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Chapter 20: Successive Shows of Power

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    ""Hanshu 7": "Afraid that he would get off the bus and show his power, the officials and the people would stop.  //www.//.  .  "It means that they were worried that Ban Bo would show his authority to his subordinates when he first took office, so they restrained themselves. The word "get off the horse" here does not refer to the action of getting off the car, but refers to the official's first arrival. The ancients used to dismount and dismount.  The word "car" represents the habit of officials arriving at their posts, so later "getting out of the car to show off one's authority" was replaced by "dismounting one's authority". In addition, the word "dismounting authority" is easy to pronounce, and the meaning is simple and clear, so it became widely spread."

    "Modern Mandarin Dictionary Shows Its Power"

    After the clanging train entered Lianyungang Central Railway Station, Fa Leisi and Mei Lehe were stunned when they looked at the indoor platform. On the platform, there were no "colorful flags" or "military music" as they imagined.  "Compared with their surprise, Lucas had no taboos about Lian Yun's "discourtesy" at this time. In his heart, the most important thing now is not whether the other party welcomes him, but the people here.  Can it be proved that the consul was wrong?

    When he walked out of the luxury carriage, even though he didn't say a word, everyone could feel the suppressed anger in Consul General Farais's heart, while Merlot and Lucas followed him, and behind them were still others.  There were several attendants, and as soon as they stepped out of the carriage, they could clearly feel that the air flow seemed to be from bottom to top.

    Looking at the front of the car, the smoke of the steam locomotive that was spitting out smoke was drawn straight upward. Merle recalled the introduction about Asia's largest railway station in "Zilinxi".

    "With the action of the air extractor, it is ensured that the smoke in the underground train station will not permeate the platform and the station!"

    At this moment, a young man in his twenties wearing a suit and leather shoes walked over.

    "Hello, Consul General, I am Ouyang Kun, Foreign Affairs Secretary of the State Council!"

    Only one so-called foreign affairs secretary was sent?

    The anger in Fareis¡¯s heart became even stronger. Li Zicheng¡¯s arrogance was far beyond his imagination. From Shanghai to here, he even

    Falles snorted, expressing his dissatisfaction and at the same time displaying the so-called British "arrogance". Merlot looked at the extremely young foreign affairs secretary and smiled.

    "Hello, Mr. Ouyang!"

    Compared to Fareis¡¯s arrogance and dissatisfaction, Merlehe behaved very appropriately. In fact, here, he had to ¡°stand on¡± the Chinese side.

    "Hello, Mr. General Taxation Department!"

    After saying hello one after another, Ouyang Kun said.

    "Your Excellency, Consul General, the car to greet you is resting outside the station at the Lianyun Hotel where you arrived first. Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will meet with you!"

    Meet!

    tomorrow!

    If it weren't for the fact that roaring would only make people laugh, Fareis would have roared a long time ago to vent his dissatisfaction. If it wasn't because he wanted to find out what kind of medicine the prime minister was selling in his gourd, he was afraid that  He had already turned around and left Lianyungang, but now he could only endure it.

    When Fareis and his entourage followed him along the passage towards the outside of the station, Ouyang Kun was stunned by Fareis's performance. He had grown up with his uncle in the United States and had come into contact with many diplomats since he was a child.  He felt that Fa Leisi would throw away his sleeves when faced with such cold treatment, but now he actually "docilely" went with him to the hotel!

    What is the Prime Minister planning?

    Attracting a group of people from the British Consulate General in Shanghai, Ouyang Kun could not figure out what the Prime Minister was thinking.

    On the back deck of the "Dinghai", Li Zicheng, who had finished his inspection, had already stepped down the gangway to the white traffic motorboat. At this time, he was reviewing his "Army and Navy Team" for the last time before tomorrow's exercise.  A black 7 sedan was parked at the landing area of ??the pier, waiting for the street. The plum blossom flag of the State Council was flying on the front fender.

    Standing by the car door, a straight-laced Secret Service agent in a suit opened the door when he was still a few meters away.

    "Chengjun,"

    Turning around and looking at Shen Honglie who was doing the same thing with him, Li Zicheng said

    "Shall we go to Fortress Mountain?"

    "Yes, Prime Minister!"

    Shen Honglie was naturally well aware of the relationship between the "Army and Marine Corps" and the Prime Minister. After he took office as the commander of the Army and Marine Corps, he was grateful for Li Zicheng's favor for him. He once said with emotion many times:

    "When I was in my prime, I devoted myself to the army and had the ambition to ride the wind and waves. However, I encountered no success and escaped outside the customs. I was promoted by the Prime Minister among the people and looked forward to the cause of China's river and sea construction."

    "Prime Minister, would it be wrong if you didn't pick up Fales"

    After the Prime Minister got off the transport boat again, and when the transport boat drove away, Shen Honglie asked tentatively, before getting off the ship, there was a call that the British Consul General in Shanghai, Farrelly, had arrived.

      While speaking, the traffic boat had already docked at the Liandao Pier, but there were no cars available on the pier.

    "Let's go!"

    Seeing that Shen Honglie wanted to arrange for someone to drive, Li Zicheng had already started walking towards the mountain while talking.

    "It's several miles away, Prime Minister."

    "Are you pressed for time?"

    When asked in return, Li Zicheng did not stop, but walked towards the mountain one by one.

    "Ah, no, sir."

    After a while, after leaving the pier, the two began to climb a mountain path.  Although the weather was not very hot, after a while, Li Zicheng's shirt was still blackened by sweat, but his pace did not slow down.  He was silent, but not because he was out of breath.  Although Shen Honglie was older, his breathing was very even because he was a soldier. Li Zicheng, who insisted on walking, was breathing heavily. In comparison, he even felt a little embarrassed.

    They made a turn uphill, and here they could overlook the broad panoramic view of the entire Lianyungang port: the completed first and second phase piers, the third pier under construction, the large cranes on the pier, and the ships moored in the dock.  Merchant ships waiting to enter the port, merchant ships docking at the port, "Pinghai" and "Dinghai" moored at the dedicated wharf of the shipyard. Liandao Wharf is the exclusive wharf of the Army Marine Corps. In addition to a cruiser, there are  Four experimental 800-ton cruise gunboats.

    ¡°The scenery here is beautiful.¡±

    When he heard a voice of praise, Li Zicheng turned his face and stared at Shen Honglie standing next to him.

    "According to the original plan, the Pinghai-class service should be quiet. Now, we don't have the capital to make a big splash!"

    While speaking, Li Zicheng, who had climbed to the top of the mountain, gasped and said:

    ¡°But now, the negotiations between the State Council and various countries to re-formulate the new treaty make it necessary for us to maintain a certain degree of strength. Of course, we need to show our tough stance in some ways, so we have this exercise.¡±

    Turning around and looking at the fort on "Fort Hill" not far away, the top of the mountain was completely blown to the ground. A 356mm twin turret salvaged from the battleship "King Kong" was installed on the reinforced concrete turret.  The turret as the core forms a fort system, and there are three such forts in Liandao. The three armored forts constitute the Liandao fortress. The forts on Yuntai Mountain on the mainland form the Lianyungang fortress system, and  Currently, Liandao Fortress is still under construction, and a large number of underground projects have not yet been completed. In the future, this naval base will become the strongest fortress in the world.

    "Well, I understand, Prime Minister, don't worry! I won't let you down tomorrow."

    Shen Honglie responded quickly.

    "I know you will not let the country down!"

    While nodding, Li Zicheng wiped his sweaty forehead with a folded white handkerchief.

    "Chengjun Liandao is isolated overseas and the port is exposed. With such a location and the current weakness of our navy, it is not considered a good naval port. Even Qingdao is not considered a good port. This point  , I have considered it, of course, I can't solve this problem now. However, next year, or at least the year after next, I will solve this problem, and by then, the Navy will have its own real base."

    Li Zicheng¡¯s tone was very calm, and he began to walk faster after he had rested.

    "Cheng Jun, the threat from China comes from the sea. The battle outside Lanhai can be said to have changed the balance of power in the Pacific to some extent. The Japanese Navy has been disarmed by half. Indeed, we almost completely defeated the Japanese Navy.  But now the Japanese have planned as many as 10 new warships. For the navy, warships are dead. It can be said that as long as the Japanese navy's officer team is there, Japan's naval power will soon return to the ocean.  , and no one knows whether we will have a conflict with Japan by then. Last time, we caught the Japanese Navy off guard and took advantage of weapons and tactics. In fact, the Japanese Navy¡¯s excellent combat capabilities,  His organizational skills are obvious to all, Cheng Jun, you all have lived in Etajima, Japan, so you shouldn¡¯t have any doubts about this!"

    "Indeed, Prime Minister, Japan, like the British, is an island country. The foundation of their country is the navy. The effort they put into the navy far exceeds our imagination, and its navy is extremely fighting spirit. This even exceeds  Britain, based on my experience in serving in the Japanese Navy and my observations while watching the war in Britain, I can say without hesitation that if Japan had warships of comparable tonnage as Germany, then Britain would not be able to win in a naval battle.  Even if Japan's pre-war strength conflicts with Britain, Britain will alsoThere is no hope of winning if we only compare the navy.  "

    After Shen Honglie made this sensational comment, he fell silent.

    Li Zicheng neither objected nor agreed. If later generations of Chinese people have any impression of Japan, it is that Japan had an outstanding fleet during World War II. The fleet that made the British and Americans regretful was indeed world-class.  Yes, their training was top-notch, and their tactics were top-notch, but the fleet in the end was defeated by technology and industrial capabilities.

    Japan devoted its national power to build a first-class navy, but in the end, hard training could not make up for the technical gap. Now, what China wants to do is to strive for technological superiority, so as to win the future of China.  The Japanese naval battle, and that naval battle will definitely determine the national destiny of China and Japan.

    "The future is pessimistic, Prime Minister."

    Shen Honglie said with a bold kiss.

    "Not necessarily. I don't think Japan can become a big thing. Its weak industrial base and material supply cannot sustain a long-term struggle. In the early stages of the war, maybe she will have a lot of fun, but it won't last long. However, if our domestic fighting spirit is strong  If we do, we will win this war."

    "As he spoke, Li Zicheng pointed his finger at the sea in the north.

    "Why did the powerful Beiyang Navy lose in the Battle of Dadonggou? Why did the Russian Navy lose in the Battle of Tsushima? Why did the United Fleet win? Really? No, the reason is very simple. In both naval battles, Japan was far away  We are at the forefront of naval technological changes, and this time"

    Turning around and pointing at the two "Dinghai-class battlecruisers" transformed from the "Hanoi-class battleships" that had undergone the most inspection in the shipyard, Li Zicheng's face was filled with anticipation.

    "This time, we will be at the forefront of naval technological change, and we will also lead the naval technological change and naval technological development of this era! Cheng Jun, tomorrow, let the British see our battleships and our navy! Tomorrow,  Let¡¯s blow the horn to march into the sea. Sooner or later, our navy will make the whole world tremble!¡±

    At this time, the sunset filled the sky, dyeing the sky red, reflecting the red sea surface, and also reflected the red faces of the two people above.

    ¡°Demonstration!¡±

    This is definitely a demonstration!

    Almost as soon as he arrived at Liandao Fortress by car, Fareis had this term in his mind. Apart from demonstrations, he could not find any other words to describe this "trip to Lianyun".

    First, he showed off his power, and then he was invited here to watch some kind of "artillery drill." What is this if not a demonstration?

    "Consul Fales, please forgive me!"

    Li Zicheng didn't speak any English at this time, and even the tone of his speech was very flat. Originally, he wanted to give Fareis a "show of authority" and feel that the British Consul General's arrogance would definitely make him "snatch" him, causing  He has an extremely bad mentality, and what he needs is his mentality to make a "suitable" report.

    What's even more rare is that when he turns his attention to Lieutenant Colonel Lucas, the Royal Navy Lieutenant Colonel, his discord with Fareis, especially the dispute on the train, will make him make another decision.  A "fit" report.

    In the end, both reports will be sent to Beijing, and Zhu Erdian will ultimately choose between the two reports. He will choose an "objective and fair" report. As for the report that is affected by emotions,

    "Lieutenant Colonel Lucas, as a Royal Navy officer, I believe you should know more about gunnery drills. Therefore, I hope you can stand on a fair standpoint and give me an accurate judgment. You know"

    "Compared with his indifference towards Fareis, Li Zicheng seemed very enthusiastic towards Lucas, and even went close to him and whispered to him in the end.

    "People will always bully you!"

    In order to achieve his own goals, Li Zicheng even began to discredit his own army and navy.

    "Of course, Mr. Prime Minister, please believe in my professionalism!"

    Being praised by the Prime Minister of a country, Lucas quickly raised his chest and answered. When answering, he even glanced at Fareis from the corner of his eye, as if to say, you don't believe me, but there are always people who know the goods.  .

    The cold and hot treatment only made the anger in Fareis's heart even more intense. Although he suppressed his inner dissatisfaction, the anger on his face was unreasonable, and this scene was seen in Mei Lehe's eyes.  , he immediately realized that this "artillery drill" was not as simple as imagined, otherwise the seemingly young and kind-hearted, but actually scheming prime minister would not have carefully planned such a thing that had started in Shanghai.  The "drama" that is staged.

    "Meilehe, my chief tax department!"

    With Merlot andWhen they met, Li Zicheng's attitude was lukewarm. It was completely business-like. The two shook hands gently and settled the matter. They witnessed Fareis's anger and Lucas's pride.  After that, Merlot's evaluation of the Prime Minister naturally improved a few points, and there would be no dissatisfaction due to this attitude.

    After achieving the goal of killing three birds with one stone, Li Zicheng looked at the time and said to the three of them.

    "Okay, the drill will start soon! Mr. Lieutenant Colonel, you are ready!"

    Minutes later, as a deafening sound of gunfire came, a strong shock wave rushed straight into the observation post. Hot wind accompanied by the smell of gunpowder smoke hit the face. First, the No. 1 turret opened fire, targeting a ship ten nautical miles away.  Target ship, and there was also a target ship less than two kilometers away from the sea surface of Liandao. When the shells fell near the long-distance target ship, Fareis curled his lips and said with regret but actually provocation.  .

    "Mr. Prime Minister, it seems your gunners need some more training!"

    His words made Li Zicheng's face change slightly, and then Lieutenant Colonel Lucas put down the telescope and said.

    "Mr. Consul, this is a test firing. Even if the Royal Navy gunners in Gibraltar conduct such a long-range bombardment, they must conduct a test firing! Moreover,"

    Turning to face Li Zicheng, Lucas said with great appreciation.

    "The first shot caused a near-miss. Your Excellency, Prime Minister, your gunners are very good!"

    As he spoke, the sound of artillery sounded again. Compared with the last single artillery bombardment, this time it was a salvo of three armored turrets. Six giant cannons fired in just two or three seconds. The sound and shock wave of the artillery were only  Everyone in the shocked observation post felt a surge of energy and blood. More than thirty seconds later, several huge explosions of flames rose up one after another on the target ship. It could not be Fareis, Merle, or Lucas.  He was stunned by this round of volleys. After a while, Lucas came back to his senses and said.

    "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, congratulations, your gunners are the best gunners in the world. With this fortress and these gunners, no one will dare to invade your sea!"

    Listening to Lucas¡¯s flattering compliment, Fareis said with great arrogance.

    "The fort is immobile, but the fleet is patrolling the ocean. If we only rely on the fort"

    Suddenly, his words were interrupted by the sound of an explosion. The explosion came from the offshore target ship. At this time, the target ship was completely shrouded in smoke and fireworks, but the Liandao fort did not fire.  At this moment, through high-powered telescopes, Merlot saw two dreadnoughts. Fareis and Lucas also saw the two warships. They watched in surprise as the two warships kept blasting their bells.  When the battleship was gunned down, Mei Lehe noticed the fleeting smile on Li Zicheng's face. Although the smile was fleeting, Mei Lehe still caught a hint of pride, but in his opinion, it was more like  It is the smile of a successful conspiracy.

    Yes, it¡¯s a conspiracy. This ¡°drama¡± has been a conspiracy from the beginning, a conspiracy against Britain, but why Fares?
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