they finished their attack on Jiolgula Mountain. "
"So serious? But as long as we capture southern Tibet, Tibet will have the ability to be self-sufficient in food."
"It can't be that simple. Once the place is taken, you have to send troops to cultivate it, right? The terrain of Nyenchen Tanglha Mountain is too complicated, with many mountains and mountains. The mountain is covered with heavy snow in winter and heavy rain in summer. The window period every year is only two months in autumn. . Fukang'an's memorial to Qianlong said that the climate in Tibet suddenly cooled, and the mountains were closed by ice and snow after September for all year round. Nyalam is covered by heavy snow for five months every year, making it impossible for humans and animals to pass through. Once trapped, it is There is no way forward and no way to retreat."
Ding Guofeng nodded helplessly and said, "That's right. Even at that time, the road into Tibet was not easy to repair."
"There is no way to ward off the miasma, and I am begging for elixir, and I am struggling to groan every ten steps." Zhao Xin walked to the window, looked at the tropical scenery outside, and said without looking back: "Fukangan brought three thousand Sauron soldiers this time. Enter Tibet, do you know how many people survived in the end? Three hundred!"
Ding Guofeng said in shock: "The loss is so big?"
"We got the original text of the memorial he and He Lin gave to Qianlong at the intelligence station in the capital, including the battle on Mount Jiarkula. Every battle was roundabout and roundabout, with frontal feints and side flanks, all relying on Sauron. The soldiers and the Jinchuan native soldiers were not afraid of death. The Manchus and Qing Dynasties dared to take human lives as nothing for the sake of the emperor and the country. If it were our own troops, who would dare to use them like this?
The lessons of the war in 1962 are very clear. No matter how advanced the weapons are and how brave the soldiers are, they cannot change the geographical conditions of Shannan. The Qing army achieved victory with human lives, but we would also have to use human lives to achieve victory! The 90,000 square kilometers of southern Tibet are great, but the problem in Tibet is that the major troubles are internal but not external. We must let the Manchu Qing Dynasty eliminate the internal troubles for us.
Those guys who always say "at any cost" are, in my opinion, a bunch of idiots who have no regard for other people's lives. Whoever dares to say such things publicly again, I will personally send him to southern Tibet to carry a gun and stand guard! "
